VIN number in two locations

[katstar]

I wanted to pass along my experience with finding the VIN today...

Our trailer has the VIN plate on the inside of the frame (like Red Dirt's), but it was barely legible. I found a photo someone had posted showing a different location, so I went out and looked. Sure enough, there is the VIN# stamped directly onto the outside rail of the frame on the curbside. I thought I had inspected every inch of this thing, I never saw that number before! Turns out, this number was much easier to read than the plate.
While the numbers match, the VIN plate on ours does NOT have the starting letter, which turned out to be critical in the registration process. Long story short, after two police visits for VIN checks and numerous phone calls to three different DMV's, finding this second/clearer number got me the approval I needed to get it registered.

So, hopefully this will be helpful to someone else. I have attached a photo showing both VIN locations. You can see close-ups of each one here: www.flickr.com/photos/katlinn/sets/

Kat

Attachments:

[elliott]

katstar,
i was bolting on a sway control bar yesterday and staring this vin stamp in the face. wierd thing is that it has the numbers '1971' in it and my shasta is clearly much older.
it's probably a coincidence, but i'm wondering if you found your vin stamp to contain the trailers year of manufacture listed in the string as a 4 digit number like that?
thanks.

[katstar]

Hi Elliott,

I think it is a coincidence. From what I've read, the VIN is usually five numbers, usually preceded by a letter. The letter indicates which factory made it (C=California and V=Indiana, etc., there are others). I have looked at a database of Shasta owner VINS and the numbers do appear to be somewhat chronological in production.
We have a 1958 Airflye with the VIN#C10036. Ours being in the C100.. range matched up with other '58 Airflytes made in the same factory.
Do you have a Compact? I did see some Compacts with VINS starting with V1969.. to V1999.. that were 1966 models.

Kat

[flyingham]

Kat (and Elliott too),

Being that we are all in Georgia... Did you know that we can register the camper with the state and run a vintage license plate for the year that the campers were manufactured?

We can, mine is a 1962, and I purchased a 1962 tag for the rear of it.
The DMV will allow this on vehicles prior to 1970.

My 2Cents.

Jeff

[katstar]

Thanks for the tip Jeff, that is really cool! Luckily I haven't made it to the tag office yet, so I will definitely ask about this when I go.

Kat

[elliott]

dang! i didn't know that when i got my tag.
at least i got the prestige plate 'CANDHAM'.

edit:
Thanks, Kat. didn't see your post at first.
We have a 1961 16SC, here are some pix from the day we brought it home.picasaweb.google.com/elliottrjohnson/20091017_Shasta#
-elliott

[joek]

I just discovered that welded on plate on the inside of the tongue yesterday when I was grinding all off all the old paint. Yes, the outside one seems stamped deeper or something, certainly it is in a easier place to clean up enough to see the numbers, if it has rust or multiple coats of paint. I wonder why they did both plates Vin locations, and one not really complete. Any ideas?

[beoutside]

thanks found out we are a proud owner of V - 4922

[Red Dirt]

Too many layers of paint on mine to see it but it is nice to know it is there. Even with the paint scraped off the plate on mine, it is still a bear to read. Helps to be on good terms with my DMV staff. Not an easy task believe me.

Red Dirt

[klchoney]

Hello Everyone!

I was hoping that someone could help me with locating a vin number. I have read the pervious post on where to find the vin. However I am not having any luck. I do have 3 rows of 7 digits on the tug on the trailer. The dmv is saying that they are not vin numbers. I don't know where else to look and I would really like to get the title for my trailer. Please help!

[joek]

It's only 5 numbers long, with a letter in the beginning. Not a traditional VIN, but the DMV shouldn't have a problem with it. You might need to talk to a different person at DMV, or ask to speak to a manager. More than a few times, I have found that some of the clerks at DMV have no idea what they are talking about.

[klchoney]

The numbers I have found have no letter in front of them. I'll keep looking. More then likely the vin is punched in the tongue or frame right? Thank you for the help.

[danmc]

many thanks for the help in finding the VIN. I never would have found it otherwise.

Here is a question for you folks from Georgia (I'm in Cherokee County). What did it take to get tags? I have an old, year unknown, model unknown, shasta camper which is sitting on a hunting lease. When I bought it (from someone who used to lease the land), it was with the intention of really never moving it. It didn't have tags on it and I never bothered to get tags for it (I don't even own a vehicle which can tow it).

Now it looks like I may have to relocate the thing and that means I need to get it insured and street legal. I'm wondering what headaches I'm in for. The interior has been totally gutted and replaced with some very basic stuff (a counter on one end and a pair of plywood beds on the other). The end result is I don't even have an original floor plan to help identify this.
I did manage to find the 5 digit VIN. Didn't see a letter in front of it. It is about a 12' trailer (not counting the tongue).

Many thanks.
-Dan

[j]

Thanks for the help, found the VIN C3461 - think it is a '53/12 footer not including tongue. Started restoration. No title and in NM trying to get it registered may not happen..was not uses for over 40 years or more. Any ideas? Thanks

[cannedham]

Hi,
We just purchased a 63 shasta in Texas. I think we found the VIN on the tongue, but the title has an FS before the number. Any ideas on what FS is? We are registering in New Mexico and they are very picky. Thanks.

