Ask The RV Engineer

Are RVs Built to a Design Code?

Are RVs built to a code? Yes, they are.

Some of you are scoffing right now, wondering how your piddly bunk bed ladder could possibly pass an inspection.

Well, actually, that’s not part of the code. RV construction code, you see, isn’t analogous to the IRC that we all know and love. RVs aren’t like houses or cars. Regulations are different, and the Recreational Vehicle Industry Association (RVIA) has worked hard to keep things that way. That’s one reason there are so many RV manufacturers (unlike the automobile industry).

4 responses to “Are RVs Built to a Design Code?”

  1. Miles

    Kind of funny that the very minimal standards beyond life safety and roadworthiness can be described as being “built to a code.” That is the very thing the RVIA has put all its resources into fighting against, given the legendary lack of durable performance in the industry perennially tempting lawmakers to represent their constituents’ interests instead and do exactly that—establish a code and lemon-law accountability for not meeting it in practice. That is the manufacturers’ nightmare in a nutshell. Next thing they knew, they would have to get actual PE’s involved in the construction plan of new units.

    Reply
    1. Andy

      It is quite the conundrum, isn’t it, Miles? Similar to the U.S. automobile industry in the 1970s, I believe the RV industry could use a shakeup, but I don’t know if it should come from government regulation, grassroots revolution, or market pressure. Single-family homes are built to a relatively strict building code, but there are plenty of brand-new homes with leaky roofs and moldy attics after the first year. It would seem to me that truly enforcing the current code might be a good first step, since many of the problems I’ve seen are from a lack of QC, not necessarily a lack of code on paper.

      Reply
  2. David Camilleri

    As a former RV design engineer can you give a recommendation of how to reinforce the frame on a fifth wheel trailer that is experiencing horizonal cracks in the frame web above the spring hangers? As a former stuctural Ironworker certified welder my approach would be to add full length vertical gussets on each side of each spring hanger on the outside of the frame. Inside too would be great, but not practical. Then install a steel member either angle iron or square tubing to be welded on the spring hanger on one side of the rv and span to the other side, covering the majority of the verticle portion of the spring hanger and welded to both sides of the end of the hanger so as not to impede the leaf spring assembly. Any thoughts? Another thought I had was to take a piece of steel channel iron and fit it to set inside the flanges of the frame vertically above the spring hanger and weld all around to remove flex from that area.

    Reply
    1. Andy

      David, I appreciate all the information. As you can imagine, for liability reasons, I can’t give specific answers to your questions. If you reference this article (https://askthervengineer.com/can-i-upgrade-my-axles-to-increase-my-rv-weight-carrying-capacity/), you’ll some pictures of what RV OEMs have done to reinforce the spring hanger mounting locations. But if the webbing in your main I-beam is already cracked, you will likely need additional reinforcement.

      Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *