Breaking: New Diesel RV Sales Banned in 6 States

The RV industry is facing major disruption with the upcoming sales ban on motorhomes over 8,500 pounds in California and five other states, effective January 1, 2025.

This regulation will impact most motorhomes, as it applies to Class C RVs (typically 10,000–12,000 lbs), Super C motorhomes (starting at 19,500 lbs), and Class A motorhomes (13,000–30,000 lbs). Class B campervans, weighing between 6,000 and 8,000 pounds, are generally exempt due to their lower weight.

The ban emerged from California’s recent amendments to its Advanced Clean Truck regulations, which focus on reducing emissions in larger vehicles. The industry, however, is taken aback, as many assumed RVs would be exempt from regulations intended primarily for high-mileage trucks rather than recreational vehicles driven an average of only 3,000–5,000 miles annually.

Newmar RV alerted dealers to the change in a letter, revealing that diesel chassis from Spartan and Freightliner will not meet the new zero-emission requirements, leaving only Ford’s F53 chassis as compliant for these states.

Industry leaders feel that more action should have been taken to address the looming restriction and that an exemption would have been reasonable given RVs’ limited annual mileage. As the deadline approaches, affected residents and businesses are encouraged to reach out to lawmakers to advocate for an RV-specific waiver under the ACT rules.