This month CIAA’s Stuart Lamont explores why knowing where your RV is made — and how it’s made — matters more than you might think.
Last year Australians logged 15.2 million caravan and camping trips and 57.1 million nights away, spending more than $10 billion in the process. With caravan sales booming across Australia, it can be tricky to work out how reputable a manufacturer is or how well the product will hold up to the climate and conditions Australia throws at it.
In fact, think back to the last time you bought a caravan. At any point did you stop to consider where your product was manufactured or if it would even be legal for Australian roads? How can you tell if a brand-new or second-hand vehicle won’t get you pulled over on the drive back from your weekend away?
Australian-made: what it really means
Dealing with origin first — Roy Morgan research shows 99 per cent of us recognise the licensed Australian Made campaign logo, with 93 per cent trusting it to mean the product was actually built here. But while many sub-components can be sourced from overseas, the assembly of these pieces can still qualify as being Australian-made — provided it passes a substantial transformation test.
That said, as a licenced program, not all genuine Australian manufacturers choose to belong to the Australian Made campaign. Some instead use a modified logo or sticker acknowledging the origin of manufacture, a decision which results in the company having to back up its claim of Australian origin to any future scrutiny.
A recent external survey conducted by Caravan Industry Association of Australia (CIAA) shows that only 11 per cent of Australian RV purchasers consider Australian-made to be critical in their RV buying decision, with factors such as price, quality and features being equal or more. For those open to considering an international product, 63 per cent saw independent verification of the compliance to Australian standards for internally sourced RVs as extremely or very important.
Introducing the RVMAP Australian key
That’s why the industry gold standard for RV compliance checks remains the Recreational Vehicle Manufacturing Accreditation Program (RVMAP). And in an effort to better promote understanding of where an RV product is made, a change is afoot with the introduction of the RVMAP Australian Key.
RVMAP is agnostic about where products are made — whether in Australia, China or Europe. What matters is that every RVMAP-licensed business undergoes rigorous product inspections and participates in comprehensive compliance education. This ensures that all RVMAP businesses, regardless of location, consistently meet — and often exceed — the program’s high standards, aligned with Australian Design Rules (ADR) focused on consumer safety.
What RVMAP does care about is transparency. Consumers deserve accurate information about their next RV purchase, including where it was made — which is why the RVMAP Australian key was introduced.
This does not suggest that RVMAP International products are inferior to local ones — in fact, some are among the best in class. The presence of the distinct RVMAP International key reflects these businesses’ ongoing commitment to consumer safety, investment in factory education and willingness to undergo independent compliance reviews.
Raising the bar across the industry
The RVMAP inspection team has been operating for more than a decade, conducting more than 1000 inspections annually and delivering tailored compliance education to both local and international RVMAP businesses. The impact is clear: on average, vehicles outside the RVMAP program record nearly three times as many ADR concerns as those within the program. Of the 100 worst offenders in ADR compliance, only three are RVMAP-accredited — and they barely make the list.
It’s no wonder that our research shows 67 per cent of shoppers recognise the RVMAP key, and 68 per cent say it influences their decision. In fact, I believe in the product so strongly that I want the federal government to formally use our program as the industry-wide compliance scheme — because we have proof that it works. Not as a way to stifle the products that come from overseas, nor to shut down the domestic industry. Only to create a level playing field for all manufacturers, one based on safety, compliance and an expectation that those building your next caravan or motorhome are well versed in their legal obligations around their construction.
Now, when purchasing your next RVMAP vehicle, you can feel even more confident — not just in its safety, but in knowing exactly where it was built. Australian-made caravans and motorhomes are clearly identified, as are international products.
Stuart Lamont
Chief Executive Officer
THE NEXT STEP
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