Thor Forums

[TurnerFam]

from a practicality standpoint, the CHASSIS, which is usually produced by Ford, Freightliner, etc., are already assigned YEAR and VIN numbers at their respective factories as they are produced.
With shipping times to the RV factory, and time sitting on their lot before actual manufacture of the RV portion, the manufacturer's MODEL YEAR may have changed, meaning that the RV is a 2018, but the Chassis is a 2017, etc.

Some state are very specific in their TITLE procedures and will ONLY use the date of manufacture of the VEHICLE itself, not what the RV Manufacturer 'says' that the Model year is, though you still OWN the newer model year RV, and any future resale will reflect that, no matter what the title states as the 'vehicle' year, which can be different.

Other states go by the 'MODEL YEAR' produced by the factory, which cuts down considerably on confusion.

The same thing can be said about the engine. A Cummins diesel engine installed at the Freightliner factory in SC can be a 2017 engine 'serial' number, going into a Freightliner 2018 model Chassis. It's just the nature of how all the components come together over time. Your warranty on the engine is not already a year old when you buy it, the warranty only starts when you buy it, no matter when it was produced.

You can argue with your state about how your RV year is titled, but any future owner can easily find out the actual 'Year Model' of your RV by contacting the manufacturer if there is any question. There are also brochures that you can keep with your paperwork to confirm this for any future questions that arise.

Our Palazzo has also a similar situation. It is titled as a 2014 Thor Palazzo 33.3., but it is really a late-year Palazzo, a 2014 1/2, since some changes were made at the factory during the year that created a 'higher standard' with the 3-trax Schwintec slide rails. This makes a difference to many buyers, but the 2014 year model doesn't show this on the title, it looks titled just as any other 2014 model. My paperwork and factory sheet, though, show the upgrade.