Registration Fees on a 5th wheel

priv8pilot · 04-20-2017, 08:55 PM

Here in Nevada where I plan on Full Timing I am trying to figure out my registration fees. I go to Nevada DMV site and it ask for the MSRP. Is that the price the dealer list it for? I know when I purchase I will get it for a lot less. I put in both prices and its a $500 a year difference. The lower price is still $1000 a year! A lot to pay to register something that will be sitting for years. I do not plan to travel for a few years but might take it on short trips every once in a while.

Sundancer330 · 04-20-2017, 09:03 PM

I would imagine the DMV would use the price you paid not what the MSRP would be, that would be a ripoff. Sounds expensive at 1k per year, Michigan changed a few years back for some odd reason to permanent plates so we only pay once for trailer plates and its good for life, mine was only $200.

wags999 · 04-20-2017, 09:27 PM

In Arizona they use the MSRP not the price paid...which is a huge difference... Plus.. if it's new and not been registered before you will have to pay sales tax unless it was paid when you purchased it.

Good Luck...

wags999 · 04-20-2017, 09:28 PM

MSRP is the price the manufacturer lists it for.. you can go on the Jayco site and get that price.

bansai · 04-20-2017, 10:12 PM

It's based off MSRP here as well. i.e. - what the camper is 'officially' worth is not what you paid for it. We have very high registration fees here too, so I feel your pain.

You *may* want to consider registering in a more 'friendly' state. A lot of people do, especially full timers. Florida is a favorite for this. My friend, and neighbor registered his 5er in Florida, with his Colorado drivers license no less... I think perhaps South Dakota is a good option as well. It's fairly simple to establish residency anywhere you want formally, and have your mail forwarded to you wherever you happen to be. If I was full timing, there is no way I would register anything in this state. It's trickier for those of us that aren't full timing, and a bit more risky. I decided against registering out of state because I'm clearly a Colorado resident and I don't have a valid argument should law enforcement ever question me on it. You might though... especially if your drivers license matches the state you are registered in, and you have a mailing address in that location.

priv8pilot · 04-20-2017, 10:55 PM

Yup the MSRP is crazy on the trailer I want. But does anyone really pay that price? Just another rip off. My problem Is I live in Nevada and have a job I will be at for another 8 to 10 years until I retire. My job includes driving and I need a local (Nevada) drivers license. So the trailer will be on private property until I retire then the traveling will begin. BUT I need to register it in case I need to move it for repairs or just to take a short trip somewhere in it. Going by MSRP it will be in the neighborhood of $1500. a year. Kinnda steep if I am only going to move it once or twice a year. I can't think of other options because of my drivers license having to stay local. Any ideas?

Steve

bansai · 04-20-2017, 11:09 PM

Me personally, in your case, I would register the trailer in Florida. You don't need a FL drivers license to do it. You can even register via mail. Just call up their DMV and tell them whatever you think they need to hear. This obviously isn't legal advise, and is not 100% above the boards. But like I said earlier, a lot of people do it.. it is an option if you want it to be. I was just looking at my neighbors 5th wheel outside my front window here at home - Florida plates and all. His drivers license is for CO. Other than that, honestly I don't know what you could do except pony up the exorbitant fees Nevada is charging you. This is one of those ethical dilemmas I try not to advise people on, but the option is out there. Your risk factors are pretty low since you won't be moving the trailer a lot and it's on private land.

whatimmadoboutmylegs · 04-20-2017, 11:11 PM

You could see if your jurisdiction offers the option of a temporary transfer tag in lieu of a plate and full registration. These are used where I live for a new owner to transfer a vehicle from A to B, or where I've lived in the past if your emissions testing has lapsed, to allow you to get it to a shop.

Mopar_Earl · 04-21-2017, 04:52 AM

Wow!!! I thought I was getting ripped in Pennsylvania. The registration is based on GVW. The higher the more it costs. My registration is $36.00 a year or $171.00 for a permanent plate, which covers trailers 10,001 lbs gvw or higher.

Thanks,
Earl

priv8pilot · 04-21-2017, 07:00 AM

Yup! Right in the middle of our "economic slump" Nevada almost doubled our registration rates on all vehicles.
Nice...

