The Dodge Pilothouse B-series Trucks VIN / Model  numbers

(Example B-4B-116)

Most people find my web page as they are searching for info about Dodge B-series trucks. Much of the email I receive asks about the B-series codes and what they mean. A typical question asks?

"I just bought an old Dodge and the VIN plate says B-1-B 108. What does that mean?"

This is a very simple code and can yield information about your truck.

The first digit, always a B,  indicates that it is a B-series truck. This code was retained during the entire production of  B-series Pilothouse trucks, between 1948 and 1953.

The middle digit, always a numeral, indicates the model year. A numeral 1 indicates models built during 1948 and 1949. The numeral 2 indicates trucks built during 1950. A number 3 indicates trucks built in 1951 and 1952 (and a fraction of 1953 for some models). Finally, the numeral 4 indicates the final model series, built during 1953. In 1954, the beginning of the "Functional Design Era", trucks were given the model "C" label (i.e. C-1, C-2. etc). **Note - I am still working out the details of the 1953 model year split....More to come.

The third digit, always a letter, indicates the truck's capacity - "B" indicates 1/2 ton, "C" indicates 3/4 ton, "D" indicates 1 ton, DU and EU are route vans, and  PW is Power Wagon, . The remaining letters, F, G, H, J, K, R, T & V can range from 1-1/2 ton to 2-1/2 ton models, depending on the stated GVW detailed on the plate.

As an example, my 1950 1/2 ton is a B-2-B, while my 1948 1-1/2 ton is a B-1-F

The final numeral digits represent the trucks wheel base in inches. The 108" is a short wheelbase, while the 116" is a long wheelbase. In the example above, my big Dodge, a  1948 1-1/2 ton,  is a B-1-F 152 - a very long wheel base flatbed.

Take a look at this picture. It shows the various versions of the front grill script. 

I hope this helps....

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