Prevost year/title year

[dalej]

I just learned somthing a short time ago....I had called Country coach and inquired about my coach. The guy on the other end said that my coach was a 1986 chassis, like I call it on the signiture. But he said it had 40K miles on it when it was sold to the first owner, it was a show coach that year. He said it was sold in 1988. Question.....does that make my antique coach a newer coach? do I need to quit looking at the newer bus's?

[garyde]

Hi Dale. As you know, the chasis date preceeds the converter date, usually by one year. However, I have heard some converters will change dates on Conversions to a later date. Beats me how that works.

[jack14r]

The Converter has the authority to issue a MSO (manufacturers statement of origin)therefore the year can be adjusted by the converter.The Prevost serial # has a date in it and that is the important date.

[Just Plain Jeff]

Prevost Car stamps the month and year on the chassis in which the engine is installed in the shell.

From this moment, the shell is completed and either shipped to a converter or may be in inventory at Prevost until it is allocated to a converter. From that time, the conversion may take anywhere from six months to a year before it is actually completed and ready for the road.

It is the converter's responsibility to title a coach in a given year. Generally speaking, it's about a year's difference between the chassis date and the titled date.

If the dates are a lot more than that, buyers should be able to get a good explanation from the converter as to the reason for the discrepancy. If you are not satisfied with the explanation, keep walking.

Show coaches often have more miles on them than those which have just been converted. They may have been used to promote the converter's work at a number of locations. This isn't an altogether bad thing. Any new kinks may have been worked out and most converters are going to put their best work in a show coach.

[truk4u]

Dale - Yippie, you just moved up 2 years (in your own mind).

This conversion vs Prevost chassis year can be a real problem. My 97 Marathon had a 96 chassis and when the serial number was run through the DMV in Montana, they insisted it had to be titled a 96, regardless of any prior state title. It took an Attorney and a Police inspection to solve the problem, but the officer really didn't know what he was looking for, so he verified the VIN to the previous state title and wrote it up as a 97. If he was to look at the Prevost label in the engine compartment, it clearly said 1996 and then I really would have be up s--- creek. They didn't care about the MSO and Marathon couldn't provide a copy.

Had the same issue here in GA with the CC, they couldn't provide a copy of the MSO, but after 4 weeks of arguing and a trip to the Department of Revenue, they agreed to mirror the previous state title. They wanted to title my 2000 as a 1999.

I understand all states are different, but this could be a major financial hit for someone by losing a model year.

[Jon Wehrenberg]

In the very early 90's this topic came up at one of the seminars at a Prevost Proud rally.

Converters would title the coach based on their interpretation of the model year with no regard to the coach serial number. Apparently this would have never become a problem or issue until somebody started questioning what is actually the model year of the coach. Bill Campbell who at the time was a part owner addressed the issue from the Prevost perspective.

Bill stood in front of the assembled masses and stated that it did not matter what model year the coach was titled because all Prevost was interested in was the Prevost model year based on the serial number. He then passed out the Prevost model year serial number codes. He went on to state that when parts were being ordered, or when Prevost was writing a work order they would use their build date to list model year. To say that created a fire storm would be an understatement. Guys with titles that said 1991 were irate if their coach serial number was for a 1990 shell.

As JPJ explained the converter makes the decision, but it sure took a lot of talking back then to get everybody calmed down and to stop feeling they had gotten screwed.

[Ray Davis]

So, this brings up a question. I assume that you register with DMV using the chassis VIN number, as that's the only real ID number I've got?

Interesting that this happened, as National Interstate sent me a notice that they were going to cancel the insurance I purchased because of an "issue" with the VIN number.

It matches exactly the Prevost chassis number, but perhaps they don't like the 2002 Marathon as the title on the coach? The chassis is 2001. I've tried calling National Interstate 3 times so far, with no answer, and no returned call.

Ray

[Jon Wehrenberg]

I'm insured with National Interstate and my coach is registered as a 97, but with a 96 Prevost VIN number.

No issues with either DMV or the insurance company. There must be another problem.

[Ray Davis]

Finally got through today. Turns out National Interstate tried to submit to the CA DMV a proof of insurance. However, at this point my coach is not yet registered in CA, and it was rejected.

I was asked to call them when the bus is registered, and they will then re-send the proof of insurance to the DMV.

Turns out it had nothing to do with the title/year stuff.

ray

[Just Plain Jeff]

We ran into the same problem with the Florida DMV X3. They claimed that no VIN existed (I guess in the entire world). National Interstate was very helpful. They got a copy of the original invoice from the converter which included the chassis # and the VIN and finally got the state to accept it.

Since 30% of the people in Florida don't have any vehicle insurance and a sizeable portion of the other people shouldn't be driving any more, it's a good thing to have insurance in the state. (This comment is NOT directed at Jim Keller).