Lack of Documents

I think the best course of action is to discuss this with the State of South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles. They should be able to tell you exactly what you would need to present to get the proper title.

Folks on here will respond with what their state might require but that is their state not South Carolina.

Go to the source and get the correct information you need

Dave

x2 on dpgllg get info direct from DMV of SC. If office near you, go in and get correct answers. If you have a camper in mind close to you and you can get the VIN from it (usually stamped in hitch on front on a TT) take it with you. If there is an old tag on it, get the number and take that with you.

Also for just some general info, lookup DMV SC on line.

May take some research, but if you like the camper and see good possibilities, to pursue it might be beneficial.

Excellent advice given so far that I entirely agree with. Check with your state's DMV; the rules vary a good bit between states, I think more so with trailers than with motor vehicles (but both do vary).

Here in New England, most (maybe all) of the states won't issue titles for vehicles over about 15 years old, or at least won't issue them as a matter of course. Needless to say, they also don't require them when registering a new-to-you vehicle of that age. Of course, South Carolina is not in New England by a good many miles.

Well, I diverge from the bell curve and disagree. Only if you are willing to put that much leg work into retrieving a legitimate title and only if that much effort is worth it to you, then pursue it.

Personally, if the current possessor of the property cannot produce the title, I'd never accept it. There are plenty of "fixer-uppers" out there where the owner will have the correct paper work. Move on to the next one. Use your resources and time for rebuilding the camper, not tracking down paper work to make it legally yours.

The seller has the responsibility to provide the paper work. Have the seller track it down ... then make an offer to buy it. You should not have to do this type of work.

You already stated your state is strict with other vehicles that are road worthy. An RV / camper will be equally as tough. Why bother. You already have your answer. It will be a lot of work and probably still end, only in frustration. There ARE other campers out there that are equally as worthy of your time, talent, and resources to fix up and make beautiful again.

Good advice given, both pro and con. Consider both.

One thing to do, whenever inquiring with a state agency, whether in person or over the phone, get the name of the person you talked to, and in which office they are located. If they cite a specific law or regulation, get them to give you the specific statute or regulation number, in what publication, and the page number. Better yet, if possible, have them give you a copy of said law or regulation. If they are unable to give you a copy, if you get the statute or regulation number, query it on line and search for as much information as you can.

In South Carolina I have gotten titles to 2 boats in the last 3 years that did not have a title when I brought them over, these were boats that I had owned for many years while in GA and no title was required. I had stopped using them back in the early 90's and let everything expire and had long since lost all paperwork I had on them.

Both were missing the hull id numbers, 1 the plate was long gone, the other it was partially obliterated.

I provided information including the original state registration number and sent it to the vehicle theft unit in Columbia, within 10 days on both I had good titles and hull id numbers with current registration. They used the GA registration numbers to obtain the hull id numbers and to check for stolen info, they came back clear and I was good to go.
Go to your local DMV and inquire, they may then send you to the tax assessor and back. If you have a bill of sale that will help as well. I would try that BEFORE money changes hands.

The key is to provide as much information as possible, a pencil tracing of the vin and or photograph is very helpful along with pictures of all 4 sides of the vehicle.

I did mine in Jasper County, a little more rural than Charleston but worth a shot.

Good luck,
Chris

Excellent advice from DP.

just my .02cts I,d pass ,this could turn into a real mess.

The more I think about it, I probably wont mess with one without a title unless it's the perfect camper for a project. I was just curious as to what all you thought or if any of you had actually perused one like that.

I have ran across a couple like that and the sellers tried to play down not having a title. One lady tried to tell me that it was not needed and was not like a car in SC so she could just write me a Bill of Sale and that was it. But yet she could not tell me who she had gotten it from in the first place or where it came from. So I have just been passing on that stuff so far.

I am wanting to replace our pop-up with a travel trailer of some sort but the build quality or current condition of most for the money makes me want to look more into rebuilding one so I know its built tough and will hold up. But then again, I really dont have the time to build one either. So right now I am just doing homework on differnet campers or possible routs to take with one.

Thanks for your thoughts!

"One of the things I have considered doing is finding an older camper that needs a lot of work/restoration and build it like I want it. "

Will this work and/or restoration be enough to classify the rig as a "2019 Homebuilt"? If so, you can probably get a new VIN and title for it under that classification.
Again, check the rules and regulations in YOUR state. Just because I can do it here, doesn't mean you can do it there!