How do I buy Illinois RV and get it to New York?

[cmgoeke]

We are in the process of buying a motor home in Illinois. After the purchase, it will be titled and licensed in New York State. The question is, how do I logistically make this happen?

In an ideal world where gas was cheap and I have lots of spare time, I would:

1) make the 11 hour drive to Illinois
2) hand the current owners a check in exchange for the title
3) drive the 11 hours back to New York State
4) get NY plates for the RV
5) get the RV insured (our local insurance agent can only write policies on vehicles titled in NY
6) drive the 11 hours back to Illinois
7) drive away in the RV

NY does not issue temporary plates. Nor can I find any evidence of Illinois doing the same. I'm hesitant to mail a check to Illinois for the purchase of the RV and hope I get a title back in the mail (this is a private sale, but I 99.9% trust the current owners).

Have others faced the type of situation? How did you handle it? Will big insurance companies insure vehicles that are not yet licensed in the destination state? Thanks for any and all suggestions.

[riven1950]

Don't know about now but they ( DMV in NC ) used to go and look for expired tags or tags with no insurance. Maybe not now with all the computer systems, I don't know.

Switched ins once and DMV got a cancellation notice, called me and said they were going to come get my tag if I did not immediately bring it in. I was only about 1/2 mile from the guy and told him I was not bringing tag in but he could come and get it, but just remember I was going to expect him to bring it back when he found out it was a error. Never saw him....

[minnow]

wny_pat wrote:

shakyjay wrote:

Snowman9000 wrote:
Unlike say CA, and maybe OR it sounds like, in IL the tags stay with the owner, not the vehicle. Now, the seller could leave the IL plates on, if he was not going to re-register them to another RV. But that's not a smart thing for him to do. I don't know if IL issues something for temporary use. They have a temporary plate for use till the permanent plates come, that much I do know.

I would drive it home but then again I like to question authority. 🙂

They stay with vehicle in California as well.

I would simply do as a couple of others have said. Either fly or drive look it over. If it all looks good make a deal, pay the money, get title and bill of sale, and drive it home. I have always simply called my insurance agent and told them I just bought a vehicle, gave them the vin, and they added it to my policy.

And in NYS, they have to be turned in. And if you don't turn them in, the state police come looking for them when they expire, or when the insurance runs out, which ever comes first.

That is absolutely incorrect. The State Police do not go to someone's house to retrieve expired license plates.

[NYCFive1]

Call Travelers Insurance directly.You don't need "trip insurance" to drive outside of NY. I have Travelers Insurance. Your agent cannot WRITE insurance for another state. You live and are registering the MH in NY. You will have INSURANCE. I bought a MH from a dealer in New Hamshire several years ago and drove it back to NY with Temp plate from NH. I had insurance when I called my agent and had a faxed copy of the I'D card I did have to avoid driving through Mass because the state of Mass does not recognize temp plates and could have ticked and seized the vehicle. Check the state's you will be driving through for their laws governing temporary plates. When you register the MH be sure to have an ID card less than 45 days old for the MH.

[Beaker]

The sellers insurance will remain in force during the transaction up to three days, and your insurance should cover you if you are driving the RV.

No way would you be driving 3 days on my insurance!

To the OP:
Make sure the states have reciprocal(sp) sales tax.

[Wadcutter]

donn0128 wrote:
As long as it has current tags and you have a bill of sale and title in your hand, I would not hesitate to simply drive, buy and drive it back home. IMHO your making more out of this than is necessary.

No. Don't offer legal advice. What you just recommended is a felony in IL and a lot of other states to use someone else's license plates. I really doubt the OP wants a felony arrest and conviction on his record.

Snowman is correct with the information.
Contact the IL Secretary of State's office. That's the office that handles vehicle registration in IL. What you want is called a drive away decal or registration. They issue them everyday and is a common request.
Just don't do as some have suggested and drive away with the previous owners license plates on it. Unless you consider a felony a molehill. That's one mountain you don't want.

[wny_pat1]

shakyjay wrote:

Snowman9000 wrote:
Unlike say CA, and maybe OR it sounds like, in IL the tags stay with the owner, not the vehicle. Now, the seller could leave the IL plates on, if he was not going to re-register them to another RV. But that's not a smart thing for him to do. I don't know if IL issues something for temporary use. They have a temporary plate for use till the permanent plates come, that much I do know.

I would drive it home but then again I like to question authority. 🙂

They stay with vehicle in California as well.

I would simply do as a couple of others have said. Either fly or drive look it over. If it all looks good make a deal, pay the money, get title and bill of sale, and drive it home. I have always simply called my insurance agent and told them I just bought a vehicle, gave them the vin, and they added it to my policy.

And in NYS, they have to be turned in. And if you don't turn them in, the state police come looking for them when they expire, or when the insurance runs out, which ever comes first.

[rhagfo]

shakyjay wrote:

Snowman9000 wrote:
Unlike say CA, and maybe OR it sounds like, in IL the tags stay with the owner, not the vehicle. Now, the seller could leave the IL plates on, if he was not going to re-register them to another RV. But that's not a smart thing for him to do. I don't know if IL issues something for temporary use. They have a temporary plate for use till the permanent plates come, that much I do know.

