AUSTRALIAN RV INDUSTRY 1.  Manufacturers There are over 30 Caravan manufacturers, 60 Camper/slide-on manufacturers and 15 Motorhome/Campervan manufacturers within Australia. Over 85% of these are manufactured in the Greater Melbourne area, hence Victoria is regarded as the recreational vehicle (RV) capital of Australia. The RV Manufacturing industry is extremely labour intensive, due predominately to its low production volumes, in comparison to other industries such as motor vehicles and marine. Many products are custom engineered to suit the requirements of the consumer. Consequently, it is not uncommon for 20 weeks to pass between order placement and final delivery. The majority of manufacturers are Members of CIA (Victorian Trades Division) and/or our interstate sister associations. The state associations provide various levels of assistance and expertise as required. In terms of engineering and compliance, the Recreational Vehicle Manufacturers Association of Australia (RVMAA) provides this service to its manufacturing Members. 96% of all recreational vehicles are manufactured in Australia with the remaining 4% imported from Canada, North America, South Africa, Europe, China, New Zealand and the UK. 2.  Manufacturing Production Statistics Regrettably there is no firm independent data on manufacturing statistics within or external of the Industry. The RVMAA provides a “guide” however this is not representative of the entire industry. In terms of numbers, industry sources estimate 18,000 RVs (all categories) including imports rolled out of plants in the 2007 calendar year. Victoria accounts for a third of all RV sales. 3. Appointed Dealer Networks The majority of manufacturers (more so the larger businesses) have a Dealer Network throughout the country providing sales, support, service and spare parts assistance for their products.  Dealers also exhibit at RV shows on behalf of their manufacturer, providing a key link between the product and the local community. Dealers may have a number of franchises representing one or many RV market segments. This is more common in Regional locations or areas that are not excessively populated. Manufacturers that may have only one retail outlet set up service agreements with RV service centres throughout the country. This strategy provides the consumer with the assurance that should a problem develop, assistance will not be too far away. Dealers attend training and product sessions with their respective manufacturers to ensure they are kept up to date.