7 Weeks... no tags??

[Peace n Quiet]

Hi All!! I'm new on here... found this forum while googling to find an answer to my problem.

Intro: We are new, first time, fifth wheel owners. We live in Northeast PA.

Back in September, we visited the Hershey RV show and purchased a 2014 toy hauler from a NJ dealer.
We completed all of the paperwork and picked up the camper on the 21st of September.
Now, 7 weeks later, we still do not have tags for the camper. A call to the PA DMV resulted in the DMV telling us that paperwork has not been submitted.

Is this normal? I would think that 7 weeks out is long enough to have some kind of status on the paperwork process. The dealer just keeps saying that they have to contact the company that handles the paperwork.

I don't want to be pushy if this is normal. However, it just doesn't seem right to me! Any advice?

[travyp]

I am from Wisconsin but I know with our's I was concerned it took longer than it should. I called the dealer and they said they wait until the end of the month and send a month's worth in at one time and then the DMV has to do their thing before getting them to you. So yes it "can" take a while depending how your dealer handles this. I never did get pulled over though and I just kept my receipt handy so I had verification registration was under way.

[iceblaze580]

If I were you I would hound the dealer about it

[Ford Idaho]

The tags are/should be your responsibility just like your car or pickup.

[travyp]

Originally Posted by Ford Idaho

The tags are/should be your responsibility just like your car or pickup.

How do you figure? Every new car I've bought was handled by the dealer. Must be a difference in states?

[tomjsas]

Well and don't know about PA, but in Colorado your temporary tag is only good for 60 days so that would be cutting it close. I would be hounding them. Had to do that on a car once.

[Peace n Quiet]

Thanks for the replies so far!
Our temporary tag was only good for 20 days! It ran out the day before we had a trip planned (of course).

We did pay the dealer for a PA plate. They were supposed to take care of everything and told us we'd be receiving the plate in a few weeks.

[Ford Idaho]

Originally Posted by Peace n Quiet

Thanks for the replies so far!
Our temporary tag was only good for 20 days! It ran out the day before we had a trip planned (of course).

We did pay the dealer for a PA plate. They were supposed to take care of everything and told us we'd be receiving the plate in a few weeks.

Here the owner walks into the DMV with paper work and cash, you get registration, plate, plate tag and RV sticker that day.

[jbrostek]

Unless the NJ dealer has some sort of authorized agent for the PA DMV, they should have sent you the SO) (Statement of Origin) on the new RV and associated lienholder paperwork (if required) to you. You then need to take the paperwork to DMV to tag and title the trailer. I just bought my 2014 Primetime on October 3rd, about the 25th of October the dealer sent me the paperwork and the check to pay for sales tax. That week I took a trip to the VA DMV and got my permanent trailer tag.

The experience varies by state, but my dealer did not have an authorized VA DMV agent to use to take care of that for me.

[Oakman]

Originally Posted by iceblaze580

If I were you I would hound the dealer about it

X2!!!

[WatkinsGlenCamper]

Pa. does things a bit different from other states when it comes to registering a trailer or motor vehicle. I lived in New York state for 39 years before moving to Pennsy. There were DMVs in almost every town in NY state. A few days after I moved to Pennsy, I went to the county courthouse to find the DMV. I asked the receptionist where the DMV was so I could register my car. She said "Go down the street to the AAA and the notary there can help you." So, being a good soldier, I went down to the AAA. Upon entering the receptionist asked, "Hi, what can I help you with?" I ask her if I could register my car here. She said "No problem, step over to this counter." I couldn't believe it...registering a car at a Triple A. Welcome to Pennsy.

I bought a new RV this September. I received the registration and tags about 2 weeks later, but the dealer had issued a temporary plate and registration so I could take my new RV home. I live a rural part of Pennsy (north-central) and there's no DMV offices nearby (the closest is about 60 miles away.) My dealer, who was also out of state (N.Y.), sent my paperwork to a Pa. notary who processed it and then sent it to Harrisburg. Then the Harrisburg DMV sent me the registration and tags.

I would think your dealer could tell you the name of the notary or company they used to process the paperwork. If that "company" said they sent your paperwork directly to the DMV and the DMV has no record of it, then someone (the company or DMV) screwed something up or lost it...or the dealer never sent it to that company to begin with.

