RVMAA Report Update

As many of you will recall I am in the process of preparing a report for submission to RVMAA concerning the caravan industry in Australia and the many shortcomings of those who sell us the mobile homes we use. For many their caravan is the second most expensive item they will buy in their lifetime and to put it bluntly ‘they are being ripped off’.

The report is still some time away from completion due in part to the ever increasing pool of data and information which is coming to hand.

Of concern at the moment following the Brisbane Caravan and Camping Show last weekend are reports that all is not well within the RVMAA. A Sydney spy had reported that a meeting held in conjunction with the last Sydney Show was not as ‘polite’ as one would have expected and that there were actually some who voted with their feet and walked out of that meeting in disgust. As yet another attempt by Queensland to go one up on NSW it now appears that the Brisbane meeting last Friday was so bad, and the shouting so loud, that many of those members who were in attendance did a Tamana Tahu and walked out and furthermore they would like to see the members of the executive who were involved follow Joey Johns into oblivion.

For those of us who sit around the Happy Hour fires we always thought that the RVMAA was run by people from a major manufacturer but it does appear that despite changes at the recent elections the whole thing is now controlled by a clique from yet another manufacturer since the new chairman and one of the old team are both from organizations owned by a ‘would be big’ company. I am told that there are real concerns held by local members that RVMAA could implode. However I am also led to understand that there are already moves afoot in the south to form a new Association of manufacturers who are prepared to live by a Code of Practice and provide the products and the services which we, the end users, are looking for. There are good builders out there but like when I go fishing there is too much space in between and there is absolutely no supervision being applied by Govts. or Govt Depts. Like the manufacturers there are too many taking their money under false pretences.

We as consumers need to know that there is someone watching the road and providing information and up to date technical advice to those who operate in the workshops. Another rumour would indicate that the dissemination of Technical Info through RVMAA is now banned by the Executive.

This whole mess does little for those who have to trust the industry to be honest and up front.

Kevin J