VIN Year # Different from Model Year?

[JJI]

Our Vin number states our RV is a 2012 - the coach was sold as a 2013.
I assume the chassis was made in 2012 and the house was put on in 2013.

I don't have too much issue with this as from searching it seems like the norm.

My issue is , I did just receive the title in the mail and the title also lists it as a 2012 as the title is showing the Ford E450 and not the motorhome make and model.

Does this make sense or is it titled wrong or did I really buy a 2012 RV at a 2013 price


Thanks in advance

[Skip426]

Not at all unusual for a late build chassis, to be manufactured as an early model year coach. Registered year , could vary slightly by state, but the chassis serial number ; year designation, as per the serial number ; would be the one on the title most places.

There should be a DMY,( Day, Month, Year ) decal on the door frame , you should find a August or Sept. build date for your chassis.

Coach manufacturers will market and sell, by their off assembly line date.

[So Cal Roo]

Pretty much the way it works. Most folks assume their rig is the same year chassis/coach. I didn't realize that for a year after I bought our Bounder. Now have a new Winnebago Vista 35f same deal there. Chassis and coach are 4 months apart.


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[Clayobx]

Generally or in all instances I've accustomed to in the industry, the chassis usually is purchased the previous year the house is then built the following year and is sold as a 2013. That is my case as the chassis is 011, coach titled as 012. Your paperwork agreement should state that and should be corrected. You should have a vin and house identification number both separate.

[JohnBoyToo]

True, that it can go across model years, BUT, if it's priced and marketed as one thing and it's really another, you have recourse...

We have friends that bought a STUNNING, huge, used 2009 Phaeton and when they had a little fender bender 3 years later, they had to get a new front generator clip... the 2009 wouldn't fit... so they called tiffin with their serial number and Tiffin said it was a 2008...

Somewhere along the line the title was changed from a 2008 to a 2009...
Took them a LONG time and a lot of grief but they just got a $15k settlement over the 'mistake' - good luck...

[DGShaffer]

That needed to be addressed at the DMV at the time of title. I bought a 2002 with a 2001 and the owner tried to explain it to me but neither me or anyone else was willing to buy it for what they wanted since it was technically a year older than what they had advertised. Good for me.

When I traded it in on a 2009 with a 2008 chassis it took me a while but DVM titled it as a 2009 and not as an 08 as they tried to do at first.

[JJI]

The Decal on the door frame form THOR is 6 /12 . The Bill of Landing paperwork shows ship date of 6/29/12 from Thor to original dealer All the paperwork from the dealer I bought it from says 2013. I did find the previous owner insurance and registration In the paper work and its listed as a 2013. My main concern is the title stating 2012 and what will happen someday when I sell it or trade it in

Dealer is telling me it’s because they titled it as the Ford body and not the Thor MH and I will not have any issues this is common practice even for titles.

I just tried Thor to verify yr. with them but they are closed so I can try again Monday

[DGShaffer]

Yup, they used the chassis year

[JJI]

Originally Posted by DGShaffer

Yup, they used the chassis year

So am I ok with the way it is titled or do I need to do something ?

Thanks for every ones help on this !

[racersedge]

Originally Posted by JJI

Our Vin number states our RV is a 2012 - the coach was sold as a 2013.
I assume the chassis was made in 2012 and the house was put on in 2013.

I don't have too much issue with this as from searching it seems like the norm.

My issue is , I did just receive the title in the mail and the title also lists it as a 2012 as the title is showing the Ford E450 and not the motorhome make and model.

Does this make sense or is it titled wrong or did I really buy a 2012 RV at a 2013 price


Thanks in advance

you bought a 2012 as far as MVR goes because the chassis and engine etc that you drive down the road is a 2012
kinda goofy but then not as its a 2012 frame.trans,motor etc

[mrnoyb]

My coach was sold, titled & registered as a 2014 model yet all the documents clearly show a VIN for a 2013 Ford chassis. AZ didn't have an issue with this but State Farm Insurance did. They would only issue a policy based on the chassis model year.

The following Q & A's from RVIA helped cleared up any questions I had regarding the issue -

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.

[JJI]

mrnoyb

Thanks for the info mine is a little different than yours. Mine was sold , registered and insured as a 2013 and the title came in the mail today as a 2012 . My fear is when I go to resell someday they tell me it’s a 2012 and give me that value and not the 2013 value. I guess its best for me to check with Thor and see what they say it is if they say 2012 then its back to the dealer to figure this out if they say 2013 I guess I’m ok and possible I can have title fixed

My Chassis and Mh were both built in 2012 but according to the dealer it was later in 2012 which is why Thor sells it as a 2013. Which I can understand as that's how cars are also

I just don't want to have issues 5 yrs down the rd. unless this was the norm I wouldn't be so worried about but it doesn't seem to be the case

[bearaboo]

There are many factors that determine the value of an RV, other than model year, when you go to sell or trade. I wouldn't worry about. Enjoy it now!

[JJI]

Spoke with Thor this morning and it is in fact a 2013 . They are going to send me out a form to bring to the registry to have the title fixed for correct year