Who will the RVSA affect?

The RVSA affects all trade sectors of the Recreational Vehicle industry in some way as briefly summarised under each sector below.

Low ATM Trailer Manufacturers or Importers:

All Low ATM Trailers (with an Aggregate Trailer Mass (ATM) of 4.5 tonnes or less) provided to the Australian market for the first time must be entered into the Register of Approved Vehicles (RAV).  For a low ATM trailer to be recorded in the Register of Approved Vehicles (RAV), Manufacturers and Importers providing more than 4 trailers to the Australian market must obtain a Vehicle Type Approvalfor their trailer type.  Trailers which do not appear on the RAV may not be registered by State Transport Authorities.

Motorhome Manufacturers or Importers:

Motorhome Manufacturers and Importers (Campervans and Motorhomes) will need to transition their current IPA approvals (under the MVSA) to RVSA Approvals.  Furthermore, all vehicles will need to be recorded on the RAV.  Motorhomes and campervans which do not appear on the RAV may not be registered by State Transport Authorities.

Recreational Vehicle Dealer:

Under the RVSA, it is an offence to modify a vehicle (e.g. dealer-fitted options) that will invalidate the approval conditions once it is entered on the RAV and before it is first provided (either sold or under contract) to the market.  The RVSA is also likely to affect the Registration Process of all Vehicles including Trailers at a dealer level.  This means the dealers may have to understand a new process for registering their Recreational Vehicles.   Each State and Territory transport authority will incorporate the RVSA requirements and RAV database into their registration systems.  More information can be found HERE.

Component Supplier/ Component Manufacturer or Importer:

If you manufacture, supply or import a component, accessory or assembly which is governed by a relevant Australian Design Rule (ADR) then (if applicable) under RVSA, you may need to obtain a Component Type Approval (CTA) in place of any existing CRN‘s or SARN’s.  Over time, to obtain an approval (to be called Component Type Approvals), your evidence or testing for the relevant component will need come from an RVSA approved testing facility.

Recreational Vehicle Service/ Repairers:

Recreational Vehicle Service and Repair agents will need to be aware of the changes through the RVSA and understand the implications of modifying a Recreational Vehicle – particularly prior to being provided (either sold or under contract) to market.