Greetings Ajax68!
Welcome to the Forums!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ajax68
I'm getting ready to purchase a 1979 Airstream Land yacht Tradewind and the people that own it don't have the title in hand. It belonged to the man's wife and she recently passed but never transferred the title into her name. How do I find the VIN # and get the camper into my name? Does anyone know the process?
|
First of all, you won't find a VIN typical of those on a modern vehicle, but what you will find is a serial number that was used for registration purposes on these Vintage trailers. That number is located on a plaque located to the right of the entrance door. It is generally the smaller, rectangular plaque, and will have a number at the top and bottom. The Serial Number is the number at the bottom. For a 1979 Tradewind Land Yacht, the serial number should look something like:
L 25 T 9 J ####
First Digit -- L = Land Yacht Trim, I = International Trim, E = Excella 500
Second and Third Digit -- Length in feet from tip of tongue to trailing edge of bumper
Fourth Digit -- Interior Layout -- T = Twin with Rear Bathroom, D = Double with Rear Bathroom, A = Twin with Center Bath, B = Double with Center Bath
Fifth Digit -- Last digit of model year
Sixth Digit -- Plant of Manufacture -- J = Jackson Center, OH, S = Cerritos, CA
The question of obtaining the lost title and the circumstances involved may take information and paperwork from two states. Much will depend upon the title rules in the state where the trailer was actually titled as that will govern how a replacement for a lost title is acquired, and who can apply for the lost title. From your description it sounds like it was never in the current owner's late wife's name, so it will likely mean that you will need to find either the owner named on the title or his/her survivors in order to get a replacement title through the replacement for lost title process.
You are really going to need the state where the lost title was issued to begin the investigation into the proper process.
Good luck with your investigation!
Kevin