[quote=randii]This varies by manufacturer. Some do, some don't... but the standard places are tongue, axle, and rear crossmember. If you have a trailer title, you probably know what the VIN is (or should be).
Alternately, Harbor Freight sells very cheap trailers... throw a 20% off discount at this and you'll be under $300 for a trailer with a title that can get you registered pretty easily. Each trailer comes with an MSO (manufacturer statement of origin) -- it will look like a discount coupon with green borders. Take that and your store receipt when you apply for registration. They *might* be enough to get you across the border, but plates are always better. The HF trailer I bought recently has no VIN stamped anywhere on it, so if you laid on a fresh coat of paint and installed the new chains, springs, axles, wheels, and tires, you'd have a new trailer, at least by weight. Heck, you could buy a couple of sets of U-bolts and bolt the entire HF trailer minus its tongue underneath your existing trailer minus its springs and axles.
Staying 'legal' isn't frequently just black or white when crossing the border, unless you have brand new gear and full documentation. Older trailers are almost always some shade of gray. Choose your acceptable level of gray carefully based on your comfort with law enforcement. If I was confident a trailer lacked a VIN *and* was not stolen, I'd be pretty comfortable undertaking the above due diligence to get it titled legally... and to have full paperwork and photos to back it up if necessary.
I have also purchased motorcycles with imperfect titles and checked into registration bonds and contacting past owners. California DMV has a lot of rings to jump through, but it was possible, with research and persistence.
Randii[/quote]
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