New Trailer Building Laws Previewed

The wheels are finally turning on the implementation of the much-anticipated Road Vehicle Standards Act, with the Department of Infrastructure, Regional Development and Cities releasing the Vehicle Standards Bulletin (VSB 1) Revision 6 for public comment in September.

The release of the document follows on from the announcement that the implementation of the legislation would be delayed until at latest 1 July 2021.

The postponement, which, say the department, was made to ‘ensure that governments, manufacturers and importers have sufficient time to prepare for the transition to the new arrangements’, rocked industry stakeholders, who anticipated a quicker turnaround following the new bill passing through parliament on 28 November 2018.

The recently revealed draft of the VSB 1 Revision 6 relates to the building of small trailers, which includes camper trailers and caravans. Its purpose is to 'provide an easy to read source of Australian Design Rules (ADRs) requirements for small trailers' and it’ll play a major part within the RVSA 2018 framework when that it is eventually implemented.

Final feedback, from industry players and the public, was due on October 11 2019. The purpose of this consultation was to ensure any concerns were addressed and that the bulletin was a useful reference going forward.

The upgrade to the VSB 1 is the most significant in over 10 years, although it seems that camper trailer manufacturers will not have to overwrite their manufacturing processes drastically — at least not because of changes to the VSB 1.

The key additions and changes to the document, as identified by CCIA New South Wales, are: the addition of basic light trailer braking performance requirements; guidance on light and reflector placements including new diagrams on required visibility angles; corrected information on side marker lamps; updated references to gas and electrical installation standards; the need for vehicle plates to display GTM and Tare, as well as ATM; and guidance on the use of component type approvals (such as of couplings, brake systems and chassis) and how they’ll support RVSA approvals under VSB 1 (Revision 6).

For more information on the new regulations, head to www.infrastructure.gov.au/vehicles/rvs.