What Year Is It?

[Wolfpack]

Just stopped by our local Ford dealer to talk about fixing the cruise control in our GS Yellowstone 8358 that we bought used last summer. It's a Ford chassis with V-10 powerplant. I am now confused as to what year it is.

Using the VIN # the Ford service writer provides a printout that says: Vehicle Description: 2007 F-Series Motorhome; Build date: December 06, 2006; Warranty start date: December 27, 2006.

Info sticker inside the coach says: Date of Manufacture - Gulf Stream: February 19, 2007; Date of Manufacture - Ford: November 2006.

Purchase contract and Calif registration says it's a 2008 Gulf Steam.

What year is it?

It came up when trying to determine how much "factory" warranty is left from Ford. According to Ford, the clock started ticking on their 36 month 36,000 mile warranty in Dec 2006. We presume that is when GS took delivery of the chassis. Thus, it expires December 2009. GS had not even built the coach and the Ford warranty was already counting down. ?!?!

The Ford warranty was already 2 years old when we bought our 2008 model in 2008. How does that happen?

I have no idea what is remaining, if anything, on the GS warranty. What is the GS warranty term? We bought it used and all that is written on our paperwork is "Remaining factory warranty." Which factory? Ford? GS? They are different.

Our dealer is no help. They stopped doing GS warranty work. Said they were not getting paid by them. The dealer hasn't been much help anyway. Once the sale was made we were of little interest to them. Next!

Did we buy a 2008? Did we actually buy a 2007, but were incorrectly told it was a 2008? How would I determine that?

I would think that the Ford (and GS for that matter) factory warranty should start when delivered to the first retail purchaser.

Can you folks help? All comments appreciated. Thanks.

[mfa]

The model year for your motorhome is what Gulf Stream says it is on the Manufacturer's Certificate of Origin that they issued when your motorhome was delivered. That's the model year that your state DMV is supposed to use when they issue the title.

While a difference of two years between the motorhome model year and the chassis model year is very uncommon, it is not unheard of. A difference of one year is relatively common. In my case, the Chevy chassis is 2005 while the Gulf Stream motorhome is 2006.

I would contact Gulf Stream about getting a copy of the Manufacturer's Certificate of Origin for your motorhome.

As to warranty -- With GM, the first owner could apply for a delayed warranty start that started the warranty when the motorhome was first delivered. Ford's rules may be different, though. My Chevy chassis warranty was only 2 years while you say your Ford warranty is 3 years...

[11B]

Mine was built in 06 but in my home state it is titled in the year it was purchased ( my case 07) reguardless of dates on MSO, as for warrenty they start from the purchase date not the manf. date

[PChez]

Mine was built in 06 but in my home state it is titled in the year it was purchased ( my case 07) reguardless of dates on MSO, as for warrenty they start from the purchase date not the manf. date

Very true as far as the warranty date, but if you are going to sell your coach it is the date the coach was released from the factory. Chassis can be one year older then the year a coach is put together. Sometimes those chassis are out for several months and will carry over to another year. Your registration will also give you the year of the coach.