Reading the VIN code
Decoding Information for Foretravel, Inc. In accordance with § 565.7© of 49 CFR Part 565, Vehicle Identification Number, Foretravel, Inc. hereby submits Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) decoding information.
123 4 5 6 78 9 0 1 234 567 Example: 1F9 8 D B 45 Z F N 325 001
| VIN POSITION | DESCRIPTION | CODES |
|---|---|---|
| 1,2 & 3 | WMI | 1F9: Pre-assigned by N.H.T.S.A |
| 4 | GVWR | 8: over 33,000 7: 26,001-33,000, 6: 19,501-26,000 5: 16,001-19,500, 4: 14,000-16,000 |
| 5 | Engine Type | D: Diesel, G: Gas |
| 6 | Engine Manufacture | 1: Ford, 2: Chevrolet, 3: Caterpillar, 4: Detroit, 5: Cummins |
| 7 & 8 | Series/Length | 34: 34 feet long, 36: 36 feet long, 40: 40 feet long, 42: 42 feet long, 45: 45 feet long |
| 9 | Check Digit | Calculated - see 49 CFR 565.4 |
| 10 | Model Year | F: 2015, G:2016 … |
| 11 | Plant Location | G/N = Nacogdoches |
| 12, 13 & 14 | WMI | Pre-assigned by N.H.T.S.A |
| 15, 16 & 17 | Sequential Production Number | 001, 002, … |
Further information can be found by Reading The Foretravel Build / Model Code
Chassis VIN Code Identification
When not using their own custom chassis, Foretravel purchased chassis from other manufactures, for example Oshkosh and currently Spartan. They then take that chassis and complete the build on that foundation. Given that these are built in two stages by two (2) separate manufacturers, they will have multiple identification codes.
The first code would be the VIN assigned by the chassis manufacturer (the “incomplete vehicle”) and any other codes would be assigned by the RV manufacturer (the “completed vehicle”). The chassis manufacturer follows the NHTSA 17-digit VIN standard, but there are a few different ways RV manufacturers can handle the identification of their complete vehicles:
- Assign a second VIN (the “finished VIN”)
- Assign a serial number, separate from the serial number in the original VIN (last 6 digits)
- Provide Manufacturer’s Statement of Origin (MSO) documents to go with the original VIN that would include the completed model year (sometimes the chassis is built in a prior model year) along with other information.
Decoding one of these VIN's will return details about the chassis and not the finished motorcoach, an example would be 10T9M9A80J1034296, which decodes to:
- Manufacturer: OSHKOSH CORPORATION
- Vehicle Type: TRUCK
- Model Year: 1988
- Make: OSHKOSH
- Model: Speciality Vehicle
- Body Class: Incomplete
Another example is 4VZAT1D93PC091587 which decodes to:
- Manufacturer: THE SHYFT GROUP, INC.
- Vehicle Type: INCOMPLETE VEHICLE
- Model Year: 2023
- Make: SPARTAN RV CHASSIS
- Model: K2
- Body Class: Incomplete - Stripped Chassis