Connecticut or Massachusetts Tab 400 Owners-Advice Needed

AuntNess

I am in the process of purchasing a 2018 Tab 400.  Owner is saying she didn't need title b/c weight is under 3000.  This is what DMV is MA and CT says also on website, but others are saying it should have one.  I am hoping to hear from someone in CT or MA who owns one to be sure I am doing the right thing.  DMV's website and wording can be difficult to understand.  Any help or advice would be appreciated.

Denny16

This is going to depend on which weight rating the DMV looks at, curb (unloaded) weight of a 2018 TaB400, as factory delivered, is around 2690, under the 3000 lbs limit.  That said, the GAWR (max loaded weight) is 3500 lbs, which is over the 3000 lbs limit.  You should contact your local DMV for an official determination on this question.  In Calif. they go by the GAWR weight of a trailer.

Also a travel trailer/RV vs a cargo trailer may also be a different requirement.
 Cheers 

webers3

I purchased my 320s from seller in NJ, the only document CTDMV required was bill of sale and the previous owner’s registration,  no VIN validation, title or inspection was required. 

TABNewbies

Hi @AuntNess, I speak from buying new 2021 T@B 400 in MA. As it was new it had a certificate of origin instead of a title and a bill of sale. These documents then allowed me to get insurance arranged via Foremost / AAA in my case. Then I took all this to the RMV and now have a Certificate of Registration (registered weight 3900 lbs) for the camper and a Certificate of Title then came in the post a bit later - ie: just like for a car. Also got the new license plates too - you get two but only need the one on the rear of the camper. I am no expert at this, but without a Certificate of Title (the watermarked RMV document to be completed the seller on the rear and signed by the purchaser) then I am not sure you can be clear you own the camper? There is a MA T@B face book group who will be able to help better I am sure - New England Teardroppers & Friends Rally. There is a T@B Ch@t on 12 March that will have various folks who have been doing all this for a while. Good luck.

AuntNess

Thank you for the information.  Seller is in MA and said that when she talked with RMV they said since her camper was under 3000# no title.  But I am thinking that I would need her Certificate of Registration to at least to prove to CT DMV that it was listed in MA as not needing a title and that it would have the weight listed on her registration.  I was going to say it is surprising that I am getting so many different answers and thoughts, but then again, we are dealing with Motor Vehicles.

DenisP

We purchased our 2018 Tab 400 new July 2018 from a dealer in Massachusetts and registered the camper in Massachusetts with a Camper Registration plate.  A Massachusetts title was required for the camper. I just checked the title and it does not record any weight for the camper (laden or unladen). Hope this helps.

Maxcamp

We too bought a used (3 mo. old) 2021 T&B 320S camper last fall. 
Weight is on Origin papers and on nameplate.  
ME and MA RMV's do not issue a Title for any trailer below 3000 pounds.  If your 400 nameplate is over 3000 lbs you need a Title to be issued.  What is absurd is the RMV Application process online is for a new Title yet they don't issue one nor explain this process adequately.

MA RMV required:
a. original copy of Certificate of Origin.  The original buyer had to get the dealer to get NuCamp to express mail one using a FedEx account we set up, after a lot of cajoling.  RMV turned us away when we first brought a photocopy.

b.  original of seller's Maine registration, filled out as sold to us and transferring ownership.  Not a copy.

c.  Bill of Sale to us listing the trailer i.d. number plate (found on side of door I think), dollar value, year.  This is used to establish Value against which you will pay:

c.1 Mass sales tax.  As much as on a new car.

c.2. your local town Excise Tax, billed later (state sends value to your town who then bills you.)  as much as excise tax on a new car.

d. proof of insurance for the trailer from your insurance provider.  they can email it once you sign up and pay.

MA Registry of Motor Vehicles requires you to sign up for an in-person appointment via the internet.
With all of the above and accepted means of payment in hand (check their site I forget which type of payment they did NOT accept..) you can file the paperwork and hopefully obtain a pair of plates for your trailer.  You only need the rear one, we put the extra under a bench in case of loss or theft.

Three very frustrating weeks after actually buying our trailer we completed this process, hitting the road barely ahead of cold weather.  The day we left I realized the September 2021 registration would EXPIRE in November while we were on the road returning.  We made it home.

RMV explained later that all MA trailer registrations expire each November regardless of origin date,. and can be renewed online.

Nucamp has denied us any warranty covered on our 3-mo "used" trailer.  There are many problems we spent all of our trip and much time to come fixing and upgrading.

Hope your experience is smoother!

TABNewbies

A nice write up @Maxcamp8 and adds more details into what we did also. Except ours took me 6+ weeks to work through and also have to then pay an additional fee for the extra time. 
As you say the MA website says: Note: Trailers with a gross weight of less than 3,000 pounds do not require a title. So what is the definition of gross weight?
https://www.mass.gov/how-to/apply-for-a-registration-and-title-for-a-vehicle-purchased-from-an-individual
Our certificate of origin says "shipping weight 2993 lbs" and GVWR "3900 lbs". Now the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating is a measure of the total additional weight of water and other items and so perhaps the shipping weight was used on day one and this may explain the lack of title for this 2018 T@B. But the GVWR and the GAWR (Gross Axle Weight Rating) are stated on the caravan tongue and the "shipping weight" is not. And with a cylinder of propane installed then our camper would be over 3000 lb. If the original owner did not file for a title then they should have the Certificate of Origin original for you? (And take a copy if you use it as you never see it again when you have used it with the RMV). Our MA title does not have any weights listed on it.

AuntNess

Update: Back in February, I asked for advice on registering a Tab that I hoped to buy.  This is what I learned throughout the process. In MA and CT, if it is under 3,000 lbs. you do not need a title. I was weary, but the seller was great and I was able to see and use a copy of her previous registration, which stated the weight to be under 3000. I had the VIN verified to make sure there were no issues of ownership. The biggest pain was CT DMV. Since NuCamp is not on their "approved list" of manufacturers, it had to be inspected. This meant paying for temporary registration, taking a day off, and an hour drive to the only DMV that did them. When I applied for the temp, the lady at DMV said it was "courtesy" meaning no charge.  That was wrong, as it cost me $88.  All in all, it wasn't too difficult of a situation, but I am so happy that I can now say that I am the owner of a T@B 400!

dragonsdofly

@AuntNess, congratulations on that trailer!

Denny16

Glad everything worked out OK.
 Cheers