Importing an RV into Australia

Paul and others might be interested in this, an official view of the process.1 June 2006
Ian,
In regard to your inquiring regarding mobile homes and their use in South Australia.
If someone is coming from overseas and hiring a mobile home to travel around it is pretty simple as the vehicle is a Australian complying vehicle and registered here anyway. 
If they are going to bring the vehicle with them then it gets a bit more involved.

If they are coming here as visitors and bring their vehicle with them and taking it back again when they are finished then it is not to difficult . They would have to arrange a Carnet (type of bond) from their motoring organisation before they left and they would be allowed to drive in Australia for up to six months on their overseas registration, but they would be required to cover their vehicle with third party insurance for the period it is in Australia.

This can be done at any registration branch. There is no requirement to modify the vehicle or to bring it up to Aust spec if it being used under a Carnet. They just have to make sure that their overseas registration will cover the period they are in Australia.

If they are to be gaining residence status and moving here permanently then they would have to meet certain importation requirements and would need to bring the vehicle up to Aust specs including a LH or rear access door.

In any case they should contact the Federal Dept of Transport and Regional Services in Canberra regarding gaining approval to import the vehicle into Australia.  http://www.dotars.gov.au/index.htm

Hope this help, if you have any further inquiries please let me know.

David Gunner
Senior Vehicle Standards Officer
Vehicle Standards
Department for Transport, Energy & Infrastructure
Adelaide, South Australia
PS: My Note: 3rd Party Insurance is a compulsory insurance that covers injuries to other people in case of an accident and it is taken out through the registration department in any State. It doesn't provide any cover for you, your vehicle, for any other vehicle, or for any damage that might be done. You would be well advised to undertake a Comprehensive Insurance that will provide cover for those other items.
I would suggest checking this out with your nearest Australian Embassy, I'm sure they could fill in the info for you.
PPS: and the DoTARS page that seems most useful is http://www.dotars.gov.au/transreg/vsb/vsb_10_downloads.aspx which provides the information, Standards, and Documentation requirements for Importing Vehicles into Australia.

Info just received from the Recreational Vehicle Manufacturers Association.Ian:
It is imperative that anyone contemplating importing any RV thoroughly studies the requirements of the Department of Transport Vehicle Safety Standards, to ensure that the vehicle can be imported and registered.  There are a lot of problems with non-complying imported RVs, not meeting dimensional requirements, having appliances and/or their installations not meeting the Australian Standards, etc.

Here are the two main web-sites for compliancing information:
http://www.dotars.gov.au/transreg/vsb/index.aspx  VSB-1  Trailers/Caravans
http://rvcs-prodweb.dot.gov.au/  then "Administrator's Circulars" for 0-4-6 & 0-4-12 for motorhomes/camper-vans
                                                "ADR Applicability Tables" & "Australian Design Rules" for ADR Information
The vehicle importing information is in VSB-10:
http://www.dotars.gov.au/transreg/vsb/vsb_10.aspx

Regards
Colin
Recreational Vehicle Manufacturers Association of Australia, Inc.
64 Harcourt Street, North Melbourne, VIC 3051
Tel:  (03) 9329 3790
Fax: (03) 9329 3706
[email protected]
www.rvmaa.com.au

Ian,

A belated thanks for posting that information and the follow-up. As discussed by PM, I'll get it into the library for future reference by others planning to go down under.

I know that your original information was in response to Paul's request regarding someone taking their RV to AU for a tour, then returning home again. Do you know of any folks living in AU who might do what Paul and others have done, i.e. buy a coach in the U.S. and "take it home" for use &/or sale there?

BTW is there any useful info you could share for folks who would wish to rent an RV in AU and tour the country vs importing one?

TIA.

Good point. I don't know but will check around and see what I can find out.

I remember that Terry and Liliane Nathan came to Oz about 6 years ago and hired an RV to do some touring. Terry tells me it was the Hire From He## and was a nightmare from the start. Even to doors falling off!! Ask him sometime to tell the story, and explain about the letters they taped onto the windscreen

I have not heard about folks bringing RV's back with them but there are a few US-made RV's around so they are getting here somehow.

Lou Schneider, one of our long-time forum members, spent several weeks in AU some years ago and rented an RV for part of that time. I don't recall the details but IIRC he was happy with his rental.

Hi Tom -

I didn't "hire" a RV, but "hired on" as a driver to transport one from Sydney to Cairns during my first trip to Australia about 10 years ago.? Brits Australia ran an ad in one of the Backpacker's magazines aimed at travelling college students, offering very cheap rentals between selected cities, subject to availability.? To get around the visa restrictions I wasn't actually employed - I paid the company $25 and promised to pay a hefty penalty if I didn't deliver the unit in Cairns within a week.

This was a good deal for both parties.  The company was able to re-locate their inventory without having to pay for a driver and fuel, and the renter likewise got a great deal - cheap transportation from Point A to Point B and the use of the camper for a week.

The unit I got was a small Class B with a pop-top, on a Toyota van chassis.? I had no complaints, everything worked and was in good condition.

Sorry Lou, my memory failed me on the details.