Buying a Class A coach in Texas

Empty Nest, Soon wrote:
Thanks! As you say, my experience is different. I have not heard that it was common practice in some states for plates to stay with the vehicle rather than with the registered owner.
Wayne

This is why I asked the question that I did. In California, the plates stay with the vehicle and the buyer has 14 days to go to DMV and get title changed. The plate still stays on the vehicle, but the plate is now registered to a new owner on the state's books.

The seller completes a form (it is attached to the title) that he fills out with the name and address of the buyer and mails that to the state. That releases the seller as of the date of sale from any liability from the vehicle and its plate.

No special actions needed to drive the vehicle anywhere. Just carry the bill of sale and signed over title with you until you get home and register it there. I just did that with a trailer that I bought in CA and took to OR.

Simple process.

I’ve made a couple of calls this morning to different TX DMV numbers. First call, to the division for oversize/overweight vehicles, the lady told me I could get a permit that would get me as far as the LA border, but then I would have to make arrangements with LA, MS, AL, etc., for the rest of the trip.

I then called the first TX DMV number again and was told the county tax office could issue me a one-trip-permit that would be good for up to 15 days for my trip back home. I need the title assigned to me by current owner, my DL, proof of insurance, and $5 fee. That was the kind of answer I was hoping for the first time I called last week.

I’ve also found a couple of other web pages at the TX DMV site that suggest that the trip permit is only good in Texas.

I then called the WV DMV this morning to inquire about a permit. They can sell me a permit, but it is only good in WV, not in other states.

This makes me wonder whether in reality each state does its own permit for within its borders. It is tempting to take my WV RV plates from the TT along as a backup plan and hope I don’t get stopped. But I guess it would be better if I get stopped somewhere to rely on presenting the TX One-Trip 15-day Permit and the TX title recently assigned to me and hope for the good will of the officer.

Wayne

roscott wrote:
Ditto on tatest's comments. I don't think you have a problem. Plates in Texas stay with the vehicle. All you need is bill of sale, title (if clear), proof of insurance, etc. drive it home and take care of taxes and registration there.

NEVER leave the plates anymore. Plates do NOT stay in Texas anymore. The problem with leaving the plates on is this---IF the new owner gets on a Toll Tag road or gets parking tickets or ANYTHING that will cause Law Enforcement to tag or ticket the vehicle, the seller will be liable and getting any tickets handled will be cumbersome. In Texas, you can go to the county Tax office and PAY for a 30 day temp tag. I believe it is about $30. Also, once you sell, you go to the State Website and or County Website and fill out a form that states date of sale and who purchased it. That gets YOU off the hook for what happens after they take possession of the vehicle. You also remove the plates. THAT makes the buyer get it registered or get the Temp Plates very fast, as he will NOT want to drive without plates on the vehicle. Doug

bob_nestor wrote:

Empty Nest, Soon wrote:

BigRabbitMan wrote:
Based on your question, I assume that the coach does not have current TX registration. Is that correct?

Not correct.

The coach is currently titled and registered in Texas. The current owner will be purchasing a different coach, therefore will keep the current plates.

I’m not sure that it would be legal for me to drive it back with his plates anyway after I pay him and the title is signed over to me.

Wayne

What makes you think the current owner will keep the plates? Are they personalized plates, or just normal run of the mill plates? In Texas the plates on vehicles usually stay with the vehicle. I've never had the plates transferred from an old vehicle to a new one that I bought here in Texas.

Depends on the state. ND went from the plate belongs to the vehicle, to the plate belongs to the owner, and you can keep the plate and put on another vehicle.

We bought our Bluebird in GA. We got insurance before we flew down, and took that paperwork with us. We drove it home with the PO's plates still on, and then mailed the plate back to him.

Thanks! As you say, my experience is different. I have not heard that it was common practice in some states for plates to stay with the vehicle rather than with the registered owner.

Sorta like boat registration numbers, I suppose.

Wayne

Ditto on tatest's comments. I don't think you have a problem. Plates in Texas stay with the vehicle. All you need is bill of sale, title (if clear), proof of insurance, etc. drive it home and take care of taxes and registration there.

I bought my motorhome in Mo. I asked the sellers if they would leave the plates on, and I would overnight Fedex the plates back. I showed them my Nevada insurance card, It had the motorhome as being insured.
All turned out well.

