questions about buying a used pick up in USA

[oneup]

it looks like the easiest way for us to get around the USA this time is with a pick up carrying a bike.
the questions are.
what do you need to do, and what paper work is necessary to be road legal ?

can i get temporary tags for a pick up?

what costs are involved in changing ownership?

does a well used vehicle need any sort of road worthiness test ?

is any type of insurance mandatory ?

is there anything else i should be aware of ?

 

[Gold Rush]

Jeff, it would help a lot to know which state you plan on beginning you venture. Here in the USA each state has their own vehicle registration program. They are all similar but may have differences in the areas you have interest. Wouldn't be too hard to get answers once we knew the starting location. Then one of the members might be able to help.

Enjoy you driving/riding. Hope you have a good time. :xszpv: :xszpv:

it looks like the easiest way for us to get around the USA this time is with a pick up carrying a bike.
the questions are.
what do you need to do, and what paper work is necessary to be road legal ?

can i get temporary tags for a pick up?

what costs are involved in changing ownership?

does a well used vehicle need any sort of road worthiness test ?

is any type of insurance mandatory ?

is there anything else i should be aware of ?

 

[kwputt]

Jeff I will second what Jerry said. I'll bet there's a TT member in every state that either works for a dealership or knows someone who does. With a little legwork ahead of time you could have a vehicle waiting for your arrival, 30 day tags, insurance ready to roll. You might even find a toy hauler to rent and save on your motel cost.
Good luck.

 

[oneup]

well its a long way off yey. but as we can only fly direct to LA or Dallas, lets say Dallas as we have seen LA before.
from there we would most likely head to Oklahoma , so either of those places would be handy yo get information from. still nothing to stop us flying to any other point, if a different state had much more favourable laws regarding temporary registration etc.
last time we started riding from Georgia, but had arranged temporary tags for the trike from North carolina as thats where we purchased the trike.
this time we will have to buy a pick up first then find a bike

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we had been looking into toy haulers, but they seem to be elusive and expensive, rental cars dont allow towing, so buying a pick up seems the next option.
i looked at cheap pickups in Dallas but most adds were in Spanish. guess theres a lot of mexicans there

 

[oneup]

another question... do chev ford, or dodge have a 6 cyl pickup?? if so what model?
otherwise we will have to go toyota. a V8 is probably a bit to thirsty, or are there any relatively economical v8s out there

 

[Keystone]

As already stated, vehicle registration fees and taxes vary by state. As does insurance. Generally speaking you have up to 30 days on a temp tag from most states. Some are less, some are more. Some state have mandatory annual vehicle inspections, some do not. Minnesota does not. There is also mandatory liability insurance requirements that differ slightly depending on what state you register the vehicle in. How did you take care of the Tri Glide last year?

In a perfect situation.... If you were to purchase prior to arrival in the US could you get everything switched over to your local requirements and have it licensed at home? Just a thought.

 

[keepinon]

we had been looking into toy haulers, but they seem to be elusive and expensive, rental cars dont allow towing, so buying a pick up seems the next option.
i looked at cheap pickups in Dallas but most adds were in Spanish. guess theres a lot of mexicans there

LOL, with our current Presidents border policies, there's lots of Mexicans every where.

But, here is what I use when buying vehicles in Dallas area:

http://dallas.craigslist.org/i/autos

You can use the search box for type of vehicle you want. I know Ford & Chevy/GMC still make a 6-cyl, but they are few & far between. As a comparison, the wife's '07 Chevy 1500 with small V8 gets 16 mpg.

If you purchase from a dealer, they will issue a temporary tag good for 45 days. If you buy from an individual you would have to go to the local tax assessors office to effect title work & plates (registration)... unless the vehicle has current plates and you could talk the seller into not assigning the title, would make for an easier sale when leaving.

Should either process require a "local" address (can be anywhere in Texas) I'm sure one of us would allow you to use ours. I would.

Insurance: Texas only requires liability insurance. One of my old work trucks costs about $160 per 6 months policy. May again boil down to local address.

I bet we can get it done.

 

[Keystone]

Jeff, my 2010 GMC pick-up gets close to 20 miles per gallon on the highway. It drops cylinders when it does not need all eight of them. So the power is there when needed, but the fuel economy is equal or better to the 6 cyl motors out there.

 

[bongobobny]

A lot depends on your price range as far as power vs economy goes. Ford F150's are nice trucks but so are Tundras. IMHO stay away from Rams...

 

[dougv]

Jeff, the first thing I would think about is what size of bike you are considering. You can buy a small trailer at Lowes, Home Depot or other discount places or used as well for little cost. Almost any SUV should be able to pull it and most are equipped with hitches. I have a Santa Fe and 2 years ago prior to buying a trike we pulled the trailer from Ct to Florida and never knew it was behind us. A lot more comfortable than my Dodge diesel 3/4 ton pickup....

