home build welded trailer? can I register it (sales, insurance)

[willc86]

So lately ive been driving this welded trailer that I made myself - is this a mission to get it titled, get a license plate, and registration? also do I have to bring the trailer ahead of time?

Im looking at a trailer form harbor freight for 250 - but if I can save that 250, that would be great

[history nerd]

My parents have a home built trailer that is registered in CO... I don't really know what the requirements for that might be though.

[TCHP]

Yes, you can register them. Typically need to schedule an appointment with the closest State Patrol office for an inspection and VIN assignment, if it doesn't already have one. Once you have this inspection paperwork, take the papers to the DMV to get title and plates issued.

[Kar54]

What you may have trouble with is insurance.

[sunsprit]

I've home-built and registered many boat and utility trailers in Colorado.

The process is simple:

1) Build the trailer per your design. Best to use industry standard axle stubs or axle(s), suspension mounts and springs (or torsion axle assemblies), hubs/wheel bearings, trailer hitch, brakes (if needed), lights, wheels/tires consistent with the load/speed ratings you are building to. Don't forget that fenders are required in Colorado; on my small boat trailers I've made them out of slightly larger used tire sections so they are flexible/lightweight.

2) At county DMV, ask for the paperwork to get a title to a home-built trailer. They will assign a COLO ID number to your project. You will need to permanently stamp or etch or weld this number into the trailer frame in a visible spot; I put mine close to the trailer hitch.

3) Any peace officer can inspect the ID number marking on the trailer to sign off the inspection form. They are only verifying the COLO ID number, number of axles, etc., and are not verifying construction/build quality beyond verifying that the trailer meets code requirements for lights, etc.

4) With your completed physical inspection paperwork completed, you can return to your county DMV and get a title application processed and a registration/license plate.

5) I've never had any difficulty getting insurance on my trailers in accordance with a nominal "declared value". The key to this has been that the valuation has always been a very low number based upon my cost of materials and a minimal (if any) value for my labor/fabrication. The most expensive trailer I've registered was a trailer to haul a Ford 8N tractor, so it had a fairly sturdy frame and two 4,000 lb axles (which was overbuilt for the job).

6) I've seen a lot of home-built trailers built up from car or truck solid axles/frames, some with the original truck box, some with home created flat beds or specialty trailers. Some even used independent front suspensions from cars to include the axle stub/wheel hub, wheel from a car. Looking somewhat cobbled up on some, but they've given decent service over many miles when used within their limits.

[StealthRabbit]

. If possible, find a used 5x8' Snowbear 2200# GVW they were sold by Costco.. Home Depot sold the 1600# GVW version.

I have bought 3 for between $350 and $400. (One for my WA farm, one in CO, and one in San Antonio.)

They:
Are very robust
Reversible tailgates front and rear to haul 12' long supported loads
Extendable tongue
Moveable axles
Tilt for loading snow / yard machines
Quickly removeable sides for flatbed loads / fork lift access
I added stake pockets and reinforced the sheet metal sides to add livestock / brush racks
2" std / HD hitch
STOUT tail-light brackets ... 1/4 steel... Trash your shins, but never hurt the trailer!
Good tie down points

Tow like a dream... I have put 20,000 miles in mine, including a 2300 mile road trip to bury my deceased dad... I.e. Hearse. Perfect application for Snowbear.. Went to all dad's favorite spots, including Lava Hot Spings, ID, Yellowstone, Mt Rushmore, Corn Palace...stopped in Afton, WY to get him a brand new spiffy ABS burial vault! Great company BTW... Worth the trip to Afton, pretty products too, will last hundreds of yrs... Unlike concrete vaults Dad and Snowbear even got their pic together up on the Snowy Range.

I often tow using my 48 hp VW diesel Rabbits and Caddies.(Rabbit Pickups).
I am making Snowbear a 'teardrop' slide-in camper / poptop using a Toyota camper shell.

Get one from an unsuspecting seller. All of mine were from older guys who had completed their landscape projects on new homes.

The Home Depot model is fine for most light towing, but I often load to 2000#. Next trip is taking a Metal Lathe from WA to TX. That one brought a 1940 juke box and lots of BBQ from TX to WA, so it needs a backhaul. I can't live without my Snowbears.

