Effective January 1, 2008 the RVIA’s Board of Directors increased the allowable size that RVIA member manufacturers may build travel trailers from 320 to 400 square feet. This action provides consumers with greater choice and fills an unmet market need. The decision was made with all due diligence and in compliance with all applicable standards, laws and regulations.

Despite this, the RPTIA continues to attempt to confuse the RV industry, RV dealers and the public regarding this issue through a campaign based on misinformation.

Here are some of RPTIA’s recent claims, followed by the facts addressing those claims:

RPTIA’s Claim #1: In a recent news release, RPTIA claimed that “RVIA is putting RV dealers and consumers at risk by authorizing its members to build supersize travel trailers intended for use on the nation’s highways when there are no federal safety standards governing travel trailers greater than 320 square feet.”

The Facts: Identical to travel trailers under 320 square feet, RV travel trailers greater than 320 square feet but below 400 square feet are classified by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) as vehicles, provided they do not require special highway movement permits to be transported on the roads. As such, the Department of Transportation requires these vehicles to comply with all applicable Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS). This fact has been confirmed by NHTSA.

RPTIA’s Claim #2: In the same news release, RPTIA claims that “federal building and safety standards do not exist for supersize travel trailers.”

The Facts: The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has specifically exempted small manufactured homes between 320 and 400 square feet as recreation vehicles. As such, larger travel trailers and Recreation Park Trailers between 320 and 400 square feet do not need to comply with Federal housing rules, permitting safety compliance to be based on the ANSI RV Standards instead.

RPTIA’s Claim #3: In an advertisement purchased in the Elkhart Truth, RPTIA claimed that by “changing its standards” to allow travel trailers to be built up to 400 square feet, RVIA “contradicts existing regulations in at least 15 states, including California, Arizona and Florida, which require RVs to be built in compliance with the ANSI/NFPA 1192 Standard on Recreation Vehicles.” This same false claim is repeated in a recent news release published by RPTIA.

The Facts: There are no requirements in the ANSI/NFPA 1192 Standard on Recreation Vehicles limiting travel trailers to 320 square feet. This claim is simply incorrect. Contrary to RPTIA’s news release, no standards have been changed. Moreover, a review of the applicable state statutes in California, Arizona and Florida unequivocally confirms that not one of these states have regulations that limit travel trailers to 320 square feet.

“We encourage everyone to take a look at what RPTIA is claiming and then check out the facts for yourself,” said RVIA President Richard Coon. “It is totally irresponsible for RPTIA to imply that trailers between 320 and 400 square feet do not need to comply with the applicable Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards or ANSI/NFPA standards.”

“RVIA will continue to take the high road regarding all of the unsubstantiated claims that RPTIA has made concerning the consumer-driven demand for larger RV travel trailers. There are serious issues currently facing our industry that require immediate attention to better serve our consumers; but when it gets to the point that RPTIA’s inaccuracies are confusing the public, then the record needs to be set straight."

“RV dealers and consumers should know that RVIA manufacturing members certify that their vehicles are built in compliance with all applicable federal and consensus standards,” Coon concluded.

For more information on this issue, contact Matt Wald, RVIA director of government affairs, at (703) 620-6003 (x. 313).