Gas mileage was OK but found out after we got home that one of the calipers was dragging on the Santa Fe.

 

[bustedwing]

I don't agree with bongobob about the Dodge. I have a 2004 3/4 ton 4x4 with a Cummins Diesel 5.9 engine and 6 speed manual transmission. If I keep my foot out of the injection pump on fairly level ground it can pull 25mpg hand calculated. I currently have 149k on this truck and during storm clean up pulled the biggest stump on record. Had a guy ask how the truck was doing pulling all them stumps, I replied the truck isn't having a problem, but the trailer really caught hell.

 

[dougv]

Mine is an 01 auto but with the 3.55 gears so it isn't too bad on fuel on the highway, in town it's not that great. I like the truck but it's just rusting away, the frame looks good but the body is another story. Actually the ride is better than a 2010 chevy long bed that we have in work and that's a 1/2 ton. Mine was built as a 1 ton before they came out with the single wheel 3500 but is badged as a 2500.

sorry to change the subject Jeff

 

[oneup]

thanks for all the answers so far...
what we are planning to buy is a reliable vehicle that can carry a harley across the USA for about a Month.. The harley will be a 2008 ish with low miles which we will take home... the cosmetic state of the carry vehicle is unimportant as we cant take it home. so bad paint, dents. general shabby or worn fabric is all good as long as we think it will last for about 10,000 miles without a major breakdown. even rust isnt an issue as long as it can be road legal.

At first a pick up seemed the obvious choice, but im now thinking a van may be better, in that i have seen lower mileage family touring vans quite cheap. im happy enough to rip out any extra seats i dont need, or just get a commercial van,
the end goal is reliability for 1 month on a budget. theres no point spending more than necessary as we will have to dump it at a wrecking yard, or give it to someone in exchange for them dropping us at the airport. when we end up in Los Angeles.

it looks at this stage like we will arrive in Dallas, and there seems quite a few cheap vans there under $3500 that would suit our needs. once thats sorted we can go and buy a bike (probably a 2008 FXSTC) and hit the road

Any info on whats involved, and the cost, in getting a privately bought vehicle legally in our name, and legally on road for a month or so would be greatly appreciated

OH and one other question... will a harley with mini apes (factory FXSTC bars) fit into a full size van door???
i intend to fit a winch to aid loading and unloading by ramp

 

[Gold Rush]

Jeff, I was out running errands this morning so I stopped by the vehicle registration office and driver license office to see what you need. I'll send you a PM with what I found out. :xszpv: :xszpv:

 

[Papa Zook]

Jeff, I was out running errands this morning so I stopped by the vehicle registration office and driver license office to see what you need. I'll send you a PM with what I found out. :xszpv: :xszpv:

You're a good man Jerry. Always quick to help out a fellow member. ThumbUp

 

[pcombe]

If your going to buy a bike why not a camp trailer to pull behind it?
Check out the bunkhouse camper on the right side of forum sponsors?
Just sayin?

 

[Rmitchell55]

Oneup

I called El Monte RV's today and found out the Toy Hauler RV's are only available in Southern California area (LA). The cost is $286.00 per day. Mileage cost is $0.37 per mile or $29.00/100 miles if purchased in advance. The first 50 miles per day is free. The motorhome is 31 feel long with the storage compartment at 8.5 feet. A large bike would probably have to be loaded at an angle.

 

[oneup]

yes that is a champion effort.. and it is very much appreciated.
thanks to all the responders to this topic. thats one of the great things about this forum.
Now my only question (that i can think of at the moment ) is....
can I get thirty day or longer temporary tags if i buy privately. IE not from a Dealer.

Pcombe, the camper trailer would have been a good idea except for the fact i already bought one over here. It would be a shame to dump a camper that is a month old as there would be little point me freighting it home.. in hindsight a second hand camper might have been viable, but im not sure if Elises bottom would thank me for us being on a bike for the month..It was fine on the trike as the seat and backrests are so comfortable... the FXSTC Pillion position will not be so comfy.

A woman with a pain in the A will probably be a pain in the A.. LOL

So well used van or pickup is the go

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PS i will get a smack for this when she reads it

 

[Woolie]

Have you considered U-Haul? They rent small trucks and pickup trucks nationwide. You could rent a small box truck , haul your bags and the bike in the box and lock it inside. U- Haul pickup truck rental in Texas and drop off in LA might be a problem, but chat with them online, you might get it done. To rent a pickup truck in Dallas and return to Dallas would cost less than $2000.00 according to their web site. LA to Dallas can probably be done in 2 days in a pickup truck fairly easy. You could purchase a loading ramp at Harbor Freight Tools for under $100.00. Enterprise rental car also rents pickup trucks if you are still considering that route.