RV FEATURE
Mr Lamont , however , pointed out that about that 25,000 RVs were built in Australia each year , with another 70,000 imported from overseas .
“ While we don ’ t want to see any complaints about our products , as a percentage of overall RVs built , those numbers are quite low ,” Mr Lamont said .
“ Over a five-year period , the ACCC received 1300 complaints but when you look at the total of up to 190,000 RVs built locally or imported , it ’ s a very small percentage .
“ No doubt we need to take heed of the ACCC identifying some issues , and we support the report as an incredibly useful document to remind manufacturers of what their obligations are under the ACL . We look forward to working the ACCC about how as an industry we can be even better when we pull up short .”
The Australian RV industry has had to respond to a complex , rapidly changing landscape in recent years , as acknowledged by the ACCC report .
Bushfires in Australia and covid lockdowns in China ( which is the primary source of imported RVs ) lead to a 25 per cent decrease in imports in the first half of 2020 .
Meanwhile , domestic manufacturing struggled to match 2019 production levels in Victoria , where 90 per cent of manufacturing occurs .
Then , in late 2020 , international border closures , eased domestic travel restrictions and even government stimulus packages , created unprecedented public demand for new RVs , which in turn put greater pressure on already-stressed supply chains .
The RV industry , Mr Lamont said , was also experiencing a shortfall of people qualified to repair vans . “ Caravans are hand-made , constructed of many thousands of pieces , and then subjected to some of the harshest terrain on the planet ,” he said . “ It ’ s unreasonable to expect that there won ’ t be problems from time to time . But the issue isn ’ t if something happens , it ’ s what happens when it does .”
The lack of service and repair networks around the country by some smaller manufacturers and importers was bound to contribute to the issues outlined in the report , Mr Lamont said .
Caravan and Camping Industry Association CEO Stuart Lamont
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