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timjet · 02-17-2023, 10:02 AM

I'm considering buying a used 5th wheel from a private party in Texas. I live in FL. The RV will likely be stored in Texas for a couple of months and not used until I can arrange transport for it to Michigan. I will hire a transport company to move it to Michigan. After purchase, the seller will transport the RV from his RV park to a nearby storage facility.

Once in Michigan I will not move it out of state for the time that I own it, likely several years.

So a couple of questions:
Can I wait until the transport company moves it to Michigan to resister it in Michigan? My preference is to do this. Since it will probably be 2-3 months before I transport it, it will not have the original tag. Can they transport it without a tag?
Since I will never use it in Texas where I am buying it or in FL where I live, will it be legal to register and pay the sales tax in Michigan even though I bought it 2-3 months prior in Texas.
Thanks guys.

Gary RVRoamer · 02-17-2023, 10:45 AM

Yes you can wait, or even never title & tag it at all if you like. The practical question is logistics - how will the trailer get transported? If it has no tags, the company would have to transport it on a trailer or in a truck rather than tow it, so be clear about that when you make arrangements. The other question is a legal one. Technically the trailer isn't legally yours until a state-issued title exists in your name, so if you wait several months the legal status is in limbo. But if you get a Texas title, there may be Texas taxes due. Note that you can get a title without purchasing tags (registration), so that is an option too.

It may be possible to get a Michigan title before the trailer is physically moved there. Some states require that the VIN be physically verified, but others will accept the previous state title as adequate proof.

Florida isn't involved if you never bring the trailer to Florida.

https://comptroller.texas.gov/taxes/.../sales-use.php
https://comptroller.texas.gov/taxes/...4/trailers.php

timjet · 02-17-2023, 11:02 AM

Thanks Gary. I haven't given this enough thought especially since you've brought up the issue of not having a title for the months it sits in storage in Texas. So I guess I couldn't insure it or prove ownership. And the issue of transport without a tag. It's probably more expensive to haul it on a trailer than tow it.

I have more research to do.
Thanks.

The seller has offered to tow it to Michigan. Initially I liked that idea but again I would want to have a title and insurance so that enters into the decisions. Questions like even if I titled it and insured it how at risk would I be if the former owner and now driver had an accident. Liability and collision.

Crasher · 02-18-2023, 08:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by timjet

Thanks Gary. I haven't given this enough thought especially since you've brought up the issue of not having a title for the months it sits in storage in Texas. So I guess I couldn't insure it or prove ownership. And the issue of transport without a tag. It's probably more expensive to haul it on a trailer than tow it.

I have more research to do.
Thanks.

The seller has offered to tow it to Michigan. Initially I liked that idea but again I would want to have a title and insurance so that enters into the decisions. Questions like even if I titled it and insured it how at risk would I be if the former owner and now driver had an accident. Liability and collision.

Why not enter into an escrow agreement with the seller to deliver the trailer to you? His insurance would cover him on the trip. At delivery, he gets his money and you get the trailer with title.

SailorSam · 02-18-2023, 01:30 PM

An additional issue to consider. Putting a 5ver on a trailer my cause height issues... I had an axle failure on my pull behind. No one would transport due to clearance under bridges. Normal tow company vehicles were too high. A lowboy may have worked but none were available. Federal highways require minimum vertical clearance of 16'.

Rexlion · 02-18-2023, 03:38 PM

I don't see any barrier to insuring the unit. You just get the vin number from the seller, then call your insurance company and give them the make, model, year, and number. You don't have to tell them any of the gory details; they don't care, as long as you pay the bill.

People buy and transport used trailers and 5th wheels with just a copy of the bill of sale. If stopped while there's no tag, the driver would show the bill of sale and a letter (or contract) from you showing he's authorized to transport it to Michigan. I really don't think any cop (except a hard-a**) would issue a ticket under the circumstances you describe; it's expected that a person will not tag a trailer until it reaches its new home state.

I'm currently in the process of buying a TT in Idaho. I or my buddy (or both together, not sure) will be driving to get it and bring it back to OK. I'm not the least bit concerned about a license plate; if the seller removes his before sale (and he probably will), I'm fine with that.

Heck, I have been towing my cargo trailer for years to camp out of state, and it has no tag because in my state a tag is not required; I carry a statement from Oklahoma saying it's not required just in case I get stopped, but in 8 years of towing to and from Michigan and Colorado I've never been pulled over.

Stop worrying and just do it!