Deadline looms for new caravan quality laws

The Australian Caravan Industry Association of Australia is urging all RV manufacturers and importers to get up to speed with tough new compliance laws that come into force next year.

Last week the peak industry body encouraged manufacturers and importers to attend a special webinar run by the Federal Department of Transport that covered the various changes in the new Road Vehicle Standards (RVS) legislation that apply to all trailers with an aggregrate trailer mass (ATM) of 4500kg or less.

What does it all mean?

The good news for consumers is that the caravan or camper trailer you buy in Australia after 30 June next year will probably have met a new design and manufacturing standard ensuring it has been built properly and is fit for its intended purpose.

But with just over six months to go, time is running out for many local manufacturers to get this approval, meaning that stocks of compliant vehicles may be delayed, or reduced.

Quite simply, if you are not an approved manufacturer by mid next year, you're not allowed to continue to operate and this again rekindles a fire under quality used RVs on the market.

The upcoming 2022 changes require Australian RV manufacturers and importers to register for the new Road Vehicle Standards Act (RVSA) that replaces the previous Motor Vehicle Standards Act (1989) legislation.

It is the biggest change ever to the Australian caravan industry and is part of a long-threatened shake up of our RV manufacturing standards designed to protect local buyers against backyard manufacturers and shoddy imports.

Major brands expected to comply

All of the major Australian RV players are expected to comply, with companies like the Sunshine Coast’s Australian Off Road already using their approval as positive PR.

AOR’s Project Manager Wendy Maclean said the registration process was a time-consuming but worthwhile process that pulled together AOR’s existing quality management systems.

“It was a beneficial process overall, and the result will be an undoubted benefit to our customers,” she said.

Maclean said AOR’s RVSA compliance could also have a positive effect on the company’s current drive to break into the North American market with its rugged Sierra models.

“The new Australian regulations for our industry are probably even stricter than those that apply in the USA and hence the toughest in the world,” she said. “That’s impressive for buyers!”

Melbourne's Royal Flair Caravans also already has many of the required quality processes in place as one of few Australian RV manufacturers to adopt a certified quality management system.

"We're working on RVSA compliance now and getting close, but because we already have ISO 9001: 2015 certification which requires an annual audit, we're already largely there in terms of what is required," Royal Flair director Bill Deralas explained.

"We're just waiting on all the certification from suppliers and the paperwork before completing the process.

"It will be more difficult for others (to achieve RVSA compliance), but it's about time (this came in)," he continued.

"We need to change and evolve as manufacturers, as do the dealers, suppliers and repairers. Caravans are a lot more complicated than they used to be and the regulations have to reflect that."

The Australian Government was forced to take action because of the continuing flow of complaints to the various regulatory authorities - Fair Trading/Consumer Affairs/ACCC/VSS - as well as to Federal and State MPs. 

Many owners' complaints are also aired regularly via online forums like the Lemon Caravans & RVs in Australia Facebook page, which lists around 65,000 unhappy members.

Sadly, the new regulations will certainly not guarantee that all future caravans will be fully-compliant, fit-for-purpose and of acceptable quality. Some potential loopholes in the new certification process have already been identified and there is a real possibility that the June 30 deadline may be further extended to allow latecomers to catch up.

One reason is because the new safety and quality regulations will not apply to all manufacturers and importers. This is a worry as some companies that produce caravans in very small numbers (less than five of a particular make and model per year) will be exempt from having to meet all the requirements of the new laws. 

These companies, that will not be subject to the same level of government scrutiny of the new laws, are often newcomers to the market, and often lack the necessary resources and experience that are essential to manufacture safe and high-quality caravans. They can also lack the expected professional after-sales service and repair facilities across the country.   

Chronic staff shortages

It has long been a concern that there are too many new manufacturers and importers competing in the very limited, and highly-competitive, Australian market. 

Other problems faced by the entire caravan manufacturing industry, thanks to COVID restrictions, is ongoing component shortages, combined with the chronic lack of skilled workers to complete caravans.

Vehicle Safety Standards allow the non-exempt larger caravan companies a lengthy 'phase-in' period to 'get up to speed' with the new requirements, so it may well be that the intended benefits of the new laws will not become apparent for up to one year after their introduction. 

Unfortunately for the current owners of defective non-compliant caravans, there are no retrospective provisions in the new Act, hence they will still be forced to continue to pursue rectification action against the dealers (suppliers) who sold them their vehicles.  

It will certainly be an onerous task for many of the smaller 100-plus caravan and camper trailer manufacturers and many importers in Australia, but definitely a long overdue and essential one.

Clearly it is hoped that the new Act and regulations will be successful in significantly improving the overall level of compliance, safety and quality of caravans sold in Australia in the future. However,  the new requirements are not yet applicable to all caravans and camper-trailers...

The best advice when buying a new caravan or camper trailer remains the same: Buy an established brand from an experienced and established dealer, as they will have a reputation to protect and hence the most to lose by dudding you.