Registering A Camper Trailer Guide

Australia is a massive country, one of the biggest in the world. They don’t call it the Great Southern Land for nothing!

Most of the states and territories of Australia are vast and have their own laws. This includes laws that pertain to camper trailers and registering them.

Mars Campers are an Australian camper trailer manufacturer with stores all across Australia. Our extensive knowledge of camper trailers includes the laws of the different states and territories of Australia, and we can help you with what you need to do.

Dealing with bureaucracy of any sort can be headache-inducing on the best of days, and it’s extra frustrating when all you want to do is go camping.

Our state-by-state guide will thoroughly, but simply, explain what you need to know about trailer registration to make it much easier for you.

Victoria

Car and camper trailer driving through a river

Is Registration Required?

Most types of trailers in Victoria must be registered at a VicRoads branch, including camper trailers. Your camper can be registered to an individual or a company if need be.

However, small, light trailers are exempt from this, except for those that are specifically designed to carry a boat. To fit the exemption criteria, these trailers must:

Weigh under 200kg when unladen.
Is 3 metres or less in length, including the drawbar.
Not be wider than the towing vehicle.
Have a number plate that matches the tow vehicle’s number plate.
Not be used for business purposes.

Weight Requirements & Measurements

Weight Requirements

The weight requirements will depend on the type of camper trailer you have, its aggregate trailer mass (ATM), and what you use it for.

If the mass of your trailer is over 750kg, you will have to complete a vehicle registration form and make a trailer inspection appointment.

Measurements

The maximum dimensions for light trailers are:

Height: 4.0 metres.
Length: 12.5 metres (including the drawbar)
Width: 2.5 metres (including guards, awnings, and permanent fixtures)

Your Appointment

You will have to organise an appointment with VicRoads to register your camper trailer. But before you do that, you’ll have to get a Certificate of Roadworthiness and take it to your appointment. This certificate can be attained at a Roadworthy tester location.

You should also ensure that you have the following details before your appointment:

Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) or chassis number.
Your current license number.
Your camper’s make, model, and previous registration number (if applicable).

Depending on what type of camper trailer you have, you will have to bring along the relevant forms for:

New South Wales

Is Registration Required?

All types of vehicles in New South Wales must be registered, and that includes camper trailers. You can register your trailer at a Service NSW centre.

The cost of registration depends on how much your camper trailer weighs and whether you intend to use it for personal or business purposes. However, camper trailers are exempt from stamp duty.

What’s great for camper trailer owners is that the NSW Government reduced the motor vehicle tax on camper trailers by 40% from 1 November 2018, so your registration fees will not cost as much as it used to.

There are a few forms you may need to fill in to register your camper trailer:

Weight Requirements

Any light camper trailers that has a gross vehicle mass (GVM) under 4.5 tonnes have to be registered. Any trailers that are over 2 tonnes in gross trailer mass (GTM) will be inspected before registration.

Your trailer will not need the Compulsory Third Party (CTP) insurance that vehicles require. The aforementioned 40% tax reduction applies to camper trailers that weigh between 255kg and 4.5 tonnes.

Queensland

Car and camper trailer driving on a red dirt road

Is Registration Required?

All camper trailers based in Queensland must be registered with the Department of Transport and Main Roads website. You have to apply for registration if you:

Buy an unregistered camper trailer.
Buy a second-hand camper trailer.
You have moved to Queensland from another Australian state or territory.
Your registration expired over three months ago.

Weight Requirements

Camper trailers in Queensland that have an ATM over 750kg or less do not need to undergo an inspection or need a safety certificate.

You can assess your trailer’s weight yourself by going through the self-assessment form. A weighbridge certificate is required if your camper trailer’s GTM is over 1.02 tonnes; you can get this from a public weighbridge.

Registration Checklist

An original copy of your current Queensland safety certificate or certificate of inspection.
Evidence of the camper trailer’s garage address, such as your driver’s license, bills, or a bank statement.
A form of identification.

South Australia

Car and camper trailer driving on a beach

Is Registration Required?

Camper trailers in South Australia must be registered through SA Transport and have compulsory third-party insurance.

Once you have completed the registration form, you have to take it to a service centre and pay the registration fee.

You will also need to bring proof that you purchased the camper trailer. This can be an invoice or some other type of evidence that shows that you brought the camper trailer from a dealership.

Your evidence must list the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN), and the particulars of the make and model of the trailer that must match with the details you have provided on your application. If you cannot provide any proof of purchase, then an identity inspection will be needed.

Weight Requirements

On your application, you must include your camper trailer’s GTM, which should be included on the trailer’s identification plate.

A trailer’s loaded mass must not exceed the rated capacities of tow bars or tow couplings. The towing mass is specified by the trailer’s manufacturer, and the Gross Combination Mass (GCM) should be written on the registration certificate.

