Stowaway 2 Swing Away Storage Box

Oh man, I love those Mercedes based class "B's". Those are the "Cats Meow".:)

Let's Go Aero doesn't seem to offer my 20 c.f. model anymore and I suspect they upgraded the landing gear carrier from 3 to 4 legs after I bought mine. Maybe they got stability complaints.

LetsGoAero Cargo Carriers

I seem to recall one can buy the 3 or the 4 legged undercarriage for the Gearspace units. Mine has 4 legs. Good units. If I have to wheel it around a lot I do unload the heavier contents. Mine is very stable.

The Gearspace 34 (I have the 20) works a little bit differently in that it slides back instead of swinging away so the doors can be opened. On the Sprinter the doors open fully. The fold down landing gear allows you to remove it off the hitch but I found you still have to empty the carrier out in order to move it around since the landing gear is 3-legged and a tad unstable when the carrier is top heavy.

Here is the Gearspace 20 on my old Pleasure-way Plateau. I probably will never use it again.

In terms of using a cargo carrier, Davydd has explained what to do: I have a Gearspace 34 which is huge. It has the slide-back feature to allow opening the rear doors, which I do sometimes. If I am camped for a few days, I lower the landing gear and role the unit off the hitch anyway. If I go somewhere during the day I leave it on its rv spot--it has locks and cannot be hooked up and stolen. That rear door exit is a second escape route and should be kept free to open.

Getting back to that rear door. Winnebago is a seller of new RV units. Thus would it then have to comply with the second exit safety requirement?

Wincrasher65 originally stated the door could not be open from inside. Was that because he could not "see" the latch from inside?

JPittman corrected that with an explanation of an awkward reach through which sounds as if one would have to have some knowledge the latch is there if not visually evident.

Sounds to me that if that second exit is required by regulation of any kind then Winnebago screwed up its design, IMO, if not in fact but in spirit considering presumed intimately knowledgeable wincrasher65 did not know and the exiting should have been clearly evident in the case of an emergency by all people familiar or unfamiliar usually with a one-step "visual" action common with most all fire safety exiting standards.

Let's look at it another way. You may have the freedom to do as you please with your RV. I really don't know. But if you did modify a safety feature, sold it, and the buyer becomes a crispy critter on account of it, no doubt you will be liable I don't think you have that freedom anymore than a homeowner has to fix any safety features in a house in order to sell it. Granted there seems to be little mechanism to force you into compliance other than an after the fact incident that goes to court or review by an insurance company.

Thread hijack

Regarding fire extinguishers, this is CA vehicle code. Most states have similar codes.

2009 California Vehicle Code - Section 28060 :: Article 11. Fire Extinguishers
VEHICLE CODE
SECTION 28060


28060. (a) No person shall sell or offer for sale a new
recreational vehicle or new camper which is equipped with cooking
equipment or heating equipment, and no dealer or person holding a
retail seller's permit shall sell or offer for sale a used
recreational vehicle or a used camper which is equipped with cooking
or heating equipment, unless such new or used vehicle or new or used
camper is equipped with at least one fire extinguisher, filled and
ready for use, of the dry chemical or carbon dioxide type with an
aggregate rating of at least 4-B:C units, which meets the
requirements specified in Section 13162 of the Health and Safety
Code.
(b) The operator of a recreational vehicle, or a vehicle to which
a camper is attached, which recreational vehicle or camper is
equipped with a fire extinguisher as required by subdivision (a),
shall carry such fire extinguisher in such recreational vehicle or
camper and shall maintain the fire extinguisher in an efficient
operating condition.

Subsection B says you must carry an operating fire extinguisher with you.

End hijack,
Eric

I'm not advocating anything, but am just stating what is fact. You are just confusing what is federal law.

Here's a link to a synopsis of states DOT requirements - which vary. Some require, some don't, some make no mention.

http://rvsafely.com/rvroadlaws.htm#SC

RVIA requirements are quite comprehensive. Those interested can read in depth here:
http://www.rvia.org/?ESID=sande

I'd direct you to read
NFPA 1192 Standard for RVs - Covers Plumbing, propane and Fire & Life Safety

Again, these requirements are for units sold as new only. If your state DOT requires you to have certain equipment, then you need to do that.

You don't have to believe me, again I don't care what you do. RIVA has nothing to do with the Federal Fire Regulations for RV's.


I will repeat this for other new RV Class B owners.
NFPA requires a fire extinguisher in every Class B RV (not camper van) they also require two exits from each room.
I doubt conscientious owners want to put their family, or friends in danger by blocking these exits, and I would expect they would be libel for their actions.
From the RIVA web site.
Fire & Life Safety Requirements as specified in NFPA 1192 Standard for RVs.
Interior finish flame spread limitations are required.
Minimum exit facilities providing unobstructed travel to the outside of the vehicle must be available.
Smoke alarms, fire extinguishers, CO detectors and LP-Gas detectors are mandate based on applicable criteria.

Here is an example, Rt built the 200 with no rear doors, so they had to install an emergency escape window out the back.

Davydd has it right, he always makes sure he can open the rear doors by keeping his
carrier swung open.

Standards for RV's are set by RVIA. To carry this seal, there are many requirements for new RV"s to be sold and carry the RVIA seal. I don't know where you are getting "federal regs" from, but the RV industry is self-policing thru RVIA.

One of those is a fire extinguisher. New RV's must be sold with one. Although it's a good idea, there is no law that says you have to continue to carry one, or make sure it is up to date. Same with a CO or fire detector. There is no DOT regulation for you to carry one either, unless it's a vehicle that transports people for hire (which would include rental RV's). Once you enter into doing something for hire, there are requirements that vary state to state.

While there may be egress requirements under RVIA as well, once it is sold to the buyer, they are free to do with it what they will. So if they remove, or block the exit, then that is there right, and it is no violation of any law, regulation or standard. Like I said above, there are DOT and state regs for vehicles for hire, which would include rental RV's.

As far as vehicles sold on the used market, there basically are no requirements unless your state has vehicle inspection and safety requirements for all road going vehicles (like emissions, lights, horn, brakes, etc.) So if someone has modified an RV in any crazy way, there is really nothing that can be done about it. So buyer beware if there is any crazy wiring, sealed up windows, etc.

This is why you can build your own RV out of a box truck if that is your wish, put anything you like in it, in any way you like, and it's not a violation of any rule, regulation or law. It's only if you sell it as a new RV or offer it for hire that you would run into problems. You know of any new RV's that aren't sold with the RVIA seal (and fee paid)? It would be interesting if there are any that anyone knows of. If there is one, then that unit is not built to any standard.

My Winnebago carries the RVIA seal and that is how I know that it meets all the safety and quality requirements under the law.