RV Lemon Laws

While all lemon law claims involve potential traps and pitfall, cases involving recreational vehicles can be more challenging because these vehicles often are treated differently than cars, trucks, SUVs, or vans.  Many state lemon laws completely exclude motorhomes from coverage, so an alternative strategy must be pursued, such as a claim under the federal Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act.  Although some state lemon laws do cover purchased or leased motorhomes, they frequently are treated differently than an automobile.  Certain lemon laws only cover defects in the chassis of the vehicle while others limit coverage to the “non-living” areas within the vehicle.  Depending on your state, the chassis, propulsion system, and chassis cab might be covered but not other portions of the motorhome.

The manufacturer of your defective RV will know whether your state lemon law covers RVs and the extent of such coverage, so you should talk to an experienced RV lemon law attorney who can make sure you understand your legal options.  If your motorhome, 5th wheel, or another motor vehicle is covered under lemon law, you must allow the manufacturer a reasonable opportunity to correct the problem.  This repair opportunity involves three or four repair attempts in many states, but the number of attempts can be as few as one or two where serious safety issues constitute the problem.  Further, the vehicle also might be subject to a lemon law claim if the vehicle is out of service for repair for a sufficient period, which often is thirty days but can be as few as fifteen in some states.