Title: An act relating to recreational vehicle appurtenances.

Brief Description: Allowing small appurtenances on recreational vehicles.

Sponsors: Senators Doumit and Morton.

Brief History:

Committee Activity: Transportation: 2/7/05, 2/9/05 [DPS].

SENATE COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION

Majority Report: That Substitute Senate Bill No. 5463 be substituted therefor, and the substitute bill do pass.Signed by Senators Haugen, Chair; Jacobsen, Vice Chair; Poulsen, Vice Chair; Swecker, Ranking Minority Member; Benson, Eide, Esser, Kastama, Mulliken and Oke.

Staff: Janice Baumgardt (786-7319)

Background: Under current law, the outside width of any vehicle or load may not exceed an outside width of eight and one-half feet. Excluded from this calculation are safety appliances and appurtenances, provided they do not extend more than three inches beyond the extreme limits of the body.

Summary of Substitute Bill: Motor homes, travel trailers, and campers may have appurtenances up to four inches beyond vehicle body, unless it is an awning in which case it may extend up to six inches beyond the vehicle body. Appurtenance is an appendage installed by a factory or vehicle dealer and intended to be an integral part of the vehicle. An appurtenance is not a temporarily fixed item, an item for the purpose of transporting another item, or any item that obstructs the driver's rearward vision.

Substitute Bill Compared to Original Bill: The substitute more clearly defines the characteristics of an appurtenance and changes the distance an appurtenance may protrude from six inches to four inches, unless it is an awning.

Appropriation: None.

Fiscal Note: Not requested.

Committee/Commission/Task Force Created: No.

Effective Date: Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.

Testimony For: This legislation brings consistency with other states' laws.

Testimony Against: None.

Who Testified: PRO: Stu Halsan, Recreation Vehicle Industry Association. PRO with CONCERNS: Tom Erickson, Washington State Department of Transportation.