US Imports

Hear, Hear! Good to read a post from a person who obviously knows his stuff. Couldn't agree more and I have personally closely inspected 100's of them from the US as well as motorhomes and boat trailers. As stated, the problem is not always poor quality but there are no ADRs in the US hence the non-compliance issues in AUS. mountindoctor if you think everything that comes from USA is good quality you must still believe in the tooth fairy. Why do you think their car industry is stuffed e.g Jeep, Dodge, Chrysler even the yanks won't buy them.

In response to blown4x4, you're missing my point mate, But I agree with you about Chrysler-Jeep, they are crap vehicle, but I only used the Toyota car theme to put my point across, I am not interested in owning an American car, (especially a Jeep). And aside from the ADR issues, Im saying that the averaged US built Van (RV) is far more well equipped that ours, built here. Our van manufactures need to look at what they are offering us compared to to what the US companies offer the American consumers. Furthermore, the issue on profit margins, market and sales demand is only an excuse for our manufactures to rip us off, or, in other words, so as not to "offend" the anti-American readers, is for our van builders to offer us a cheap as possible (basic model) van at an un-realistic and excessive price!!! No wonder they cant sell enough.....its like me trying to sell a tray of mangoes on the side of the road from the back of me ute for twice the price woolies are selling them for, how many will I sell? Our local industries are forcing us to look at imports because of their own greed and cut backs in quality and/or refinements and appointments.

Mate I don't think I missed your point. "So called experts saying they do not comply with our strict standards. What a load of bull" Well the facts are and as stated by others here: 'Many do fail to meet the standards' e.g. ADRs, Australian Standards, Gas regulations and Electrical wiring standards. I can't see any mention of equipment levels in your initial post. To be fair, many AUS made trailers do not comply either. Regarding the equipment offered by the AUS manufacturers, maybe they have to offer a 'poverty pack' base model here to be able to compete witto h the cheaper imports. Having to compete with countries where the workers work 17 hour days 7 days/week and sleep on the workshop floor with no minimum wage protection and no safety or environmental rules is hardly a level playing field. I would say if you do your homework and check them out technically as well as do your sums and then add an amount to do some re-work when they arrive to meet the compliance aspect, if they stack up then go ahead and buy one. Just be sure the quality is there though because as may have already found out, there is often a reason for the price difference. The Gibb River Road is littered with failures.

Yes, I do agree, our adr`s are strict and much different to comparable US standards. Although our adr`s are strict for safety reasons, there comes a point where govt regulation and red-tape becomes over the top in regards to so called "safety" and points more towards revenue or "$$$". However, I did in my initial post make reference to the build quality of the US unit compared to ours. I have visited the US and looked at the finer points of detail in their RV`s, even right down to the
material of the upholstery, and the panelling they use. Options are almost endless. Most brands even give you a real bleep ter for gods sake to sit on, instead of a tin or plastic bucket bowl that most of ours use. Also, yes, the cost of re-work, may well exceed the economics. I dont beleive I will purchase a 2nd hand unit, but I am looking into getting a new unit built (thru a dealer over here) for fit-out here, which still works out cheaper than a Aussie built unit, sad as it may be. The only issue I am concerned about is warranty and back-up if there is a problem. Then again I have heard about issues with some locally built vans and warranty problems. I would much rather walk into a local caravan yard and purchase a locally built product and keep Aussies working. But im getting better value going to an overseas builder. What I would like to see is our manufactures to wake up a bit, and get back into the game and spirit of competing for business (like the Americans do) rather than thinking of how much can we rip off the local consumers.
And, to your last reference to the Gibb river, any dick head that takes a sealed road type van across that terrain deserves to get "stuck". I am not planning to get off -road with my fifth wheeler. If i did, I would buy a heavy-duty off road van. And even some of those I have used in the past (when working out bush) have fallen to bits (if not maintained and repaired regularly)

Hi Mountain doctor
Re Quote"Ive been reading a lot about imported fifth wheelers, from owners and dealers and local manufactures. So called experts saying they do not comply with our strict standards. What a load of bulll bleep e. Have our so called experts, engineers or caravan builders actuallly had a look at how well constructed some of these american trailers are. I doubt it?"[end quote]

Perhaps you should investigate a lot further, before rubbishing "'SO CALLED EXPERTS"
Have YOU read the relevant AUSTRALIAN standards, on which many "so called experts" base their comments
Others based on actual experience
The shonks had a wide open go with bringing in non compliant units ,but NOW the Authorities are awake to what has been going on.
Many many so called compliance documents are not worth the paper they are written on
Made out by either non caring or incompetent persons knowing, in these days of self regulation, there would be little chance of a cross check being done & so being caught out

The standard US made van ,5th wheelers /motor homes fail in many aspects to meet the requirements of the various AUSTRALIAN STANDARDS & the ADRS

Many owners of those or purchasers of 2nd /3rd hand units could find themselves with very expensive requirements to bring the units up to AUS Standards

Nomadic Navara's post above lays out some of the problems

IF thinking of buying such units Take great care
Specify ALL must comply with AUS Standards & regulation
Make sure it ALL does when you receive it

PeterQ

Im hearing you on the ADR standards about gas, electrical, hitches, axles, width etc etc .............sure their approval standards will be different to ours. Im not really knocking our safety regs. However I am standing firm on the American built vans. I Mean like most Americans, they love bells and whistles. Who doesnt? Example, look at lets say a Toyota Camry built in japan, one for our market and the other for the US, which one has more appointments as standard features hey? Yep not ours. We get the poverty pack. American consumers are way more demanding than us. We just seem to cop whatever bleep e is thrown at us, and we just buy it. But, if I am paying 120,000 large (or more) for decent size van, why shouldnt I expect the same as an American consumer? Why cant I have 3 or 4 slideouts instead of 1 or 2 and full size beds and reasonable size and appointed bathroom? Why cant ours have fully ducted heating and air conditioning? Yes, agreed there will be low, average and high quality van builders in the US, same as here in Oz. Just because we have only a tiny market compared to the US shouldnt mean we meekly accept a cheaper or an inferior product and pay more for it. I don't believe the US safety standards arent safe, they are just different to ours. What Im saying is Aussie manufacturers need to lift their game a peg or 2 or 3 and take note of what the yanks are building compared to what our builders offer us here down under. It just seems to me, that the yanks build their vans to a standard and we build ours to a price, and a damn expensive one too compared to theirs.

.

HI

I hope he has also specified
[1]All electrical appliances& accessories to be 220/240V & have Australian Approval
[2]ALL electrical wiring to comply to AS/NZS 3000:2007 & AS/NZS 3001:2008
[3]All gas Installation to be to AUS Standards
[4]ALL gas appliances to have AUS approval

The old days with getting away with 110V system supplied by a step down transformer ;WHICH WAS NEVER LEGAL OR APPROVED are gone!!!

PeterQ

Hope so too! He's a switched on(pardon the pun)kinda guy!

Your friend is smart after seeing some of the crap built here in Australia Iam not surprised he is going overseas. I have a story to tell about a caravan maker in Australia (vic),a so called top end van that we have had built but I will wait until they have had a chance to make good on their product ,they make claims of "the rolls royce of caravans"
Jeff

I agree with Jeff P, I see far too many brand new vans with very average and often poor or sub-standard workmanship ( one example; beads of silicone sealant applied and wiped by fingers in shower cubicles) at caravan and camping shows, where you would think the company would ensure display models were none less than perfect at least for display purposes.