What is it?

The RV Friendly Town™ program is a Campervan and Motorhome Club of Australia Limited initiative aimed at assisting recreational vehicle consumers as they journey throughout our country. 

An RV Friendly Town™ is one that has met a set of guidelines to ensure they provide a certain amount of amenities, and a certain level of services for these travellers. When RV tourists enter a town displaying the RV Friendly Town™ sign, they know they will be welcome, that certain services will be provided for them that may not be available in other centres, and they will have access to a safe place to stay overnight, and possibly for a longer period.

CMCA will also offer the council 2 x 600mm x 690mm roadside ‘RV Friendly’ signs free of charge. These signs will display the abbreviated ‘RV’ symbol, followed by the words ‘Friendly Town™’.

What are the benefits?

• CMCA will promote the RV Friendly Town™ in GeoWiki X, The Wanderer and on our website and social platforms.
• A one-off article about the town, accompanied by an image, will be published in one edition of The Wanderer.
• When RV travellers spot the RV Friendly Town™ sign, they are aware that it determines a short-term, overnight parking/rest area will be available low-cost. If you can offer an incentive or reduced cost for CMCA members, your patronage will be significantly enhanced.
• Visitors will quickly spread the word that a new RV Friendly Destination is available.
• Depending on the location, RV travellers can contribute to the community in a variety of ways, environmentally, socially and economically which will see an increased patronage of local businesses.

How does a town qualify?

Before any town can be appointed to the program, there is a set of guidelines that must be met, which includes:

Essential Criteria:

• Provision of appropriate parking within the town centre, with access to a general shopping area for groceries and fresh produce
• Provision of short term, low cost overnight parking (24/48 hours) for self-contained recreational vehicles, as close as possible to the CBD.
• Access to potable water.
• Access to a free dump point at an appropriate location.

Desirable Criteria:

• Provision of long term parking for self-contained recreational vehicles.
• Access to medical facilities or an appropriate emergency service.
• Access to a pharmacy or a procedure to obtain pharmaceutical products.
• Visitor Information Centre (VIC) with appropriate parking facilities.
• VIC to provide a town map showing essential facilities, such as short and long term parking areas, dump point and potable water.
• RV Friendly Town signs to be erected within the town precinct.

We also look at the general attitude of the council and the business people. After all, it is called the RV ‘Friendly’ Town program. These programs offer town business owners the opportunity to be innovative in meeting the needs of RV tourists, while at the same time growing their businesses.