Millard Safari - trying to register in NSW

[shmaverick]

Hi 

We are trying to register a Millard Safari caravan in NSW. there is no papers, compliance plates or chassis number. the only thing we have is a welded on number on the drawbar.

Trying to get it registered before Christmas??

Any help greatly appreciated

[shmaverick]

the welded number is M-948

[Don Ricardo]

Hi Shmaverick,

Welcome to the Forum.

M-948 is the serial number or chassis number of your van, so you do have that. Your van was produced well before there were VIN numbers or compliance plates for caravans. VIN numbers were introduced for caravans only in 1989. Compliance plates may have been brought in about the same time, but I'm not sure about that. According to the Millard/York register compiled by one of our Forum members, Twocutekelpies, M-948 would have been built in 1963, so it is quite an early Millard.

Up until a few months ago, if you had a pre-1989 caravan to re-register you could just identify the van with the serial number. However, from reading various posts, it seems that the rules have been changed and tightened up. Part of that is that you will need to get a VIN number from the NSW rego authority and jump through a few other hoops, including getting your van weighed for starters.

Here is some basic information about registering an unregistered trailer in NSW which will help you get the process started:

    www.nsw.gov.au/driving-boating-and-transport/vehicle-registration/how-to-register/trailers-without-vins

    www.nsw.gov.au/driving-boating-and-transport/vehicle-registration/how-to-register/trailers-built-prior-to-1989

Beyond that I suggest you give the rego authority a ring to check out the procedure.

Your biggest problems might be

• Proving that you are the legal owner of the caravan and are entitled to register it. I note that you said you have no papers, but if you have a receipt or statement from a previous owner that will help.
• Providing proof of origin, ie manufacturer, model and build date. Hopefully the van still has its Millard Safari signage on it? If so that will deal with the first two points. Proving the date of manufacture is a bit harder. Try looking at the Millard history thread here on the Forum - click here. There are quite a few photos of Safaris about the same age as yours there, plus some dated adverts referring to the Safari model which may assist you. But you may also need to be a bit determined when you're talking to the rego folk - they generally know a lot less about vintage caravans than you do and can be a bit dismissive unless you press your point.

Hope that helps? Feel free to ask more questions.

Don Ricardo

[shmaverick]

Hi Don!

Thank you so very much for all the info.

We have a weighbridge ticket for the van so ticked that hoop off. I think we are able to complete a stat dec saying my husband is the owner as it was left to him in his fathers estate.

I think that our mechanic is completing a form with Transport for NSW but just needed the year it was born (lol)

it is in really good condition and the only issue was one tyre and the light covers being faded

[Don Ricardo]

Hi Shmaverick,

Sounds like you've got everything more or less under control. Well done - I hope the rego process goes really smoothly for you.

Regarding proof of age, I can point you to Twocutekelpies' Millard/York register. If you use Facebook go to the 'Millard & York Caravan Owners - Australia' page and click on 'Files' on the menu just under the header. The first file is an Excel spreadsheet called 'Millard & York Register...'. When you open it up you will find a list of caravans sorted by serial number.

Twocutekelpies has compiled the register by listing every Millard and York caravan she has come across or been told about over a period of quite a few years. So it's a list of caravans she knows about, not a complete list of all Millards. But the good thing about it for your purposes is that it actually lists M-947, the caravan built immediately before yours. In addition it also lists M-922 and a reference to an electrical certificate in that van dated March 1963. So that gives you a date of 1963 for your van. You'll see that M-1448, which is 500 after your van, has an electrical certificate dated May 1964.

Let me know if you don't use Facebook or can't find the register and I will arrange to get it to you another way.

Don Ricardo