Ilinois small trailer fees

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Tom_Charlton

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This is what happened when Democrats slither into a majority.

You can buy a small (40”X48”) trailer kit to pull behind your bike for $280 from Northern Tool. Not a bad price. However, be prepared to pay $17.50 for state sales tax, plus $168 for new title and first registration, then $118 yearly for registration renewals. In 2 years, Illinois vehicle registration fees are higher than the original purchase price. $280 to buy it; $303.50 in fees to the State of Illinois. What a rip off for a trailer rated for only 1000 pounds!
 
Here in progressive Minnesota, we have a lifetime trailer tab that's pretty reasonable - like $10. But there is a 6.5% tax though on new and used vehicles, including trailers, and motorcycles*, which feels like double dipping to me. Overall, I pay something around $20/tab for renewals for each of our vehicles.

I can't complain about that.

*Motorcycle tax, annoyingly, doesn't drop to a flat $10 after 10 years. Cars do. Think I paid around $75 total when I've titled the '82 Goldwing. $30 was for the tax. Would have been around $50 if it was a car of the same vintage. They also have a minimum sales price, which I've hit before trying to transfer a title to a moped I picked up in non-running condition. IDK what it is exactly, but when I said put down the purchase price as $100, the system accepted it. Wouldn't accept $20 though.
 
And in Tennessee... trailers are totally different... I think SOME are exempt from registration, or they're a 'flat' rate or something.

IMO, if a utility trailer's GW is under 2000lbs, it should NOT be necessary to register it.
IMO, if a BOAT TRAILER is being used within 50 miles of it's owner's location, it should not be necessary to register.
IMO, if a non-commercial (private) owner has more than one trailer, but only uses one trailer at a time, they should only need to have ONE license plate, and it is assigned to THEM, not the trailer.

IMO, a piece of 'mobile equipment' like a welder/generator, an air compressor, log splitter, towable bucket lift, etc should not require registration.

IMO, any dolly or towable unit whose purpose is to transport a registered vehicle, that it should NOT require registration. If empty, it's just an empty unit. The vehicle on it is either registered, or in transit.

But that's just my opinion, right?

I hear 'ya, Tom... and I agree... Illinois has many more serious problems than this... (sigh) someday, when all the idiots are gone...
 
[url=https://www.classicgoldwings.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=216180#p216180:e4j63ud3 said:
DaveKamp » Mon Mar 16, 2020 5:55 pm[/url]":e4j63ud3]
And in Tennessee... trailers are totally different... I think SOME are exempt from registration, or they're a 'flat' rate or something.

IMO, if a utility trailer's GW is under 2000lbs, it should NOT be necessary to register it.
IMO, if a BOAT TRAILER is being used within 50 miles of it's owner's location, it should not be necessary to register.
IMO, if a non-commercial (private) owner has more than one trailer, but only uses one trailer at a time, they should only need to have ONE license plate, and it is assigned to THEM, not the trailer.

IMO, a piece of 'mobile equipment' like a welder/generator, an air compressor, log splitter, towable bucket lift, etc should not require registration.

IMO, any dolly or towable unit whose purpose is to transport a registered vehicle, that it should NOT require registration. If empty, it's just an empty unit. The vehicle on it is either registered, or in transit.

But that's just my opinion, right?

I hear 'ya, Tom... and I agree... Illinois has many more serious problems than this... (sigh) someday, when all the idiots are gone...
In Tennessee, only commercial (18 wheeler type) have to be licensed. Boat trailers, no. Farm trailers, no.
Bike trailers (for hauling or pulling behind), no. Utility, work, etc. no. Now, I'd like to see some inspection of the trailers used by masons to transport their mixers. You CAN get the same tag that 18 wheeler trailers get for ~$95 - lifetime.
 
Yes, but don't limited your ire to only one side of the authoritarian coin. I can only laugh when folks are surprised that their particular toy or activity is "taxed"( the term theft pops in to mind :whistling: ) . Years and years ago I was in to electric cars, but then I quit because it became obvious that those sinful electric cars weren't paying their fair share, oh and the physics! Well lo and behold your progressive Illinois tried to hit EV owners with $1000/yr but they relented to ONLY $250(for the time being).
This link is dated so Illinois' state authoritarians may have wet their pants by now and got that $1000/yr to spend on buying votes.

https://www.cnbc.com/2019/09/11/states- ... -says.html

But wait there's MORE! The powers that shouldn't be are watering at the mouth for a mileage tax. Again a dated article but you can be certain mileage tax is coming your way.

https://mileiq.com/blog/mileage-tax-gas-tax/

OC
 
Have family members who truck. They will complain about this stuff. I once looked it up, and road damage follows the fourth power of a vehicle's axle weight.

I haven't shared it with them that the taxes are far less than their disproportionate road wear. ;)
 
Both scenarios are truth...

I owned a CitiCar... actually, two... built one useable car from the two, the batteries were ghastly expensive, and the control system was a 4-step adjustable resistor. I didn't buy it for any sensible USE reason... performance was hideous, range was worse, comfort was totally unknown... but it was a legally-registered car, and a unique (aka 'rare' aka 'classic'). Basically, it was a fully-enclosed golf cart, with lights, turn signals, and higher gear ratio... and after I got it restored, it sold to a collector...

But I digress...
The issue that governmental-types had with electrics, is the same issue they have with say... running your diesel pickup on cooking grease... 'not paying road tax'. I didn't pay a penny of road tax for the electricity I used in that car... and of course, if I charged it with a windmill (which my farm would be a perfect place to do it)... I still wouldn't... and because everyone else does, that's 'not right', isn't it? (shrug).

Yeah, heavy trucks are hard on the road... and the taxes are so high, that the cost has to be passed on to the end consumer of all that toilet paper, dog food, and bottled water. I certainly wouldn't be one to tell truck drivers to 'not' drive on a road... because I kinda like going to a grocery store and finding food on the shelves... and of course, having a flatbed full of 5x2" rectangular tube show up at my driveway.

By FAR, the hardest-damage done to our roads and highways, is done by water, and immediately behind, is salt, and finally, sunshine. If we banned water, salt, and sunshine, the roads would certainly last. Look at Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas- the stuff they call 'pavement' wouldn't last three weeks in Iowa, Minnesota or (gasp) Michigan... yet they can run it year-round...

Speaking of which, in keeping with the more or less nation-wide sequestration of all things society, I decided it was a great day to rock and roll... I invested $125.xx in some 3/4-down gravel to spread out across the 3" rock I've been pounding into the driveway since oh... late January. With it being a generally moist day, it spread on like butter. I'll drive over it a little, then take a walking-tour with the plate compactor and hammer it all down good, perhaps it'll give me a nice summer or two before I hafta do it again. I sure would like 4" of asphalt, but in July, NONE of my forklifts would pass over without destroying it. Gonna hafta wait 'till i can afford about 65 yards of concrete...
 
IDK. The Minneapolis Greenway is salted and plowed all winter, but despite that, the pavement is in great shape. Other roads - not so much.

I doubt the Greenway was built to a better standard (it is bicycle/foot traffic only), but it holds up a lot better than our streets.
 
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