I have built many trailers, and still use the one my dad built in 1955. It hauled my power tools from CO to WA.

But... Run the numbers...
You can probably find something more valuable to fabricate.... Decorator yard art? make your neighbors envious. http://www.danielklennert.com He has a 12' tall metal rocking horse, with frayed cable mane and tail.
http://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/2155
http://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/10787

Unless you get your materials, axles, wheel, lights, wiring, hitch, deck, TIRES very cheap... And your time and welding electricity and rods... And bandsaw blades / drills / grinding wheels free... You will go over budget. 1200# rated Trailer tires are about $70 each! State Patrol inspection is $100 in my state, and you have to schedule 2 months in advance. I recently did a vintage motorcycle title in Colorado that required inspection. I drove to a sparsely populated eastern county location to get an expedited inspection.

[pikabike]

Sunsprit detailed the process very well.

I bought a trailer that was shipped unassembled from another state. It was easy to bolt together, not so easy to get the wiring done (instructions skipped a step).

But the biggest PITA was jumping through the hoops to get it inspected, registered, and plated. CO considered my stock kit trailer to be "homemade" just because I did not buy it from an in-state dealer.

The whole thing was a farce, because the inspector walked around the trailer and checked my sales receipt and manufacturer statement of origin. There was NO safety inspection to see if lights worked correctly or similar things I expected.

Essentially, the state only wanted to do two things:

1. Check that the trailer was not stolen.
2. Make me pay state sales tax that the out-of-state dealer had not charged. I had bought it mail-order because no CO dealer sold the trailer I wanted.

What a horrible process. Especially irritating was the very short time allowance to exchange temporary plate for permanent one. With cars, CO allowed 6 weeks. For the trailer, they only allowed a few days.

[willc86]

Originally Posted by sunsprit

I've home-built and registered many boat and utility trailers in Colorado.

The process is simple:

1) Build the trailer per your design. Best to use industry standard axle stubs or axle(s), suspension mounts and springs (or torsion axle assemblies), hubs/wheel bearings, trailer hitch, brakes (if needed), lights, wheels/tires consistent with the load/speed ratings you are building to. Don't forget that fenders are required in Colorado; on my small boat trailers I've made them out of slightly larger used tire sections so they are flexible/lightweight.

2) At county DMV, ask for the paperwork to get a title to a home-built trailer. They will assign a COLO ID number to your project. You will need to permanently stamp or etch or weld this number into the trailer frame in a visible spot; I put mine close to the trailer hitch.

3) Any peace officer can inspect the ID number marking on the trailer to sign off the inspection form. They are only verifying the COLO ID number, number of axles, etc., and are not verifying construction/build quality beyond verifying that the trailer meets code requirements for lights, etc.

4) With your completed physical inspection paperwork completed, you can return to your county DMV and get a title application processed and a registration/license plate.

5) I've never had any difficulty getting insurance on my trailers in accordance with a nominal "declared value". The key to this has been that the valuation has always been a very low number based upon my cost of materials and a minimal (if any) value for my labor/fabrication. The most expensive trailer I've registered was a trailer to haul a Ford 8N tractor, so it had a fairly sturdy frame and two 4,000 lb axles (which was overbuilt for the job).

6) I've seen a lot of home-built trailers built up from car or truck solid axles/frames, some with the original truck box, some with home created flat beds or specialty trailers. Some even used independent front suspensions from cars to include the axle stub/wheel hub, wheel from a car. Looking somewhat cobbled up on some, but they've given decent service over many miles when used within their limits.

So I just need to go to the DMV twice? what about the trailer? who needs to see it and/or inspect it? or no need to bring it in? they just give me the paper work and weld my vin the my trailer?

[pikabike]

Yes, it requires two trips to DMV. First trip is to get a temporary license plate with a very short time till expiration. Next, you must bring the trailer (bearing your temporary license plate) to a State Police office for inspection. You might have to make an appointment for the imspection. If it passes, he gives you paperwork that you will exchange for a permanent license and plate and a metal VIN tag at your second trip to DMV, with payment of course.

Then after you get the permanent plate and the metal VIN tag for the trailer, YOU "permanently affix" the VIN tag to the trailer. They don't do it for you.