Australian RV industry keeps rolling on

The Australian RV industry says its doors remain open as usual and is confident it can continue to manufacture locally and deliver to buyers despite stricter new measures introduced due to the Coronavirus pandemic.

Prime minster Scott Morrison announced the closure of “non-essential” services by midday on Monday (March 23), including pubs, clubs, theatres, cinemas and indoor fitness facilities.

But the Caravan Industry Association of Australia confirmed that RV dealerships, workshops and related facilities across the country would continue to remain open with stricter hygiene measures in place.

"For now, business premises such as offices, factories, retail dealerships, and caravan parks are considered essential services and shall remain open," the peak national body said.

"It is advised that businesses with enclosed spaces such as meeting rooms, office space and the like observe the 4 sq metre guidelines, while also practicing social distancing measures within workplaces."

A number of RV dealers have already ramped up hygiene and social distancing measures including when handing over vehicles, as well as offering video conferencing in the place of face-to-face contact.

Following the cancellation of this month's Perth Caravan and Camping Show, Perth Jayco dealer Caravanland, is running a 'Greatest Show in Perth' sales promotion at its retail yard from March 19-29, incorporating a number of 'social distancing' measures to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

"We have taken all necessary precautions to ensure this event limits the spread of COVID-19, including limiting the number of people in the dealership, supplying hand sanitiser and extending the show over 11 days to combat and reduce large crowds," the dealer said.

A spokesperson for big-selling Melbourne manufacturer New Age Caravans, said it was "business as usual" at its Epping, Victoria production facilities along with 15 New Age dealers around the country.

"We’re following all the recommendations by DHHS (Department of Health and Human Services) in terms of reducing the spread of the virus amongst our internal staff and our dealerships. At the moment the shutdowns haven’t affected us or our dealerships but we’re continuing to monitor the news as more announcements are made," the New Age spokesperson said.

He said New Age has revamped its production "so that customer orders are now our priority over stock orders (and) our purchasing and supply chain staff are in daily communication with suppliers to ensure we can continue production."

The 'top-3' caravan manufacturer has also introduced ways to limit the amount of time prospective buyers spend at dealerships.

"We’re filming run throughs of our vans to help customers be more informed before they visit a dealership, that way they don’t have to spend more time than they need in close contact with others."

A spokesperson for Australia's biggest RV manufacturer Jayco said: "We are monitoring the situation closely in accordance to the advice and direction of the Australian government and WHO. Our staff, dealerships and customers will remain our fundamental priority during this period."

Brisbane manufacturer Coromal Caravans announced today that both its Apollo Brisbane factory and Coromal dealerships remain 'open for business'.

"Our Coromal dealerships and staff are following the recommendations and precautions as per the advice of the World Health Organisation and Australian Government guidelines," Coromal said on social media. "The Apollo factory remains open with production on schedule for customer orders and dealership stock."

A spokesperson for NSW-based Avida RV also said it is "business as usual, while keeping a watch on any further government announcements."

The spokesperson said Avida had introduced a number of additional health and safety measures to protect staff at its Emu Plains caravan and motorhome production facility including additional hygiene stations, travel and movement restrictions, and visitor and contractor hygiene policies.

It's a different story overseas where more drastic action is being taken by some manufacturers including two of the biggest RV manufacturers in the US, Winnebago and Thor Industries, who recently announced they would shut-down production facilities for a specified period.

Related reading:

Push to keep caravan parks open

Coronavirus tips for RV travellers

New Age Caravans to make respirators