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what year is this coach

JCMack
Explorer
Explorer
On the mountain aire I am looking at the the registration papers for the chassis (workhorse)show it as an 05 unit and on the coach papers it is an 06. I will be going to the license office soon and I don't know the correct answer.
27 REPLIES 27

dougrainer
Nomad
Nomad
mowermech wrote:
Dutch_12078 wrote:
Johno02 wrote:
Read the date part of the VIN number. That is the proper date, reguardless of any other dates you find. Generally a chassis date is at least one year earlier than the model yeat.

Wrong... The final manufacturer determines the title model year in the US for multi-stage vehicles. The chassis is just one part that went into the final vehicle.

Assigning Model Years to Multi-stage Manufactured Motorhomes


I read through that link, and it pretty much explains it all. I would say that anybody who has questions about this issue print all 35 pages and take them with them to the licensing/registration agency that is causing the hassle. The bottom line is, the VIN of the incomplete vehicle (chassis) is not supposed to appear on the final ownership document(s). ONLY the VIN of the complete vehicle, and the model year of the complete vehicle, is supposed to be on the final ownership document(s).
It really IS just that simple.


WRONG! The VIN of the chassis is the only VIN (number) that should be on the Title. Period. I used to be a State Inpector for Texas. ALL out of State vehicles that want to register IN Texas, must have an Inspection done by a licensed inspector (me). I VERIFY the chassis VIN and write it down on an official form (used to called a Greensheet). The owner takes that to the County tax office to register his vehicle. IF HIS paperwork does NOT have the Chassis VIN I recorded, then he cannot register his vehicle until HE gets the old paperwork corrected. Doug

wny_pat1
Explorer
Explorer
Do a search at American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators for "AAMVA Policy Positions - Aug_ 19, 2013/Proper Ownership Documents Titling of Vehicles Built in Multi-Stages VIN Inspection VIN Uniformity Uniform Laws". American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators are the people who operate and control the motor vehicle departments in all 50 states.
โ€œAll journeys have secret destinations of which the traveler is unaware.โ€

wny_pat1
Explorer
Explorer
tiredkid wrote:
Daveinet wrote:
I wish I could find the original FTC article addressing this specific issue, but I have not been able to find it. A couple of things worth noting; The chassis VIN should have a designation that identifies it as an incomplete vehicle. There are several VIN decoding websites. You should be able to enter in the chassis number and it will show that the vehicle was incomplete. Once that is identified, there should be no problem demonstrating the model year as specified by the coach manufacturer. If one can find the following doc, they should be able to get the official nitty gritty:
Federal Register Volume 44 No. 103/ Friday, May 25, 1979; 16 CFR Part 14

don't u think after 8 years of being registered the registration the new owner has should be the actual registration
Registrations get corrected/amended every day at DMV offices across this country. Even 8 year old registrations get corrected. It is a common occurrence.
โ€œAll journeys have secret destinations of which the traveler is unaware.โ€

mowermech
Explorer
Explorer
Dutch_12078 wrote:
Johno02 wrote:
Read the date part of the VIN number. That is the proper date, reguardless of any other dates you find. Generally a chassis date is at least one year earlier than the model yeat.

Wrong... The final manufacturer determines the title model year in the US for multi-stage vehicles. The chassis is just one part that went into the final vehicle.

Assigning Model Years to Multi-stage Manufactured Motorhomes


I read through that link, and it pretty much explains it all. I would say that anybody who has questions about this issue print all 35 pages and take them with them to the licensing/registration agency that is causing the hassle. The bottom line is, the VIN of the incomplete vehicle (chassis) is not supposed to appear on the final ownership document(s). ONLY the VIN of the complete vehicle, and the model year of the complete vehicle, is supposed to be on the final ownership document(s).
It really IS just that simple.
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Daveinet
Explorer
Explorer
tiredkid wrote:
don't u think after 8 years of being registered the registration the new owner has should be the actual registration
Should, but the reality is that the local DMV who processed the original paperwork are made up of primarily button pushers. The original owner assumes the person at the counter is an "expert" and doesn't question it. The person at the counter is very used to working with cars, and doesn't understand the concept of a multi-stage vehicle or the regulations regard such. A little searching on the web shows that this problem exists all too often. The other thing that just adds confusion is that there are 4 states who require disclosure of the date of manufacture of the chassis. Because it is disclosed, that confuses other states when those disclosure records show up when the coach is sold some time down the road. Model year and manufacture year are unrelated.
IRV2

dougrainer
Nomad
Nomad
tiredkid wrote:
Daveinet wrote:
I wish I could find the original FTC article addressing this specific issue, but I have not been able to find it. A couple of things worth noting; The chassis VIN should have a designation that identifies it as an incomplete vehicle. There are several VIN decoding websites. You should be able to enter in the chassis number and it will show that the vehicle was incomplete. Once that is identified, there should be no problem demonstrating the model year as specified by the coach manufacturer. If one can find the following doc, they should be able to get the official nitty gritty:
Federal Register Volume 44 No. 103/ Friday, May 25, 1979; 16 CFR Part 14

don't u think after 8 years of being registered the registration the new owner has should be the actual registration


