trailer registration question and opinions wanted

matey1 · 06-20-2006, 10:31 AM

well after shelling out $1500 to put new stainless brakes on my trailer after the original drums would not pass delaware inspection i have a couple of decisions/questions to make/ask. you can have a trailer registered for 4000lbs or less and not have to worry about going through inspection. they were willing to let me do that at the motor vehicle department. of course i would be overweight with a 26' boat and a 9400lb rated trailer. but i am already overweight as it was only tagged for 6000lbs by the dealer. so my question that is looking for others opinions. is it really a big deal if i am overweight at 6000lbs versus 4000lbs. i have always kept my stuff in top notch shape so it isn't like i am going to let the brakes go soft. i am just looking to avoid the tow up to motor vehicle and then have to stomp on my brakes w/ the boat on the back. i have never slammed my brakes on like they wanted me to in the inspection lanes. what do you guys do about your registrations w/ boat that are over 4000 lbs. register for what they really weigh or not worry about it and go for the least expensive rating at 4000lbs so you can also avoid the inspection lane deal. giv eme some feedback guys as i know a bunch of you have boats my size or bigger.

matey1 · 06-20-2006, 10:31 AM

okay here is some more info to help maybe. i stopped at the police scales just south of blackbird a couple years ago to see what my boat, trailer combo weighed. the guy was very accommodating and weighed my truck also. the boat on the trailer comes in around 9500lbs. that has been confirmed at 2 different scales. well the police guy at the scales never asks me how much my trailer is rated for but wants to know how much my truck is rated for. the truck is an f250 super cab. well i have the truck rated for 6500lbs as that was the shipping weight on the invoice from the dealer and the dealer told me that was the min i could register it for. they never asked how much the trailer was registered for. i am just thinking i could save some $$ by registering it for 4000lbs and only paying the $8-10 a year that cost versus the $38 a year i am paying now and am still underrated. i was thinking the only problem i might have is if i was involved in an accident and they thought the overrated weight was an issue. just hard to justify $60 a year for a boat trailer you use a dozen dozen and a half times a year.

Proheat · 06-20-2006, 10:51 AM

I would say that the chance of getting weighed would be slim to none, but like you said about if there was an accident and then they weighed you- what would the fine be. I have my boat registered in Delaware, but my trailer is registered in Pa. I think my trailer license is something like 6 or 10 dollars per year.I don't think that it has to be inspected. But like you said also- the trailer is only used a couple times a year. Mine mostly just sits in a storage field during the summer while the boat is in the water.

My opinion would be to have it registered for the correct weight and pay the price. You know how Murphy's Law works- at least it does with me

matey1 · 06-20-2006, 11:28 AM

proheat, i hear ya but i also think that insurance cannot deny the claim just because you were underregistered. if that was the case they would deny all accident claims where some type of law was broken. ie speeding, red light, inattentive driving, etc.

if your reg is only 16-10 a year you have yours at that 4000lb limit. i can see by your avatar your boat is probably as big as mine.

Proheat · 06-20-2006, 12:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by matey1

proheat, i hear ya but i also think that insurance cannot deny the claim just because you were underregistered. if that was the case they would deny all accident claims where some type of law was broken. ie speeding, red light, inattentive driving, etc.

if your reg is only 16-10 a year you have yours at that 4000lb limit. i can see by your avatar your boat is probably as big as mine.

Yeah- my boat is a 27. The reason I'm not sure of the exact registration price is because in Pa, we have the option of getting a 5 year registration sticker. It has been a couple years since I had to renew it.

terpheels · 06-28-2006, 01:18 PM

Have u looked in a Maine registration? MD has raised their reg rates so much that a lot of us MDers are reg in Maine. No inspection, around $100 for 5 yrs.

matey1 · 06-28-2006, 03:19 PM

terp, you have not been the first to suggest that to me. what weight category can you get from maine? to be legal in delaware i should have my trailer registered for 10,000lbs.

Reel Thing 25 · 07-09-2006, 10:24 PM

Anything over 3000# in PA needs brakes and needs to be inspected. I usually go by the book because of liability issues just in case something catastrophic happens.

06-20-2006, 10:31 AM	#1
matey1 Sit down Shut up And fish Join Date: May 2005 Location: middletown, DE Posts: 520 Credits: 1,219.1	trailer registration question and opinions wanted well after shelling out $1500 to put new stainless brakes on my trailer after the original drums would not pass delaware inspection i have a couple of decisions/questions to make/ask. you can have a trailer registered for 4000lbs or less and not have to worry about going through inspection. they were willing to let me do that at the motor vehicle department. of course i would be overweight with a 26' boat and a 9400lb rated trailer. but i am already overweight as it was only tagged for 6000lbs by the dealer. so my question that is looking for others opinions. is it really a big deal if i am overweight at 6000lbs versus 4000lbs. i have always kept my stuff in top notch shape so it isn't like i am going to let the brakes go soft. i am just looking to avoid the tow up to motor vehicle and then have to stomp on my brakes w/ the boat on the back. i have never slammed my brakes on like they wanted me to in the inspection lanes. what do you guys do about your registrations w/ boat that are over 4000 lbs. register for what they really weigh or not worry about it and go for the least expensive rating at 4000lbs so you can also avoid the inspection lane deal. giv eme some feedback guys as i know a bunch of you have boats my size or bigger.

06-28-2006, 01:18 PM	#6
terpheels Anthony's Ark is a blowboater Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Millersville MD/Captains Cove VA Posts: 273 Credits: 1,211.9 Occupation: software	Have u looked in a Maine registration? MD has raised their reg rates so much that a lot of us MDers are reg in Maine. No inspection, around $100 for 5 yrs. __________________ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ www.terpSSTPro.com ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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06-20-2006, 11:28 AM	#4
matey1 Sit down Shut up And fish Join Date: May 2005 Location: middletown, DE Posts: 520 Credits: 1,219.1	proheat, i hear ya but i also think that insurance cannot deny the claim just because you were underregistered. if that was the case they would deny all accident claims where some type of law was broken. ie speeding, red light, inattentive driving, etc. if your reg is only 16-10 a year you have yours at that 4000lb limit. i can see by your avatar your boat is probably as big as mine.

06-28-2006, 03:19 PM	#7
matey1 Sit down Shut up And fish Join Date: May 2005 Location: middletown, DE Posts: 520 Credits: 1,219.1	terp, you have not been the first to suggest that to me. what weight category can you get from maine? to be legal in delaware i should have my trailer registered for 10,000lbs.

07-09-2006, 10:24 PM	#8
Reel Thing 25 Pit Monkey First Class Join Date: Jul 2005 Posts: 20 Credits: 4,764.7	Anything over 3000# in PA needs brakes and needs to be inspected. I usually go by the book because of liability issues just in case something catastrophic happens.