The RV industry, too, jumped in with both feet. At
first, a few began showing up at RV shows, and when they did, they came with considerable
fanfare with huge banners advertising: "New Wide Body!" The extra width makes
for some really interesting floor plans, including forward-facing couches giving
passengers in a motorhome a view of the road through the windshield. If you were to visit
an RV show today you might have trouble finding a 96-inch wide unit, even if you wanted
one. I would bet that 90% of people buying an RV (or renting one) don’t even know how
wide it is, and they never question which roads they can or cannot drive.
The federal law only governs Interstate highways, but also mandates
that wide vehicles must have "reasonable access" to the Interstate highways.
That means that it is legal to exit the Interstate highways, and drive on local roads for
a mile or two. In Maryland, it's not to exceed one mile, by the shortest distance
possible. In Louisiana, a 102-wide vehicle has "reasonable access, not to exceed ten
(10) miles, from designated highways or the Interstate System, to be allowed to facilities
for food, fuel, repairs, and rest, unless otherwise prohibited."
But what if you wanted to drive your 102-inch wide rig from coast to
coast? In many of the states along the way, it may or may not be legal, depending on the
width of the pavement.
RV buyers will find it nearly impossible to find a new 96-inch wide RV, even if they want
one. RV manufacturers are not giving us an option. I should also mention that
I have yet to hear of even one RVer being ticketed for unlawfully driving a wide-body RV.
I have also never heard of an RVer being sued because of a crash which might have
been avoided if his vehicle was not a wide-body.
Who sets the rules?
The state agency which governs this is usually the Department of
Transportation (DOT.) Here's the deal in Alabama, Arizona, Delaware, D.C., Florida,
Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, North Carolina, and West
Virginia: "102 inch permitted on Interstates and designated routes only. 96 inch
limit on all other roads." (Roads which would not be "designated routes" in
these states are generally roads with "lane widths of under 12 feet.")
In New Jersey, copy that except replace "under 12
feet" with "under 11 feet."
In New York and Pennsylvania, replace "under 12 feet"
with "under 10 feet." In Oklahoma, replace "lane width of under 12
feet" with "surface width of under 20 feet." (Which is essentially the same
as lane width of 10 feet.) I wish they could all be a straightforward as Nebraska:
"96 inches where posted."
Massachusetts
and New Hampshire are the toughest, permitting 102" on Interstates only. On all
other roads the limit is 102" but including all safety equipment (mirrors, for
example.) If the body of your rig is 102 inches, then the total width with mirrors makes
it unlawful to drive except on Interstates. |
It should be no surprise that the toughest laws are in the East, where
many roadways were laid out 200 years ago. You may have noticed that with the exception of
Arizona, all of the Western states permit 102" wide vehicles on all roads. Hawaii
permits vehicles of 108" on all roads, the widest of any state.
In Louisiana, buses are specifically exempted, permitting them to be
102" wide on all roads. But I couldn't find ANY states which have an exception for
recreational vehicles.
But wait - it gets more confusing. I contacted the Florida Department
of Transportation, who told me that the DOT has jurisdiction only on highways maintained
by the state; saying, "There are no roads on the [Florida] state highway system that
have lanes less than 11 feet wide. RVs with 102-inch bodies do not need an 'oversized
vehicle' permit to travel on those roads." So that’s good news, right? Except
the Florida DOT continues, "You will need to contact the individual counties to
obtain lane widths and applicable restrictions for roads in their jurisdictions." In
other words, 102-inch wide vehicles are permitted on all US-numbered highways and all
state-numbered highways in Florida, but not necessarily all county roads.
I contacted the DOT in all the restricted states asking for input for
this article. A few responded with similar opinions - it’s highly unusual to have a
state highway with lanes less than 12 feet wide.
All of the states
assured me that RVs ARE REQUIRED to follow the same rules as trucks! Maryland
sent me a booklet listing all the "designated" wide body routes. In the entire
state of Maryland, there are only a dozen or so two-lane routes where wide bodies ARE
permitted! |
So how are you going to know which highways have lanes of less than 12
feet? Will you take out your tape measure? I think not! And how come we have never heard
of a RVer being stopped by police, who measured the width of his rig, and wrote out a
ticket? Since RVs don't stop at weigh stations as trucks do, it is unlikely that an RVer
will ever be ticketed for unlawfully driving on a narrow road. His problems will begin
only after he's involved in a collision, and it is determined that the unlawful width
contributed to the accident.
What's the big deal, you are asking? 102 wide is only 6 inches more
than 96. That's 3 inches more on the shoulder side, and 3 inches more on the centerline
side. All I need to do is drive 3 inches closer to the shoulder, and I'm not in any more
danger of a head-on crash than I would be with a 96-wide vehicle. True, until you approach
one of those old narrow steel bridges. What if two vehicles meet on a narrow bridge, and
both are 102 inches wide? You can't pull over 3 inches; you'd hit the guardrail. Between
the two of you, you are now a full 12 inches wider than the vehicles the bridge was
designed to handle. Now, take a 102-inch vehicle and hang 4 inches of awning to the right,
and maybe a folding boat on the left, and you may be tempting a disaster!
Confused? Perhaps you should invite your lawyer to join you on all
trips! Best way I have found to stay current with changing regulations state-by-state is
to buy a motor carriers road atlas or "truckers atlas." Updated each year, they
are available at major truck stops. (A truckers atlas is also the answer to two more very
common questions: "Where can I find a list of low clearances?" and "Where
can I find a list of steep mountain grades to avoid?")
There may be a simpler way to always be in compliance: you might want
to try to find a 96-inch wide rig. If you plan to drive on two-lane roads, and especially
if you plan on driving in the East, a 96-inch wide rig with a slide-out might be the
answer. The best of both worlds - 96-inches wide on the road, yet much wider at the
campsite! -L.E.
|
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