I would start with a call to the dealership owner. If you can't get any reasonable answer from the owner about the company that handles their paperwork or why it's taking so long to get your registration, tell him you have no choice but to contact the State Attorney General offices of both Pa. and NJ and file a complaint. That's the last agency any business owner wants to hear from (other than the IRS). Either the owner will then take you a little more seriously or he'll get really upset. But at this point, what have you got to loose? And be sure to document times and dates of phone calls, names of who you contacted and statements of what was discussed concerning your missing paperwork. Documentation is perhaps the best weapon you'll have in a dispute such as yours.

[elind]

Could the dealer have a cash flow problem? We had a car dealer here that was holding back to pay GM for his auto sales because he was short on cash. He would wait for a sale on car #2 and #3 to pay off the sale of car #1 to GM finance. As a result his paper work would be delayed ( robbing Peter to pay Paul). He did go to prison! Could this be happening with your dealer?

[Iwannacamp]

If it weren't new then this might be kinda normal. I would keep in touch with dealer, carry my purchase agreement, take note of dates and times and enjoy my trailer. Chances are...the police would not give you any trouble over this.
My trailer, three years old, had only been tagged one time when we bought it. ?? 30k and didn't buy tags for it.
You might contact your lender(assuming you have one) they have lots of power.

[Pathfinder75]

Adding to what eland said about money. Dealers often have their inventory on a floor plan loan with one or more banks. The banks hold the Certificate of Origin as collateral. After the sale the dealer juggles money and waits for the Certificate to be sent from the bank. I might think that is what the dealer is doing when he says he has to hear from the company processing the paper work. Not wanting to scare you but it took over a year on a Wisconsin boat purchase to get my Certificate so I could title it in Illinois. The bank lost it and my fighting with them finally got a duplicate from the manufacturer. About 30 months after new purchase the original lost certificate was mailed to me from the bank. Guess they finally cleaned their vault.

[Orion]

Not all states do it the same way. It's been almost 4 weeks for my new trailer and that is typical.
There isn't a bank or other financial institute involved to potentially cause a delay in my case. So, if I don't have them by the end of November then I will be hounding someone.

[DaGrinch]

I live in MD but the dealer where I bought our Flagstaff is in PA. Ok, he's just across the Mason-Dixon line, but they STILL did ALL of the MD MVA work (We call it the Motor Vehicle Administration - just to be different). They collected the 6% MD tax, all title and document fees, etc., and one of their reps took care of visiting the local MVA. I had my permanent tag for the TT within 2-3 weeks.

I'd be hounding the dealer for the registration. However, I would also be checking my bill of sale to see if the dealer nicked me for all the necessary fees to get the tags. I would make one call with a follow-up call the next week and a reminder that a call to the Attorney General's Office of that state would be forthcoming if my tags/paperwork weren't received within a specified amount of time. Amazing what can happen if you get the Attorney General's Office involved.

Larry

[Keystoner]

Hello from Gettysburg! Keep on top of the dealer and talk to the police. From your description it sounds similar to a problem I had with a used car purchase from a 2nd hand lot. My temp plate was about to expire and the dealer kept telling me Penndot was the problem, and of course Penndot said they didn't have it. I talked to a PA Trooper who had a Vehicle Fraud Investigator call me. To shorten the story, Penndot requires submission within (I think) 14 days. My dealer sat on it about a month and then rather than doing it themself used a "Courier Service" to submit the paperwork. When a courier is used, Penndot will ONLY provide the new registration to the courier. They will not mail it to the owner or dealer. After the dealer had a visit from the State Trooper I received my registration in short order.
I think 7 weeks is WAY TOO long! Good luck!

[chiefly1]

I would be concerned and agree with the previous posts that you need to start with the dealer but I would want specifics as to when it was sent in, was the check cashed and the like. If they will be doing any warranty work then be nice but firm... Good luck!

[BillyBass]

I live in Pa and I bought my trailer in wv and I didn't have any problems .I would contact AAA or Good Sams

[whj77372]

That is way to long! Does the dealer have the sales tax that should be paid to PA? I would jump up and down. If you live in NE PA, anywere in NJ is not to far, I would go and get the paper work from the dealer and do it myself. Something is not right. How long where the temp paper plates good for? Good Luck