caravans

[jimmonas]

im thinking of buying a second hand caravan, can anyone tell me is there any way of telling the age apart from the numbers and letters on the windows.

[Ethel]

You can take a note of the VIN and telephone the manufacturers. I've done this without a problem.

[chas2008]

i thought most of them were actually stamped somewhere on the chassis quite often on the front A part where the hitch is.
i also thought the chassis plate actually stated the year of manufacture unlike motor vehicles where its in code !

[jimmonas]

thank you both for your help, but i dont know what your answers mean, im not a caravaner, i had to start living in one last year when i split from my partner, but now im addicted and love living in one, im slowly working my way up to a nice 28ft for around �5000. but i dont no anything about vin numbers or how to find them. please tell me more. thanks.

[Ethel]

Vin numbers are stamped in to a metal plate and can be found usually on the floor of the caravan near the door.

More info here:
http://www.carlight.co.uk/faq/date-built.html

[chas2008]

I think we both asumed it was a touring caravan, at 28' it must be a static van. In the two i had the chassis plate (stamped aluminium) was riveted just below the door.
To be honest the year isnt really much of an issue on a static van you can usually tell just by looking at it wether its a current model .
What you have to be aware of though is vans sited are worth up to double unsited, most sites insist they sell you the van at there price. Hence some really cheap of site vans around.

[jimmonas]

cheers chas and thanks ethel.

[jimmonas]

hi, i just lost my only set of keys to my saturn lunar (1990), phoned them up with the vin number to see if they can send me a replacement but they cant help me. any ideas would be helpful. its the hollow key with wavy edges.