A practical guide to the outlay for motorhome maintenance, depreciation, taxation and insurance
Motorhome ownership costs, including maintenance, vary greatly depending on the vehicle’s age, make, and model.
The first thing you’ll spend money on when you buy a motorhome is the tax and insurance. Then, you’ll likely invest in additional security.
Upgrades might be an option, and you’ll probably like to know how much motorhomes depreciate.
Finally, there’s the maintenance.
So whether you are looking to buy your first motorhome or thinking about trading up or down, this guide explains the main motorhome ownership costs.
Motorhome insurance
Expect to pay around £350 per annum on average for motorhome insurance. However, the cost varies up or down depending on several factors, including:
- The driver’s age and length of time with a full licence
- Driving licence endorsements
- Insurance claim record
- The motorhome’s age and new or replacement cost
- Where you park the motorhome
- Vehicle security devices
- Annual mileage
Excess protection, inclusive breakdown cover, travel insurance and legal assistance also impact insurance premiums.
Motorhome vehicle tax
Your vehicle tax varies based on the motorhome’s gross vehicle weight, age, emissions and engine capacity. The same rules apply to campervan tax.
However, you also pay a different rate if you registered your motorhome or campervan between 1 April 2017 and 11 March 2020 and:
- You have an M1SP type-approval document for the vehicle
- The type-approval certificate includes the CO2 emissions
Depreciation
Several factors affect depreciation, including:
- Make and model
- Mileage
- Service History
- Optional extras
- Upgrades
- Cosmetic and mechanical condition
Like any vehicle, motorhomes depreciate the most within a year of rolling out of the showroom. Class A (large) motorhomes, Class C (small motorhomes) and Class B (campervan) motorhomes also depreciate at slightly different rates.
There are no cast-iron rules, but as a general guide, expect your brand-new motorhome to depreciate by 20% in the first year.
After year 1, the good news is that depreciation slows up significantly. Here are typical depreciation rates for a Class A motorhome:
- Year 1 depreciation: 20%
- Year 3 depreciation: 30%
- Year 5 depreciation: 50%
Depreciation plateaus in year 5, making the 5-year mark an excellent time to trade your vehicle for a newer model. A 5-year-old motorhome also represents a great used buy subject to the mileage, condition, and maintenance history.
Note
Class C (small) motorhomes depreciate slower than larger vehicles. Expect your Class C motorhome to initially depreciate by about 8% annually and by 38% in 5 years. Campervan depreciation falls somewhere between the two motorhome classes.
Whatever type of motorhome you own, the best way to increase its resale value is to adhere to service schedules, maintain your vehicle correctly, winterise it, and add valuable features.
Garage maintenance
A regular maintenance schedule is the secret to enjoying the journey as much as arriving at your destination. Knowing your motorhome is in great shape removes any anxiety that may creep in when you aim to travel far from home.
Motorhomes may only cover an average of 3,000 to 5,000 miles a year, but the trips are much longer than the typical school run or round trip to work and back. Moreover, laying a motorhome up more than a regular mode of transport doesn’t necessarily mean less maintenance. After all, you have the extra equipment to think about in most cases, like leisure batteries, heating, kitchens, showers and toilets.
Maintenance matters for reliability and to maximise the resale value of your unit. Well-maintained motorhomes sell faster on the used market and typically for premium prices. So maintenance as a percentage of motorhome ownership costs is a wise investment.
Garage maintenance focuses on keeping the service schedule up to date. Some motorhomes, like the Fiat Ducato, specify service intervals every two years or 30,000 miles, whichever comes first. Mercedes Sprinter motorhomes need an A or B service, alternating every 10,000 miles or 12 months.
A basic service includes oil and filter changes, while major services extend to brake fluid, fuel filter, and cambelt or timing chain replacement.
Most garages check the battery performance to ensure the ability to hold a charge has remained strong. Garage inspections also allow checking for poor-performing or worn components such as brake discs and pads.
Sticking to a regular garage motorhome maintenance schedule has the following advantages:
- Helps to keep your vehicle running reliably
- Spots minor issues that may cause big problems if left
- Flags issues that may cause an issue at the next MOT
- Helps to maximise your motorhome’s resale value
Expect to average between £300 and £500 per annum for servicing. However, replacement parts costs can significantly increase the service cost of an older vehicle.
Top Tip! If your motorhome passes an MOT with advisory notices, don’t wait until the issues become a component failure or vehicle breakdown before fixing them. Deal with the advisories immediately to save money in the long run and enjoy better peace of mind.
Top Tip! AWS (Approved Workshop Scheme) Members publish a detailed list of labour rates and prices. Read about the Approved Workshop Scheme here.
Habitation check
A habitation check involves an engineer inspecting and reporting on a motorhome’s interior, including safety aspects related to gas and electrical systems, fire extinguishers, water systems, and waste water outlets.
Unlike an MOT, habitation checks are not a legal requirement. However, catching potential safety, dampness, or other habitation issues early means less chance of a minor problem becoming a major incident.
£180 typically buys a habitation check. Most AWS garages also offer services individually, such as gas checks (£75), damp inspections (£75), and fridge services (£95). All prices exclude the cost of parts.
DIY Maintenance
In addition to servicing and maintenance by a professional engineer or garage, regular care and attention help to keep your motorhome looking and functioning correctly. We cover winterisation more comprehensively in another article, but here are 12 easy-to-manage maintenance tasks for keeping on top of the basics:
- Keep the oil level topped up and check before each trip
- Keep the coolant topped up and check before every trip
- Top-up the windscreen washer tank
- Check the exterior lights work before each trip and replace defective bulbs
- Check your windscreen regularly for cracks and chips
- Take your motorhome for a drive once a week during off-season
- Wash and wax regularly to stop grime, mould and moss from building up, especially around the window and vent seals
- Keep your leisure battery charged
- Keep your tyres inflated to the correct pressure at all times
- Rotate the tyres during the winter lay-up
- Wipe down condensation on surfaces before the moisture leads to mould
- Check vents and heater outlets regularly for signs of insect or animal infestation
DIY maintenance should cost no more than £300 to £400 a year. This includes consumables like cleaning products, washer fluids, and engine oil, as well as devices like battery-operated air compressors for the tyres and dehumidifiers for the winter.
Are you keen to work out your total motorhome ownership costs accurately?
Why not use a spreadsheet to list all the costs? Once you have everything down on a sheet, duplicate the sheet if you need to compare new versus old or different motorhome models.