Jayco(Australia) building its truly 1/2 ton towable model

Francesca Knowles wrote:
Unless it's the ONLY U.S.-built-fivers-are-bad thread you can find, I don't understand why you keep pointing to it.

Is the suspension on imported fifth wheelers strong enough for Australian roads?.

TheAmerican standard suspension will not stand up to Australian road conditions.
The suspension must be upgraded. Some dealers reinforce the American suspension but others install a standard Australian suspension. The suspension must comply with the weight of the fifth wheeler

There is another article ‘Fifth Wheeler Hitches – April 2009’ by Collyn Rivers in the (April edition) of the CMCA ‘The Wanderer’ which covers the topic of single oscillatory hitches and some problems being experience by some owners of 5th wheelers. If you own an imported 5th wheeler with a single oscillatory hitch we suggest it would be in your own interests to obtain a copy of the Wanderer and read the concerns expressed.

Since I raised this issue (in mid-
December 2008), repairers have
personally reported incidents of damage
(including chassis damage) to tow vehicles
and their fifth wheel trailers. There have
been over 130 reported incidents.
Compounding this is that a (still)
unknown number of imported fifth wheel
trailers are alleged to have been illegally
registered as being within the 4.5 tonne
ATM (Aggregate Trailer Mass)

If you're researching 5th wheelers you're going to discover (or already have discovered) that the market seems to be filled by imported units from North America . Most of these importers/dealers buy existing 5th wheelers and convert them in Australia , or have them built with mirrored floorplans to suit driving on the opposite side of the road. Unfortunately, the 5th wheelers are still designed for American utes and American roads which are substantially different from our local conditions. (Various issue are faced by unsuspecting customers - excess widths and weights, uncompliant gas and electrical systems, vinyl roofs, unsuitable suspension, esoteric fittings with no local spare parts, mismatched for local tow vehicles)

We wanted the Fifth Wheel Company to stand out from the crowd and unlike imported American fifth wheels with their harsh exteriors, we aimed to provide external and internal designs that are far superior and have a modern and contemporary design throughout.

Yes, we stepped outside the box when
we built the NEW "Pacific Adventura"!
Do you want to know why?
Because we listened to you......
You wanted a lot more storage;
You wanted full head height from the front to the back;
You didn't want steps up into the bedroom;
You didn't want to live in a 5th Wheeler with American decor;
You wanted Australian appliances; and
You wanted it 100% legal for Australian roads.
Well now you have it, and so much more!

Some Australian Importers or dealers have arranged some American fittings and fifth wheeler attachments to undertake Australian compliance tests, this means that the fifth wheeler when imported by them is covered by thier compliance tests.
http://www.5thwheelers.net.au/nm/buying_a_fifth_wheeler/buying_a_fifth_wheeler_006.htm

Some things you could have to change but not limited to when buying fifth wheeler overseas and importing into Australia.
Replacing and testing the brakes
Replacing the electrical wiring connectors.
Replacing the LPG installations
Replacing the lights.
Adjusting the axle group positions to reduce rear overhang.
Replacing or modifications to the suspension system.
Removing or recessing the awning and any other protruding components to reduce the overall width of the trailer to within 2.5metres
Relocating the fifth wheeler’s door to the left hand side or to the rear of the vehicle.
This can be seen in the department of infrastructure documentation at

Hi Gary
In your own words,you have stated the problems
The yanks have their standards ,we have our,
Different countries have different standards.
It happens all over the world usually because the standards are tailored to that particular country's needs etc
Many many people have had problems with imported vans meeting AUS standards
Many have imported vans they cannot register
Many that got by with dodgy paper work are sitting, in some cases in potentially dangerous situations & could be issued with a defect notice @ any time
Very few of those "reputable" refitters were /are fully complying to the Aus standards
In both countries, the VAN door is required to be on the Kerb side or the rear
In both countries the INTENT of the standards is for it to be usable door
The fact that shonks think they have a loophole because no size is specified for the door just shows to what level some will sink to make a$

That is for safety reasons, which side depends on the driving side IN THAT country
As are many other requirements, SPECIFIC to Aus standards
This is where you will be using it ,IF you bring it in [NOT USA]
No one is trying to be nasty We are just pointing out a few of the pitfalls
Perhaps you are not aware to just what extent Standards attempt to protect us from our own stupidityor lack of understanding, every hour of every day>