Is the year of the coach based on the year of the chassis

Very common on anything with an aftermarket body...I have seen shuttle buses with a 2 year difference (they were 2001 bodies on 1999 chassis, titled as 2001). My first box truck at work was a 2004 F-650 with a 2005 box.

I bought a new 1997 Winnebago Luxor in late 1997, almost a year old. When I registered it everything came back 1996 Freightliner. Now its 2 years old and nothing I could do would get anything changed. It was that way when I sold it years later.

It's actually more common to have split dates than to have the same dates.

My clipper is a gem in that both are 1975. Saved me a lot of trouble getting it smog exempt.

I purchased my 2009 Cambria in Minnesota pre owned. When I registered it in Ca. through AAA the registration printed 2008. After a phone call

to the manufacturer and a discussion concerning the laws regarding partial builds, the Ca. DMV changed it to a 2009. RV builders buy large

amounts of chassis, when they finish them no one knows BUT once it's finished the year of the vehicle is determined.

Itasca offered to send paperwork regarding the laws if I had any issues. As was mentioned, order parts for the chassis based on the year of the

chassis.

This may help you,it is quite common to have a year different on chassis and when the RV was sold as. Mine is a 2006 but the Chassis is a 2005,This model on a Chevy Chassis was only sold starting in 2006,MFG date is April 2006,you may find that on the RIVA sticker on the RV.

Here is an explanation from RIVA of how it works.

ANSWERS FROM RVIA: SPLIT MODEL YEARS


The Recreation Vehicle Industry Association (RVIA) has recently published a document entitled “Q & A’s on Split Model Years for Motorhomes.” As the title infers, it relates to questions that can arise regarding the chassis manufacturer’s model year and the model year assigned to the completed motor home by the final stage motor home manufacturer. Below is the original memo from RVIA for your reference and information.


Q & A’s on Split Model Years for Motorhomes

How is the manufacturing of motorhomes different from cars?

Motorhomes are “multi-stage vehicles.” This means that, unlike cars, they generally are built in two separate stages by two different manufacturers.

How is motorhome manufacturing divided into different stages?

The first-stage manufacturer, also called the “incomplete vehicle manufacturer,” assembles the motorhome chassis. This typically includes such components as the chassis frame, engine, fuel system, transmission, drive train, suspension, wheels, brakes and vehicular electrical system. These “incomplete vehicles” are then sold by the chassis manufacturer to final stage motorhome manufacturers, also called “completed vehicle manufacturers.” The motorhome manufacturers take the chassis and build the coach body, all of the “household” systems, install the appliances, cabinets, furnishings, plumbing, lighting fixtures and a multitude of various amenities, resulting in a completed vehicle.

How do first stage manufacturers identify their vehicles?

According to federal law, at 49 CFR 565.13(a), a vehicle manufactured in more than one stage must have a Vehicle Identification Number (“VIN”) assigned to it by the incomplete vehicle manufacturer. One character position in the VIN sequence identifies the model year of the incomplete vehicle. Once it is assigned, the VIN stays with the incomplete vehicle when it is sold to the motorhome manufacturer. The incomplete vehicle manufacturer may also ship the chassis with a Manufacturer’s Certificate of Origin (“MCO”). The MCO document provides information about each particular chassis.

How do final stage manufacturers identify their vehicles?

Final stage motorhome manufacturers continue to use the VIN assigned by the incomplete vehicle manufacturer. Motorhome manufacturers also provide MCO documents with their motorhomes when they are shipped to dealers. The model year of the completed motorhome, which is determined by the motorhome manufacturer, appears on this MCO document.

Why do some chassis have a different model year than the completed motorhome?

An incomplete vehicle chassis is manufactured before a completed motorhome is built on it. Motorhome manufacturers may buy hundreds, even thousands, of chassis each year. Because of variations in advance purchases of incomplete vehicle chassis, the flow of new product orders, market conditions and new model roll-outs, the model year of the incomplete vehicle chassis is frequently different from the model year of the completed motorhome.

What are some examples of model year differences?

