Have you bought a caravan and forgot what the year of it is and can’t seem to find any reference anywhere? Or maybe you’re looking to buy one but want to double check that it is the correct year. Well look no further, we can work it out with this simple guide.
Why should you know your caravan’s age?
Knowing your caravans age is important when it comes to selling it, as it allows you to work out your caravans true value. Just like selling a car. Alternatively, if you’re a buyer it is also important to check the age so you know you’re not paying for an older caravan that is advertised as newer.
Where Do I Find My Caravans Age?
Sales Documents
The most obvious place to look is on your sales documents or CRIS registration documents (if you have them).
Most reputable dealers will specify the make, model and year of the caravan and list it like this “2021 Swift Challenger 530”.
VIN Number
If you don’t have any sales documents or on very very rare and unfortunate occasions you have been mis-sold a caravan with the incorrect year, the best place to look is the VIN number.
The VIN number, also known as chassis number, serial number or CRIS number can be found in several places depending on the make and year of the caravan.
Where can I find the VIN / Chassis Number on my caravan?
Your chassis number can be found in multiple places depending on the make and year of the caravan. The most common place to find your VIN number are:
- Window – On the bottom right hand corner of a window. This can vary as it can be on the caravans front window or the window on the habitation door.
- Chassis / A-Frame – On the caravans chassis itself. This is often seen on the A-Frame.
- Weight Plate – On the weight plate. The weight plate is usually a sticker found next to the habitation door and has information regarding the weight limits.
- Handbook – We’ve mentioned it already but it is likely to be on sales documents but worst case the caravans handbook.
Once you’ve located the VIN number you can then begin to work out your caravans age.
Working out a caravans age by the VIN / Chassis Number?
A caravans chassis / VIN number can provide you with a lot of information on the caravan. The 17 digit number can give you information on the manufacturer of the caravan, the country code, identify if it is single or twin axle, as well as the age.
To find the caravans age it is simply just the 10th character of the VIN number, this denotes how old the caravan is.
So for example with this VIN number the 10th character is SGBS000BYC1111111. Which is this case would be a 2012.
Once you have located your 10th character, take a look at the build year codes below. Depending on what character you see will determine the age of the van.
N = 1992
P = 1993
R = 1994
S = 1995
T = 1996
V = 1997
W = 1998
X = 1999
Y = 2000
1 = 2001
2 = 2002
3 = 2003
4 = 2004
5 = 2005
6 = 2006
7 = 2007
8 = 2008
9 = 2009
A = 2010
B = 2011
C = 2012
D = 2013
E = 2014
F = 2015
G = 2016
H = 2017
J = 2018
K = 2019
L = 2020
M = 2021
N = 2022
P = 2023
R = 2024
Be aware that some European manufacturers use the letter ‘Q’ for their build year code and therefore it would be wise to contact the manufacturer directly if you have any concerns on the year. Also the letter ‘I’ was never used so 2018 is J and not I to avoid the connotation to the number one. The letter ‘O’ was also never used to avoid confusion with the number zero, so in 2023 it because ‘P’ instead.
Is a caravans build year the same as the caravans age?
In short, yes. All caravans are classified by the build year. Like the car industry though, caravan build years aren’t like a normal calendar year. It doesn’t start January and finish in December.
A caravans build year start 1st September and runs up to August 31st. So even though a caravan was built in October 2021 it would still be classed as a 2022 caravan model.
Conclusion
So hopefully this helped you identify what the age of your caravan is. Once you know the sequence witch VIN codes it is fairly easy to follow. If you’re looking for a caravan valuation why not fill in the form on our valuation page and we will be happy to provide you with the information you need. Just make sure you have the year at hand to give us, as this is vital.
Do you need a hand finding out how old your caravan is? (wink, wink)
