American Utility trailer???

Does anyone know about this company American Utility Trailer? I just bought a trailer and it looks like it was made by them. I need a MSO before I can register it but I can’t contact them. Did they go out of business? Any help will be must appreciated. Trying to register in California.

Attachments:

1. 

   F165A894-3B5E-422A-9153-A95656190569-scaled.jpeg
   

From the looks of this, they closed their doors in 1986. https://opencorporates.com/companies/us_ca/C0203429

HRG

Thank you Hot Runr Guy!

So it looks like I won’t be able to get the MSO. I wonder if DMV will accept that I just build the trailer on my own.

Eric Nguyen wrote:

Thank you Hot Runr Guy!

So it looks like I won’t be able to get the MSO. I wonder if DMV will accept that I just build the trailer on my own.

Spend some time on Google with “home built trailer California” , it appears as though others have been thru the process, and offer some guidance & tips.

HRG

If it’s ever been registered I’d think it should be on file in whatever state that was.

Thank you. I’ll have to do a little more research.

I don’t think it has ever been registered because I can’t seem to find a VIN anywhere on the frame.

Hello
Running to same situation in NY with a trailer made by International but on NYS DMV website, registering a homemade trailer is easy. In NY if you have registered anything it would show up in DMV computer however after three years of any inactivity it purges from their system. I was told this by the NYS DMV, so if you dont pay the registration renewal every couple years or dont get the equipment inspected then one can see why NYS DMV wouldnt keep tracking it

So in short I would just register it homemade. Thats what I am doing to make it easier if I ever sell it, just to have paperwork. The person I bought the 17 foot trailer from was an older gentlemen who couldnt remeber where he put any paperwork. He gave me a bill of sale and I called local police department in his town to make sure no one stole a trailer and they said nope, after I explained the situation the police said your all set and good luck!!!

Eric, where are you located? What’s true in WI, NY, etc will likely be different in MN.

Thanks Don. That’s a good idea, I’m in california and the person I bought it from brought it from an older gentleman but didn’t have any of the original paperwork. I looked up the manufacturer of the trailer and the company went out of business several years ago. Might just have to go that route and say it’s homebuild.

Hi Ralph,

I am located in California so I know they are a lot stricter here than in most states.

Many states have gotten wise to the ol’ “it’s homebuilt” gag. MN is supposed to require submission of materials receipts, a shop receipt, or other evidence that you actually built the trailer or had it built by a shop. In some states, they want to see the actual trailer at the DMV.

There is always a way around the CMO issue. You just have to find the person at the DMV or the website that tells you what it is. It’s the same with missing titles, there’s a way to fix it, it just takes time and knowledge/research to know what to do.

Bottom line is I don’t specifically know what’s involved in CA, but be careful lying to the DMV about this. It doesn’t take them long to wise up to gags that can be used to register stolen trailers.

Thank you for the information. The problem I see is that it does have American stamped on the frame. It even looks like there is a tag maybe a manufacture ID number stamped on the frame but for sure it’s not a VIN number. It’s just that the company went out of business so I can’t obtain a MSO. I’m wondering if I can say I bought the frame and redid the axles and call it rebuilt. Sounds like talking to DMV is of no help.