Trailer License

[fishhuntwork]

I bought a new boat and trailer in 2008. Its a 1700 Super hawk by Crestliner with a bunk trailer. It seems very weird to me that I have to buy tabs for the trailer every year. So it currently has a license plate. It was my understanding that I could get a lifetime sticker for the trailer, can someone please tell me why I can't? It says on the Dmv slip from the state that the weight is 4000 lbs. I looked at the shoreland'r web site and it said the total weight is only 750 lbs for the trailer.

[smeese]

Yes you can get a lifetime for like 89.00 or so.....Bring the plates in and tell em you want a lifetime

[fishhuntwork]

I've tried asking for on and they said b/c it weighs more than 4000 lbs, I can't. The boat weighs-1400lbs, motor-600 lbs and trailer is 725 lbs=2725 lbs. I have no idea where they got the 4000 lbs from.

[jac714]

If I remember correctly it is based on the rated gvw of the trailer.

[knoppers]

its the trailer GVW, or what weight the trailer can hold. anything over 3000# needs tabs every year. I know, I hate it also, I have to buy tabs every year, but they are only 15.75 a year, so price is not bad.

my license plate broke off a couple years ago, so now I just keep the plate inside the truck, never been pulled over yet, probally because of the life time sticker law and its placement.

[smeese]

Thats good to know......another fee to rolling phat! Figures.....stick with my lil boat I guess

[Raider4ever]

There's a plate on the trailer up near the tongue that will state the GVW. The be-all-end-all definition of your trailer is your title. If there is a difference between the plate and the title, the title legally usurps the plate according to the Trooper who investigated when I got rear-ended on MN 194 last fall.

[JohnMickish]

I don't know why there whould be a trailer under that boat with a GVW of 3500 or over. I would check the plate and see what is going on. Also, when the trailer gets over 3500 lbs brakes are required on one axle.

So in a nutshell, if the trailer has brakes on it then it probably should have a plate on it.

[Pat K]

I've tried asking for on and they said b/c it weighs more than 4000 lbs, I can't. The boat weighs-1400lbs, motor-600 lbs and trailer is 725 lbs=2725 lbs. I have no idea where they got the 4000 lbs from.

Under 3000 lb. is the cut off for permanent registration on trailers. That is what the trailer is rated for on the title, not the actual weight you are carrying.

If you think your rig weighs 2725 lbs, I can almost guarantee that it weighs 500 to 600 lbs more if you took it to a truck stop or grain elevator and had it weighed. I know mine did!

The dry weight listed by manufacturers seems a little thin then you add:

Batteries, 30 gallons of gas, anchors, tackle boxes, cooler and all the misc. junk we all have in our boats.

[Valv]

There's a label on the trailer up near the tongue that will state the GVW. The be-all-end-all definition of your trailer is your title.

Exactly. I believe from the GVWR of what's listed on the label, you can have the title corrected. You might have to take it to a DMV inspection site, though.