If it is wrong it is wrong, no matter how many years it has been. It needs to be corrected if it is wrong. NOT EASY to do, but it can be done. Doug

tiredkid
Explorer
Explorer
Daveinet wrote:
I wish I could find the original FTC article addressing this specific issue, but I have not been able to find it. A couple of things worth noting; The chassis VIN should have a designation that identifies it as an incomplete vehicle. There are several VIN decoding websites. You should be able to enter in the chassis number and it will show that the vehicle was incomplete. Once that is identified, there should be no problem demonstrating the model year as specified by the coach manufacturer. If one can find the following doc, they should be able to get the official nitty gritty:
Federal Register Volume 44 No. 103/ Friday, May 25, 1979; 16 CFR Part 14

don't u think after 8 years of being registered the registration the new owner has should be the actual registration

Daveinet
Explorer
Explorer
I wish I could find the original FTC article addressing this specific issue, but I have not been able to find it. A couple of things worth noting; The chassis VIN should have a designation that identifies it as an incomplete vehicle. There are several VIN decoding websites. You should be able to enter in the chassis number and it will show that the vehicle was incomplete. Once that is identified, there should be no problem demonstrating the model year as specified by the coach manufacturer. If one can find the following doc, they should be able to get the official nitty gritty:
Federal Register Volume 44 No. 103/ Friday, May 25, 1979; 16 CFR Part 14
IRV2

dougrainer
Nomad
Nomad
Daveinet wrote:
Actually it doesn't matter what country or state it is licensed in. Vehicles built in multi-stages may get what is called an IVD, which stands for Incomplete Vehicle Document. Once the coach builder builds the coach, the coach is given a permanent VIN number by the coach manufacturer. Once the coach manufacturer assigns the new VIN number, the IVD becomes invalid. Since the coach was built in the USA, the IVD became invalid before it left the factory. Doesn't matter where it ends up, the permanent VIN number was assigned by Newmar. The paperwork that you have for the chassis IVD should be set aside and should not be used as a legal document, as it is no longer valid.


The CHASSIS VIN is still the VIN for the MSO and will be the VIN for the First original Title. The Title on a Motorhome should ALWAYS have the chassis VIN and NOT any SERIAL number that the RV maker assigns to it. The RV maker will assign a SERIAL NUMBER on a Motorhome, not a VIN. They will use the chassis VIN. A Trailer will have a VIN assigned to the trailer FRAME and that is the VIN the trailer will be titled on. Doug

tiredkid
Explorer
Explorer
Daveinet wrote:
Actually it doesn't matter what country or state it is licensed in. Vehicles built in multi-stages may get what is called an IVD, which stands for Incomplete Vehicle Document. Once the coach builder builds the coach, the coach is given a permanent VIN number by the coach manufacturer. Once the coach manufacturer assigns the new VIN number, the IVD becomes invalid. Since the coach was built in the USA, the IVD became invalid before it left the factory. Doesn't matter where it ends up, the permanent VIN number was assigned by Newmar. The paperwork that you have for the chassis IVD should be set aside and should not be used as a legal document, as it is no longer valid.


except that surely after 8 years this MH would have proper registration(AKA Title papers) and no one would still be looking at ICV paperwork

tiredkid
Explorer
Explorer
JCMack wrote:
On the mountain aire I am looking at the the registration papers for the chassis (workhorse)show it as an 05 unit and on the coach papers it is an 06. I will be going to the license office soon and I don't know the correct answer.


let me ask you this+ please respond

When u say registration papers? are you talking Title? and when u say coach papers are U talking Bill of sale? or what?

Registration papers in Canada are what the US guys call title certificate which is what DMV issue your plates under

I doubt the OP has any such ICV registration papers from 8 years ago

wny_pat1
Explorer
Explorer
Daveinet wrote:
Actually it doesn't matter what country or state it is licensed in. Vehicles built in multi-stages may get what is called an IVD, which stands for Incomplete Vehicle Document. Once the coach builder builds the coach, the coach is given a permanent VIN number by the coach manufacturer. Once the coach manufacturer assigns the new VIN number, the IVD becomes invalid. Since the coach was built in the USA, the IVD became invalid before it left the factory. Doesn't matter where it ends up, the permanent VIN number was assigned by Newmar. The paperwork that you have for the chassis IVD should be set aside and should not be used as a legal document, as it is no longer valid.
And that is the correct answer, and well explained. Take a copy of that explanation with you when you go to title and register your coach!
โ€œAll journeys have secret destinations of which the traveler is unaware.โ€

Daveinet
Explorer
Explorer
Actually it doesn't matter what country or state it is licensed in. Vehicles built in multi-stages may get what is called an IVD, which stands for Incomplete Vehicle Document. Once the coach builder builds the coach, the coach is given a permanent VIN number by the coach manufacturer. Once the coach manufacturer assigns the new VIN number, the IVD becomes invalid. Since the coach was built in the USA, the IVD became invalid before it left the factory. Doesn't matter where it ends up, the permanent VIN number was assigned by Newmar. The paperwork that you have for the chassis IVD should be set aside and should not be used as a legal document, as it is no longer valid.
IRV2

haddy1
Explorer
Explorer
In most if not all states, the chassis vin will be on the title and the year will be the one assigned by the body (coach) builder.

That is the way that the RVIA says to do it.
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