Help please!

Indolove wrote:
I just purchased a 1968 Holiday Ramber that I need to get plates registered for. I have the serial number and bill of sale but no title. How can I go about this since the DMV requires the newer 17 digit format and my camper has the old format???

I'll tell you how - stop trying to do it online. So far, you have tried registering it online and cant because the DMV website requires the VIN be a certain format.

Then, you went online to ask on a forum how to register it since you can't use the DMV website - which isn't working since posters can only speculate, unless you have the astounding luck of getting a response from a forum member who also works for the DMV in your state.

So follow the advice already given and actually go to the DMV with all your paperwork and simply ask them. Then, you can come back here and post your experience which may help someone in the future.

Good luck

I once had a very old TT that was listed as "Homemade" . I don't think it was homemade but, the DMV was happy with that and gave me a plate. You might be able to do something like that. But, I would try everything else first.

time2roll wrote:

Indolove wrote:
I just purchased a 1968 Holiday Ramber that I need to get plates registered for. I have the serial number and bill of sale but no title. How can I go about this since the DMV requires the newer 17 digit format and my camper has the old format???

Have you been rejected in person?
When you go in.... do not leave until there is a clear path to obtaining the registration.

If doing this online just use preceding zeros and see what goes. Then make an appointment to go in.

Zeros won't work, proper VINs have a check digit which an older serial won't have and adding zeros wouldn't work if it did (this is assuming the DMV VIN checker is coded correctly).

Really. There are millions of cars with less than 17 numbers in this country. I have vehicles registered in 3 states and park them in which ever state I choose. As far as this mans problem---New York has no titles for these old cars but I have had no problem registering them in other states, the man from AL is right I have got AL titles to cars I had no title to from there and I have never lived there. They check to see if they have been stolen, thats it. I could go on but you get the idea. Don't make it more complicated than it is and don't get advice from those that have no idea what they are talking about

Indolove wrote:
I just purchased a 1968 Holiday Ramber that I need to get plates registered for. I have the serial number and bill of sale but no title. How can I go about this since the DMV requires the newer 17 digit format and my camper has the old format???

Have you been rejected in person?
When you go in.... do not leave until there is a clear path to obtaining the registration.

If doing this online just use preceding zeros and see what goes. Then make an appointment to go in.

mr_andyj wrote:
This is a State specific question. Did you answer if you had gone to DMV or not?

For something this old they should just push it through with little concern. In my State they would just need the bill of sale with sellers signature (eh hmm, my forgery of it) on a scrap of paper to issue plates.
My state does not require titles for something this old.
This is a trailer or motor vehicle?

I had a vehicle I got from a friend from out of state. I went to get plates and they said I just need to get a bill of sale from him since there was no title. I went out, found some paper, wrote up one, signed it for him, came back in and said, "I found it". She knew what I just did and kind of laughed it off because what are they going to do? I went out with plates and paperwork. Done.
The success also depends on the person behind the DMV counter. They know tricks to push things through sometimes, and sometimes the worker be dont care.

The clue is in the original post. :B

This is a State specific question. Did you answer if you had gone to DMV or not?

For something this old they should just push it through with little concern. In my State they would just need the bill of sale with sellers signature (eh hmm, my forgery of it) on a scrap of paper to issue plates.
My state does not require titles for something this old.
This is a trailer or motor vehicle?

I had a vehicle I got from a friend from out of state. I went to get plates and they said I just need to get a bill of sale from him since there was no title. I went out, found some paper, wrote up one, signed it for him, came back in and said, "I found it". She knew what I just did and kind of laughed it off because what are they going to do? I went out with plates and paperwork. Done.
The success also depends on the person behind the DMV counter. They know tricks to push things through sometimes, and sometimes the worker be dont care.

valhalla360 wrote:
There should be an option to take it in and have the serial number confirmed. We recently sold a trailer and the number on the title was wrong so it had to be confirmed by someone from the DMV by looking at the trailer.

The problem is without a title, they may not be willing to plate it until you can prove you own it with a title in hand. Best bet would be to go to the prior owner and ask him to order a replacement title. Of course, with a 1968 trailer, did he buy it cheap without a title so the chain of ownership is long lost?

This is the best answer you will get. If the title is in question, you will have to have a title search done and get a title bond for that. Specialized companies do this for about $500. It takes 4-6 weeks, because certified letters must be sent to past registered owners and then returned if undeliverable. It is a real PITA.

RetiredRealtorRick wrote:

Freelander wrote:
I ran into this type of difficulty many years ago and had to have my local police department inspect the trailer to verify the serial number and with the report in hand from the police department, the SOS could then generate a title for the vehicle. I suggest you discuss with the SOS or DMV and also contact your local police department.

^^^exactly what he said^^^

Plus, did your insurance company accept the old VIN? If so, the DMV certainly should . . . but they're the DMV, so they do whatever they want.

Worse case scenario, try to register it in a no-title state, like Alabama. No titles on anything prior to 1974.

I don't know about Minnesota but many states require a resident to register in their own state in order to get useable plates..

I know PA doesn't allow a resident to live in PA and register any vehicle outside PA but yet use it in PA unless of course you are a commercial entity that has Interstate operations (but that is an expensive ball of wax).

If you live in PA, it must be titled and registered in PA, plus any trailer 3,001 lbs and over are subjet to an annual safety inspection..

Even if you tried to get a title outside MN in order to bring it in to get registered in MN you will be facing the same issue of the SN not matching the standardized 17 digit VIN.

OP is much better off attempting to find a different DMV in their state that has a better grip on how to handle legacy serial numbers in order to generate a title.

"Best bet would be to go to the prior owner and ask him to order a replacement title."

Absolutely but I doubt the person from whom you purchased has the RV titled in his/her name. The older the vehicle the harder it is.