Lemon Laws May Not Cover Recreational Vehicles

Although the buying price of gasoline continues to climb upwards, Americans still love driving recreational vehicles. They're big and bulky, and get poor gas mileage, but the convenience of driving a vehicle that also contains a few of the comforts of home is appealing, particularly since an RV will allow you in which to stay national parks and other campgrounds. Why stay in a hotel when you are able to stay by a lake? A recreational vehicle does offer vacation opportunities that other forms of transportation, such as sport utility vehicles, do not. But like every other vehicle, an RV can break down, and when it does, the repairs could be expensive. They can be even more expensive if you are unprepared for something which many RV buyers don't know - the lemon laws of most states don't cover recreational vehicles.

Recreational vehicles are not cheap; the price tags of a number of them can exceed one million dollars. But while they are legally motor automobiles, most states exempt them from coverage under the lemon laws. Lemon laws are statutes made to provide consumers who buy defective motor vehicles with recourse against the manufacturer if the vehicle prove repeatedly unreliable. Given the fact that RVs tend to end up being rather expensive, one would think that they would be covered under these types of laws, but in most states, that's not the case. Why not?



In contrast to most cars, which are mass-produced by the millions, RVs are mostly assembled manually. Not only that, but the parts tend to be made by a variety of companies. The drive train might be made by an auto manufacturer, and also the body and living quarters might be made by several other companies. There's really no single manufacturer to hold responsible for vehicle defects. A number of states have some coverage for RVs, but those that do tend to pay for only the drive train, and not the living quarters of the automobile. If you have a transmission problem, you may have recourse under the actual lemon law. If the stove quits working, the problem is your obligation.

If you are planning to buy an RV, you should take precautions to minimize the probability of problems:

• Check your state's lemon laws to see if the kind of vehicle you plan to buy is covered.
• Look at vehicles from a variety of manufacturers and examine the warranties offered with the vehicles carefully. You may decide to consider purchasing an extended warranty, if one is offered at the period of sale.
• Do some research on past reliability of the type of vehicle you are planning on buying. If that manufacturer has a history of problems, you may desire to consider buying from a different company.
• See if the vehicle carries the seal from the Recreational Vehicle Industry Association. This seal means that the manufacturer belongs to an industry group that requires its members to meet some safety standards that includes more than five hundred items.

Owning a recreational vehicle is a thrilling time and can make vacations enjoyable. The last thing you want, however, would be to spend your vacation at home while the RV is in the store. Remember, your state's lemon law will probably not protect you.