Salvage vs Home Built Trailer Title

cj777

cj777

Well-Known Member
Joined
Mar 22, 2005
Location
Durham, NC
I've got a Kaufman metal deck standard car trailer. It was hit pretty hard by a guy texting while driving and totaled a few years ago. I bought it back from the insurance company with thoughts I may rebuild it one day. Pretty much everything is shot except for the deck & frame, which are undamaged. I will be replacing everything else, both axles, all 4 wheels and tires, all suspension and hangers, fenders, etc. Best I can tell, it seems like I have two options:

1) Rebuild and apply for a salvage title
2) Use the deck as parts to build a new trailer and apply for a home built title

Any thoughts/opinions on pros/cons of these options? Is a salvage title even an option for trailers? At what point does a trailer built from parts become "new?" Any benefit of a home built vs salvage when it comes to taxes/potential resale down the road?
 
I'm not sure that I've ever seen a salvage title for a trailer. Now I need to know if that's even a thing that exists for no other reason than just knowing!
 
Croatan_Kid said:
I'm not sure that I've ever seen a salvage title for a trailer. Now I need to know if that's even a thing that exists for no other reason than just knowing!
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Yeah, I couldn't figure out if it was a really a thing either...which brought me to posting here. Figured I might not be the first person to have this problem.
 
I would probably do the salvage title. To do a homebuilt you probably have to get a bond for it I assume. Call your local License and Theft office. Whichever they say is easier is what I would do (but they will probably tell you legally the salvage title is the only option). Trailers aren't worth anything anyways so being branded salvage shouldn't hurt it's 'value' too much.
 
the home built trailer is easy, go to the tag office and ask for the home built trailer paper work with a serial. Stamp the tongue and forward axle. Then get a state trooper to inspect and sign the paperwork. Return to tag office and apply for title and get the tag.
 
Jeff B said:
the home built trailer is easy, go to the tag office and ask for the home built trailer paper work with a serial. Stamp the tongue and forward axle. Then get a state trooper to inspect and sign the paperwork. Return to tag office and apply for title and get the tag.
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Yeah, very easy. You probably don't want it to have a Kaufman sticker on it when you go for the inspection, though. They're basically checking to make sure that the trailer isn't stolen and being re-titled as homebuilt.
 
I'd go Homebuilt, you bought the trailer "pieces" back from the insurance company right? so, what you bought was pieces and parts. You will be building a trailer, at home, with pieces and parts from a totaled trailer, as far as I am concerned there will be more you into it than Kaufman! So do the home built trailer title, nothing shady or dishonest at all. As said, take off all stickers and tags from the old unit. clean up all the former stamp areas before you restamp it. Some counties are different. Here, it used to be you just had to get a trooper to inspect it, normally, they wouldn't slide up under to check the axle stamp, but now, here in my county, you have to have the DOT inspector to look at it and sign off on it. Best to make an appointment. He may come to you, or he may have you bring it down to the highway patrol office. Good luck!
 
I'd sell it as is and let someone else deal with the headache. You could probably get $400 for it in todays market.
 
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