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SUMMARY: In this final rule, we (NHTSA) address the problem of motor home and recreation vehicle trailer overloading by amending the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) on tire selection and rims.

This final rule requires manufacturers of all motor homes and recreation vehicle trailers to provide information to consumers in a label that informs the consumer about the vehicle's load carrying capacity. This information is helpful both at the time the consumer is making a purchase decision and as the consumer uses his or her vehicle. We also require that the size of tires on motor homes and recreation vehicle trailers be the same as the size of the tires listed on the tire information label.

In addition, this rule provides regulatory relief for dealers from a labeling requirement in the safety standard on tire selection and rims for light vehicles. The standard's requirement can currently require dealers which add even small amounts of weight to re-label the vehicles. Under today's amendment, any party that adds weight to a completed vehicle exceeding the lesser of 1.5 percent of the vehicle's gross vehicle weight rating or 100 pounds (before first sale to the retail customer) is required to disclose this extra weight on labels affixed to the vehicles. Lesser amounts of weight may be added without changing or adding labels.

It is our belief that this rule complements the efforts of the recreation vehicle industry to provide consumers with information in order to help reduce overloading motor homes and recreation vehicle trailers. This rulemaking was initiated in response to a petition from Ms. Justine May.