The Canadian Standards Association (CSA) has informed CRVA that, in response to the industry's request and the direction received from Z240 standard Technical Committees, awnings will be exempted from the width measurement for recreational vehicles.
The CSA is in recreational vehicles process of finalizing a Technical Information Letter (TIL) in that the definition contained within the CSA Standard will be revised to add a note to the end of the section that defines an RV that will result in the awning being exempted from the width measurement.
It is anticipated that the note will read as follows:
"Note: Where awning(s) are installed in the factory, the RV manufacturer is responsible for consulting with the provincial highway authorities into whose area the RV units are shipped in regard to the maximum width allowed, including factory-mounted awnings."
The effect of the note will be to remove the awning from the width measurement for an RV and shift the responsability to the manufacturer to determine whether or not the jurisdiction of destination for sale will exempt an awning on a recreational vehicle from the width measurement even if it places the vehicle over the 102-inch width allowed by provincial regulations.
Effective August 1st, for CSA certification purposes the awning, will become a non-enforceable item. CSA will continue to enforce the vehicle width limit and the exemptions already specified in the Standard. CSA will now defer to the provincial jurisdictions for their interpretatio and acceptance will respect to vehicle widths as it relates to awnings and other previously exempted items.
The provinces of British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland have all stated to CRVA and the RV Industry that the awning is either being removed from the vehicle length measurement or is exempted from provincial regulations. Only the province of Ontario remains as a jurisdiction which does not exempt the awning from the width measurement.
CRVA will continue its efforts with the province of Ontario to have the awning exempted from the width measurement.
It should be noted that the exemption allowed for in all jurisdictions in Canada is a maximum of 10 centimeters (approximately 4 inches). Please note that this 10 centimeters exemption applies to all itemson a recreational vehicle from the width measurement even mirrors that the Canadian jurisdictions exempt from the width measurement.
The exemption is allowed on either side of the unit but may not be combined to allow more than 10 centimeters on any one side.
