motorhome width

[shaneperch]

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.

[Bill-R]

I own a 1989 36 ft DP that is 102.

[mpierce]

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]

my 88 bus conversion is 102 as was my 95 Thor Residency. I don't believe there is any exact time table.

[Dutch_12078]

Our '95 Coachmen Catalina Class A was 102".

[Born_To_Travel]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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

[shaneperch]

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.

[JimM68]

1996/1997

[Born_To_Travel]

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...

[OnaQuest]

1996/97