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# OAR Box 

# 1142 Prepped by Ollie Stewart

Document

Number: 

# 8 ) IV-F- 6 Docket Number: 

# A-87-1 1

Printed 4/23/2008 10:21:21 AM Sheet 8 of 30P. 2 

## A-87-11 

## Recreatio n Vehicl e Industr y Associatio n P.O

. Bo x 299 9 • 189 6 Presto n Whit e Driv e • Reston , Virgini a 22090-099 9 TELEPHON E (703 ) 620-600 3 • TELEFA X (703)620-507 1 SEPTEMBE

R26,199 1 ^TESTIMON Y O F TH

E RECREATIO

N VEHICL

E INDUSTR

Y ASSOCIATIO

N \ O N TH

E CONTRO

L OF AI RPOLUTIO

N FRO M NE W MOTO RVEHICLE

S AN D NE W MOTO RVEHICL

E ENGINES ; REFUELIN

G EMISSIO

N f REGULATIONS FO

RGASOLINE-FUELE

D LIGH T DUT Y VEHICLES AND

~ W n # : TRUCK S AND HEAV

Y DUT Y VEHICLES 

## %A A , < ^ (Publi c Docke t No
. A-87-11 ) r <*. r
v . \ X ' •

> /Ia mEdwar dF
. Conway , Jr. , an dI serv e a s Assistan t General Counse l o

f th e Recreatio n Vehicl e Industr y Association
. RVI A i s th e nationa l trad e associatio n representin g ove r 50 0 manufacturer s o f recreatio n vehicle s an d thei r relate dsuppliers
. It s 20

9 manufacture r member s produc e approximatel y 9 5 percen t o f al l recreatio n vehicle s (RVs) purchase di n th e Unite dStates
. RVIA' s 7 1 moto r hom e manufacture r members , man y o

f whic h ar e smal l busines s entities , produc e approximatel y 9 9 percen t

o f th e moto r

home s produce di n th e Unite dStates
. RVIA' s 11 8 custo mva n conversio n members , mos t o f whic h ar e smal l busines s entities , produc e approximatel y 80 percen t o f th e custo mva n conversion s produce di n th e Unite dStates
. Th e remainin g 2 0 percen t o f custo mva n conversion s ar e produce db y mor e tha n 200 0 non-membe r manufacturers , mos t

o f who mpresumabl y ar e als o smal l busines s entities
. Moto r home s ar e vehide s tha t provid e temporar y livin g quarter s fo r camping , recreatio n an d seasonal use . The y ar e manufacture do n chassi s supplie db y th e automotiv e companies
. The y are , i n fact , motorize d"houses " o n wheel s wit h livin g facilitie s powere db y 12-volt an d 11 0 vol t

electrical system s an db y LP-Ga s systems . Moto r hom e livin g facilitie s includ e cookin g stove s an d microwav e ovens , refrigerators , televisio n set s an d VCRs , stereo s an dcompac t

dis c players , self-containe dtoilets , showers , heatin g an d ai r conditioning , an dpotabl e wate r suppl y system s tha t

hav e sink s an dfaucet s an dwast e wate r

holdin g tanks
. Many moto r home s als o hav e tw o larg e fuel tank s an da n electri c generator . Custo mva n conversion s ar e passenge r van s tha t

hav e bee n modifie dt o provid e minimu mlivin g facilitie s suc h a s a n LP-ga s fuele drefrigerato r an d stov e an d 110-vol

t electrica l system s o r

t o provid e sleepin g o r

othe r temporar y livin g quarter s fo r recreatio n o r

travel.

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. C A 92667-342 9 • PHON E (714)532-168 8 • FA X (714 ) 532-957 3P. 3

Accordingly , th e fuel system s o f thes e complex , compac t

vehicle s mus t

b e carefully designe ds o tha t i n th e even t

o f acollisio n o r

othe r acciden t th e likelihoo do

f fir e i s minimized
. In recen t years , moto r

hom e an dcustomize dvan conversio n manufacturer s hav e with considerabl e effor t an dexpens e devise dprotectiv e measure s t o safeguar dth e electrical an dLP-Ga s system s an dth e "house " furnishing s o f thei r vehicle s (suc h a s beds , sofas , carpeting , woode n cabinet s an daccessories ) fro mth e hig h temperature s generate db y th e currentl y require dai r pollutio n contro l device s tha t

coul dotherwis e produc e fires
. T o requir e alarge , comple x onboar drefuelin g vapo r recover y syste mi n thes e alread y complex , compac t vehicle s tha t

ar e als o use dt o provid e sleepin g and/o r temporary livin g quarter s wouldgreatl y increas e th e dange r o f disastrou s fires tha t