Measurements

The vehicle and trailer’s combined length should not be over 19 metres.
The rear projection should not be more than 3.7 metres or longer than the load in front of the axle.
A flag must be added if the rear projection is over 1.2 metres.

Western Australia

Car and camper trailer driving

Is Registration Required?

Camper trailers in Western Australia can be registered in the same way that light vehicles can.

You have to complete the Proposed Licence Holder Declaration side of a Form VL7 vehicle registration form and then take it to a Department of Transport (DoT) service centre.

If you brought a second-hand camper trailer that was previously registered to the person who sold it to you, they must fill in the Seller’s Declaration side of the same form.

If the camper trailer is jointly owned, you will need to fill out a Form VL186 instead, and have it accompanied by the camper trailer application form so the applicant’s particulars can be verified.

Weight Requirements

The GVM of your camper trailer cannot exceed 4,500kg. Your fees are calculated based on the camper trailer’s weight and also includes the third-party insurance cost.

The mass weight of the camper trailer should be listed in the manufacturer’s specifications or licensing documents.

However, if these documents do not determine the camper trailer’s mass weight, you may need to present the DoT with a weighbridge certificate instead.

Inspection

Prior to handing in your application form to the DoT, you have to get your camper trailer inspected to ensure that it is roadworthy. Note that as camper trailers are fitted for humans to sleep in, they are exempt from your vehicle licence duty.

Tasmania

Car and camper trailer parked under trees

Is Registration Required?

Camper trailers in Tasmania must be registered with Transport Tasmania. Camper trailer owners get a renewal notice sent to them before the registration expires, but it is their responsibility to ensure it remains registered.

All new camper trailers must have a vehicle identification plate that is securely affixed to it by the trailer manufacturer. These have to be placed in a noticeable position where it can easily be read and be protected from damage caused by weather and debris.

Weight Requirements

Camper trailers are registered in Tasmania in the same way as light vehicles if they have an ATM that is no more than 4.5 tonnes as that is the maximum weight it can carry.

If the trailer is either tandem or tri-axle, you have to get it weighed at a weigh bridge before it goes to the AIS.

Inspection

Camper trailers must be inspected at an Approved Inspection Station (AIS) and comply with the requirements listed on the VSB1 form. A camper trailer will require inspection if any of the following is applicable:

The trailer is being registered for the first time in Australia.
The trailer’s registration expired three or more months ago.
You want to register a trailer that registered in another state.
A Defect Notice or a Departmental Call-In Notice has been issued against it.

A Vehicle Examiner will inspect the following functions of your camper trailer:

Electrical check
Number plate and its light
Compliance plate
Vehicle Identification Number (VIN)
Chassis Number

Northern Territory

Car and camper trailer driving on red dirt road

Is Registration Required?

People in the Northern Territory who own a camper trailer or are going to buy one must get it registered with the Motor Vehicle Registry (MVR) and ensure that it is roadworthy.

Camper trailers also require compulsory third-party insurance (CTPI). The roadworthy inspection costs extra, but it will be added to your registration fee.

Weight Requirements

Your vehicle’s towing capacity must be suitable for your camper trailer to tow. The MVR’s Vehicle Inspectors Bulletin (VIB) 13 complies with the Vehicle Standards Bulletin 1 (VSB 1) has a set of design and construction standards that apply to camper trailers with an ATM of 4.5 tonnes or less.

Inspection

Your camper trailer’s plate must display the following information regarding the trailer and has to be easy to read:

The trailer model.
VIN that should be stamped directly onto the trailer’s frame
The manufacturer’s name
ATM
Manufacture date (month/year)
Certification Statement

Australian Capital Territory

Car and camper trailer driving with blue sky

Is Registration Required?

New camper trailers have to be registered at the Access Canberra Motor Vehicle Inspection Station in Hume or at an approved inspection station.

They do not need compulsory third-party insurance because they are covered by the insurance of the towing vehicle.

Once the inspection has been passed, your camper trailer will be issued with a trailer plate with a VIN that may be stamped or engraved onto the trailer’s chassis.

This plate must be purchased by the trailer operator, who has to also provide a photo of the trailer and the plate so it can be listed with its owner in Access Canberra’s records.

Weight Requirements

Camper trailers that are registered in the ACT can have an ATM that goes up to 4.5 tonnes to be in compliance with the VSB 1.

The fees for different weights incur different prices. If your trailer has been modified, you will need a weighbridge ticket to take with you with your other registration forms.

Call Us To Learn More About Camper Trailers

We hope our guide has helped you understand the trailer registration requirements for each state and territory of Australia. If you want more information, we recommend that you read your state’s road authority website or pop into one of their offices.

However, if you want more information on camper trailers themselves, feel free to contact Mars Campers by calling 1300 667 868 today!

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