Editor’s Note: Bruce Hopkins has been in the RV business since 1965, working for a dealer, three different manufacturers, a third-party inspection/consulting firm and has been with the RV Industry Association for over 40 years. According to a Woodalls Campground Management (WCM) report, he is currently the vice president of standards and education. He has served on many standard making committees, including the NFPA 1194 committee, and has worked to promote U.S. RV standards internationally.
With the explosion of new RVs being manufactured, it is a fact that more campgrounds are needed. With the addition of more than 500,000 RVs shipped in 2017, the estimated number of RVs in the U.S. now exceeds 12.5 million.
The growing numbers have left a lot of opportunity for park developers and current park owners, as they look to capture more growth in the coming years. However, it is important for anyone looking to build or expand a campground to follow industry standards and that starts with the Standard for Recreational Vehicle Parks and Campgrounds, from the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 1194.
It provides safety requirements and design guidance that will result in safe and modern campsites, built to serve current and future generations of RVers.
The 1194 standard addresses minimum safety requirements for general design, fire safety, environmental health and sanitation, and establishes uniform definitions. It also includes valuable “annex” sections that address typical site plan safety, sanitary disposal stations, operational guidelines, detailed site layout drawings, examples of the variety of RV types and a comprehensive glossary of relevant terms, with detailed descriptions.
The 1194 standard has been around since the 1940s and a revised edition was adopted in 1952, after World War II. The standard at that point addressed fire prevention and fire protection for both trailer coaches and trailer coach courts.
There were continuous debates during the 1950s on how to separate mobile homes and travel trailers, as their uses are very different. Mobile homes are used as dwellings, whereas RVs, as you know, are for temporary seasonal use, travel and camping.
For the full story click https://www.woodallscm.com/blog/hopkins-nfpa-1194-standards-are-key-for-parks.html.
