There are two VIN numbers. One for the chassis, the other for the RV conversion. Here in Illinois, the vehicle title reflects the year and VIN of the chassis. Emissions testing is also based off the chassis model year. But the insurance company goes by the RV conversion VIN.
Our first motor home bought brand new was a 1984 Mirage built on a 1983 Toyota chassis of which we owned for 24 years. I never liked the mismatch, so when we ordered our 2007 Phoenix Cruiser, I made sure it was built on a 2007 E350 chassis, not a 2006 chassis.
The bottom line is that it really doesn't matter. Especially when buying a 14 year old rig.
BTW: $8000 sounds about right to me. I do hope you are mechanically inclined because you will need those skills to keep your running costs under control.
I feel that RV owners who hire out everything required, should buy a quality new or almost new rig. Bought new and preserved well indoors, our 10 year old rig with 36,000 miles has required no mechanical intervention, not even a lug nut taken off. Only oil and filter changes. I have done a lot of house related "home improvements" not repairs, just a few monetary repairs like a dripping faucet, shower head cleaning, a broken latch, tiny things like that. The rig still looks and even smells brand new inside. My point here is that you can own a trouble-free motor home if the quality is right and more importantly, it is stored indoors, and heated in winter months.
For you who wonder, yes our tires are original. They too look great with exception to the fronts which are wearing badly from too much up/down motion. The weight distribution is too much on the rear axle, too little on the front axle, hence enough up/down action to cause scalloping.
