NCC Approved Manufacturer, ISO 9001 Certified, and Type Approved Campervan Conversions

At Redline Campers, the safety and quality of our campervan conversions is of the greatest importance. It is for this reason that we are amongst only a handful of campervan converters in the UK to be an NCC Approved Manufacturer, to have a range built following a Quality Management System which is ISO 9001:2015 certified, and to have been audited by the Vehicle Certification Agency (VCA) for Type Approval through the GB Small Series Type Approval scheme. In addition to this, all of the models in the Redline Campers range are also insurer recognised.

If you are new to the world of campervan conversions, we appreciate the words ISO 9001, Type Approval, National Caravan Council, and insurer recognised may not mean a lot. To help you understand this better, we have summarised this into the following points:

• We’ve been inspected by the National Caravan Council (NCC), and our conversions and all of the components within them have passed comprehensive safety checks. This is recognised with our NCC Approved Manufacturer status and demonstrates that our vehicles exceed BS EN 1646 European Health & Safety Standards. The NCC is a trade association which exists to ensure business excellence and best practice to protect the interests of the public and provide peace of mind
• We’ve been audited to the internationally recognised standard, ISO 9001. This is a framework which ensures we’re able to deliver an effective product time after time
• We’ve been reviewed by the Vehicle Certification Agency (VCA) and have been issued with Type Approval through the GB Small Series Type Approval scheme. This means our conversions meet performance, technical, and safety standards set by the Department for Transport (DfT). However, this is not mandatory for campervan converters, so many companies don’t have this approval
• Our conversions are insurer recognised. We work with a number of insurers who are familiar with our models and each aspect of the conversions, which makes them easier to insure

If you’re looking to learn more, we’ve explained about NCC Approved Manufacturer status, ISO 9001, Type Approval, and insurer recognition in further detail below:

Why buy from an NCC Approved Manufacturer?

The NCC Approved Manufacturer badge displayed on campervan conversions from Redline Campers demonstrates safety, quality and consistency in the build of our products.

Redline Campers is one of only five VW campervan converters in the UK to have approval from the National Caravan Council (NCC). As an NCC Approved Manufacturer, all campervan models produced by Redline Campers are proven to exceed BS EN 1646 European Health & Safety Standards. To ensure this, our entire range has been subject to the NCC’s comprehensive inspections and safety checks. This includes regular on-site inspections of our production facility and the checking of up to 600 points relating to our gas and electrical installations, furnishings, and cooking equipment.

Whilst NCC Approved Badges are relatively commonplace on caravans and motorhomes from major manufacturers, this is not true of the largely unregulated campervan conversion industry. At Redline Campers, we are committed to safety, quality and consistency, and have gained NCC Approved Manufacturer status to instil confidence in our customers when purchasing our products.

Why buy from a Type Approved campervan converter?

Type Approval demonstrates that you are buying a campervan that has been converted to stringent safety standards and has been built in an ISO 9001 certified factory.

To achieve Type Approval, a vehicle manufacturer must have recognised quality systems in place. This is most commonly achieved through ISO 9001 certification. At Redline Campers, we are proud to be both ISO 9001 certified and to have Type Approval for every model in our conversion range.

What does this mean for you as a Redline customer?

As a Redline customer, this means you can be assured of our commitment to consistently providing quality products and services that not only satisfy your demands and expectations but the demands and expectations of rigorous safety standards.

Our focus on safety and quality is built around four key points:

• • • Customer first
    • Win with quality
    • Continuous and never ending improvements
    • Building our brand reputation

This means that you will be purchasing a campervan conversion that has been built to Department for Transport standards and has been rigorously tested by the Vehicle Certification Agency (VCA).

As all of our campervan conversions have Type Approval, your campervan will be classified as a ‘Motorcaravan’ by the DVLA in the vehicle body type section of the vehicle’s V5 ownership document.

ISO 9001 Certification

Certificate no: 215265

The main principle of the Quality Management System is customer focus. All staff at Redline are committed to pursuing customer satisfaction as our primary goal. Redline establishes the Quality Management System based upon the International Standard ISO 9001: 2015 and ensures that our business processes are continually improved and aligned to company, market, and industry objectives.

