At a glance
- Positions 4 to 8
- Make, type of trailer, body type, length and axle configuration
- Small builders
- A 9 in position 3 means the maker code continues in positions 12 to 14
- Last four characters
- Always numbers
- VIN label
- On the front half of the trailer's left side
On this page
How to read a trailer VIN
A trailer has no engine or airbags to describe, so federal rules ask for different things in positions 4 to 8: the make, the type of trailer, the body type, the length and the axle configuration (49 CFR 565.15, Table I). The same rules cover trailer kits and incomplete trailers. Here is a 2022 Keystone Cougar travel trailer, a VIN from Keystone's recall 23V-169:
| Position | What it means on a trailer | On 4YDTCGR22NV509659 |
|---|---|---|
| 1 to 3 | Manufacturer and vehicle type | 4YD: Keystone RV |
| 4 to 8 | Make, trailer type, body type, length and axles, in the builder's own code | TCGR2: Cougar, bumper-pull travel trailer, 36 to under 38 ft, 2 axles |
| 9 | Check digit | 2 |
| 10 | Model year | N: 2022, or 1992 |
| 11 | Plant | V: Goshen, Indiana |
| 12 to 17 | Serial number; the last four must be numbers | 509659 |
Decoded with NHTSA's vPIC, which lists Cougar as the make and Keystone RV as the manufacturer.
What a trailer VIN decode shows
When a builder has filed its codes with NHTSA, as federal rules require (49 CFR 565.16(c)), vPIC fills in trailer fields that a car decode never uses. Three recalled RV trailers show the range:
| vPIC field | What it holds | Values from three trailer VINs |
|---|---|---|
| Trailer type | How it hitches | Fifth Wheel; Bumper Pull |
| Trailer body type | What it's built to carry or do | Camping or Travel Trailer |
| Trailer length | Length in feet | 31 (Reflection); 37.99 (Cougar) |
| Axles | Number of axles | 1; 2 |
| Other trailer info | The builder's own notes | RV / Fifth Wheel Hitch (Reflection); 36' to less than 38', Travel Trailer (Cougar); Center Bath, Roadside, 20' to less than 21' (Base Camp) |
From vPIC decodes of 573FR3127N3342884 (Grand Design Reflection), 4YDTCGR22NV509659 (Keystone Cougar) and 1SMG4DD26MJ204885 (Airstream Base Camp).
What does a 9 in position 3 of a trailer VIN mean?
It means the trailer comes from a low-volume builder, one that makes fewer than 1,000 vehicles of a type a year. Its maker code is six characters long: positions 1 to 3 plus positions 12 to 14 (49 CFR 565.15(a)). That leaves positions 15 to 17 for the serial number. So when you see a 9 in position 3, read positions 12 to 14 as part of the builder's code, not the serial.
Builders in the United States get their maker codes from SAE International, which assigns them for NHTSA at no charge (49 CFR 565.16(a)). How much the decoder returns after that depends on the codes the builder filed with NHTSA. The three RV builders above filed enough for vPIC to return the model, length and axles.
Why does my trailer VIN show the wrong year?
Position 10 is the model year, and its letters repeat every 30 years: N is 2022 or 1992. Cars and light trucks must put a letter in position 7 to show which cycle they're in, but trailers don't have to. NHTSA's vPIC warned that the model year might be wrong on all three trailer VINs above, so the decoder asks for the year on your title and decodes again with it.
Where is the VIN on a trailer?
Walk to the front half of the trailer's left side. Its certification label, which lists the VIN, must be there and readable from outside without moving any part of the trailer (49 CFR 567.4(d)). The VIN itself must be on a part that isn't designed to be removed except for repair, or on a plate or label permanently fixed to one (49 CFR 565.13(e)). Check that it matches the title or registration.
Boat trailers, campers and fifth wheels
A boat and its trailer have separate numbers: the trailer has a 17-character VIN, and the boat has a 12-character hull identification number. For the boat, use the boat HIN lookup. Travel trailers and fifth wheels are trailers too; the RV VIN decoder explains how they differ from motorhomes, which carry their chassis maker's VIN. Builders of four-wheelers and side-by-sides are covered in the ATV VIN decoder.
Selling a trailer? Fill in a free trailer bill of sale with its VIN.