What kind of information should I capture about a vehicle?
Cars, trucks and other vehicles are one of the most common and valuable assets people own. Recording the right kind of information can make it easier to identify and manage these types of assets down the road.
The bare minimum pieces of information that should be used to identify a particular vehicle are the make, model and year of the vehicle. Make refers to the manufacturer of the vehicle (examples: Honda, Chevrolet, Kia, etc.). Model is the name the manufacturer gives to a particular design of vehicle (examples: Accord, Impala, F-150, etc.). The year is the year the vehicle was built, which can be found on the vehicle's title or on a sticker sometimes (but not always) located in doorframe of the vehicle). Oftentimes people with record the paint color of the vehicle to help discern between their particular vehicle and others of the same make, model and year. However, the absolute most definitive piece of information that describes a particular vehicle is the VIN (Vehicle Identification Number). On cars and trucks this is found on a tag located under the windshield on the driver's side.
Motorcycles, boats, ATVs and other vehicles often follow a similar make, model, year. color format but will also have VINs.
Trailers and other types of "vehicles" may not have a VIN but could have a serial number that the manufacturer uses to discern between individual units they've produced. This number can help record one's specific vehicle/property in these cases.
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