Driveline Identified

[FirsTimeNewbieCoach]

I own a 1994 Fleetwood Southwind purchased recently from individual


Federal Certification Tag says
Date of Mfr 1/94
Incomplete Vehicle - Chevrolet
Date of vehicle mfr 9/93

the Vin says it’s a Chevy P30 1994

the guy at a local chain parts store says it should be a 92 Chevy C3500 as far as looking for parts for the driveline as they run 2 years behind from when vehicle is mfr to when coach is completed.

another similar parts store pulls up 94 P30 according to the vin
A major online parts store agrees

How do I sort and understand
The expansion tank/ coolant reservoir was missing other then a empty antifreeze container attached w bungee chord
Fleetwood show a different tank for $800
The local auto parts store says the c3500 tank for $20 is what I need
The online store showed a smaller tank but it would not fit/attach to bracket although it looks similar to the local sourced c3500 tank it is smaller

I believe the c3500 tank is the better fit I’m trying to understand all the info

is it really a 92 or a 94
Is it a p30 or a c3500

 

[donn]

There should be 2 VIN numbers on your coach. One for the chassis and one for the house.
If your house VIN says build date 1994, then you have a 1994 chassis. With MHs it can get really confusing for sure. Just remember to seperate the two for stuff.
I really doubt the local AUTO parts stores. The chassis is more closely akin to Chevrolet medium duty trucks. You need to find a place that handles GM trucks and check with them. As for the radiator expansion tank, heck a gallon milk jug would work.

 

[Utclmjmpr]

What Donn is referring to is the Vin number ( federally required ) and the FIN number ( placed by manufacturer ),, I believe you will only see that on Fleetwood products, as the FIN stands for Fleetwood Identification Number,,placed at time of build..>>>Dan ( The FIN number isn't required for any of the chassis parts ID.) ( The parts guy is full of baloney, the chassis IS built before the house,, but the house manufacturer decides when the chassis is purchased and when the house is placed on it,, sometimes as little as 6 months or less.. As an example, mine was 6 months.)

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

Go with the VIN - it identifies the specific chassis make & year. And the chassis is a Chevrolet P32 or P37 motorhome chassis, which is NOT identical to a C3500 (though some parts may well be the same). The P3x motorhome chassis is a unique "cab-forward" model, not a C3500 pick-up in disguise. The powertrain, however, does come out of the same GM parts bin that supplies light and medium truck components.

The model year of the coach is established by the coach builder (Fleetwood in this case) and is typically either the same as the chassis year or one year newer. Rarely is there a two year difference, but its possible. No worries, the chassis VIN gives accurate chassis year and model info.

 

[Laura & Charles]

Our Pace Arrow was opposite. Fleetwood FIN said the coach was 2010 and the Workhorse VIN came back as 2011. The only thing I can guess is they discontinued the gas Pace in 2010 but had enough Pace-specific parts still around in 2011 to throw together another coach.

 

[House Husband]

When needing chassis parts use the VIN on the dash. Your chassis is a P32. Even though some chassis VINs have P37 in them, there were NO P37 motorhome chassis.
When needing coach parts use the FIN (Fleetwood Identification Number) on tag under the drivers window.