How The RV Industry Is Addressing The Formaldehyde Issue

The Recreation Vehicle Industry Association has voluntarily adopted the formaldehyde emission requirements for wood products (0.2 ppm for plywood and 0.3 ppm for particleboard) as required for manufactured homes by the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Although only a very small percentage of customers experience a sensitivity to formaldehyde, RVIA and its member companies felt it was important to formalize a standard addressing the issue. There is, however, no federally mandated requirement for RVs, so RVIA went above and beyond to embrace the HUD formaldehyde emission requirement. This is a conservative standard since RVs are most often lived in for short periods of time, as opposed to manufactured homes which are made to be lived in permanently.

Additionally, on June 12, 2008, the Recreation Vehicle Industry Association's (RVIA) board of directors set an effective date for member manufacturers to begin using wood products that meet the California Air Resources Board's (CARB) new formaldehyde emissions level, as a mandatory condition of membership. Starting Jan. 1, 2009, RV makers that are members of RVIA will be required to build all units with wood products that comply with the CARB standard's emission limits. By July 1, 2010, they must use wood that has been certified by an appropriate third party as meeting the CARB standard.

As a result of this schedule, RVIA will require its members to use CARB compliant wood nationwide a full 18 months before California phases in its requirement.

Working Across Industries

The majority of formaldehyde in RVs comes from the wood products used in manufacturing.  To address ways to reduce the amount of formaldehyde found in RVs, RVIA is working closely with manufacturers of wood products. This work is on-going and long-term and is aimed at further reducing the already low number of reported problems involving formaldehyde.

Commitment to Quality and Safety

The industry considers the safety of its customers the top priority and is continuously exploring ways to utilize new and emerging technologies in aid of that pursuit.