The following article came from RV Business,
Nov. 6,2009
RPTIA Sees Risk in Buying Used FEMA Park Models
The Recreational Park Trailer Industry Association (RPTIA) is warning campground and RV park operators to be wary of investing
in used park trailers that are being offered for sale by the General Services Administration (GSA).
Some 2,000 park trailers, which were built for the Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA) for use as
temporary housing for hurricane evacuees, are being auctioned by the GSA. However, these units have not been inspected by
RPTIA and could pose various liability risks to park operators, according to a news release.
“Park operators should think twice before purchasing these used FEMA units,” said William Garpow, RPTIA
executive director, “It may not be in their best interest to purchase these units with the idea of using them as a rental
product.”
In addition to lacking an RPTIA inspection seal,
many of the FEMA units also have visible sustained water and mold damage as a result of improper installation and maintenance
by FEMA contractors. Others may have water damage that remains out of sight.
“While the cost of these FEMA units being auctioned by the GSA looks like a financial winner, the possibility
of losing a liability case over a public safety issue can place a long-term dent into your bottom line that could be very
painful,” Garpow said.
Mike Atkinson, facilities development
manager for Billings, Mont-based Kampgrounds of America Inc. (KOA), said KOA guidelines prohibit its franchisees from investing
in park trailers that do not have an RPTIA inspection seal.
Garpow
said FEMA contracts to purchase recreational park trailers for emergency housing units required manufacturer to be responsible
for verifying that these units were built to the requirements of the ANSI A119.5 Standard. However, any inspection process
that took place to verify compliance before the units are placed into service were minimal at best. “FEMA encourages
these contractors to be members of the RPTIA and also encourages them to use the RPTIA inspection program, but it stops short
of making either of these a contractual requirement,” Garpow said.
RPTIA members, on the other hand, pledge as a condition of their membership that they will construct any recreational
park trailers they build to be in conformance with the ANSI A119.5 Standard. The RPTIA inspection program to verify the pledge
mandates a certification inspection as a pre-condition for a manufacturer’s membership and also imposes at least four
unannounced verification inspections annually to confirm, to the association, that the member firm still has the capability
to build units meeting the standard as the manufacturer pledged. All RPTIA inspections are accomplished by RPTIA independent
third party agencies, who typically are the same firms used by government agencies to verify compliance with laws and regulations
that cover public safety requirements.
For more information,
contact Garpow at (770) 251-2672 or e-mail him at wgarpow@rptia.com.