coul dresul t

i n numerou s fatalities
. It i s ou r understandin g tha t

th e onboar drefuelin g vapo r recover y syste m woul drequir e additiona l valves , includin g anozzle-actuate dtan k ven t valv e assembly , avapor-liqui dseparator , avent/rollove r valve , an dals o alarg e canniste r (o r cannisters ) which , dependin g o n th e siz e o f th e fuel tank , woul d b e thre e t o twelv e time s th e volum e o f th e currentl y require dcannister
. Moreover , th e vapo r

recovery line s woul db e muc h large r tha n thos e currentl y i n use . Th e onboar drefuelin g vapo r recover y syste mwoul dseverel y reduc e th e alread y limite davailability o f adequat e an dsaf

e spac e fo r th e moto r

hom e an dcusto mva n conversio n manufacture r t o instal l LP-Gas , electrical an d othe r vital systems . A s aresult , th e unavoidabl y clos e proximity o f thos e system s t o arequire donboar drefuelin g vapo r recover y syste mwoul dgreatl y increas e th e dange r

o f disastrou s fire s i

f tha t syste mmalfunction s o r

th e vehicl e i s involve di n a n accident
. For example , outwardl y undetectabl e impairmen t

o f th e recover

y system' s mechanical nozzl e seals , vapo r liqui d discriminators , o r

pressur e relie f

valve s coul dresul t

i n los s o f fuel syste m integrit y durin g vehicl e impact
. Eac h manufacture r

develop s it s ow n floo

r plan s an dproductio n methods
. Th e packagin g an dplacemen t of a n onboar drefuelin g vapo r recover y syste m fo r permanen t

installatio n whe n th e chassi s i s manufacture do r o f asyste m designe dt o b e subsequentl y installe ddurin g avehicle' s final stag e o f manufacture , pose s sever e difficultie s fo r whic h ther e i s n o apparen t solution
. There i s very littl e free spac e availabl e fo r apractical , permanen t

installatio n whe n th e chassi s i s manufacture dtha t woul dno t

seriousl y impai r

th e ability o f fina l stag e manufacturer s t o produc e varie dfloo r plan s t o mee t

consume rP. 4

needs
. Moreover , th e lac k o f complet e an dadequat e informatio n o n ho w th e onboar dsyste mwoul daffec t othe r system s an dcomponent s o f thei r vehicle s woul dthwar t

th e effort s of

bot h chassi s an dfinal stag e manufacturer s t o produc e asaf

e product
. Thi s i n tur n woul dgreatl y increas e thei r exposur e t o produc t liabilit y lawsuits
. Th e alternativ e o f

havin g th e moto r

hom e o r

custo mva n conversio n manufacture r

develo p refuelin g vapo r recover y system s tailore dt o accommodat e varyin g floor plan s woul db e inordinatel y time-consumin g an d cost-prohibitiv e an dwoul db e beyon dth e expertis e of mos t manufacturers
. Th e alternativ e o f

havin g th e moto r

hom e o r

custo mva n conversio n manufacture r

complet e th e installatio n o f refuelin g vapo r

recover y system s tha t wer e partiall y installe db y chassi s manufacturer s woul dals o b e beyon d thei r expertise
. Th e safet y assessmen t

o f onboar drefuelin g vapo r recover y system s conducte d b y th e Nationa l Highwa y Traffi c Safety Administratio n foun dtha t thes e system s woul dno t

onl y significantl y increas e th e amoun t o f fue l vapo r

store d onboar dvehicle s i n cannister s bu t woul dals o increas e th e risk o f afir e occurring
. Tha t assessmen t

als o foun dtha t

contro l of

gasolin e vapor s a t

th e fue l pum p ("Stag e II" ) i s aviabl e alternativ e t o onboar drefuelin g vapo r recover y system s an dtha t gasolin e station s equippe dwit h Stag e I I hav e alowe r risk o f fire tha n non-equippe dgasolin e stations
. I t als o note dtha t

a198 5 stud y b y th e Californi aAi r

Resource s Boar dfoun dtha t th e Stag e I I system s ar e mor e effectiv e i n controllin g refuelin g vapors . Stag e I I system s hav e bee n i n us e i n Californi asinc e 1976
. Onboar drefuelin g vapo r recover y system s tha t

impos e a n unreasonabl e safet y ris k

o n consumer s an dar e cos t prohibitiv e t o vehicl e manufacturer s an dwoul dals o greatl y increas e thei r produc t liabilit y exposur e shoul dno t b e required , especiall y whe n asafe , practical , cost-efficien t an dprove n alternativ e suc h a s "Stag e II " i s readil y available
. Accordingly , RVI A strongl y urge s tha t onboar drefuelin g vapo r recover y system s no t

b e require do n moto r

homes , custo mva n conversion s an dothe r vehicles
. Than k yo u fo r you r attentio n an dfo r

th e opportunit y t o presen t th e concern s o f th e manufacturer s o f

moto r home s an dcusto mva n conversions
.