Why do you need engineer approval for your campervan conversion or vehicle modification? It’s a complicated world out there and the vast number of new campervan conversion companies popping up around Australia give you loads of options to choose from for your campervan conversion. One thing you should never compromise on is safety and financial liability. Always ensure the company you use for your modification or campervan conversion has either second-stage manufacture approval or can give you an engineer’s approval certificate/compliance plate for the work they’ve done.
Moreover, it’s essential to obtain a weighbridge certificate and engineer approval to ensure safety compliance. Without these, you could be driving a vehicle not designed to bear its weight, compromising driving safety and increasing liability in accidents. So, before making any modifications, be sure to check the allowed GVM (weight allowance for your vehicle) to avoid any potential issues down the road.
Insurance:
Without second-stage compliance or an engineer’s certificate/engineer’s approval for your campervan conversion or vehicle modification, you are unable to take your van to the relevant roads authority in your state and get your modification or campervan conversion registered in their system. You cannot insure your van for the full value of your vehicle + the modification / campervan conversion you’ve paid for without registering it in their system. An unapproved campervan conversion could lead to the issue of paying $50,000 for a vehicle and $20,000 for the conversion, but in the event of an accident, your insurance company may only compensate you for the vehicle portion.
Liability
A financial issue is a problem, but what happens if it’s your vehicle or driving that causes the accident and one of the insurance companies/police authority find out that you have been driving around with an unapproved modification/campervan conversion, or worse still that your campervan conversion or cabinetry has pushed your van over its allowed GVM. This will leave you personally liable for any costs, injuries and deaths caused by the accident. Some serious things to think about while looking for the right business to work with and ensuring you receive an engineer’s approval for your campervan conversion or vehicle modification.
For more information on what second-stage compliance means and why you need to make sure your motorhome or campervan complies, check out this in-depth article by Caravancampingsales.com.au
Another great, more recent article that explores the issue for the industry as a whole can be found here.
For more information on why Achtung Camper is a great choice for a safe and compliant vehicle check out our web page here.
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