[jcs2001]

thanks! barely made out V21666 (an 18' shasta from 1968) and thats before I knew that there should be a letter followed by 4-5 numbers..bingo its clear that each character is stamped individually with a hand stamp so don't be surprised if they are skewed a little realitive to one another. had to scrape through surface rust and pocking in some areas.

[tkcopley]

Just received an e-mail from the state of Indiana DMV and there is no vintage plates for trailers only cars and motorcycles.

[distant75]

May 5, 2011 18:59:30 GMT -5 tkcopley said:

Just received an e-mail from the state of Indiana DMV and there is no vintage plates for trailers only cars and motorcycles.

Traci, you should be able to do this. It can be done here in Michigan.

[tkcopley]

Dennis,
Wow! I wish I could find one. I'll need to look for one.

Thinking of ordering one of these.

cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Shasta-Trailer-License-Under-Plate-Class-Of-3-Colors-_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQhashZitem2eb1019105QQitemZ200538165509QQptZVintageQ5fCarQ5fTruckQ5fPartsQ5fAccessories

[katstar]

Just a follow up on finding the VIN...

We have multiple trailers, and have had serious difficulty finding the VIN numbers on most of them. We've sanded, wire brushed, used a grinding wheel, flashlights, etc. and it's always hard.
One thing I can suggest is the use of paint stripper. If you're planning on repainting the tongue of your trailer anyway, this is an easy way to expose things you can't see initially.
Just figure out what general location you think the VIN should be in, and strip it. On one of our trailers, it took about three applications but then there it was, as clear as day. And this was on a '57 model! Even if your trailer tongue hasn't been painted a lot, stripping helps clear away all of the gunk that can obscure the VIN.
Most of our trailers have had the VIN stamped on the top or side of the tongue, so that's where I start with the stripper. I should mention that I've never tried it on the inside of the frame, but only because I never had to.
Hope this helps.

[Redwings]

Traci,
Thanks for the link to the cool plate embellishment. I had to pull the trigger and get one. Sheesh.

Katstar: I've used the stripper tip before and it worked like a charm. Painted a little "naval jelly" on the tongue and then brushed it with a wire brush. Saved me a few months on the titling.

[mautz]

I have the two vin locations just as pictured in the start of this post. my vin is C7779

So if I am reading all this info correctly mine is

C = California

7 = 1957

779 = 779th unit made the year of 1957

Is this correct??

thanks for any info

mautz (new member)

[mautz]

So, after reading more info I think I may be wrong about my year (not sure) I looked behind the mirror the day "28" was readable but the month and year were not. there was nothing under the sink and mine is missing the trifold mattress. My serial number is
C7779.

I think I'll try posting a new thread with this number and see If I can get any hits from a reader that has one close to it. Thanks...

[flamingocandy]

You saved my life! Thanks soooooooo much! I thought that I had looked everywhere too. Completely overlooked both spots. My spot welded tag is rusted beyond belief, but I could read the one stamped into the tongue itself. Any ideas on what to do with the rust, but keep the integrity of the spot welded plate?

Thanks
Candy

[flamingocandy]

Oh yeah, after I found the vin on the toungue, I realized it matched perfectly to the Shasta serial number on a sticker I found. It was on the lower half of My 1971 Compact on the street side closest to the tongue. If your baby has been completely neglected like mine was and never ever painted, you may still have one of these stickers. Just a thought. Candy

[trishptw50]

just found my vin# P10786, any idea what model and year it is??

['58Elvis]

Thanks. I went right to the steel welded badge under the frame....and there she was. A little Airplane paint remover and goof-off with a wire brush....and it was revealed to me. After almost 60 years of latex and bumper paint. Now I can register my '58 with the state!

[stephencntry]

Ialso just found the vin# on the hitch part of one.

[hoosierpoet]

Once again, this forum saved my butt! The VIN plate on my 1974 1400 has essentially disintegrated, never would have seen the stamped number but it was there, just like it shows in the first photo. Thanks!!!

[robinwatauga]

I recently bought a 1966 Shasta LoFlyte 13' camper from a private owner in South Carolina. I had seen this thread and looked on the hitch frame; the plate on the inside of the street side was rusted badly and illegible, but clearly stamped into the outside of the curb side of the frame is S3009.

When I was going to transfer the title in my home state of Tennessee, I found the Vehicle ID Number listed on the title as CS66518. I cannot find this number anywhere on the camper. My County Clerk's office did not want to sell me a tag and transfer the title until I got this settled with South Carolina. Their DMV has the VIN listed as CS66518 as far back as they can find - 1983. Is there any other place a '66 LoFlyte might have its VIN listed? The SC DMV said it was of no use when I offered to send a picture of the S3009 stamped on the hitch frame.

So my maiden voyage is this week and I have no tag. I plan on taking the long expired (2009) SC camper tag (curiously with the same alpha-numeric sequence as the VIN: 2 letters and 5 numbers.) I may make another plea with my County Clerk's office to let me give them money, but I hate to register the title with the wrong VIN, even if it's been wrong for 30 years.

Thoughts, advice, questions?