Pictured: A Keystone Montana Fifth Wheel
You may have noticed that some of the longest fifth-wheel RVs on the market lack the massive slides of some of their shorter cousins. That’s due to a long-standing rule limiting fifth wheels to 430 square feet with the slides extended.
No More.
The RV Industry Association’s (RVIA) Board of Directors has approved the removal of the rule, which applies to all RVIA certified RVs. The limit has been in place due to concern over Housing and Urban Development regulations that would trigger a host of requirements for structures over a certain size. The RVIA has secured a ruling from HUD that RVs are not considered housing, which made the removal of the rule possible, opening up the possibility of longer and deeper slide-outs in the biggest of all RV trailers.
Additionally, the RVIA Standards Steering Committee has been directed to develop a standard definition and method of measurement for determining the “tip-to-tail” length of an RV, and how length information will be affixed to each unit.
The board elected to keep a 400-square-feet limitation for travel trailers.
