Media release, Caravan council of Australia.
From Westprint Friday five.
November 2020
The Statusof the Caravan Industry in Australia
Part 1: Manufacturer & Dealer (Supplier) Issues
As the end of an extremely difficult and strange – and hopefully never-to-be repeated – year nears, it is prudent to analyse all of the prime recreational vehicle (RV) issues – both good and bad – that have occurred, and been brought to the attention of the Caravan Council of Australia (CCA).
Sadly, there are still numerous serious problems that are badly tarnishing the image and reputation of the industry, and causing much grief to many caravanners.
Professional and ethical caravan and camper-trailer companies are being "tarred by the same brush" that the lesser-respected companies are using.
The Corona virus pandemic has certainly caused many severe hardships, due to all of the imposed restrictions and the interruption of business operations, but the resumption of "normal" lifestyle activities provides an excellent opportunity for the industry to work together to achieve a very high level of professionalism and credibility, and create a clean and positive image for the RV industry. Needless to say, the pandemic has also caused much disappointment and frustration for RV owners.
The CCA has been receiving the usual large number of calls and emails from caravan owners and potential-buyers. The vast majority of callers have experienced problems with their caravans, ranging from annoying minor faults to serious and dangerous defects. Most of the issues have been related to the usual “Top 5”, which are noted below.
Complaints were split fairly evenly between:
Manufacturer matters – Design and Quality – especially the long-time major problem regarding Ratings and Masses (refer Definitions) for both caravans and tow-vehicles and handling concerns on the road, and…
Dealer (Supplier) matters – regarding the information provided to them by sales personnel when first discussing a possible purchase, the hassles of having minor faults acknowledged and rectified promptly, and the extremely stressful, lengthy and expensive process of having to take legal action when the Dealer refused to abide by the Australian Consumer Law (ACL).
Very pleasing was the exceptionally high number of enquiries from first-time buyers, requesting information on what to look for – and what to be aware of – when selecting a new caravan.
The CCA never mentions any Brands or Companies, but has assisted many potential-buyers with their free “Buyer-Assist” package, which provides among other things, Checklists for “Evaluation” of what they really want, “Comparison” of what different caravans are available (as they inspect each Make & Model caravan), along with a detailed “Pre-Acceptance Inspection”.
The not-to-be-proud-of “Top 5” – issues are:
1: Too many new, under-resourced, manufacturers and importers competing in a very limited, and highly competitive, market:
The number of problems and complaints against newer, and smaller, companies are significantly disproportionately high, in relation to the number of vehicles sold by them. The caravan industry needs to protect itself, by insisting that the Government urgently introduces mandatory, comprehensive and fully independent audits and assessments of all businesses involved with the manufacturing and marketing of caravans and camper-trailers in Australia.
2: Too many serious Non-compliance, Safety and Quality problems with subsequent complaints and litigation.
In a number of cases, there is an unfortunate culture of "get these things out the door quickly... and we will worry about (or ignore) problems with them later". Often there is no proper Quality-Assurance program in place.
3: Marketing personnel not educated in major Technical and Legal issues regarding caravans.
Many caravan owners - and potential buyers - have complained about the poor knowledge, and unprofessional conduct, by some sales personnel. Frequently, very little attention is given to the "intended use" of a proposed caravan, both the proposed travel plans of the potential buyer, and the suitability (Ratings, Mass, Power, etc.) of the proposed tow-vehicle.
4: Major systemic industry problem: Vehicle Ratings and Masses frequently grossly misunderstood or simply ignored.
It is of great concern that many people continue to believe, and use, the incorrect equation - that:
Empty Ball Loading = ATM Rating minus GTM Rating
or
GTM Rating = ATM Rating minus Empty Ball-Loading
This is completely wrong.
The ATM & GTM are fixed "Ratings"… allocated by the manufacturer - using an engineering assessment - in relation to the maximum-permissible "All-Up" & "Axle(s)" limits.
The Empty Ball-Loading is an "actual mass" - that must be measured - and is obviously applicable only for the empty (Tare Mass) condition.
The correct formula is:
Actual Ball Loading = "All-up Mass" minus "Axle(s)-Loading"
5: Serious Consumer-Protection (ACL) - Non-Compliance issues with Dealers (Suppliers), especially regarding the rectification of Defects.
Product issues include: Fit for purpose; Of acceptable quality; As advertised or promoted; Safe and (fully) compliant; and Free from defects.
Stringent and prompt action needs to be taken by the relevant Government departments, when a consumer reports a serious non-compliance. Immediate remedial undertakings must be enforced - as is mandated for motor-vehicle faults - with substantial penalties imposed for ignoring or delaying the rectification.
Hopefully effective immediate action will be taken to ensure that a new highly respected image for the Caravan Industry in Australia is created, for the benefit of everyone.
Colin G Young [P.Eng.]
Member: IEAust & SAE Caravan Council of Australia www.caravancouncil.com.au
I’m pretty sure the dinosaurs died out when they stopped gathering food and started having meetings to discuss gathering food
A bookshop is one of the only pieces of evidence we have that people are still thinking
Bookmarks