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RTPIA
EXPOSES
SUPERSIZE
TRAILERS
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RPTIA
warns that dealers in at least 15 states who try to sell 400-square-foot travel trailers will be putting themselves and their customers at risk, while inviting scrutiny from finance and insurance industry underwriters
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The
Recreational
Park
Trailer
Industry
Association
(RPTIA)
took
out
a
full-page
ad
in
the
Elkhart
Truth
on
March6,
2008,
exposing
a
Recreation
Vehicle
Industry
Association
(RVIA)
resolution
authorizing
the
RV
industry’s
production
of
supersize
travel
trailers
that
violate
state
and
federal
building
and
safety
codes.
“Rather
than
working
through
proper
government
procedures
to
change
the
building
and
safety
codes
for
travel
trailers,
RVIA
is
now
telling
manufacturers
it’s
OK
to
build
units
that
are
not
in
compliance
with
established
codes
and
that
they
can
still
receive
RVIA
inspection
seals
for
these
units,”
said
Bill
Garpow,
RPTIA’s
executive
director.
“We
think
dealers
should
be
alarmed
by
RVIA’s
action
because
if
they
sell
400-square
foot
travel
trailers
that
violate
state
or
federal
laws
they
will
be
putting
themselves
and
their
customers
at
risk.”
RVIA’s
board
of
directors
approved
a
resolution
effective
on
Jan.
1
to
increase
the
320
square
foot
maximum
for
travel
trailers
to
400
square
feet.
The
resolution
contradicts
existing
resolutions
in
at
least
15
states,
which
require
RVs
to
be
built
in
compliance
with
the
ANSI/NFPA
1192
Standard.
The
states
include
Arizona,
California,
Colorado,
Florida,
Idaho,
Kentucky,
Montana,
Nebraska,
New
Jersey,
Nevada,
Missouri,
Ohio,
Utah,
Tennessee
and
Washington.
Garpow
said
RPTIA
took
out
a
full-page
ad
in
the
Elkhart
Truth
to
alert
RV
dealers
and
consumers
to
the
risks
behind
RVIA’s
action,
which
bypassed
established
government
procedures
for
changing
building
and
safety
codes.
Both
RVIA
and
RPTIA
maintain
inspection
programs
to
monitor
and
enforce
their
members’
compliance
with
established
building
and
safety
codes.
“Obviously,
RVIA
is
trying
to
allow
its
member
manufacturers
to
tap
into
the
destination
camping
market,
a
market
that
is
primarily
served
by
400-square
foot
recreational
park
trailers,”
Garpow
said.
“But
all
RVIA
has
done
is
prove
to
dealers
and
consumers
as
well
as
the
finance
and
insurance
industries
that
it’s
willing
to
violate
its
own
standards
in
pursuit
of
the
almighty
dollar.”
RVIA
acknowledged
in
its
Dec.
14,
2007
RVIA
Standards
News
Bulletin
RV-34/07
that
its
resolution
is
problematic.
For
example,
the
resolution
states:
- “It
is
a
variance
to
the
ANSI/NFPA
1192
Standard”
(i.e.
the
Standard
is
not
applicable
to
these
travel
trailers).
“Both
Nebraska
and
Washington
have
indicated
they
will
not
accept
this
RVIA
policy.”
- “Thirteen
states,
on
terminating
their
RV
oversight
programs,
enacted
laws
requiring
RVs
to
be
built
in
compliance
with
ANSI/NFPA
1192.”
- “New
Jersey
will
also
probably
be
an
issue
State,
since
they
have
been
active
in
adding
new
park
trailer
regulations
to
their
program.”
RVIA,
in
sum,
is
violating
its
own
standards
by
adopting
this
resolution.
Garpow
said
RV
dealers
who
want
to
offer
their
customers
400
square
foot
trailers
that
are
in
compliance
with
existing
government
codes
should
consider
recreational
park
trailers
bearing
the
RPTIA
seal.
These
vehicles,
which
are
built
and
certified
to
the
ANSI
A119.5
Standard,
are
legal
and
acceptable
in
RV
parks
and
jurisdictions
everywhere.
Supersize
trailers
-
violate
building
and
safety
codes
according
to
RTPIA
What
do
you
think?
...
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Readers'
comments:
(Latest
first)
Frank Site154
:
I guess the question is: "Are they 400 square foot boxes or are they 400 square feet when the slides are opened." This makes a big difference going down the road. Who cares when they are parked and opened up!!
Concerned Trucker
:
Just because you have a class A drivers license doesn't make you a Truck Driver. It takes years of training and experience to be a true professional at the job. I think (being one of those professionals) that every individual that pulls a combination vehicle should be tested yearly to retain the ability to driving it on the road.
RVBob
:
In most Canadian provinces, a special license is required to pull a trailer that weighs more than 10,000 lbs. A truck driver's class 1 license is good for this but a restricted class 1 is available for towing RV's only. After age 65, an annual medical is required to retain this license.
Chuck
:
What's with this "truckdriver-no truckdriver" stuff? Being a truckdriver ONLY means that you earn a living driving a truck. It does NOT mean that you are capable of driving a truck in a SAFE MANNER! I have seen retirees that drive an RV that shouldn't ever be pulling even the smallest Aljo on any road. Some day the laws will require that we fix this problem by DEMAMDING we get tested IN THE VEHICLE WE DRIVE..annually. Watch these "truckdrivers" drop like flies from the highways.
Cheryl
:
In response to "Truckdriver". I agree that a truck driver could easily handle one of these huge trailers however, the average RV'er is not a professionally trained driver. Many of them have never driven anything bigger than the family minivan. There are no special drivers licence, or training before these people can drive any size RV on the road.
Truckdriver
:
I don't know what the problem is, there is already 455sq freight trailers on the road.
John A
:
The biggest trailers are already huge. 400 square feet is 25% bigger than the current biggest. I can't believe it's safe to tow them, or are they only intended to be parked permanently in an RV park or resort. If they're permanent, no need to not go for a park model?
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