VAALER INDISTRIES INC HIN Decoder
Hull Identification Numbers beginning with VAV were assigned by the US Coast Guard to VAALER INDISTRIES INC of SPRING GROVE, MN. The company is recorded as out of business since 1989 — common for older hulls, and useful to know when hunting parts or records. Enter the full 12-character HIN below for build date, model year, and serial — free, no account.
MIC
VAV
Location
SPRING GROVE, MN
In business
since 1980
Status
Out of business (1989)
VAALER INDISTRIES INC built hulls across both HIN eras (1980–1989): boats before August 1984 carry legacy straight-year or model-year date codes; later hulls use the current month-letter format. The decoder handles all three.
Free · no account · the HIN is on the transom, upper starboard (right) corner
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VAALER INDISTRIES INC HIN FAQ
What does a VAALER INDISTRIES INC HIN look like?
It starts with the three characters "VAV" — the Manufacturer Identification Code the US Coast Guard assigned to VAALER INDISTRIES INC — followed by a 5-character hull serial and a 4-character date code, 12 characters total. VAALER INDISTRIES INC built hulls across both HIN eras (1980–1989): boats before August 1984 carry legacy straight-year or model-year date codes; later hulls use the current month-letter format. The decoder handles all three.
Is VAALER INDISTRIES INC still in business?
USCG records list VAALER INDISTRIES INC as out of business since 1989. That's common for older hulls — the HIN still decodes normally, and the out-of-business date helps date the boat and guides parts-hunting toward salvage and owner groups rather than a dealer network.
How do I decode the year on a VAALER INDISTRIES INC HIN?
On current-format HINs the last two characters are the model year and the 9th–10th encode the certification month and year. VAALER INDISTRIES INC built hulls across both HIN eras (1980–1989): boats before August 1984 carry legacy straight-year or model-year date codes; later hulls use the current month-letter format. The decoder handles all three. Enter the full 12-character HIN above and the decoder works it out, including the legacy formats.
Other builders in MN
Sources: USCG Manufacturer Identification Code database (uscgboating.org, refreshed monthly) · HIN format per 33 CFR 181 subpart C. Cite this page: CarWhere, "VAALER INDISTRIES INC HIN Decoder," carwhere.com/hin-decoder/vav, last verified 2026-06-12.