I would drive it home but then again I like to question authority. 🙂

They stay with vehicle in California as well.

I would simply do as a couple of others have said. Either fly or drive look it over. If it all looks good make a deal, pay the money, get title and bill of sale, and drive it home. I have always simply called my insurance agent and told them I just bought a vehicle, gave them the vin, and they added it to my policy.

Pulled two trailers from Washington to Oregon with expired plates. First was choice between trip permit or replacing some really bad tires on Saturday afternoon, the other was bought on a Sunday, both tows were about 200 miles didn't have an issue.

I thinks the OP's biggest issue is getting insurance for the trip home.

[cmgoeke]

Thanks for all the suggestions! I probably am making a mountain out of a molehill. It's just that regulations in every state are so very different!

We have already inspected the RV and have had it gone over...it's a good deal.

My husband's googling skills out did mine for once. He found where Illinois does issue temporary plates (Thanks doximom 11 and Snowman9000!). That helps immensely. And "We Cant Wait" says NYS does have a 1 time temporary transport plate. I'll blame the NYS DMV website for not making that info easily found. 😉

I did call our local insurance agent...no luck there. Maybe I need to find an agent in Illinois that handles Travelers...or try Good Sam or AAA. I have never heard of a "trip policy." I'll check into it.

Great suggestions about checking the tires. We did that when we put the deposit down on it, but will check again when we receive it.

"Square Dancers" said just get a notarized bill of sale and drive it. But the RV wouldn't have any kind of plates in that scenario. Is that legal? I know in New York State, we have to turn plates in when we sell a vehicle if they aren't being transferred to another vehicle. There is no way I would let someone drive away in a vehicle they purchased from me with my plates on it! I could see us getting all the way to the NY state line and getting pulled over and ticketed by a NY State trooper!

Regardless, you guys are all great at giving us suggestions and hope. We are newbies at this and can't wait to hit the open road!

[shakyjay]

Snowman9000 wrote:
Unlike say CA, and maybe OR it sounds like, in IL the tags stay with the owner, not the vehicle. Now, the seller could leave the IL plates on, if he was not going to re-register them to another RV. But that's not a smart thing for him to do. I don't know if IL issues something for temporary use. They have a temporary plate for use till the permanent plates come, that much I do know.

I would drive it home but then again I like to question authority. 🙂

They stay with vehicle in California as well.

I would simply do as a couple of others have said. Either fly or drive look it over. If it all looks good make a deal, pay the money, get title and bill of sale, and drive it home. I have always simply called my insurance agent and told them I just bought a vehicle, gave them the vin, and they added it to my policy.

[Snowman9000]

Found this on the IL website:

http://www.cyberdriveillinois.com/departments/vehicles/faq.html

What are the types and uses of temporary permits, and how can they be obtained?
7/30 DAY INTRASTATE/INTERSTATE TRANSPORT PERMITS - A 7/30 –Day Intrastate/Interstate Transport Permit is a multiple permit for use as a non-resident, drive-away or intrastate permit. The permit allows out-of-state purchasers to operate newly purchased vehicles from the place of sale to a destination outside Illinois for 30 days. An intrastate/Interstate Transport Permit may also be issued for a non-registered first or second division vehicle for the purpose of moving it within the State of Illinois. Any second division vehicles operating on a Intrastate/Interstate Transport Permit may operate only on empty weight. Permits are available at Secretary of State facilities for $10 each. (There is more, but you get the point.)

[Snowman9000]

Unlike say CA, and maybe OR it sounds like, in IL the tags stay with the owner, not the vehicle. Now, the seller could leave the IL plates on, if he was not going to re-register them to another RV. But that's not a smart thing for him to do. I don't know if IL issues something for temporary use. They have a temporary plate for use till the permanent plates come, that much I do know.

I would drive it home but then again I like to question authority. 🙂

[Nvr_lost]

When I sold my class C, we agreed on the price over the phone. He and his wife flew in from Philadelphia. I met them at the airport. He brought a cashier's check for the agreed amount. (My title was clear). We went over the RV and I gave them a 2 hour tutorial on the RV. We went to my bank, he gave me the check and I deposited it. I signed the title and gave him the title after the bank notarized my signature. I then took him to the local Ohio licensing bureau where bought a temporary Ohio tag. They drove away with the RV after that. It was followed by my sadness the rest of the day.

[riven1950]

You can get a temporary transport slip, even in NY. I bought a Mazda MX5 online, flew to Long Island one morning, inspected the vehicle, paid and got the title signed over ( was even actually a Maryland title ), went to NY DMV, had my insurance company fax info to DMV, got a temp tag to transport from NY to NC and was on the road home before 3:00 pm. Just contact your ins company and local DMV in advance. I think you can do it and drive it home.

[donn0128]

As long as it has current tags and you have a bill of sale and title in your hand, I would not hesitate to simply drive, buy and drive it back home. IMHO your making more out of this than is necessary.