Hull plaque

[Dave Mazone]

Greetings all.

When the plant sends you that nice little Hull Plaque with your number, where's the correct (or best place to put it? (BE NICE!)

[SeaDawg]

I mounted ours on the sidewall of the microwave cabinet, inside the door, under the switches. 

We were really happy to receive ours. The early hulls, like ours,  didn't get one originally. 

[Steph and Dud B]

They send you a plaque? After you pick up your trailer?

[SeaDawg]

9 minutes ago, Steph and Dud B said:

They send you a plaque? After you pick up your trailer?

I really don't know. 

I thought in the new trailers,  it was original equipment. 

New owners, can you tell us? I can't recall photos of hull plaques.

[Hokieman]

It’s factory  installed in the newer trailers.  Just inside the door on left side wall, above the switches as @SeaDawgmounted hers.   I regret I don’t have a pic of mine to show.

[Dave Mazone]

29 minutes ago, Mike D. said:

It’s factory  installed in the newer trailers.  Just inside the door on left side wall, below the switches as @SeaDawgmounted hers.   I regret I don’t have a pic of mine to show.

Maybe they forgot mine. I picked up my trailer 2-14-22; that's pretty new - lol.

[Dave Mazone]

1 hour ago, SeaDawg said:

I really don't know. 

I thought in the new trailers,  it was original equipment. 

New owners, can you tell us? I can't recall photos of hull plaques.

I picked up 2-14-22. I didn't know anything about it until I was called on my way home from Hohenwald. Too far gone already, I had them mail it home to me.

[ScubaRx]

The plaques were started sometime in 2019 because there was a problem that arose using the last 4 digits of the VIN as your hull number. Oliver had been assigning hull numbers in that manner since the first trailers were built in 2007. Each year's production just started with the VIN that was one number higher than the last years final VIN. Then in 2019 the state of TN told them they could no longer do it that way and each year's VIN's had to start back over at 0001. Rodney Lomax asked me just how important the "Hull Number" was to the owners.  I replied  that in 2008 Larry Harmon (Hull #003) and I had discovered the way the trailers were numbered and we started keeping up with who had which number way back then. We owned a 2008 Elite (Hull # 026). I told Rodney that most current owners would feel they were important enough to keep the system going. Thus the numbered plaques. At the annual Oliver Owner's rally in 2019 at Guntersville, AL, the appropriate plaques were given out to each of the owners of older trailers that were in attendance to be mounted in their trailer.  Since then, the plaques are installed at the factory upon completion of each unit.

[John E Davies]

Do any other manufacturers like Airstream do this? I was quite pleased when mine arrived a while ago.

Thanks for the history lesson. I would like to see a company FAQ page with the full story of the early days, with comments like the one above.

John Davies 

Spokane WA

[Landrover]

2 hours ago, John E Davies said:

Do any other manufacturers like Airstream do this? I was quite pleased when mine arrived a while ago.

Thanks for the history lesson. I would like to see a company FAQ page with the full story of the early days, with comments like the one above.

John Davies 

Spokane WA

Airstream doesn’t assign numbers at the factory. When you join the Airstream club/ group then a number is assigned. You get the big red numbers you see on the back of the trailer. They also send you a book that has all the assigned numbers with owner info. It was a nice feature when you past another Airstream. You could look up where they were from.  I don’t think Oliver could do this to big of an organization,

[ScottyGS]

Oliver is very protective of owner information.  If a directory is to be created it would have to be a private endeavor.  And even then I would not post a link to that info here.  

Owners are very proud of their Hull #'s.  I think it's a great tradition and glad that Oliver came up with the plaque idea.  We got ours (#145) at the 2019 rally and mounted it above the switches LH side of the entry. 

[CRM]

11 hours ago, SeaDawg said:

We were really happy to receive ours. The early hulls, like ours,  didn't get one originally. 

Ah, that's why our Hull 45 doesn't have one. I guess I should get in contact with service and see if it's possible to purchase one.

[topgun2]

5 minutes ago, CRM said:

I guess I should get in contact with service and see if it's possible to purchase one.

Oliver will send it to you "free".  Just let them know.

Bill

[Steph and Dud B]

1 hour ago, Landrover said:

They also send you a book that has all the assigned numbers with owner info.

Titanium fifth wheel owners did that. You could get a number and be put on a registry spreadsheet so other Titanium owners could see who you are based on the number on your rig. Kind of fun. It was organized privately on the users' forum, not by the company.

[Boudicca908]

So.... Reading from above, is the VIN number actually different than the Hull number?  I know my Hull number, but don't know my VIN (if different) and will need it for insurance and storage facility rental agreement, etc...  

** I couldn't find this information in search (VIN number location, where is VIN number, is VIN number same as Hull number, etc) **

[topgun2]

Your hull number will only be 3 or 4 digits long while your VIN number will be a bunch longer - for all Olivers no matter when they were built.

The VIN numbers used to end with the last 3 or 4 digits being your hull number, but, that is no longer the case.

Hopefully that clears up the confusion?🤔

Bill

[Frank C]

1 hour ago, Boudicca908 said:

So.... Reading from above, is the VIN number actually different than the Hull number?  I know my Hull number, but don't know my VIN (if different) and will need it for insurance and storage facility rental agreement, etc...  

