VIN Plate – Compliant with New Regulations

VIN plate to suit trailers and caravans up to 4.5T

The VIN plate is a Vehicle Identification Number plate that is a must-have for your trailer, ensuring it meets all legal requirements and stays secure. Each trailer gets its unique VIN, making it easy to identify and recover if stolen.

In Australia, every trailer needs a VIN plate for proper registration and tracking by authorities. Your VIN plate also proves ownership, appearing on all essential documents, which makes selling or transferring your trailer hassle-free.

Manufacturers and regulatory bodies use VINs to track trailers for recalls and address any safety issues quickly. Having a VIN plate also gives you a complete history of your trailer, which is handy for maintaining maintenance and essential for getting insurance. In short, a VIN plate is crucial for ensuring your trailer is legally compliant, easy to manage, and safe to use.

Couplemate is pleased to release a newly compliant VIN plate that offers up-to-date blank data boxes for newly manufactured or registered trailers and caravans. This new plate improves on the previously stocked plate in finish, quality, and information and applies to the most current regulations invoked by RVSA.

Unlike other VIN plates, this product includes space for your allocated Vehicle Type Approval number assigned upon registration with the new Rover/RVSA system.

Legislative Requirements

13.1 Trailer requirements
13.1.1 Vehicle plate

All trailers must be fitted with a vehicle plate. The plate must be:

• durable
• Permanently attached (e.g. by welding or riveting) to the trailer. Such a plate will be considered a secure vehicle marking for the purposes of ADR 61/03.

The information on the plate must be:

• embossed, indented, etched or engraved
• in English, using block letters and numerals not less than 2.5mm high.
• The information on the plate must comprise the manufacturer’s name or the vehicle make (if submitting a concessional RAV entry application AND the trailer is home
  built, or you cannot identify the make of the trailer, you can enter the make of the Concessional trailer on the plate and the application in ROVER.
• vehicle identification number
• aggregate trailer mass (ATM)
• gross trailer mass (GTM)
• tare mass.
• The vehicle plate may also include the:
  • tyre information covered in Chapter 12.2
  • trailer model
  • trailer build date

Specifications

• 260mm x 50mm x 1.2mm
• Anodised Aluminium – Printed in black
• 6 x 3.5mm holes, rounded corners

Why is a VTA Number significant, and what does this mean for my caravan or trailer?

Within Australia, a VTA (Vehicle Type Approval) number is critical for several reasons:

• The VTA number signifies that a trailer model complies with the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, and Regional Development’s national safety and design standards. This compliance is now required for new trailers to be legally used on Australian roads.
• Trailers with a VTA number have been tested and/or verified to meet specific safety requirements. This ensures that they are built to withstand the demands of use and maintain the safety of vehicle operators and other road users. A VTA number can be seen as a mark of quality and reliability. Consumers and businesses are more likely to purchase trailers that have this certification, knowing they meet stringent standards.
• Many insurance companies and financial institutions require trailers to have a VTA number before providing coverage or financing. This ensures that the trailer is a sound investment and less likely to be involved in incidents caused by structural failures or non-compliance issues.
• Obtaining a VTA number requires manufacturers to adhere to strict guidelines and maintain high production standards. This accountability helps maintain industry integrity and protect consumer interests.

In summary, a VTA number is crucial in the Australian trailer industry for ensuring regulatory compliance, safety, market acceptance, resale value, ease of insurance and financing, and manufacturer accountability.