We strive to be a market leading campervan conversion supplier, building the brand reputation by delivering on the principles contained within this QMS and by meeting key requirements.

Our senior management are responsible for reviewing the quality policy, ensuring it remains effective and continually improving the QMS.

NCC Manufacturers Approval Scheme

The National Caravan Council (NCC) Badge of Approval on our campervans is recognised throughout the leisure vehicle industry and is proof of our commitment to the safety of our products and our customers.

Having NCC Manufacturers approval means that our campervans are:

• Safety checked, this includes gas and electrical installations, furnishings, and cooking equipment
• Technically checked and regularly inspected by specialists
• Compliant with British and European standards

What do NCC inspections involve?

Conducted at our Redline Campers’ production facility, NCC inspections involve the checking of up to 600 individual points on each of the campervan conversion models we offer. The inspection process is on-going and is complemented by regular surveillance audits to ensure our products continue to comply with the NCC’s criteria. The inspection process and the badge gained are designed to provide a reliable benchmark by which product liability can be measured.

Further reading:

Manufacturers Approval Scheme

Type Approval

At Redline Campers, we have Type Approval for our entire campervan conversion range. Out of the thousands of campervan converters operating in the UK, we are amongst only a handful to have this.

Type Approval is a rigorous set of safety tests put in place by the Department for Transport and coordinated by the VCA (Vehicle Certification Agency) to ensure vehicles meet specified performance standards and are safe to drive on the road.

However, these safety tests are not mandatory for campervan conversions. The reason for this is because the base vehicle will already be registered with the DVLA and will have already been built to the specified performance standards prior to its conversion to a campervan.

Many campervan converters choose to forgo Type Approval due to the systems and processes they must have in place to be able to achieve this. We are not one of those converters.

We believe Type Approval testing is necessary due to the change of usage of the vehicle, the change in vehicle payload and the change in components utilised within the conversion.

What do Type Approval tests involve?

Type Approval tests involve the oversight of the selection and testing of samples, and the documentation of the specification and the evaluation of the measures in place by us as the manufacturer to ensure Conformity of Production (CoP).

It is a prerequisite of Type Approval that we have appropriate measures in place to ensure that production samples will continue to meet the performance requirements as the products originally examined. This is known as Conformity of Production (CoP) and ensures that as the manufacturer, every campervan conversion we build is produced to the same rigorous standards as those that we were initially tested to.

The testing undertaken as part of this covers physical simulated crash testing on the base vehicles and every component we utilise as part of the conversion. These tests include physical pull tests on seat belts, testing of the fitting of all travel seats by crash simulation, and detailed assessments of payloads, mass distribution, and exterior projections. It also involves the testing of swivel plates, appliances and heating systems.

We are proud that every model in the Redline Campers conversion range has received Type Approval through the GB Small Series Type Approval scheme.

What is the GB Small Series Type Approval scheme?

The GB Small Series Type Approval scheme requires the highest standards of safety testing by the VCA. This is based on the approval of a particular vehicle type and allows us to produce up to 500 units of each conversion model annually.

To meet this, we have to continuously demonstrate we have recognised quality systems. This is evidenced by our ISO 9001 accreditation.

What is Individual Vehicle Approval (IVA)?

You may have encountered Individual Vehicle Approval. This is another route to Type Approval. However, this is a route which is more specifically designed for one-off vehicles. Due to this, it’s a route taken by much smaller converters as it requires every vehicle to be inspected at a Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA) station. However, it should be noted that this is an entirely visual inspection. This means that the conversion seats, seat belts, swivel plates, appliances and heating systems are all assessed by eye and are not put through the rigorous testing required from the GB Type Approval Scheme.

Further reading:

What is Vehicle Type Approval?

Insurer Recognised

We work very closely with the specialist insurance companies, Safeguard and Caravan Guard, and both of these companies are very familiar with each Redline model. Due to this, they are aware of the various aspects of the Redline conversion, which will make insuring your vehicle easier.

Do you have any questions about the NCC Manufacturers Approval Scheme, ISO 9001 certification, Type Approval, or our Insurer Recognised vehicles?

If you have any questions, we will be happy to answer them! Feel free to call us on 01327 703371 or via email at sales@redline-campers.com