I recently sold a 17' sailboat with a Highlander trailer to someone
who lives in PA and will use it a lot more than me. However, he's now
calling and asking if I know the location of the VIN # plate on the
trailer. Seems the official in PA from whom he has to get the title
transfer wants a tracing (rubbing?) of the acutal VIN # plate, not
just the previous title. Now this trailer was originally titled in NH
(have a copy of the title with VIN #), then I bought it and titled it
in VA (have copy of title with VIN #) no problem, but it seems the PA
official won't accept the two previous titles as authority for the VIN
#. The new owner is talking of junking a perfectly good trailer (with
brand new tires) because he's been unable to locate the VIN # plate.

Does anyone know where he might find the plate?

If nothing else he may have to register it as a homemade trailer, that's
if they're not getting so sticky as to require receipts for all the
building materials.

The VIN tag SHOULD be quite visible if it's still on the trailer.

Dave Cannell
--
In article , Debra wrote:
I recently sold a 17' sailboat with a Highlander trailer to someone
who lives in PA and will use it a lot more than me. However, he's now
calling and asking if I know the location of the VIN # plate on the
trailer. Seems the official in PA from whom he has to get the title
transfer wants a tracing (rubbing?) of the acutal VIN # plate, not
just the previous title. Now this trailer was originally titled in NH
(have a copy of the title with VIN #), then I bought it and titled it
in VA (have copy of title with VIN #) no problem, but it seems the PA
official won't accept the two previous titles as authority for the VIN
#. The new owner is talking of junking a perfectly good trailer (with
brand new tires) because he's been unable to locate the VIN # plate.

Does anyone know where he might find the plate?

A lot of the older trailers probably don't have ID plates.
I recently bought a boat and trailer (in Pa., titled in Pa.) and
looked for the ID plate and didn't find it. Talked to the Notary
who did the paper work and she said that trailers titled and resold
in the state did not need the plate. BUT if bought from a different
state, a plate is needed. I could easily get a ID plate here and put
it on, but was not necessary unless I intended to sell the trailer
in another state.
Perhaps you could use the title to get a ID plate from your state
for the trailer.

"Debra" wrote in message
om...
I recently sold a 17' sailboat with a Highlander trailer to someone
who lives in PA and will use it a lot more than me. However, he's now
calling and asking if I know the location of the VIN # plate on the
trailer. Seems the official in PA from whom he has to get the title
transfer wants a tracing (rubbing?) of the acutal VIN # plate, not
just the previous title. Now this trailer was originally titled in NH
(have a copy of the title with VIN #), then I bought it and titled it
in VA (have copy of title with VIN #) no problem, but it seems the PA
official won't accept the two previous titles as authority for the VIN
#. The new owner is talking of junking a perfectly good trailer (with
brand new tires) because he's been unable to locate the VIN # plate.

Does anyone know where he might find the plate?

This seems like an instance of runaway beaurocracy.

If it happened that I had such a trailer, and could not find the VIN
plate, I could reasonably suppose that it had been eroded and lost by
submersion and abrasion if ever fitted, and accordingly,
I would purchase two brass strips, and use (borrow, buy) a set of
letter/number punches. I would stamp each of two strips with the given
VIN and pop rivet or screw them to two places on the trailer:
One on the carriage near the tongue, the other on the rear rail.

A rubbing of this plate, with a copy of the titile showing the same
VIN, would provide documentation which should be quite defensible.
As it happens I own two trailers, and I am confident that neither
carries a VIN plate, nor need they, here.

Brian Whatcott Altus OK

On 1 Jul 2003 06:46:18 -0700, (Debra) wrote:

I recently sold a 17' sailboat with a Highlander trailer to someone
who lives in PA and will use it a lot more than me. However, he's now
calling and asking if I know the location of the VIN # plate on the
trailer. Seems the official in PA from whom he has to get the title
transfer wants a tracing (rubbing?) of the acutal VIN # plate, not
just the previous title. Now this trailer was originally titled in NH
(have a copy of the title with VIN #), then I bought it and titled it
in VA (have copy of title with VIN #) no problem, but it seems the PA
official won't accept the two previous titles as authority for the VIN
#. The new owner is talking of junking a perfectly good trailer (with
brand new tires) because he's been unable to locate the VIN # plate.

Does anyone know where he might find the plate?

On Wed, 02 Jul 2003 01:11:23 GMT, Brian Whatcott
wrote:

This seems like an instance of runaway beaurocracy.

If it happened that I had such a trailer, and could not find the VIN
plate, I could reasonably suppose that it had been eroded and lost by
submersion and abrasion if ever fitted, and accordingly,
I would purchase two brass strips, and use (borrow, buy) a set of
letter/number punches. I would stamp each of two strips with the given
VIN and pop rivet or screw them to two places on the trailer:
One on the carriage near the tongue, the other on the rear rail.

A rubbing of this plate, with a copy of the titile showing the same
VIN, would provide documentation which should be quite defensible.
As it happens I own two trailers, and I am confident that neither
carries a VIN plate, nor need they, here.

Brian Whatcott Altus OK

On 1 Jul 2003 06:46:18 -0700, (Debra) wrote:

I recently sold a 17' sailboat with a Highlander trailer to someone
who lives in PA and will use it a lot more than me. However, he's now
calling and asking if I know the location of the VIN # plate on the
trailer. Seems the official in PA from whom he has to get the title
transfer wants a tracing (rubbing?) of the acutal VIN # plate, not
just the previous title. Now this trailer was originally titled in NH
(have a copy of the title with VIN #), then I bought it and titled it
in VA (have copy of title with VIN #) no problem, but it seems the PA
official won't accept the two previous titles as authority for the VIN
#. The new owner is talking of junking a perfectly good trailer (with
brand new tires) because he's been unable to locate the VIN # plate.

Does anyone know where he might find the plate?

What Brian said but first I'd go to a different DOT office to find out
if it's a statewide thing or just one asshole with a little power

I thought it might be a case of overblown bureaucrat ego, too. I am
going to pass all your great ideas on to the new owner. He is a
forester, so he should be handy with tools to make some new VIN plates
(I wondered why he just didn't do that in the first place). If not,
he can always declare it a homemade trailer. There's plenty of ways
to get around the "system" - you just have to have a little
imagination (and paranoia).

Thanks for all your help!

Hehe...I see you at least, can actually *spell*
"bureaucrat" and that means you are half way there
already! (unlike my spelling ho hum...)

Brian w

On 2 Jul 2003 06:58:11 -0700, (Debra) wrote:

I thought it might be a case of overblown bureaucrat ego, too. I am
going to pass all your great ideas on to the new owner. He is a
forester, so he should be handy with tools to make some new VIN plates
(I wondered why he just didn't do that in the first place). If not,
he can always declare it a homemade trailer. There's plenty of ways
to get around the "system" - you just have to have a little
imagination (and paranoia).

Thanks for all your help!