Washington State's RV Length Issue One Step Closer To Successful Resolution

Last summer, Washington state decided to stop approving plans for travel trailers over 40 feet in length, despite the fact that travel trailers over 40 feet had been produced, sold and registered in the state for decades. Yesterday, the RV Industry Association's state affairs team came one step closer in solving the issue when legislation (WA HB 2242) that would allow travel trailers up to 46 feet in length, passed out of the Senate Transportation Committee and heads to the full state Senate for consideration.

Nick Rudowich from the RV Industry Association’s state affairs team previously testified in favor of this bill and has been working with legislators and regulators in the state to come to a satisfactory solution.

“We feel confident that this bill will successfully pass and be signed into law,” Rudowich said. “State legislators as well as Washington State Department of Labor and Industries understand the issue at stake and have worked with us to ensure travel trailers up to 46 feet in length will continue to be approved until this matter is settled legislatively.”

The decision to stop approving travel trailer plans for units over 40 feet had negative implications for the RV industry and RV dealers in the state of Washington who could have seen an immediate loss of product and a loss of considerable revenue to their businesses if Labor and Industries had not agreed to approve RVs over 40 feet while the RV industry worked to secure a change in state law.

Making the issue even more complicated is the fact that Washington is one of only two states to regulate the manufacturing of RVs. RV manufacturers comply with this process by submitting model plans to the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries and pay a fee for each plan submittal. Then, Labor and Industries approves or denies the RV plans. After the model plan is approved, RV manufacturers purchase a Washington RV seal which is attached to the vehicle, indicating the RV may be sold to a consumer in Washington.

When the bill is passed and signed into law, Labor and Industries will have the statutory clarity to approve plans of travel trailers up to 46 feet in overall length going forward. Unfortunately, if the legislation is unsuccessful, Labor and Industries has confirmed that it will cease approving plans of travel trailers over 40 feet in overall length.

For more information on this issue, contact Nick Rudowich at nrudowich@rvia.org.