Coach Model Year vs. Chassis Model Year?

[StevL]

How many coaches are out there that the chassis year is different than the model year of the coach?

eg: 2018 coach on a 2017 chassis

Is this common? What about resale?

Thx,
Steve

[jfran304]

Very common.

Resale goes by what's on your registration and most people don't notice the difference.

[Chuck_Hammer]

common and for many years..

my trailer...

titled as 2005
Frame is dated 2003,
body is dated 2004..

[Mr_D]

By Federal law the RV must be registered by the model year the vehicle (not chassis) manufacturer says it is.
RVIA has a white paper on it.

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.

[Steve Ownby]

Originally Posted by StevL

How many coaches are out there that the chassis year is different than the model year of the coach?



eg: 2018 coach on a 2017 chassis



Is this common? What about resale?



Thx,

Steve

Very common. No issue at all.

[Damion]

When I was shopping for DP I found a 2010 with a 2007 freightliner chassis with pre Def Cummins.

My 2003 has 2002 freightliner chassis and the Cummins ser. comes up 2001

[StevL]

Thanks for the replies, good info!


Steve

[4x4van]

My current coach is '04 across the board, but my last one was a '88 Jamboree, on a '87 Ford chassis, chassis built in late '86. Registration was '88.

Only issue was that I had to remember to buy chassis parts for an '87, since Ford changed to EFI in '88 (on their E350); mine was 4 barrel carb.

[momdoc]

Yep very common and title is year of the coach not the frame
We are a 2017 coach on a 2016 frame. Titled as a 2017


momdoc

[Glenn and Kathy]

Our 1st coach was a 98 on a 99 chassis. It was titled as a 98 in CA, but moved to AZ and it was titled as 99. Was told the title had to match chassis, not body.. Current is a 2006 on a 2005 chassis.

Glenn

[ThomB]

My chassis is 2008 and the coach is 2010.

[Gary RVRoamer]

Another variation is a engine year that is earlier than the chassis year, e.g. a 2003 engine in a 2004 chassis. And it is even conceivable that 2004 chassis is under a 2005 model-year coach.

Whether they are building chassis or motorhomes, manufacturers buy components ahead of time and use them up as production needs demand. Sometimes they get used right away and sometimes they sit around for awhile.

If a component supplier has a sale, or announces a future price increase or spec change, the chassis or coach manufacturer may buy some extras to take advantage. Or sometimes there is simply a drop in demand for a certain configuration and the components don't get used right away. One common example of this were back in late 2006, when engines made after 1/1/2007 had to conform to the 2007 EPA standards, which meant a drop in fuel economy. Another was the huge drop in motorhome sales after the financial crunch of 2008, leaving both chassis and coach manufacturers with unused components on hand. Some of those did not get built into an actual vehicle for a year or more.

[4x4van]

Originally Posted by Glenn and Kathy

Our 1st coach was a 98 on a 99 chassis. It was titled as a 98 in CA, but moved to AZ and it was titled as 99. Was told the title had to match chassis, not body.. Current is a 2006 on a 2005 chassis.

Glenn

AZ was wrong. By law, all 50 states are supposed to register RVs by the model year, regardless of the chassis year. The RVIA info earlier in this thread (post #4) has the details.

[Mr_D]

Originally Posted by Glenn and Kathy

Our 1st coach was a 98 on a 99 chassis. It was titled as a 98 in CA, but moved to AZ and it was titled as 99. Was told the title had to match chassis, not body.. Current is a 2006 on a 2005 chassis.

Glenn

Thst's wrong according to Federal rules.