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Old 02-13-2009, 12:00 PM   #1
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Registration question (Colorado) help!

Buying a used SMB that is already in state (yay!). We are picking it up next month. Having a hard time figuring out how to register the thing. Do I register it as just the van? (Cheaper taxes) Or do I just submit to the DMV the total price I paid for the SMB? It is registered by the current owner as a 2004 Ford Van, hence cheaper taxes. I'm confused. If I register it as a van, will my insurance company not insure it for its full value?
Thanks

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Old 02-13-2009, 02:56 PM   #2
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Re: Registration question (Colorado) help!

Not sure about Colorado, but I struggled with the same thoughts when registering in California. I ended up showing the full value. One less thing to worry about in case I need to use my insurance, but fees are undoubtedly higher because of it (plus the initial tax hit).

On a side note, great photos on your web site. Only looked at the Saline Valley trip. The van will be a great family addition!

Phil
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Old 02-13-2009, 07:03 PM   #3
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Re: Registration question (Colorado) help!

Yea, i'm tempted to show full value just to be on the safe side too.

Thanks for checking out the site! We swore that that would be our last time in a tent in a Saline Valley sandstorm. While the tent was beating us to a sandy pulp I said,"I am NOT coming out here again without a SMB!"
Maybe I'm just getting old.
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Old 02-13-2009, 09:24 PM   #4
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Re: Registration question (Colorado) help!

You've been around long enough. What did you find?

Here, I gave them the paperwork from AZ where I already got "busted" because the CO title from the PO said 25K and the handwritten purchase amount on the reverse was slightly higher. It was one of those things, I'd been through several nice DMV employees gotten all the paperwork in order and had to get my wife's signature. When I returned and my number came up this woman gave me a look like she was going to ruin my day before I even made it to the counter. I should have just left and come back... ah well.
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Old 02-13-2009, 10:31 PM   #5
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Re: Registration question (Colorado) help!

When we bought ours last May we paid taxes on the full price, albeit used, it was still substantial. This depends on what county you are in, town limit vs. rural all that jazz....
We titled it as a Motor Home and the insurance was "cheap" like $500 a year through progressive. If you register it as something else and not what you paid it may be hard to value the Vehicle for what it is truly worth if the "what if" happens.

To title it as a MH you need to have it weighed and you will pay more in taxes depending on what it weighs in at. Empty everything before doing that, H20, fuel, propane (at least don't fill it up if it is low). Also the class of MH.

I think that is it. You can go to the CO DMV and give a call in your county and they will give you the list of stuff if you choose the motohome route.

Hope that helps.
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Old 02-14-2009, 07:03 AM   #6
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Re: Registration question (Colorado) help!

Thanks for the replies. I imagine I will go the RV route for registration.

Jage,
We are getting a 2004 EB-50 6.0L(dark green) that is on the SMB site in Montrose. Spent nearly 5 hours with the owner looking it over and driving it. It is in imaculate condition and has been garaged its whole life when not on trips. Hope all goes smooth with the purchase!
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Old 02-26-2009, 11:22 PM   #7
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Re: Registration question (Colorado) help!

You know I've searched for how weight factors into registration and the only info I've ever found is that it does. I looked again because I would like to know if "fixing" the registration will save me money, and right now the van is empty and the spare tire is off.

This is the nearest thing to an answer I've found:
Quote:
Transferring Vehicle Tags Denver - Colorado (CO)

I think [weight] does [factor in to the cost] - that was never explained to us when I worked at the DMV. The computer magically came up with a number with no explanation.
Which reflects my experience when I tried to learn what the van would cost the DMV wouldn't answer my questions (namely about break points in the weight tables).

I'm starting to get mad about this. I should be able to understand where my fees are coming from, whether something small like my sitting in the van on the scale (adds more than 3% actually) radically affects the cost etc. My 2005 E350 renewal is $219. I really would like to know if it's worth getting weight and classed as an RV before I have to renew.
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Old 03-04-2009, 01:44 AM   #8
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Re: Registration question (Colorado) help!

Quote:
Originally Posted by jage
I'm starting to get mad about this. I should be able to understand where my fees are coming from, whether something small like my sitting in the van on the scale (adds more than 3% actually) radically affects the cost etc. My 2005 E350 renewal is $219. I really would like to know if it's worth getting weight and classed as an RV before I have to renew.
You could always file a FOIA (Freedom of Information Act) request for their weight/cost table.
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Old 03-24-2009, 06:17 PM   #9
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Re: Registration question (Colorado) help!

This might be coming a little late to help (hi, we just got back from an extended vacation in New Zealand!) but we tried real hard to register our SMB as an RV (in Colorado, previously registered in Wyoming) and they still registered it as a passenger van! They also insisted that the value was basically what a 2001 Ford van is (and were, "why did you pay that much for it?"), even after they saw the interior (in order to take down the VIN). So we quit fighting
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Old 03-24-2009, 06:52 PM   #10
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Re: Registration question (Colorado) help!

From my research, which was slightly more arduous than hiking a 14er and involved trying to get a government employee to understand that ballparking it was fine for my purposes, I conclude that you're paying a little less than half than if you'd manage to convince them otherwise.

I don't know how all these people can afford RVs here when the tax based on original MSRP is paid year after year. Sure it goes down slowly, but it starts steep! (Alright we have it easy compared to Cali, but still...)

Anyway by the time we had a ballpark estimate my DMV person had talked to her manager and two other coworkers to try to figure out how to get the estimate. She also said, "You know they really don't want us doing this."

I can see why. I wouldn't be buying that fictitious out of state RV were it known to me what kind of dough I'd need to get plates every year. I am enraged that people aren't allowed any clue what they'll be paying until they're standing at a DMV desk, title in hand, but I try to temper that with the knowledge that my SMB is just a van, not an RV, and that is saving me lots of dough annually.
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