PRVCA Explore Magazine PRVCA Explore PA 2020

Why is My Chassis By Gary Bunzer, The RV Doctor How often does the question in the title above actually come up? Probably more than you think! In fact this is a question that has been pondered by many coach owners for many years. Looking at various sources for such items like date of manufacture, year of registration, etc., motorhome owners are often shocked to discover the chassis of their coach is indeed a year older than the actual mo- torhome; in some cases, two years older. In reality, there is a reason why this may happen, though it shouldn’t create an issue with warranties or registrations. Thankfully there is a viable work-around in case the differentiation does cause consternation. It’s simply a matter of comprehending what RVIA, (the RV Industry Association), defines as a “multi- stage vehicle.” So how does this actually happen? Rarely, if ever, does the maker of the motorhome actually “make” the entire coach, bumper-to-bumper, top-to-bot- tom. Most all motorhome manufacturers purchase the chassis’ they install under their coaches from a dedicated chassis builder. Much like the other house-type equipment, appliances and devices, the coach manufacturer simply buys prod- ucts and installs them onto and into their floorplan designs. As I often mention in my seminars; perhaps they should really be called RV “assemblers” instead of RV manufacturers. Oftentimes the chassis is constructed many months in advance of a RV man- ufacturer actually placing an order. A slew of barebones chassis’ may sit in the chassis maker’s inventory quite awhile actually. Remember, that particular 18 | EXPLORE Pennsylvania 2020 Older Than My Motorhome? chassis builder likely produces chassis’ for quite a few different coachbuilders, not to mention for other industries. So they stockpile a bunch of completed chassis’ until coachbuilders order a new shipment. And, depending on the time of year, it’s not uncommon for those chassis’ to be split between two different production years once they arrive at the coach manufacturer’s factory. manufacturer,” assigns the model year to a document called the Manufacturer’s Certificate of Origin (MCO) even though the VIN from the chassis maker stays in effect also. Occasionally, the incomplete vehicle manufacturer may also issue its own MCO. By following the logic behind multi-stage vehicle manufacturing practices it’s easy to see how the confusion commences. But because the completed chassis is indeed a “vehicle” unto its own, by Federal mandate, they are issued a VIN (vehicle identification number). RVIA identifies the chassis-maker as the first-stage manufacturer or the “incomplete vehicle manufacturer” and their information is usually found on a data label near the drive’s compartment. The final stage manufacturer (the motorhome builder), also called the “complete vehicle Before anyone gets too upset, realize the United States Federal Trade Commission has determined that any given chassis, dated a year or two older than the motorhome, is not considered unfair nor is it considered a deceptive trade practice. It’s up to the final stage builder, the RV manufacturer however, to assign the model year regardless of when the coach is actually sold to a dealer and ultimately to the end user.

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