T.R. Arnold & Associates, Inc. (TRA) offers a wide array of services to the manufactured shelter and industrialized housing industries.
Experience and proper tools...
We use both and more to meet your needs.
Consultation
TRA offers consultation services in areas where there is no possibility of conflicting interests with our primary functions of plan review, certification, and inspection. Past experience has included plant site evaluation, manufacturing facility design, product design, engineering analysis, production tooling, preparation of working drawings and bills of materials and nearly every other aspect of the design and manufacturing process. We are knowledgeable in the latest tooling and computer techniques as well as CAD systems.
Our staff has a breadth of experience spanning many years in all phases of the manufactured shelter industry and various engineering fields. This allows us to provide both advice and engineering to clients in a wide range of areas. We would welcome the opportunity to be of service to you and your company.
The only caveat on consultation is, obviously, the conflict of interest issue. We cannot and will not provide consultation on products, plans, specifications, etc. which we will later review and/or approve.
Please contact us if you have any questions regarding consultation services. We are always delighted to assist you where possible.
Plan Review & Approval
TRA offers a thorough, quality plan review and approval service for every local, state and national organization which recognize such services. Our staff includes Registered Professional Engineers and Registered Architects who are licensed in many states as well as certified plan reviewers in all disciplines and all model codes, as well as the various state and local codes. Refer to the Credentials section for a complete listing of accreditations and plan review & approval jurisdictions. Like all our clients, you'll be pleased with the ease and convenience of our plan review and approval services.
Our qualifications as a third-party Design Approval Primary Inspection Agency (DAPIA) also enables us to offer electronic review and approval services. We're set up for electronic design review and approval (eDAPIA / eCertification Manuals) right now through email. You simply attach your plans in Adobe pdf format to an email and send it to us with a request specifying the work to be done. For more detailed information, please review our Web Services section.
Product Testing & Listing Services
TRA Testing and Listing services provide a method for getting your products accepted throughout the marketplace. These services consist of testing the product to recognized standards, preparing a test report, and providing a follow-up production monitoring program to assure continued compliance with the test report.
Additionally, TRA can arrange for structural testing services. These services can provide the documentation necessary to gain approval for innovative structural systems and as a substitute for extensive structural calculation procedures. Test reports are available with appropriate engineer or architect seals.
All authorities that regulate the manufactured shelter products when installed, will accept our test reports and/or Listing Labels as evidence that the product has been tested to meet the required standards. In the case of Listed products, that the manufacturing process is monitored to assure continued compliance with the required standards.
TRA provides testing and/or listing services for a variety of manufactured shelter products including:
- Recycled manufactured home axles
- Bathtubs and showers
- RV holding tanks
- RV water storage tanks
- Bottom closure materials
- Roof trusses (park trailer, manufactured home, and modular)
Inspection Services
TRA as an IPIA (In-plant Primary Inspection Agency), offers inspection services for every local, state and national organization which recognized such services. Our staff includes licensed inspectors in all disciplines and in all states which offer licensing. Inspectors are located throughout the United States and other countries to efficiently serve your needs at a reasonable cost.
Whatever your inspection needs, we will efficiently and economically meet those needs.
Want to know more about inspections and the inspection process? We've written a user-friendly document to help you understand this important aspect of our mutual relationship. It's called: "Inspections: Who Needs Them?"
Refer to the Credentials section for a complete listing of accreditations and inspection jurisdictions for states in which we can perform inspections.
Drafting/Code Drawings
Our TRA staff has computer drafting capabilities to meet your needs, whether plain or fancy. We currently provide code drawings for over 50 recreational vehicle and park trailer manufacturers as well as a variety of other manufacturers.
Our specialty is code drawings depicting the aspects of your various models which must be documented for state approvals. These drawings can be prepared from information which you provide or from the actual units in production. As specialists in this field, we can usually prepare code drawings more quickly and economically than your in-house drafting department. Our drawings have the substantial benefit of being prepared in a consistent format with which all state plan reviewers are totally familiar. This format has been developed over many years of working with plan reviewers at the state offices. Our drawings are complete and contain all required information. Since the plan reviewers are intimately familiar with our format, plans are approved and processed quickly and efficiently.
We can also provide full production drawings for recreational vehicles and park trailers.
Horse/Race Car Trailer Conversions
In recent years, the industry has expanded the recreational vehicle facilities to include horse trailers, race car trailers and similar units which have become very popular.
TRA has been a leader in the inspection/listing of horse trailer and race car trailer conversions since the inception of this exciting business many years ago. Our program offers an economical and flexible alternative to other available listing services. We also provide Third Party approvals and assistance with all necessary state licensing and approvals, which industry associations cannot offer. We currently inspect and list many manufacturers of these products ranging from the industry giants to small custom shops throughout the country.
THE PROGRAM
The TRA Inspection Program for conversion trailers is the same as the recreational vehicle inspection program which we have operated since the inception of the RV standards. TRA is a qualified Third Party Plan Review and/or Inspection agency for every state which recognizes such programs. Since 1969, TRA has serviced hundreds of manufacturers of recreational vehicles, horse trailer conversions and race car conversions.
All units are investigated for compliance with the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). Standard A119.2 is the standard for Recreational Vehicles and applicable portions of the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) National Electrical Code. Manufacturing facilities are also evaluated to assure that adequate quality assurance programs are in place and operated effectively.
Audits of our clients are conducted on an unannounced basis at a minimum frequency of approximately every ten weeks. Large manufacturers may be audited on a more frequent basis. Small custom shops with very limited production may be placed on a special schedule to assure that they do not receive a disproportionate amount of audits. These audits are performed by licensed construction code inspectors and several of whom are certified ISO auditors. Manufacturers who show evidence of below average performance or whose quality assurance procedures appear to be ineffective are placed on a more frequent audit schedule.
There is no initiation or membership fee associated with the TRA program. All services are available on a time and expenses basis and insignia fees are very reasonable.
INDUSTRY PARTICIPATION
TRA management employees have served on all committees involved with development of the RV standards and currently chair the A119 Correlating Committee and the RPTIA Standards Committee as well as serving on several other industry committees.
TRA also contributes articles upon occasion to various industry publications.
RECOGNITION
TRA has always maintained recognition as an approved Third Party Plan Review and/or Inspection Agency wherever these programs are operated. The TRA insignia is recognized throughout the United States as an indication that the manufacturer has a quality system in place to assure compliance with the current standards for recreational vehicles.
Web Services
TRA now offers various services via the web besides our established electronic DAPIA (Design Approval Primary Inspection Agency) approvals and electronic plan/manual approvals. TRA will soon be offering current state building code information, searchable code authority memos and documents. We also offer mailing lists for code updates and other industry related information. All these services are explained in more detail in our Web Services section.
How to Get Started
Becoming a customer of TRA is one of the most pleasant experiences you'll have. Simply call or e-mail our office and we will discuss your requirements to determine the most effective, efficient and economical methods for accomplishing your objectives and get the ball rolling in the right direction.
If you prefer e-mail, send it to info@trarnold.com to receive a prompt response. If you prefer the telephone, call us at 574/264-0745. Our fax is 574/264-0740.
