jamiec - 10-25-2022 at 11:49 AM
Hello all:
I have a travel trailer that I towed down to BCS last summer and decided to store in Baja instead of driving it back to California.
The likelihood is that I will leave this trailer in Baja permanently as it is very old (1982), needs some repairs, and is less than road worth at this
point. It does make a great base camp for the two months that I spend in Baja every summer as well as other times that I can sneak down for a week or
two. The value of the trailer is very little.
My question is this, how do folks deal with registration? The trailer is currently plated and registered in California. Ca does not allow for a
Planned Non operation of a travel trailer.
Right now my choices are:
1. Pay the Ca registration yearly (about $200)
2. Declare the trailer as a non-repairable vehicle do the DMV
3. Register in another state, such as S. Dakota
I know there are lots of folks with travel trailers in Baja that use them for home bases or park them on their own lots and begin building a more
permanent structure around them. Just curious about what they do regarding Ca registration.
Thanks to anyone that can give me some insight.
boe4fun - 10-25-2022 at 01:04 PM
#2 above, unless you plan on moving it sometime in the future. If you do have to move it contact So. Dakota as in #3 above, they’ll hook you up. My
5th wheel was previously registered in CA, been in Bahía Asunción since 2010. Have not moved it, don’t plan to. Notified CA DMV years ago that
it’d be out of country forever to get it out of the system.
jamiec - 10-25-2022 at 08:10 PM
Thanks, boe4fun, that is what I am thinking. No plan to bring it back to Ca.
gnukid - 10-25-2022 at 08:27 PM
It's possible to renew reg at DMV kiosks which are available at many locations (check online) anyone can go to the kiosk and do it for you as well,
or, renew online and change mailing address to a location where someone can pick it up and bring it, or register it to your address in BCS and send it
to an address where USPS mail arrives there, such as a Marina or city address. Changing the address can also lower the fees if it is registered to a
place (zip code) with lower fees, for example, registering to a BCS address lowers the fee from a LA city center in CA. There are also declarations or
rural farm use only, no hi way, that reduce fees, usually with Form 256 written declaration.
Declaring it as abandoned by using the back of the title declaration also seems like a reasonable plan if you don't plan on ever moving it legally.
You can also do nothing and re-register in another state when you want to move it, that typically wipes out past due reg.