Anybody in Gilmer County Georgia With M116A2?

[glcaines]

Does anyone know someone in Gilmer County Georgia with an M116A2 trailer? I went to pay my ad valorem taxes today for my M116A2 trailer with MEP-003A GenSet. Lo and behold, I was informed that I had sold my trailer about two months ago. This was news to me, since I still have the trailer and have not sold it nor ever had it for sale. Apparently, someone in Gilmer County Georgia purchased an M116A2 trailer ffrom someone. I have no idea if it was from GL. They registered their trailer using the same VIN number (8750054) as my trailer. The system automatically transferred ownership from me to the other person. They can't tell me who the person is due to privacy rules. I have confirmed my VIN # on the trailer, the SF-97 and Bill of Sale from GL. I live in Towns County and they cannot do anything until the other person or Gilmer County DMV explains their end. I have had my trailer registered for over a year, and the other owner registered his about 2 months ago. Unfortunately, Gilmer County DMV doesn't answer their telephones and I continually get the message that due to high call volume there is no one to answer my call.

I'm hoping this person is on SS or someone on SS knows who this person might be.

 

[73m819]

easy, report yours stolen, bet thay get this fixed REAL fast

 

[glcaines]

I'm sure that would work! I may end up driving to Gilmer County. Apparently, I can request the other person's name and address from the State of Georgia, but the request must be in writing, notorized and they wait 10 days prior to replying due to the privacy rules.

 

[73m819]

could someone have seen yours, got the vin, regurestered as you sold yours to them, thay have a LEGAL right to yours when thay come to get it, at least to the LEO that you call, for the time being I would keep a GOOD chain and a sharp EYE on yours.
real STRANGE that 2 trailers come up the same at dmv

"Gilmer County DMV doesn't answer their telephones and I continually get the message that due to high call volume there is no one to answer my call"

WHY would thay do that, that would mean WORK, remember , the reason some dmv workers are hired is not work

 

[glcaines]

I'm seriously considering driving over to Gilmer County and pay their office a visit. It isn't that far from where I live. It's hard to believe someone could register their trailer in Gilmer County, which call for a Bill of Sale from the previous owner, and the Bill of Sale didn't match my name and address.

 

[73m819]

a tag research will give that info, besides, all I would have to say is you moved, I could write BOSs all day, or just give a crap address, or the NEW owner says he is the THIRD owner, number two didn't register it, not sure in GA. if trailers under a certain weight are required to get tags, I sure see a bunch running around without

 

[Ferroequinologist]

I'd call a LEO in on it, so nothing happens to the one you have now. Besides, unless the guy's trailer really has the same vin (some idiot at the stamping machine that day) he committed fraud, and falsifying offical documents.

 

[clinto]

I'll bet that's a civvy trailer (potentially homemade) that happens to share the same VIN sequence.

 

[Chief_919]

I'll bet that's a civvy trailer (potentially homemade) that happens to share the same VIN sequence.

Could be another military trailer. They don't regulate the VIN's between manufacturers, so they can be duplicated. Since so many started with 1 and just went up, I would expect duplicates to exist.

The only number the Army really cared about was the registration number, so those are issued by the Army and will not be duplicated.

IM me the VIN and I can run it and tell you if there were multiple trailers in the system with that VIN.

 

[319]

Could be another military trailer. They don't regulate the VIN's between manufacturers, so they can be duplicated. Since so many started with 1 and just went up, I would expect duplicates to exist.

The only number the Army really cared about was the registration number, so those are issued by the Army and will not be duplicated.

IM me the VIN and I can run it and tell you if there were multiple trailers in the system with that VIN.

YES!!! And here is the proof! I have had two M116A2s with gensets with identical tags, same vin as glcaines' trailer. Here is one:

 

[glcaines]

I'll bet that's a civvy trailer (potentially homemade) that happens to share the same VIN sequence.

