How old is my Motorhome?

[Driventemple]

I know it was 'last years model' when I purchased it, but thinking of when the timing belt will need to be changed I thought it a good idea to try to find out the actual age. Am I correct in thinking that these tyres were made in the second week of 2016?

 

[DavidG58]

I am pretty sure the tyre date code is only 4 digits, week number then year

 

[icantremember]

That's not the age date stamp which will be a 4 digit code ...

 

[vin0114]

correct, a 4 digit code.

 

[Jim]

Its a four figure date code. Normally the first numbers after DOT.

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[68c]

Check your Vehicle Identification Number (VIN),

The tenth digit is the model year:-

E 2014
F 2015
G 2016
H 2017 etc.

VIN is listed on your V5C log book.

Plenty of VIN decoders on the web to give you more details, colour code etc.

 

[Nasher]

Link here to show sample of tyre date

Tyre age and tyre dot code | Help Centre | Blackcircles.com

Does the age of a tyre affect its performance? Find out how to tell the age of a tyre and whether age affects performance.

www.blackcircles.com

 

[SandraL]

Note, date code may only be moulded on one side of the tyre.

 

[steveh57]

On my last set of Continentals it was on the inside wall.

 

[peterc10]

Check your Vehicle Identification Number (VIN),

The tenth digit is the model year:-

E 2014
F 2015
G 2016
H 2017 etc.

VIN is listed on your V5C log book.

Plenty of VIN decoders on the web to give you more details, colour code etc.

Are you sure? The VIN on my motorhome starts with ZFA but has all numbers after that, no letters.

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[Deneb]

Are you sure? The VIN on my motorhome starts with ZFA but has all numbers after that, no letters.

With a few exceptions, none of which apply to the Ducato, you can't date a Fiat from its VIN.

Have a look at wiring looms and behind trim panels. There will be dates on the wiring labels, and staped on the back of plastic panels. Often the panels have a moulded grid containing year and month squares. The last dot punched into the grid denotes the applicable year and month. As the parts are supplied on a just-in-time basis, if uou compare several labels you will find it pretty accurate - more so than the tyres.

 

[Podney]

The date code on the tyres is the date they were manufactured,not the date fitted,which could be months later.

 

[peterc10]

With a few exceptions, none of which apply to the Ducato, you can't date a Fiat from its VIN.

That is what I thought, which is why I queried the suggestion by 68c that you could.

I am not to worried, because I know that mine was a 2015 model that was produced in late 2014 on one of the first X290 Fiat chassis.

 

[DavidG58]

It’s a good question though, I would have thought you would find the answer in the handbook somewhere though, or paperwork supplied when bought

after we bought ours , (used and four years old ) going through the paperwork after collected (private sale) I found the following

registered 09

delivered to dealer 07

built in 06

on an 05 chassis

confirmed by tyre date in our case and tyres changed with only 2000 miles done but bought in 2013 they were already 8 years old

 

[Minxy]

Check your Vehicle Identification Number (VIN),

The tenth digit is the model year:-

E 2014
F 2015
G 2016
H 2017 etc.

VIN is listed on your V5C log book.

Plenty of VIN decoders on the web to give you more details, colour code etc.

Unfortunately having looked into that in the past it's not true anymore.

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[Minxy]

We had this query when we were looking to buy our Carthago, we found that the first one we were buying had been declared as built in X year, but we notice somethings just didn't add up ... it had been built the previous year to that and was therefore a year older than we'd been told, we got our deposit back and bought a better one, a year younger, with lots more kit for only a little bit more.

 

[gus-lopez]

Note, date code may only be moulded on one side of the tyre.

& usually always on the inside wall

 

[PP Bear]

 

[Driventemple]

Well, that stired up a few responses!
What have I learnt...
The VIN (at least on Ducatos) does not have any indication of year of manufacture.
Some date stamps on plastic mouldings - door trims etc. can indicate age. Together with paper labels on wiring looms...
Thank you for confirming that it is the DOT figure I must look for - trouble is they must all be on the inside edge so it will have to wait until it goes in for it's service.

 

[Driventemple]

OK, couldn't wait that long!
Just jacked up the front and swiveled the wheels so that I could look at the insides.
Dates are 13th and 14th weeks of 2017 so that means cambelt change next year.

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[two]

My garage calculates from first registration, rather than build, for the timing belt.
After 12 months+ of non-use, I'm wondering if it's reasonable to extend the time a bit.
£1200 to change it.

 

[steveh57]

The date code on the tyres is the date they were manufactured,not the date fitted,which could be months later.

I believe most manufacturers use a just in time principle for parts so it won't be in my opinion be too far out if sitting on the original tyres.

With regard to lack of use, my feeling is that it doesn't lengthen the time period at all.

 

[Driventemple]

I believe most manufacturers use a just in time principle for parts so it won't be in my opinion be too far out if sitting on the original tyres.

With regard to lack of use, my feeling is that it doesn't lengthen the time period at all.

Use of the JIT system is why I wanted to know how old the tyres were to determine belt change time.
Fiat specify age not mileage for cambelt change so I presume it's the effect of the atmosphere hardening and degrading the material? I will bite the bullet and change the belt next year.

 

[63720]

Pull out the ash tray and turn it over, it will have a date stamp on the bottom.

 

[Stealaway]

£1200 to change it.

Is it that much more expensive for an A class? My standard cab only cost £200 in labour plus £150 in parts.
Is that Fiat dealer price?

My 2019 was 18 months old when I bought it new - according to the tyres and the factory.

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[Cheshirecat57]

Pull out the ash tray and turn it over, it will have a date stamp on the bottom.

Whats an ash tray?

 

[Kozikot]

DOM of Vehicle will be on a White tag on the seat belt where its bolted to the Floor...

 

[peterc10]

Use of the JIT system is why I wanted to know how old the tyres were to determine belt change time.
Fiat specify age not mileage for cambelt change so I presume it's the effect of the atmosphere hardening and degrading the material? I will bite the bullet and change the belt next year.

In order to use JIT you need to be ordering and using a lot of the same components. The car industry can do it because they have a few world players with factories all over the world, with each factory making at most only 2 or 3 models with a small number of variants and few factory fir extras. They therefore have a very large throughput of standardised components from a few suppliers.

I am afraid that the motorhome industry is a cottage industry in comparison. There are much smaller outputs of motorhomes in comparison with cars, white goods etc. Hymer, probably the largest maker, produced a total of 50,000 motorhome in the 10 years between 2004 and 2014. I suspect they probably make 6000 or so a year now at most. And they probably have at least 40 different models and a very long list (2 or 3 pages in small print) of factory fit options on offer. That means that there is not a lot of standardisation, and probably not much in the way of proper JIT. And that is in the major player. There are a lot more motorhome converters who are much smaller.

DavidG58 post shows his tyres were not fitted until 3 years after they were made. From memory mine were 2013 on a model manufactured in about October 2014, and bought new by me in November 2015. And I am sure others on here have reported similar stories.

 

[bigwood]

When I checked the tyres on our motorhome I found the spare was a van tyre dated two years before the van was registered.
When I put in the vehicle registration for a spares search it comes up with 2003 even though it’s a 55 plate.

 

[Bessy765]

My brand new just arrived was made 11 months previously, had accident damage poorly repaired, all knowledge of denied,

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