Modifications to our Aussie Caravan in NZ

There are a few things that we needed to do to our Australian JB Caravan to make it NZ compliant.

Self Containment Certificate

The rules surrounding self-containment are different in NZ than in Australia.

To legally be able to freedom camp in NZ, you need a self-contained camper or caravan.

The NZ Self-containment (NZ5465:2001) is the certification used to show that a camper or caravan fits the following criteria.  Click on the link above for more information.

 

If a campervan or caravan has all these features, it is not classed as ‘certified self-contained’ until it has received a warrant under the NZ Standard for Self Containment of Motor Caravans and Caravans.

There wasn’t much that needed doing to our van to be compliant under the above regulations.  We needed to fit P Traps to all drains and ensure we had a rubbish bin with a lid.

NZ Electrical Certificate

In order to meet NZ compliance, we needed to change the external power plug and relay.  An Electrical Inspector checked all other electrical components and issued us with an Electrical Certificate.

TV Satellite

Our JB Milano came standard with a manual Winegard TV aerial.  This would be adequate if we were staying in built-up areas and had a clear ‘line of sight’ to the nearest repeater station.  As this was not going to be the case with the majority of the places we will be staying, we opted to upgrade our aerial to a fully automatic RV satellite dish NZSAT Automatic.

For future proofing, make sure that at the time of the build, your manufacturer runs cabling to the TV’s which is compatible with satellite. 

Once the Winegard TV aerial was removed, there was room to install an additional solar panel. This brought our total amount of panels to 4 (see the previous blog).

Internet Connection

We are living full time on the road so we researched our options on what internet providers were available.  We decided on Wireless Nation.  

The package we chose includes the following for $99mth.

• 120GB
• 4G Enabled
• free 50GB offpeak data
• free e-mail account
• NZ Help Desk

This system was very easy to set up and was up and running within 5 minutes.  Their communication and support were excellent.  

WiTi Anti-theft Device

It is alarming to read about the increase in caravan/camper thefts.  We didn’t want our caravan to become another statistic.

We fitted a WiTi Anti Theft Device.

The system is specifically designed for caravans and trailers with electric brakes.

The WiTi detects movement.  When your caravan is moved slightly while the WiTi is active, immediately brakes are applied, lights flash and the alarm sounds.  Our caravan will be immobilised and unable to be moved.

We upgraded to include GPS tracking and alerting.  An alarm is triggered and sent to your mobile phone.  There is also a feature for ‘real-time’ tracking in the event of theft.

WiTi is manufactured in Australia, however, there is an agent in NZ that you can contact.  TowPro Trailers can arrange shipment and answer any questions. 

For details and pricing enquiries, contact Kevin at TowPro Trailers Ltd, Kevin@towprotrailers.co.nz.

Bike Racks

We are fortunate enough to be able to mount two bike racks onto the front of our caravan.  These racks have been attached to the two storage units on the drawbar.  One box is for the generator and the other is for the Weber BBQ.  There is also an aluminium bar inserted on the inside of the boxes for extra stability.

The racks we used is the Torpedo 7 brand.  These have proved to be an excellent choice, keeping the bikes stable when towing and secure with locking devices.  We used extra tie-downs for extra stability.

Check out our other blogs: 

So, We Brought an Aussie Caravan – Why?

How we Imported an Aussie Caravan to NZ