It's definitely a military trailer because it's registered as an M116A2. My trailer tag that was issued 14 months ago is listed in the system as currently unassigned. In Georgia the tag stays with the owner and does not go with the vehicle, and can be used if you purchase another vehicle.

There is no way anyone has seen my trailer so that the VIN could be copied I live on 32 acres surrounded by national forest with fairly remote access. About 95% of the time since I got it, it has been locked in either my barn or garage. The other 5% it was way back in the woods accessible only by 4X4.

I really believe now that either there were duplicate VINS on two different M116A2s or someone transposed some digits at the DMV. It is a strange coincidence that both of us live in Georgia and both in North Georgia.

 

[derf]

That picture doesn't show a VIN. It may be a manufacturer's number or model number or something.
The four M101 trailers I've owned (all M116 Chassis) had numbers stamped on the data plates.

Edit:
It does show a sort of VIN but I think what you need is the serial number.
There may be more than one with that "VIN" designation but you can bet the government had some kind
of number to be able to tell one from another.

Three of my 101s had matching numbers stamped on the cargo box data plate.
One had a gen and the cargo box plate was missing.

 

[derf]

Being a gen trailer they may have serialized the unit by the gen serial number.

 

[73m819]

I would first have your trailer verified by a LEO, then take it to the DMV for there verification , then let the dmv do what they need to do to fix the problem

 

[derf]

If you have seen more than one trailer with that number in the "VIN" area, then you need to find some other unique number to identify your trailer(s). If there is no unique number affixed to the trailer chassis, then you need to go about finding out how to get one assigned. Your DMV and/or SP should be able to help you get that done. If you are having no luck getting through to your DMV and/or SP then you might try those little independent tax, title, license places, if you have them in your area. Here in LA we have them and they do many of the same things the DMV do without all the wait and they can notarize, too. You pay $20 or so more for their services but most times the time saved is well worth $20. You may call them and explain your issue, the might know what you need to do and they may be able to help get it done.

 

[derf]

According to this:
2330-01-101-8434, 8750054

8750054 is the manufacturing part number.

My guess is there are a couple hundred or maybe thousand, depending on how big the contract Libby had to provide those, of those trailers with that "VIN".

Here is another from a SS post:

Hey CARNAC,

Type: M101-A1
Ser# 7613
FSN: 2330-898-6779
Where: Bordentown NJ
When: Jan 2009


Type: M116A2
VIN: 8750054
NSN: 2330-01-101-8434
Where: Fort Drum NY
When: Dec 2008

Thankyou,
Randy

 

[derf]

Here is another on ebay:

 

[PeterD]

Here is another on ebay:

Well that photo shows clearly that the 'vehicle identification' is not a VIN! The fact that the letters are not stamped is a clear indicator that they don't ever change. In fact that's the wrong plate, I suspect there is/should be another plate with the real serial number (VIN) on it.

However duplicate serial numbers are a fact of life. My M200A1 has a serial number of '104'. Yes, a three digit serial number! It turns out that each manufacturer creates their own serial numbers, and the maker of my trailer simply started sequentially at '1' and went up from there.

I had to have a police officer come and verify the number, he and I had a good laugh over the shortest VIN he'd ever seen.

 

[derf]

You can bet the govt had a way to ID that trailer uniquely. If it isn't stamped on the chassis data plate then the probably used the gen serial # to ID the unit. You may be able to stamp your own suffix # after that # or make up your own #.

 

[glcaines]

Good News! Nothing nefarious at hand! The Towns County DMV and Gilmer County DMV worked together and my trailer is now registered in my name with the proper VIN#. They wouldn't tell me the other person's name, but he had a trailer with the same S/N. They contacted the State of Georgia and determined how to register both trailers using the same VIN# but also differentiating by other data, such as year, etc. Apparently, the system assumes that there is never more than one vehicle with the same VIN #, but since this is possible, there are manual overrides to the system.