How do I tell which year to use

[Charlie4]

My chassis, according to the VIN, was assembled and put into service in 2007. The coach was attached and the entire unit was ready to go in 2008. WA state, where it is registered , says it's a 2008 according to the registration. WA continues to call it a 2008. They saw the VIN and offered me an explanation that consisted basically of "we don't know and don't really care". How is this possible. Any ideas'.? Thanks much.

[Leisure Time Larry]

This is perfectly normal. The motorhome manufacturer is the final vehicle builder, hence the year, make and model are listed accordingly. It doesn't matter when the chassis was built. It is a make: Gulf Stream Coach on your paperwork, not a make: Chevrolet, Ford or whatever your chassis manufacturer is.

If you were building a sticks and bricks home, and the foundation was poured in 2007 with the rest of the home built in 2008, would you say your home is 12 years old or 13? 12 is the common and proper answer.

[RayChez1]

Some chassis sit in lots for long periods at a time, so the correct answer as to the year of your coach is when it is finished and ready for the market.

[UAHaerospace]

ultimately, the RV MANUFACTURER has the LAST WORD as to the Year, Make, and Model of a motorhome THEY build.
The 'chassis' they buy to build the RV on, such as Ford or Freightliner, will certainly already have it's own 'VIN', with a 'year built' indicator, but that is NOT the year the RV MANUFACTURER uses.

Since a factory can purchase a chassis WELL before it's ever used to build an RV on, the chassis' VIN and 'year' have little to do with what the final YEAR MODEL is, as determined by the RV Factory.

You can have an engine with a 2006 build date, installed at Freightliner in 2007, with that chassis then having a 2007 build date, with time to transport it to the RV Factory, or have additions made along the way(common), and the time it sits on the factory lot, and then the factory decides that the 2009 MODEL YEAR is not starting - in which case this '07' Freightliner chassis is going under a 2009 Year Model RV.

There are some states that just will not try to understand how and why this works, and really decide that it's not generally 'their business' to care - they access a database for checking VINS, which ultimately goes back to the CHASSIS MANUFACTURER, and that's the 'year' they use, no matter what YOU might argue - although, truthfully, does it REALLY matter??

Your registration, insurance, and title have no ultimate long-term bearing on anything to do with the RV's value - as that is determined by the RV MANUFACTURER's 'year model' designation, no matter 'what' the DMV, State, or Insurance Company may try to say.

SMILE....it's all good! : )

[jerryg401]

The only time the build date of the chassis matters is when ordering replacement parts for the chassis such as engine, trans, brakes, etc. Don't use the Mfg date of the RV for these kinds of parts or you will surely end up making two trips to the parts house!

[don1957ford]

Hi I wasn,t sure so used the Ford VIN which was 2007 but should have used the Coach build which was 2008....Can I still change my registration fron 2007 to 2008.??

[THenne1713]

Tags/ State AND CHASSIS/ ENGINE PARTS go by the earlier VIN Date; Floorplan changes goby the RV Coach MFR date, but it only matters for BROCHURE/ ADVERTISING, but otherwise, little effect as installed appliances do not seem to have the same date issues w/ the same Model, (rather they changed the Model #)

[tmax247]

It really depends on what you need the year for.

The unit as a camper is dated when it is completed. And the chassis is the year of the chassis. Let's use an example. If you want to replace some trim or camper part then you use the completed year. - we have an 04 endura that needed the rear bumper replaced so we ordered it by the camper year of 04. But the chassis is a 2003 Chevy kodiak 5500. When we looked for headlights we used the chassis year.

For state registration use the completed "camper" year.