Buying a travel trailer with no title (salvage)

Rvmama22 wrote:
Bpounds thank you for your input! Sadly we will have to finance anything we get; which is a big problem for us on something we are so unsure about. We would never plan to move it. The lot fees re $2340 for the summer and $1705 for fall. So tack that into the charges, seeming like it's not a smart investment!

You are welcome, and as you have learned, this would be a really bad idea for you to get tied up in.

I hope you can find a living arrangement that works for you and the kids. It probably won't be on a lake.

these numbers are so far from good it makes me sad

This is why its actually more cost effective to go to different places on weekends. you could go once or twice a month, split the cost between state parks and private if you want amenities like pools. for the same price or less you can have the same thing and not be tied to one place, another place you need to maintain.

The only added expense would be fuel to tow it.

We go out about 4 weekends a year as well as one or 2 week long trips or 1, 2 week long trip. and we see a lot of different places. we`ve had many different views from our dinette window and from under our awning over the years! things you don`t get stuck at one place.

Rvmama22 wrote:
Bpounds thank you for your input! Sadly we will have to finance anything we get; which is a big problem for us on something we are so unsure about. We would never plan to move it. The lot fees re $2340 for the summer and $1705 for fall. So tack that into the charges, seeming like it's not a smart investment!

Wow.. Thats $338 per month just for the lot!

That is more than what my mortgage on my house was back 30 yrs ago..

I would be looking for some acreage to put my own trailer on rather than paying that kind of lot rent until eternity..

Not sure about real estate prices in your area but in rural out of the way areas like I live in PA you can sometimes find undeveloped acreage pretty cheap.. I was lucky a few years ago to grab several acres beside my house for $5K..

Bpounds thank you for your input! Sadly we will have to finance anything we get; which is a big problem for us on something we are so unsure about. We would never plan to move it. The lot fees re $2340 for the summer and $1705 for fall. So tack that into the charges, seeming like it's not a smart investment!

bpounds wrote:
I cannot abide everyone agreeing, so I will offer an alternative reality :)

Clearly that trailer is not worth $7k, or even $3k, on the market. But the question should be, is it worth it to you? You apparently like the location, and you like the deck which adds value. And usually an existing deck would not work with a different trailer. So, how much is that camping site worth to you? Have you got $5k to throw at a weekend getaway site?

The salvage title isn't much concern if that trailer is never leaving that site. Won't see the road ever again. I don't see why insurance would be needed, unless it is a requirement of the property owners. And even if it is, it would not be expensive for some kind of liability coverage, which is all they can reasonably require. It's not like you need replacement coverage. Unless of course you have to finance this purchase, in which case this would be a foolish purchase.

So let's assume this trailer is going to sit there for the rest of its life. Let's further assume this life expectancy is 5 years. Then $5k will cost you $1k per year for a vacation site, plus whatever the site rental costs, and a little maintenance which any trailer would require. I dunno your situation, but $1k per year is pretty cheap. Figure at the end of whatever the life span ends up, you are going to walk away from this thing, because it will may have near zero value.

I don't know your financial position, but hopefully this is a vacation kind of deal, and not your future fulltime living arrangement.

I don't know about NC, but in CA, plenty of folks are driving vehicles with salvage titles, and buying insurance. No big deal, but it's a big hit at resale time. I don't see resale as any issue in this instance.

The reality is the place where the trailer that the OP wants to buy REQUIRES some sort of "insurance". One MUST "play by the rules" set forth by the landowner..

OP obviously HAS contacted an insurance co AND been turned down otherwise the OP would not come here and posed the question...

In a nutshell "not insurable" in the OPs state.

Rules ARE different in NC when compared to CA, or PA or any other state.. What passes the local states DVM rules in one place, just might not pass in another.

I can assure you in PA, you cannot register a vehicle for on the road use nor can you get insurance for it once the title has been marked "salvage".

In PA, you would have to make the "repairs", then go to an inspection station and have the inspection mechanic fill out a bunch of DMV forms.. Pay the mechanic, the mechanic submits the forms to the DMV along with fees..

Then you wait for the DMV to approve and issue a NEW title which would now bear "reconstructed" on the title..

Reconstructed title as far as value is no better than salvage but at least it can be registered and insured but you have time and money tied up in a trailer still only worth $1k or less.