A group of fifty chassis could be built at the end of a calendar year and assigned that year’s model year by the incomplete vehicle manufacturer. A few weeks later, those chassis could be sold to a motorhome manufacturer. The motorhome manufacturer may use half of them to finish production of one motorhome make, assigning those motorhomes the motorhome manufacturer’s current model year on their final MCO’s. These completed motorhomes would have a model year one year greater than the model year of the chassis. The motorhome manufacturer may later use the other half of the chassis in manufacturing a new motorhome design, assigning those motorhomes the next model year. As a result, their final MCO’s would have a model year designation that is two years greater than the chassis model year. In another example, a chassis manufacturer may decide to skip a model year entirely and designate its chassis one year ahead of the then current calendar year. This could result in motorhomes having a model year once year less than the chassis model year.

Who decides what the “official” model year of the vehicle is?

The final stage motorhome manufacturer has authority to designate on the completed vehicle MCO the model year of the completed motorhome. See Federal Trade Commission Staff Opinion (March 5, 2001).

Is it permissible to have different model years for the chassis and completed motorhome?

Yes, it is permissible. The United States Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) has directly addressed this very issue and determined in a formal staff option that it is NOT an unfair or deceptive trade practice for the completed motorhome and its chassis to have different model years. In recognition of the fact that the final stage manufacturer has the authority to designate the model year for motorhomes, the FTC has stated that the incomplete vehicle chassis manufacturer may use the phrase, “Model Year – Not Applicable” on the MCO’s for the incomplete vehicles it sends to final stage motorhome manufacturers, if it so chooses. See Federal Trade Commission Staff Opinion (March 5, 2001).

Is the motorhome manufacturer required to disclose the difference between the model year of the incomplete vehicle and the model year of the incomplete chassis?

No. However, four states (California, Maryland, Michigan, and Wisconsin) require dealers to inform purchases of multi-stage vehicles of the difference between the model year of the incomplete vehicle chassis and the model year of the final stage motorhome.

What information is used by the state DMV offices to register motorhomes?

When a consumer has a new motorhome registered for the first time, the state DMV will use both the VIN assigned by the incomplete vehicle manufacturer and the model year and make assigned by the final stage motorhome manufacturer for the vehicle registration. All states should title motorhomes using the model year assigned by the final stage motorhome manufacturer.

What should I do if a state DMV registers a new motorhome with the chassis model year?

If a DMV employee insists on using the incomplete chassis model year, please call the Recreation Vehicle Industry Association at 703-620-6003 for assistance. Ask for the Government Affairs Department.

Thanks for the responses. After reviewing all the paper work there was a MCO in the packet. It would have been nice if the dealer would have brought that to our . We signed for it in January and took delivery yesterday on 4/24. It never dawned on us that ordering something at that point in time that they wouldn't match. It makes sense after having it explained. Still not happy with how the dealer didn't explain it to us up front.

KC

Very common. Make sure you are getting your choice for engine and transmission, not just what the salesman says it is

Common yes. Thats why mechanics use the vin # to order chassis parts.

The following will be state or local law contingent :
If you insure or register the rv using the chassis vin # , it might be to your benefit using the unladen chassis weight opposed to the gross coach weight, possibly offering lower rates for passenger plates etc.
This has been beneficial for many including myself. My experience has shown me that passenger plates are non commercial and can allow overnight parking in restricted areas plus much lower insurance premiums.

Common - yes. We have 2010 Vista 32k on a '09 F53 Chassis. Big deal if there was a major change in the chassis - like from 5sp to 6sp auto trans. Or, V10 to V8.

Hi KC,

Roughly 1/3 of all motorhomes are marketed that way because the RV manufactures release their model year about 5 months prior to the chassis manufacture. So there is huge amount of production time where they mismatch. Complicating the matter is chassis overstock. During the great recession of 2008-2010, some motorhomes were two years apart. You would see a 2010 motorhome built on a 2008 chassis.

Our first motorhome bought new, was a 1984 built on a 1983 chassis. I knew about it up front but later regretted the decision not to wait for a match. There was always confusion when it came time for emissions testing and insurance. Also it never felt right until enough years passed by and didn't bother me anymore. We owned that rig for 24 years.

When ordering our new rig in March 2007, I made sure the chassis year matched the RV model year. The RV manufacture actually built the house on a freshly made E350 chassis such that they were only a month apart in age. That was in April/May of 2007. Had I placed my order a month or two later, my RV would have been a 2008 with the chassis being a 2007. Some people would say it would have been better to wait. That never crossed my mind at the time, but am happy to have matching model years for a change.