Seriously though, this is disconcerning to me. This 1 plate is probably the only way to prove that our units actually belong to us. What happens if it falls off and is lost....what then??
I am trying to figure how this happened. The previous connector seemed to be 5/32nd" hardened steel (discovered as I drilled it out) instead of a rivet. 1 side had sheared off, while the other had a slightly rusted "mushroom" at the end, as if the VIN plate had pulled away from it.
I don't think galvanic corrosion would be the culprit, as the aluminum would corrode instead of the steel connector, plus I don't live in a salt water atmosphere.
Just plain ol' rust could have corroded the connector on the "mushroomed side", and the VIN plate hanging down there and jarring around could have snapped the other side.....but that is a long shot also. And if so, why hasn't this happened to a bunch more TMs??
The best scenerio was that 1 of my battery boxes could have repeatedly slide into the VIN plate, loosening the plate that maybe wasn't installed very well initially by the factory.
I am open to other theories.....and campground goblins don't count.
The fix: I drilled out the old connectors, and reconnected the plate with 3/16th" pop rivets. I also put a giant cable tie around the TM frame there, just in case the rivets pull out again so maybe the VIN plate won't hit the road this time. I also "chocked" the battery boxes in place better, so they won't slide around and hit the VIN plate.
Any ideas out there on how this could have happened would be greatly appreciated.
Last edited by mtnguy; 01-30-2008 at 03:48 PM.
No idea how it could have happened. Were the holes in the plate enlarged? Perhaps someone drilled out the rivets on another TM, and put the VIN plate on yours. Quick, call the cops, Chap has a stolen TM!
On a more serious note, I seem to recall that the VIN also appears on the sticker that is located elsewhere - the same sticker that talks about tire size and pressure. I'm trying to remember where this sticker is located - is it on the street side near the middle of the unit, visible only when the unit is open?
I have a sliver colored sticker on the street side of the front shell . . . located in the lower right hand corner (as you face the street side of the TM). The sticker is hard to read as any ink has long since faded. Looking at an angle reveals slight indentations of the original information which includes the VIN. Also checked the metal plate affixed to the inside of the A frame (to the right of the horizontal propane tanks). The plate is attached with what appears to be rusted fasteners. Too hard to get a closer look with the slide out . . . will give it a better look next time we refill a propane tank or hit the road.
My '02 2720SL has a "Trailer Weight Information" sticker on the inside that has the VIN as the first info under the above heading. It's about one foot to the left of the hinge side of the door. There is also an outside one near the back end of the front shell (right above the reefer vent when open) but mine is completely unreadable.
Bill, don't you think that that wasn't about the 1st thing I thought of, too. But I checked the orginal bill of sale, the appliance data sheet, and the title, and everything matched up. And I bought from the people that bought it originally here locally. The hole from the "mushroomed" fastener was slightly enlarged.
Commodor47, that front shell ID on mine has faded completely off also. A pencil trace didn't provide any imprint. But I was glad to hear (but not for you, of course) that your VIN fasteners were rusted, since we have the same year TM. That is the most likely culprit.
Kempert, thanks for that info, but I couldn't find that sticker on my TM....maybe it was placed at a different location because of the different model numbers?? I will check further tomorrow in the daylite and when it warms back up here. But come to think of it, my TM does seem to stay warmer than the ambient temperature.......could Bill be right??
Interestingly I have the same paper sticker . . . but it is affixed to the inside of the left hand sink cabinet door. I wonder if the weight information listed is accurate for our unit or just a general reference.
OK, I went back out and looked, and found that sticker on the right sink cabinet door.....just doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason to these placements. I just can't figure out why that VIN # doesn't match the outside 1 .....just kidding.