IF the trailer was on private property and not on a leased lot there would not be any problem.. The problem is the landowners rules..

Honestly, since only the current owner KNOWS the details and reasons as to why the title was changed to salvage and is not willing or openly disclose the REAL reason for the change, they ARE hiding critical information..

I would be highly concerned that the trailer was salvaged due to major water damage somewhere.. As someone that HAS rebuilt two travel trailers that were badly damaged by water leaks I can only tell folks to RUN far and fast away from this kind of deal.. It is a one sided deal and the current owner is not being totally honest..

I HAVE been on that end of a deal, my first TT the seller did not disclose the extent of the water damage.. What I saw on the surface was NOT all the story and I paid twice as much as I should have.. The seller knew it.. I gutted 75% of the trailer and ended up building all new upper cabinets..

If I can save ONE person from making the same mistake here, then I have done my job..

3000 has an extra 0 right?

I cannot abide everyone agreeing, so I will offer an alternative reality :)

Clearly that trailer is not worth $7k, or even $3k, on the market. But the question should be, is it worth it to you? You apparently like the location, and you like the deck which adds value. And usually an existing deck would not work with a different trailer. So, how much is that camping site worth to you? Have you got $5k to throw at a weekend getaway site?

The salvage title isn't much concern if that trailer is never leaving that site. Won't see the road ever again. I don't see why insurance would be needed, unless it is a requirement of the property owners. And even if it is, it would not be expensive for some kind of liability coverage, which is all they can reasonably require. It's not like you need replacement coverage. Unless of course you have to finance this purchase, in which case this would be a foolish purchase.

So let's assume this trailer is going to sit there for the rest of its life. Let's further assume this life expectancy is 5 years. Then $5k will cost you $1k per year for a vacation site, plus whatever the site rental costs, and a little maintenance which any trailer would require. I dunno your situation, but $1k per year is pretty cheap. Figure at the end of whatever the life span ends up, you are going to walk away from this thing, because it will may have near zero value.

I don't know your financial position, but hopefully this is a vacation kind of deal, and not your future fulltime living arrangement.

I don't know about NC, but in CA, plenty of folks are driving vehicles with salvage titles, and buying insurance. No big deal, but it's a big hit at resale time. I don't see resale as any issue in this instance.

Rvmama22 wrote:
Thank you everyone for your quick replies! Everything you have said is right along with what we were thinking as well. We might be willing to give her $3k ish for it but only for the location and lot that it's on, and the deck that comes with it. I wonder if it's common for people to purchase a TT without checking the history or VIN on it? I just wonder how much trouble she will have selling it, and if we made her an offer if she'd be totally insulted by it after months of no potential buyers? We have thought of purchasing a new TT and having it set up at this campground but we would then still have to come out of pocket for the deck.

Depends on the state DMV rules AND what you plan to do with the trailer.

Since you are dealing with a "campground" that requires insurance which would require a clean title (not salvaged) you are pretty much out of luck.

Now if you were dealing with a private piece of property you own and has no deed restrictions then a title pretty much means nothing at all other than showing "ownership" of the trailer.

Folks around here use a no title or bad title trailer as a "hunting camp".. Trailer with no title is worth next to nothing and folks do like cheap camp trailers.

There are a few states that have no title requirements OR very little restrictions on the need for a title then you might be OK..

But really in my state, unless it is a clear title I would never think to even consider purchasing.. No title or salvaged title is pretty much a death sentence for that vehicle.. Way too many DMV "hoops" to jump through not to mention the fees, documentation and hassles to convert it back to a clean title.

The biggest hurddle you have even if you paid $3k.. And that would be convincing an insurance co to insure it since it was sold as salvage.. All you can do is contact some insurance co's and see if they would at least insure it for liabilities (which is most likely what the campground is wanting)..

Thank you everyone for your quick replies! Everything you have said is right along with what we were thinking as well. We might be willing to give her $3k ish for it but only for the location and lot that it's on, and the deck that comes with it. I wonder if it's common for people to purchase a TT without checking the history or VIN on it? I just wonder how much trouble she will have selling it, and if we made her an offer if she'd be totally insulted by it after months of no potential buyers? We have thought of purchasing a new TT and having it set up at this campground but we would then still have to come out of pocket for the deck.