VIN Location on 1974 boat Trailer.

[Mflo]

Hi, all. I just moved from Michigan to New Mexico and brought my boat and trailer. I'm having a heck of a time registering them because I can not locate the VIN on either. The boat is a c. 68 Starcraft Mariner-V so I believe it's safe to say it pre-dates VIN/HINs. The trailer, the 74' Karavan I'm not so sure. Can anyone give me an idea where I can locate the VIN stamped on to the metal. There is a sticker on the tongue but it's blank so no help there. Thanks ahead guys.

*I've added two pics of the trailer (the best I have for now) and will snap a more current one soon.

 

[MTboatguy]

The sticker is most likely where the VIN number was, some of the companies will stamp their trailers with a full VIN, others will stamp a partial, get a hold of Karavan and ask them if they used to stamp their trailers or if they just used the sticker. I am going through the same thing with a 1981 EZloader and it no longer has a serial number on it, they told me they were not required until 1983 to put one on the trailer.

For me, it is no big deal, I can just register as a homemade or VIN unknown and the state will issue a new number for it, many states will do this once they inspect the trailer, check with your DMV and ask them if they do.

 

[Mflo]

Hmmm...I'll have to check the sticker area again then and contact Karavan (the latter is something I'm not looking forward to).

Yeah, the people at the MVD in New Mexico seemed at a loss because they could not locate the VIN on either, haha. I kept telling them it's old but they weren't having it. They're making me contact the police auto theft division for a VIN inspection by an officer. Good news is whatever the police say goes so hopefully they'll determine that it's just too old to document. I'm just posting this to the forum in case I'm wrong and there is a place to find the VIN.

 

[MTboatguy]

The sticker is what had the printed information about the trailer on it, they wear out over time and become blank after several years. Getting a hold of the Karavan company should not be any problem or hassle at all, I emailed EZ Loader last week about one of the trailers I own and the answered with helpful information in less than an hour.

But older trailers just were not that well documented and this is a common thing with older trailers, I have purchased a lot of them over the last few years and have never had a problem getting a new number and a title and registration, just not a real big deal.

 

[Mflo]

I hope it's the case that it's not a hassle. I haven't been able to get a call back from the police and I just zipped off an email to Karavan. Fingers crossed.

 

[MTboatguy]

I hope it's the case that it's not a hassle. I haven't been able to get a call back from the police and I just zipped off an email to Karavan. Fingers crossed.

Well I look at it this way, if I email a company and they answer me, then I am ahead of the game, if I email them and they don't answer me, I am no worse off than I was when I started..

:tea:

 

[NYBo]

Don't your Michigan registrations have this information? You could then have them imprinted on the boat and trailer.