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Where Is the Chassis Number on a Catering Trailer?

by craig
(hull)

Navy blue twin-axle catering trailer parked at a UK showground

Navy blue twin-axle catering trailer parked at a UK showground

can anyone help me i need to find the chassis number on my catering trailer but cant find it anywhere it was made by ajc if that helpsanyone

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Jul 16, 2026
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by: MobCater

Craig, this is one of those jobs that sounds simple until you are lying on the floor with a torch wondering where on earth the number has gone. On a catering trailer the chassis or VIN number usually lives in two or three regular spots, so let me point you straight at them.

Start at the A-frame, the drawbar that runs forward to your coupling. Most makers rivet a small metal identification plate along there, very often on the right-hand side as you look from the back, and it will carry the VIN along with the plated weights and tyre details. If the plate has gone missing or corroded away, the number is very often stamped straight into the steel of the chassis as well. Have a look along the front of the main chassis rail, the thick I-beam, on the offside near the hitch, then check the nearside rail too. It is stamped shallow, so it hides more easily than you would think.

The reason most people cannot find it is not that it has gone, it is that years of road grime, underseal and touch-up paint have buried it. Get in there with a degreaser and a wire brush, then hold a torch at a low angle so the stamped digits throw a shadow and stand out. I photograph the awkward spots on my phone and zoom in afterwards, which saves a lot of squinting under the trailer.

Since you know it is an AJC, you are in a good spot. AJC are still trading as a UK manufacturer and they keep build records, so a quick call or email with anything you already have, the year, the model, any partial numbers, will often let them confirm the full chassis number from their files.

It is worth the effort. You will want that number for your insurance, for proving the trailer is yours if it is ever nicked, and for a clean, honest sale further down the line.

All the best

David

Disclaimer: This is based on my own experience in UK mobile catering. Trailer identification, registration and insurance requirements can change over time, so confirm the details with the manufacturer, your insurer or the DVLA before you rely on them.

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