What?!? January 1st, say Goodbye to Many New RV’s and Trucks in WA

Beginning a number of years ago, the Washington State legislature decided to copy and follow California when it comes to environmental laws concerning fossil fuel vehicles, namely, trucks and RV's. Now, January 1st, many brand new models will not be available. And, it applies to semis too.

   January 1st. sales of new heavy-duty trucks and Class C motorhomes (and up) banned

The Washington State Trucking Association told KIRO Radio this week, this new rule has "caused quite a disruption" in our state.

According to KIRO:

"The changes stem from California’s Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) legislation, which Washington lawmakers committed to follow in 2020. The RV and trucking industries are now bracing for a major shift in sales moving forward."

The law goes into effect beginning January 1st. and bans the sale of new semi-truck models, as well as what's classified as heavy-duty trucks.

Not only do trucking and supply companies depend on semis, but many businesses and contractors do too.  A lot of construction businesses utilize heavy-duty trucks, which are considered any truck over 8,000 lbs. up to about 10 or 12,000.

The law specifically bans the sale of trucks 8,500 and up, and Class "C" motorhomes.

Some examples of trucks in the category include:

• Chevy Silverado 2500
• Ford F-250
• Dodge Ram 2500
• Some models of the Nissan Titan

But depending on the specific sub-model, a number of Chevy, Ford and Dodge 1500 models could slide up into that 8,500 barrier.

Class "C" Motorhomes are a step above Class "B" and are usually diesel-powered. some examples of popular Class "C" Motorhomes include:

• Thor Four Winds
• Winnebago Minnie Winnie
• Dynamax Isata 5
• Jayco Greyhawk
• Coachman Freelander 
• Other affected brands include Ekko, Spirit, Navion and Vita.

These are based on national sales figures. IF it's a Class "C", it's probably on the banned list.

According to KIRO, the full scope of the rules did not fully materialize from the state until October:

"Manufacturers will be restricted from selling gas- or diesel-powered vehicles over 8,500 pounds unless they first meet the ZEV sales targets. The regulations primarily target large diesel and gas-powered motorhomes, including Class A and large Class C models, aligning with Washington’s goal to phase out new gasoline vehicle sales by 2035."

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According to ShiftWA, many RV dealers are frantically buying up 2024 models, to stockpile, and are expecting a massive run on these and used Class "C" and larger RV's. Many trucking companies and other businesses are considering licensing their vehicles out of Idaho or Montana so they can still obtain new models.

The financial impact on auto and RV dealers has not yet been 'officially' calculated, but business owners say it's possible it could be catastrophic.