I have read on an RV site someone saying that a particular motor home is narrow meaning it is 96 inches wide vs the 102 wide units. Up until a certain point in time ALL buses motorcoaches and trucks had the maximum width of 8 feet 96 inches My Dodge AVCO is 96 inches wide. What this guy calls "narrow? is indeed the old standard width. my question is.. when did the motorhomes become standard at 102 inches wide? Thanks for any answers to a more educational question.

I don't know about the motorhomes. But when I was working on motorcoaches they came out around 1987.. They went to 102" wide body for more passenger comfort and space... I would think the motorhomes went to the wide bodies around that time as well...

Right that makes sense cause my two buses are 96 inches wide. Which doesn't bother me they are 35 and 40 feet long and there is plenty of room for just me. The next bus/motorhome i get will be 102 inches wide though.

MCI was the first one to come out with a 102"... it was the MCI 102A2... Here is a 1988 MCI 102A3 motorhome https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3D6QQ_Fypp8

motorhome width | Good Sam Community

Bill-R
Explorer
Jun 18, 2015
I own a 1989 36 ft DP that is 102.
mpierce
Explorer
Jun 16, 2015
JimM68 wrote:
1996/1997

Bluebird Wanderlodges went to the wide body in the 1988 time frame. My 1990 is a wide body. So, I know it was well before 90/97.
Bill_Satellite
Explorer II
Jun 16, 2015
my 88 bus conversion is 102 as was my 95 Thor Residency. I don't believe there is any exact time table.
Dutch_12078
Explorer II
Jun 16, 2015
Our '95 Coachmen Catalina Class A was 102".
Born_To_Travel
Explorer
Jun 16, 2015
The rule in the 80s was you could only run the 102" on the inter-states... Once they were on the 2 lanes they were illegal as 96" was the limit.. It took a few years for the law to catch up to what was really going on...
IAMICHABOD
Explorer II
Jun 16, 2015
In 1982 the Feds Oked the use of 102 inch trailers on the Interstate system,Many states balked at this,when threaten with the cut off of Federal funds by 1986 they had all complied,some with a 10 mile radius from the Interstate.

So a good guess of 1987 or so is when the RV industry would have been able to start to MFG them.
Skylark
Explorer
Jun 15, 2015
I have a 1990 Barth Regency wide body with a 102' that was manufactured 11/89. The invoice was $5,000 option for the wide body over the 96' on. 32 ft coach.
Sky
RLS7201
Explorer II
Jun 15, 2015
First Fleetwood 102" gas coach was the 95 Bounder 35U.
All Fleetwood gas coaches were 102" in 96.
Several brands were 102" before Fleetwood.

Richard
bsinmich
Explorer
Jun 15, 2015
It took many years for all the states to pass the 102" width even though they would license them knowing they were technically illegal. California had a limit on length of 40' for years but sold and taxed 45' as well.
Born_To_Travel
Explorer
Jun 15, 2015
MCI was the first one to come out with a 102"... it was the MCI 102A2... Here is a 1988 MCI 102A3 motorhome https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3D6QQ_Fypp8

Forum Discussion

motorhome width

About Motorhome Group

Related Content

Width

Steer tire width...

tailgate opening width to narrow

Awning Replacement Fabric Width

Trailer Width - Pros and Cons