Empty Nest, Soon wrote:
. . .

Another question for me to ask the Texas DMV. It doesn't seem right that the old plates would be good for me to drive on after the title is signed over to me.

Wayne

Doesn't seem right because your experience is different. With people saying in Texas the tags stay with the vehicle, I'll work from the Oklahoma model, where they stay with the vehicle. As soon as we have the bill of sale (a signed over title is also nice) those tags are ours. If the vehicle stays in the state, we have a certain amount of time to pay the taxes, and make an application for title in our own name, but the tags are good until they expire, and then need only renewal.

We have an option to buy new tags ($3) at time of tax paying and title application or any time renewing. We usually do, because there could be outstanding warrants on the previous owner, and being stopped on mistaken ID is not fun.

Taking it out of state, you would be driving a Texas vehicle with valid Texas tags that belong to you, with an obligation to pay some taxes somewhere base on your residence. Timing on that is between you and state of residence (at least one wants the vehicle tagged before first driven on that state's roads).

Only real problem is getting stopped and dealing with vehicle tags don't match state of driver's license, and the paperwork from the sale should cover that for most LEOs in most states.

Most likely you are having difficulty with tax office in a Texas county because they don't understand the problem, since the way they do things they don't see the problem you think you have. So they are trying to invent solutions.

P.S. I bought my RV from a private owner in Missouri, plates came with it, I had to wait for him to clear his lien before getting a signed over Missouri title, our broker for the transaction had me just drive home on his plates, but gave me a dealer temp tag "just in case." Driving it to Illinois and back was probably a stretch.

bob_nestor wrote:
What makes you think the current owner will keep the plates? Are they personalized plates, or just normal run of the mill plates? In Texas the plates on vehicles usually stay with the vehicle. I've never had the plates transferred from an old vehicle to a new one that I bought here in Texas.

I will ask the seller specifically whether he will keep the current plates. I know he intends to buy a smaller Class A coach.

In my experience, my plates have been transferred to the my new vehicle, and never go to the buyer. I don't have to pay for new plates, just a nominal transfer fee. I've never heard of them staying with the vehicle, but . . .

Another question for me to ask the Texas DMV. It doesn't seem right that the old plates would be good for me to drive on after the title is signed over to me.

Wayne

I’ve bought vehicles in other states before and it was no big deal to get a 10-day tag in the state where I purchased in order to drive it back home. I don’t remember even having to show an Insurance Certificate, just the title sighed over to me. In Texas, it seems to be a big deal to get a tag to drive it home.

It seems an Insurance Certificate that complies with WV law is not good enough in Texas. I was told I need a Declaration Sheet, which takes time. I spoke with my insurance agent and added the vehicle to my WV policy today, in hopes that I can get the Dec Sheet in the next 2 weeks, before I board a plane for Texas. If for some unforeseen reason I end up not buying the coach, I can drop it from the policy again and get a refund of most of what I pay in premiums. But under WV insurance law, any vehicle that I buy is automatically added to my existing policy. My obligation is to notify my agent within 14 days of when I buy it and pay the premium when they get around to sending me the bill. It was the same in Ohio when I lived there.

I was also told by the county tax office in Texas that I must have a list of all routes that I will be taking on the way back to WV and that I cannot under any circumstances take any different route home. I printed out the directions from Mapquest. I wonder if the authorities in LA, MS, AL, TN, VA and WV will be checking as I drive through.

I entered the coach VIN on this Texas DMV web page https://vision21.txdmv.gov/Vehicle/VehicleLookupForPermit.aspx and it told me that “(t)his vehicle is not eligible for a Transit Permit. You must go immediately to your local county tax office to title and register your vehicle.” I don’t want to title and register the vehicle there in Texas.

I think I will call the Texas DMV again tomorrow. I now have the VIN (which I did not have when I called last week) so maybe they can tell me more about exactly what kind of tag I need, etc.

I will also call the WV DMV again tomorrow to ask about getting a WV temporary tag. In my past experience, they will only issue one when I bring in the title, pay the use tax, and apply for a WV title. One cannot get regular plates in WV until the title is issued, which can take 2 or 3 weeks because they are all issued in Charleston.

Wayne