home made trailer serial numbers

[chvnva]

I am from NC and am regerstering my boat trailer as home made. I went to the DMV and got my serial numbers and instructions. I have to have the numbers either cut on or stamped on. I bought a 1/4 stamp kit and it barely cuts into the steel. Any ideas? Thanks

 

[Throbbin Rods]

Re: home made trailer serial numbers

Try an engraving tool, like one would use to engrave your intitials in your tools

 

[Northern Eclipse]

Re: home made trailer serial numbers

Check if you can stamp the numbers onto a small piece of aluminum or stainless 16 gauge sheet and then drill and rivit onto trailer frame, thats how most of the trailer manufactures do it around here, and that is how its done on my custom built tandem, that I had done by a small local builder.

 

[Bondo]

Re: home made trailer serial numbers

and it barely cuts into the steel. Any ideas? Thanks

That's deep Enough........<br />You're not expected to create a Factory VIN.....

 

[rwise]

Re: home made trailer serial numbers

Get a helper to hold something solid against the other side. This should help the tool cut deeper.

 

[chvnva]

Re: home made trailer serial numbers

I went to an engraving shop and had two plates made and rivited them onto the trailer. I called the highway protrol office and explained to them that I have a home made trailer that I need to have inspected and how I put the serial numbers on. They told me that the serial numbers have to be "cut" onto the trailer not attached. North Carolina is strict on stuff like that. I pounded the stamps but still you can barely see the numbers and when I tried to restamp over the numbers to make it deeper I could not line up the numbers right and it looks like crap. I even heated up the steel. I am thinking about going to a welding shop and ask if they can wright the numbers on with a welding machine. Thanks for the feed back!!

 

[rwise]

Re: home made trailer serial numbers

another way I have done it is to stamp the numbers on soft steel and weld that all the way around to the trailer, don't know if that will work there.

 

[voxmorgan]

Re: home made trailer serial numbers

My suggestion is to go back to the engraving shop and ask them if they can modify the plates, so that the VIN # go all the way through the plate. Then using the plate as a template you can temporarily attach it to the trailer and use a Dremel tool with an engraving bit to engrave the VIN # on the trailer. Then remove the plate and you are left with a proper looking permanent VIN # engraved on the trailer.

 

[TwoBallScrewBall]

Re: home made trailer serial numbers

Or just use a dremel tool with an engraving bit and write them. It doesn't have to look like CNC cut numbers, just has to be readable and permanant.

 

[dajohnson53]

Re: home made trailer serial numbers

I have a professionally made - but "homemade" in the sense it was probably a one-off. The serial number looks like it was just hand etched into the frame with a hand held dremel tool bit. It's definitely readable, but definitely looks hand written.<br /><br />Give that a try.

 

[k5ranger]

Re: home made trailer serial numbers

hey CHVNA, i also had the same problems with a homemade trailer here in NC. i guess i was lucky in that my bro-in-law happened to have some stamps and a large hammer. one word of caution....do not stamp the tounge of your trailer, yunno the part that is attached where the ball goes. that's a no no also. i found that out the hard way. have you called any local triler buiding shops in your area? they have to abide by the same rules...just a thought.