** I couldn't find this information in search (VIN number location, where is VIN number, is VIN number same as Hull number, etc) **

The VIN is printed on the two labels on the lower forward street side of the trailer.   To the right of the reflector in the photo.  It’ll also be on your sales paperwork from Oliver.  Unfortunately Oliver doesn’t do a more permanent stamped number on the aluminum frame somewhere, at least not on ours anywhere.  

[topgun2]

1 minute ago, FrankC said:

Oliver doesn’t do a more permanent stamped number on the aluminum frame somewhere, at least not on ours anywhere.

Yep - you are not alone at least back to hull #117.

Bill

[CRM]

38 minutes ago, FrankC said:

Unfortunately Oliver doesn’t do a more permanent stamped number on the aluminum frame somewhere, at least not on ours anywhere.  

 

This makes me crazy.. The only VIN and weight limit markings on my Ollie are on a paper sticker inside the closet. I plan on having metal plates made and riveting them onto the frame near the hitch where (I think) they belong.

[Frank C]

22 minutes ago, CRM said:

This makes me crazy.. The only VIN and weight limit markings on my Ollie are on a paper sticker inside the closet. I plan on having metal plates made and riveting them onto the frame near the hitch where (I think) they belong.

Yeah, I’ll be adding a metal plate, riveted to the frame, before the factory labels fade away.  Available from Amazon, customized with your specific info, available as stick-on or rivet options.  

Custom Engraved Aluminum Trailer id Plate https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07DS5BZSG/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_i_0QZPRAH118ZV3YJ42R8X

[John E Davies]

4 hours ago, FrankC said:

Yeah, I’ll be adding a metal plate, riveted to the frame, before the factory labels fade away.  Available from Amazon, customized with your specific info, available as stick-on or rivet options.  

Custom Engraved Aluminum Trailer id Plate https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07DS5BZSG/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_i_0QZPRAH118ZV3YJ42R8X

That is cool but the $24 price seems pretty extreme. Especially since they will just slip it into an envelope and put a stamp on it…. I would check with a local sign shop to see what they charge.

My VIN sticker still looks like new, but it is fully protected by the Stone Stomper fabric, I had an aluminum utility trailer that was so badly gravel blasted that the tag was illegible. I ended up stamping the numbers into the tongue manually. That turned out well. The condition of the tongue was one reason I wanted the SS for “Mouse” to eliminate that cumulative erosion of the metal and the gelcoat..

John Davies

Spokane WA

[Landrover]

Unless things have changed in the last 20 years. Any thing that had a assigned VIN number a hidden number is somewhere usually on the frame.  The only organization who had this information was NICB National insurance crime bureau. Law enforcement where the only ones that could access this information. This was also true for heavy equipment and tractors with trailers. For Oliver being a small Company not producing a lot of trailers hidden vins my not apply, or they may will never know.

I Remember this one 1962 Corvette you removed the drivers door sill plate drill a 2in hole through the fiberglass at a certain location and a partial vin number was stamped in the frame, this Corvette was stolen in 1965 and recovered in 1995. 

[Landrover]

If anyone is concerned about your trailer theft. You can purchase a cheep set of metal number and letter stamps from harbor freight. Find a location that only you know and stamp in your vin number somewhere on the frame.  The problem is that if your trailer was ever stolen the bad guys will reproduce a new vin sticker and you trailer would be brought and sold many times over the years. And no one would know. Most of the time the only way that something like this is recovered. If the bad guy gets arrested and rats out everyone else.

[CRM]

1 minute ago, Landrover said:

If anyone is concerned about your trailer theft. You can purchase a cheep set of metal number and letter stamps from harbor freight. Find a location that only you know and stamp in your vin number somewhere on the frame.  The problem is that if your trailer was ever stolen the bad guys will reproduce a new vin sticker and you trailer would be brought and sold many times over the years. And no one would know. Most of the time the only way that something like this is recovered. If the bad guy gets arrested and rats out everyone else.

I've already done something like this myself where I'm sure nobody else will find it..  I want to add a metal tag with VIN and Weight limits near the hitch solely for any traffic stops I may encounter while traveling. Most will accept just your paper reg for vehicle and trailer, but some will take the extra step and check the vehicle and trailer VIN plates too. I'd rather have that plate where they expect to see it than on a paper sticker inside the closet.

[John and Debbie]

8 hours ago, FrankC said:

The VIN is printed on the two labels on the lower forward street side of the trailer.   To the right of the reflector in the photo.  It’ll also be on your sales paperwork from Oliver.  Unfortunately Oliver doesn’t do a more permanent stamped number on the aluminum frame somewhere, at least not on ours anywhere.  

"Unfortunately Oliver doesn’t do a more permanent stamped number on the aluminum frame somewhere, at least not on ours anywhere."

Years ago the Seattle Police Department would engrave your Washington Driver's license near the crank (bottom bracket) on a bicycle to aid in revovery.  Does anyone engrave something similar on the frame of their Ollie?   Maybe at a rally,  someone with a steady hand could do that.   Engravers probably aren't that expensive.