The quality compliance of trailer and caravan manufacturers is expected to be stricter starting on July 1, 2022, with new regulations being put into place.
Caravan and trailer manufacturers across Australia have just a few months to update their systems and register for the new Road Vehicle Standard Act 2018 (RVSA) before it officially replaces the Motor Vehicle Standards Act 1989.
The regulations are a clear upgrade from the regulations manufacturers used to know. Wendy Maclean, Project Manager at Australian Off-Road, described the new Australian rules as the “toughest in the world.”
The Caravan Industry Association of Australia encourages affected manufacturers and importers to get up to speed with these changes to implement any required changes before the cut-off.
By July 2022, manufacturers who aren’t approved cannot continue to operate. Manufacturers who postpone approval until the last minute could also be delayed and lose stocks.
The new quality standards
If you are applying for approval for a vehicle type, low ATM trailer, and component approvals to meet the new requirements, you need to complete the following:
- Full control over all stages of the design, componentry, and manufacturing process for your specific vehicle, or
- Access to any important information relating to the design, componentry, and manufacture of the vehicle. More specifically, any changes that may affect a given road vehicle’s compliance.
To meet the requirements, supporting documentation must be supplied.
For a registered automotive workshop (RAW) approval, the manufacturer must also prove that the quality control system is in place to guide their activities. Any company needs to prove they are also under “full control.”
If you can demonstrate “full control,” supporting documentation will be compiled in your ISO 9001 certification process. Importers and manufacturers who aren’t certified should instead prove their claim to have “full control” by providing:
- Documentation that covers all operating practices and processes, which is used to form a full QMS. This is used to demonstrate they have full control over the design, componentry, and manufacture, or
- A summarised version of the QMS. Though fully documented measures and operating instructions must still be completed internally, as they may be requested during the assessment process.
The role of ISO 9001 compliance
As the universal standard for quality management, ISO 9001 is used by millions of companies worldwide.
When a business complies, it can be assured that the company has lean processes to achieve quality results.
As the new regulations for trailer and caravan manufacturers become effective, the certification of their companies with ISO 9001 will become more crucial than ever.
To be eligible for approval under the new law, applicants will need to prove they have a Quality Management System in place, like achieving ISO 9001 compliance.
Although the ISO 9001 certificate isn’t mandatory in the RVS law with the quality management system certification, it can be appropriately documented. It’s as long as the certification is up-to-date and covers areas such as manufacturing and areas design of road vehicles.
To learn more about the new RVS legislation, visit the Australian Government’s quality management system requirements page.