Importer push to join RVM Australia

The importer of British-built Bailey Caravans is pushing hard to be the first member of the Recreational Vehicle Manufacturers Association of Australia (RVM Australia) that doesn’t manufacture locally.

Bailey Australia boss Adrian van Geelen (pictured) said he’d already had several meetings with RVM Australia CEO David Duncan regarding Bailey becoming a member of the peak body for the Australian RV manufacturing industry, but believes the rules have to be changed first.

“The constitution of the RVMA does not allow for imported products to become a member... (David Duncan) has to change the constitution of the RVMA with his board to allow us to become a member, that’s the first step,” Van Geelen said.

“If the constitution is changed, as I’ve said to David and I’ll say to you now, I would be proud to be the first European member of the RVMA and an ambassador for them.”

Van Geelen said he couldn’t understand why RVM Australia was reluctant to have importers as members, particularly given the recent sales growth of British and European caravans in Australia. It’s estimated Brit/European vans currently account for around 500 RV sales per year Down Under, in comparison to the 20,000 or so RVs manufactured in Australia annually.

“Wouldn’t you want to be involved with something (that’s growing)?” he said. “You’re losing a very large section of the market with imported caravans, and the ones that are doing it correctly. Wouldn’t you want to have (importers doing the right thing) on board?”

Van Geelen said despite not being a member, he recently allowed RVM Australia to conduct an on-site audit of one of its British-built Bailey caravans. He said Bailey Australia paid great attention to compliance “because we’re an importer, we get scrutinised more”.

“They’ve done the compliance checking on the van, and not one issue. In fact, the comments from both (inspectors) were, your van’s probably more compliant than most Australian vans."

“The RVMA (was) established and set up for manufacturers, not importers, and they are very concerned about importers,” van Geelen said. “As an Aussie I can understand that, but at the end of the day we’ve seen globalisation on all fronts.”

However, according to Duncan, the new constitution introduced as part of comprehensive changes to the peak industry body last year, no longer prevents importers from joining the non-profit organisation.

RVM Australia currently has 77 RV manufacturer members, including Melbourne’s Regent and Legacy Caravans, which are owned by the same company that imports Bailey Caravans. All members must comply with a tough new audit program that allows them to display the RVM Australia ‘seal of approval’ on all their vans.

“(Bailey Caravans) could be a member, there’s nothing in our constitution that precludes an importer from being a member,” Duncan said. “It was a different situation back in the RVMAA days, when certain policy decisions resolved that certain criterion had to be adhered to...”

While the door had been opened to importers, Duncan said RVM Australia was more focussed at the moment on assisting organisers in reducing the number of non-compliant imported RVs on display at shows.

“The one thing to remember about RVM Australia is that we’re not a protectionist association by any shape or form. It’s all about compliance. If the stuff is coming in compliant it’s not an issue,” he said.

“Same as our members, they have to conform to a mandatory program of compliance. If they don’t comply then it’s please explain. And if they can’t fix it they have to potentially suffer the consequences of being asked to leave the membership.”