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In Search of the Illusive Vintage Travel Trailer VIN

By on April 20, 2009 in RV Advice

Question: Do travel trailers have a VIN number and if so where is it located?  I have a 1976 Blazon Elite 27′.  I found a number on a little plaque that says it being a qualified camper with electric, heating and water.  There was a number 1052351.  Is that the number that the DMV needs so I can get a plate for the camper?  Thank you. B.

Answer: Dear B. Travel Trailers do have VIN numbers but there was no standard regarding where they were put back in the 70′s or how they were applied.

Over the decades, paper trails get lost, surfaces get painted over and/or metal rusts. I have had people write in that they virtually went over every inch of their vintage RV searching for the VIN, practically with a microscope, without success.

Sometimes old RVs sit unused for years and it’s hard to get them legally back on the road but if you’re just going to put it in a camping club, a Trip Permit will legally get you there.

In my state, the place to take the problem is the Department of Licensing (DOL) but that’s pretty iffy. I use one in a very small town. It’s connected to an insurance agency. She’s (it’s a one-gal show) patient and knowledgeable and is not afraid to contact the State to ask questions. I have found that the employees in large offices are often, but not always, disinterested in time-consuming issues like “orphan” (no longer being manufactured) travel trailer issues. Blessings, Luise

About Luise Volta

Luise’s long life has brought her to being the great grandmother of four teenagers. Born in 1927, the miles in between her teens and theirs have been full of falling and getting up, learning and growing and then falling and getting up again. A normal, though not simple, process. She has had diverse careers in nursing, teaching preschool, interior design, Real Estate sales, insurance adjusting and dairy herd testing. She’s lived in the Mid-west, South and West Coast. Luise is married to the love of her life, Val, born in 1911. Their little terrier, “Rosa,” makes most of the major decisions at their house, (or thinks she does).
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4 Responses to In Search of the Illusive Vintage Travel Trailer VIN

  1. S. June 27, 2009 at 6:57 am #

    No one can answer my question where is the VIN number located on a 1985 terry travel trailer. S.

    Reply
    • Luise June 27, 2009 at 12:51 pm #

      Hi, That’s because the placing of the VIN wasn’t standardized. It’s a search and hope process. Some are stamped into the frame and then painted or rusted over. Some are on labels long lost. Some are never found. I sure hope that’s not the case for you. Blessings, Luise

      Reply
  2. J. September 23, 2009 at 2:42 pm #

    We have been going through the same problem over an old travel trailer we were restoring. finally got to talk with a gentlemen who sold them in the 70′s. said to look on the top of the tongue of the camper.Most likely no. was stamped into the metal but covered by rust, paint, etc . we scraped and wire brushed ours all the way down and there she was. Some states did not require a camper to be titled before 1968/ dont know about yours. good luck. J.

    Reply
  3. Randy June 11, 2010 at 12:18 am #

    Question: Whats my 1959 16′ Cardinal Deluxe worth? How can I get it appraised? Is this the best place online for this info? …….. Thank you! Randy

    Reply

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