Non-compliant RVs are being imported into Australia. Problem is, buyers are not always aware that their vehicle is
China manufactured Navigator Caravan not up to government standards. A large part of the problem is not only that people are unaware that their caravan is not up to code, but also that the laws are often changed or updated.
A recommendation in the Brighthouse report: A Strategic Approach to Caravan and Camping Tourism in Australia, is that an Australian Standard should be developed for self-contained RVs and caravans. Perhaps this should be extended to all types od recreational vehicles?
Recent talks between the government at Caravan, RV and Accommodation Industry of Australia have attempted to find a solution to the problem of excessive non-compliant RVs:
CRVA in high-powered government talks
CARAVAN, RV and Accommodation Industry of Australia chiefs have had talks with the government over the problem of non-compliant RVs being imported into the country. The topic was one of number thrashed out during a private dinner attended by CRVA's chairman Mark Lindsay and chief executive Stuart Lamont and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development Warren Truss. The high-powered meeting followed an earlier visit to Canberra by the CRVA Executive where an industry delegation met ministers, MPs, senior advisors and other officials to discuss the caravanning and camping industry. Other subjects raised at the dinner included regional Australia, vehicle safety standards and infrastructure development.
In order to crack down on the number of non-compliant vehicles being sold, inspections are being carried out by The Recreation Vehicle Manufacturing Accreditation Program. Large portions of non-compliant RVs have come from overseas where the laws are different.
What classifies as a compliant RV?
Compliant - the meaning and implications
The word “compliant”, according to dictionaries, means acquiescent, biddable, submissive, yielding, amenable, or accommodating. When applied to road vehicles - including caravans and camper-trailers - it means “meeting all of the legal requirements to enable them to be (lawfully) registered for use on Australian roads”.
Is your caravan or camper-trailer fully “compliant”? The sad truth is that many are not, especially a lot of the early imports. This is especially so with used ex-North American 5th-wheelers and motorhomes.
www.caravanandmotorhomebooks.com/articles/others/rv_compliance_cca.html
Because of the variety of international RV sources, it’s important for the industry to be monitored and for clear regulations to be set. After a vehicle is cleared as being up to scratch in the eyes of Aussie law, it’s awarded an RVM Australia accreditation certificate that will clear the vehicle until the named expiration date. This is what you need to make sure you have when buying or selling an RV in Australia. And it needs to be up-to-date, as the laws and regulations do change and new benchmarks are set:
The Recreational Vehicle Manufacturing Accreditation Program (RVMAP) has set a new benchmark for product compliance. As a mandatory member accreditation program, RVMAP is robust and comprehensive, and its systems and processes will provide greater support to manufacturer members in complying with the law and maintaining documentation to verify their compliance.
Importantly, RVMAP will enhance the already substantial value of the RVM Australia badge as a symbol of a high standard RV. And, as the peak body for Australia’s manufacturing industry, it will enable RVM Australia to reinforce with the Federal Government our credentials to assist in better managing the importation of RVs into Australia and thereby establish a “level playing field” for all RVs sold in Australia…
…In addition to conducting an audit of a manufacturer’s finished vehicle, their technical advisor takes the opportunity to fully apprise members about RVMAP and, in particular, outline their obligations and responsibilities between audits.
Members’ product inspections and briefings have progressed very smoothly. Overall, Members have responded favourably to the introduction of RVMAP, and appreciated the documentation supplied and the support provided by RVM Australia’s technical advisors during individual initial inspections.
When a member undergoes an audit and is deemed to have satisfactorily fulfilled the requirements of the RVMAP audit process, they will be issued with an RVM Australia accreditation certificate that will remain current until the date of their next audit (i.e. initially six months’ time). Those members that are required to rectify certain matters identified during the audit process are given ten working days to do so before they receive their certificate. Importantly, there will be no more excuses for manufacturer members not being audited in accordance with their audit cycle because RVMAP has been specifically designed to ensure that every member is audited within one month either side of their next audit falling due.
Product inspections involve the selected vehicle being assessed against a 146-item checklist that covers all relevant Australian Design Rules and Australian Standards as well as RVM Australia’s codes of practice for each vehicle type. The assessment process is therefore extremely thorough and, importantly, it exceeds the minimum standards required for the importation of RVs.
To achieve RVM Australia accredited status, members must satisfy our technical advisors that they are 100% compliant; anything less is not acceptable.
If you have any questions about the RVMAP inspection process, please call RVM Australia technical advisors on (03) 9815 2015.
http://www.crva.com.au/rvmap-sets-a-new-benchmark-for-product-compliance
The inspections are extremely thorough – there’s a checklist with a whopping 146 items! As long as your RVM Australia accreditation certificate is up to date, your vehicle is fine to drive. If you’re buying an RV, you need to make sure it has an up-to-date RVM Australia accreditation certificate before you buy it. The certificate will clear the vehicle of all the lawful safety requirements until the named expiration date:
Product inspections involve the selected vehicle being assessed against a 146-item checklist that covers all relevant Australian Design Rules and Australian Standards as well as RVM Australia’s codes of practice for each vehicle type. The assessment process is therefore extremely thorough and, importantly, it exceeds the minimum standards required for the importation of RVs.
To achieve RVM Australia accredited status, members must satisfy our technical advisors that they are 100% compliant; anything less is not acceptable.
If you have any questions about the RVMAP inspection process, please call RVM Australia technical advisors on (03) 9815 2015.
www.crva.com.au/rvmap-sets-a-new-benchmark-for-product-compliance
