“Accuracy Check: Six States Reassure No Ban on RV Sales in 2025”

1

But social media posts claim that the sale of RVs will be banned in several states starting in 2025.

“These 6 States will be banning purchase of RV’s starting in less than 6 weeks:

• California
• New York
• Oregon
• Massachusetts 
• New Jersey
• Washington

Your Government is telling you what you can, and cannot buy,” one post says.

VERIFY reader Andrea asked if it’s true that some states are banning the sale of RVs.

Are six states banning the sale of RVs in 2025?

No, six states are not banning the sale of RVs in 2025. But they are implementing regulations that will require manufacturers to sell more zero-emission vehicles, which the RV Industry Association predicts will negatively impact the availability of new RVs in those states. 

Claims that motorhome RVs are being banned in six states stem from California’s Advanced Clean Truck regulation, which requires manufacturers to sell an increasing percentage of zero-emission vehicles over the next ten years. New York, Oregon, Massachusetts, New Jersey and Washington are also adopting the regulation and will “maintain consistency with California’s requirements,” the RV Industry Association says.

The policy doesn’t directly ban the sale of RVs in the states – it doesn’t apply to models already on the lots or used RVs, and companies can purchase credits to get around the rules – but manufacturers say the lack of compliant production materials could impact overall availability. 

The RV Industry Association says some manufacturers that aren’t able to meet the annual standards for zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) sales might stop selling any new RVs in states with the regulations. 

“While the regulation does not specifically ban motorhome sales, the ACT regulation mandates manufacturers of medium and heavy-duty vehicles to sell an increasing percentage of ZEVs each year,” the RV Industry Association says. Companies can still sell non-compliant RVs only if they are meeting the quota of zero-emission vehicles required each year from 2025 to 2035. 

Manufacturers who do not sell enough zero-emission vehicles can still sell regular vehicles through a credit system, but the credits  “are likely to be expensive on the open market and would add another layer of cost to producing a motorhome with a combustion engine chassis,” the Association adds.

The rule, which affects both trucks and RVs, has the goal of lowering the environmental impact of vehicles with air pollutants in the state.

There are several types of RVs and the California Advanced Clean Truck regulation has different goals set for each, based on its gross vehicle weight rating, the maximum weight allowed on the vehicle as determined by the RV manufacturer. 

The regulation states that by 2035 new vehicles sold in the state should have:

• 55% of its sales of class 2b-3 on-road vehicles with a gross vehicle weight rating of 8,501 to 14,000 pounds be zero-emission. Vehicles in this class typically include camper vans like a Mercedes sprinter van, or smaller motorhomes like a Thor Compass.
• 75% of its sales of class 4-8 on-road vehicles with a gross vehicle weight rating of over 14,001 pounds be zero-emission. Vehicles in this class typically include motorhomes like the Coachmen Leprechaun.
• 40% of sales of its class 7-8 on-road vehicles with a gross vehicle weight rating of over 26,001 pounds be zero-emission. Vehicles in this class typically include larger luxury motorhomes like a Tiffin Zephyr.

RV industry says there aren’t enough compliant parts 

The RV Industry Association argues that the regulation would have an impact on the availability of new motorhomes in those six states because there are no compliant chassis. The association said the regulation has “led chassis manufacturers to halt sales of traditional internal combustion engine chassis for motorhomes in California, stemming from the lack of ZEV chassis suitable for motorhomes.” 

A chassis is the foundation that RVs are built on. Depending on the type of motorhome, a chassis typically has a gross vehicle weight rating that can easily fall in line with the rate restrictions put in place by California state. 

For example, Ford sells chassis for motorhomes with gross vehicle weight ratings ranging from 9,000 pounds to 26,000 pounds.

“Because chassis manufacturers have no ZEV chassis that are rated for applications to motorhomes, they have been informing motorhome manufacturers that they will not be able to provide them with any internal combustion engine chassis for motorhomes for the California market,” the RV Industry Association added. 

Without the ability to meet the requirements of selling an increasing number of zero-emission vehicles per year, some manufacturers may halt selling in the state altogether starting in 2025, the RV Industry Association says. 

RV manufacturer THOR Industries says it does not “anticipate any impact to our Class A gas, Class B or Class C product lines in fiscal year 2025,” although “there is some potential that our sale of Class A diesel motorhomes into California will be limited in fiscal year 2025.” The company added that Class A diesel sales only accounted for 1% of its North American sales in the 2024 fiscal year.

The RV Industry Association has been meeting with the California Air Resources Board as recently as last month to discuss a potential exemption for RVs or delay implementation until a zero-emission chassis is available for RVs. 

“We remain committed to working toward a sustainable path forward that supports both CARB’s goals and the RV and active outdoor lifestyle. We are also exploring all options to ensure all Americans will continue to be able to purchase new motorhomes,” the RV Industry Association says.

Rules wouldn’t impact RVs that residents already own or the purchase of used RVs

While availability of new motorhomes for sale may be impacted in those six states in 2025, the regulation will have “no effect” on motorhomes already produced and delivered to the state. It impacts manufacturers, not current owners, and the sale of new, 2024 model and later vehicles.

Consumers who wish to purchase a non-compliant RV outside of an impacted state can still register the vehicle in-state only if the RV is used, with more than 7,500 miles on the odometer. 

Several additional states are set to implement California’s Advanced Clean Trucks regulation in later years, including Vermont in 2026 and Colorado, Maryland, New Mexico and Rhode Island in 2027.

While the RV Industry Association says “chassis suppliers have indicated that there is no change in sight for future years as well,” Winnebago is one manufacturer working on a prototype for an electric RV. THOR Industries is also currently working on a hybrid Class A motorhome that includes a Harbinger electric vehicle chassis. 

“RVs built on this hybrid chassis will be commercially available in 2025 from the THOR family of companies. The product is expected to qualify as a Near-Zero Emission Vehicles (NZEV) under the Advanced Clean Truck legislation adopted by the California Air Resources Board,” THOR Industries says. Manufacturers can get credits for selling near-zero emission vehicles, although they will be counted as partial credits.

VERIFY reached out to the California Air Resources Board for comment but did not hear back at the time of publication.