TPMS Will Be Required on New Towable RVs

A new safety requirement is coming to the towable RV market.

The RV Industry Association Board of Directors has approved tire pressure monitoring systems, or TPMS, to be included on all new towable RVs under 26,000 pounds GVWR beginning with each manufacturer’s 2028 model year production.

That means the change will start appearing in the 2027 calendar year, generally in the summer, when most manufacturers begin unveiling their 2028 models.

What Is Changing

Instead of setting one single date for the entire RV industry, the new requirement will take effect when each manufacturer begins its 2028 model year production.

So buyers may start seeing TPMS appear at different times depending on the brand. But the end goal is the same: new qualifying 2028 towable RVs will come from the factory with a tire pressure monitoring system already installed. Or perhaps in a package.

If we had to make a prediction, we’d say a lot of brands are just going to include a valve stem cap-type TPMS sensor pack and monitor with purchase, but PERHAPS we’ll start seeing some brands integrating sensors into the wheels, which is generally a better method. 

Why TPMS Matters

A tire issue on a towable RV can get expensive fast – a flat tire can easily go unnoticed, and the tire heats up and fails, ripping itself apart and damaging the area around the wheel. A TPMS can warn of low tire pressure or rising tire temperatures before that turns into a blowout or roadside breakdowns.

For consumers looking to purchase in the next couple of years, the 2028 models could be worth holding out for if TPMS is high on your list of must-haves. That said, this standard update goes to show just how important TPMS is, given that RV manufacturers are voluntarily requiring each other to implement them. And that can only be a good thing for consumers.

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