Caravan Council takes aim at shonky builders

A revamped RVMAA is not the only industry body in Australia trying to raise RV manufacturing standards and protect buyers from shoddy caravans.

The newly-formed Caravan Council of Australia is, according to founder Colin Young, “about providing professional independent assistance to all in the RV industry... and to raise the product and service standard, significantly and quickly”.

Young, an automotive engineer and former employee of the Recreational Vehicle Manufacturers Association of Australia (RVMAA), says a main priority of the new independent body is “quickly improving the standard of compliance and quality with 'vans, and greatly reducing the amount of complaints and litigation”.

Unlike the RVMAA, Young said the CCA “provides free, no-obligation information and consultations via emails on compliance, safety and quality issues, to everyone in the Australian RV industry.  There are no members and no fees”. 

A range of resources including compliance audit and quality assessment checklists, are available for free on the new CCA website. CCA-accredited engineers in all states are also available on a fee-for-service basis, to conduct vehicle inspections, compliance audits as well as technical reports for both dealers and owners to help resolve disputes.

Young (pictured inspecting a tyre) said there are currently “a lot of problems in the field, and a lot of litigation”.

“Most litigation concerns ratings and masses... where there is much misunderstanding, and where actual Tare masses are significantly greater than stated Tare masses, and where ball-loadings are either too low, too high, or highly-variable,” he said.

He cited the example of a caravan he inspected with a “ridiculously heavy ball-loading when empty”.

“It was 360kg when empty... it was illegal to tow the 'van with nothing in it, behind a Patrol or LandCruiser.  In addition, there were two water tanks, both ahead of the axles.”

The CCA is also organising the inaugural National Caravan Safety Conference, to be held in Canberra over two days in July. The schedule is still to be finalised but will include government authorities speaking about gas and electrical compliance and safety. 

Young also hopes to have an overseas speaker involved with research on caravan stability and handling.

“This is an important event, aimed at improving the design of caravans, and other influencing factors, in order to enhance road safety,” he said.

Since establishing the CCA in late-2012, Young said he’s received an overwhelmingly “positive response” from the public.

“Being independent, with no perceived conflict of interest, has been very well acknowledged by owners and potential buyers,” he said.

The four-part Buyer Assist checklist available on the website “is already assisting and educating potential buyers, which in turn are requiring all sales personnel to quickly become fully knowledgeable and professional”.