RV Industry Group Mandates Formadehyde Standard

The ghost of the formaldehyde flap in Hurricane Katrina RVs has brought RV manufacturers awake in a cold sweat. The fallout of hundreds of 'RV refugees' complaining of health problems making its way into the national media was, apparently, just what the doctor ordered. Industry standard maker, the RVIA (Recreational Vehicle Industry Association) has rolled out new inspection standards for materials containing formaldehyde.

While the actual standards were decided on last fall, the association now requires RV builders (and those who supply products to them) to certify that the materials used comply with formaldehyde standards matching those used in manufactured housing. While the new standard doesn't rule out the use of formaldehyde in supplies (most typically plywood and particle board) it does mandate that the chemical can be present in products in no greater a portion than .3 of a part per million.

Don't expect that you'll see a word about this in any owner's documentation. While manufactured home buyers must receive notice about formaldehyde in their new homes, the RVIA did not adopt that same standard for RVs.