RVs caught up in new right to repair legislation

[rodro123]

Many in the RV industry will remember the right to repair (R2R) legislation in 2012 and 2013 when the RV Industry Association successfully negotiated an exemption for RVs from the legislation that would have had the unintended consequence of placing impracticable and incredibly burdensome requirements on RV manufacturers.

A new, related issue of electronics (or digital) right to repair is now building momentum in the states. RVs are once again being caught in the middle.
Motor Vehicle Owners’ Right to Repair (R2R) is the typical name of legislation that has appeared in many state legislatures and at the federal level that would require vehicle manufacturers to provide the same vehicle repair information to independent repair shops as they do for dealer shops.
If enacted, electronics R2R legislation could place the burden on RV manufacturers to provide information, parts and tools to consumers and independent repair shops for every product in an RV that has embedded electronics.

This means providing manuals, schematics, software updates, licenses, diagnostics tools and codes, and more to both independent repair shops and consumers so they can unlock, adapt, modify and/or repair any electronics components in their RV.

https://rvdailyreport.com/industry/r...r-legislation/

[Macrosill]

Why is that a bad thing?

This means providing manuals, schematics, software updates, licenses, diagnostics tools and codes, and more to both independent repair shops and consumers so they can unlock, adapt, modify and/or repair any electronics components in their RV.

[rodro123]

This is great for us owners of RV's.

[Macrosill]

Originally Posted by rodro123

This is great for us owners of RV's.

Agreed, great for consumers.

[DaveT]

I fully support RtR legislation.

[Midnightmoon]

Part of this had been driven by John Deere and other heavy equipment manufacturers. It has been the talk of farmers and heavy equipment outfits for several years.

[Johnny Lightning]

Yep, I'm still trying to figure out why this is a bad thing for RV owners. The RV companies can simply move this responsibility to the vendors in their contract, maybe. This idea that you don't own electronics, you simply license them is insane. If they fail and someone gets hurt are the electronics companies going to argue that they don't own the device still if you can't modify it? They shouldn't be able to have it both ways.

[Dave.H]

I see this as a great thing.

Right to Repair does not mean they have to provide the information and tools for free. This is no different than the auto industry. Anyone off the street can subscribe to OEM repair information and buy OEM tools for the car/truck they drive. It doesn't mean the tools are cheap. It just means they are available and reasonable.

[t18skyguy]

Right to Repair is to keep the OEM's from a complete monopoly. They want to declare their electronics and software proprietary to them only. Independent mechanics/shops have been waging this battle for years. They have to win it, else we have to go to OEM only and spend $$$$$$$.

[Trippy1313]

The only bad thing I see is this could potentially raise the costs of RVs to cover the added overhead of creating the information, and extra staff to handle more people contacting and getting information. At least until the added expenses are absorbed through the end profits they'll make through selling information and more parts to the little people.

I cant see that making a huge increase in prices, but I bet at least a little.