DanNJanice · 04-21-2017, 07:10 AM

Yes, that fee does "sting" and bit.
On the plus side, usually states with high registration fees have lower fees in other areas. You will find that, in the end, the total tax bill is "roughly" the same across the states.
For example, Oregon has no sales tax and reasonable registration fees. However we make up for that with high income and property taxes.

jsk · 04-21-2017, 08:12 AM

Subscribed. I am in NC. We just received tax bill for this year and they used the sale price as the appraised value to determine taxes. I have been thinking about calling insurance to get what they would pay if it were totaled and submit that value to the tax office as an appraised price.

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RogerR · 11-18-2019, 08:35 PM

I am considering moving my residency to Florida.
It will take new drivers licenses (2), registration and plates for a car and Jayco.
I checked and insurance is much higher in Florida but I wondered if anyone knew what it will cost to do the rest.
I called the dmv and became confused.
PS Illinois doubled almost everything, including my taxes.

**JFlightRisk** · 11-18-2019, 09:48 PM

Roger, I have no first hand knowledge of Florida's fees, except my FIL registered his 5er one year down there, and it was less than NYS. Then he stopped being a snowbird. Insurance is higher as a result of the folks that drive by braille there. Sorry, that's all I have.

poohbear · 11-19-2019, 02:19 PM

My BiL allways registered his Newmar MH in Montana and lives here in Texas

barryg · 11-19-2019, 03:37 PM

I do not know about Nevada but here in Colorado you pay sales tax on the purchase price (or if there is a trade in the net price) and then you get to pay ownership tax that is based on full msrp. However they use a formula on the msrp . That formula depends on the type of vehicle and it is 75 or 85% of the msrp. Then depending on the age of the vehicle it is charged on a sliding scale yr 1=2.1%, yr 2= 1.9%, yr 3 =1.2% yr 4-.9% yr 5- 10 is .045% or 10$ whichever is greater, more then 10 years and beyond it is $3 per year. Here the ownership tax is instead of personal property tax on the vehicle.

curiosity got the better of me and a very quick google search shows this about Nevada

Nevada imposes an annual 4% “basic governmental services tax” on motor vehicles. The 4% rate applies to 35% of a vehicle's suggested retail price (i.e., base value), excluding options and extras. The Motor Vehicles Department decreases the base value according to statutory schedules. The base value for cars decreases over nine years, from 100% in the first year to 15% in the ninth and subsequent years. The base value for buses, trucks, and truck-tractors decreases over 10 years, from 100% in the first year to 23% in the 10th and subsequent years.

Nevada also allows counties, after holding a referendum, to add 1% to the state car tax to finance limited access highway projects (Nev. Rev. Stats., §§ 371.030 to 371.060).

JohnWedell · 11-19-2019, 03:44 PM

In New York my North Point is $250.00 a year.

Danno · 11-19-2019, 03:56 PM

So let me get this right, Americans need to pay a yearly fee to own a trailer?I've never heard of this before (Canadian). I always thought EVERYTHING was cheaper in the States?
Here all you need is a trailer plate which cost around $50 when you first purchase it. This plate is good for life and doesn't have a yearly fee. You now own this plate and it can be transferred to any other trailer you might own in the future.
Does this rule apply to any trailer or only RVs?

Cannon · 11-19-2019, 05:15 PM

In Georgia mine was over $800.00 this year. It does go down a little each year as the value goes down.

**JFlightRisk** · 11-19-2019, 05:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Danno

So let me get this right, Americans need to pay a yearly fee to own a trailer?I've never heard of this before (Canadian). I always thought EVERYTHING was cheaper in the States?
Here all you need is a trailer plate which cost around $50 when you first purchase it. This plate is good for life and doesn't have a yearly fee. You now own this plate and it can be transferred to any other trailer you might own in the future.
Does this rule apply to any trailer or only RVs?

The yearly fee in NY state is the license plate registration fee, and for all your money, every year you get this nifty little sticker, with the year on it, to attach to the plate. And the DMV changes the color of it every year, so it makes it easier for the cops to notice one that's out of date! Motorcycles get the same thing. Our cars and trucks used to get that type of sticker, but now you register them for two years at a time, and there's a bigger sticker that goes on the windshield, with the month and year that it expires...in BIGGER numbers. So that's something that Canada has that's better, over the states.

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