Buy this point you have picked out one that you want to buy. If not we recommend reading part 1 - Seven things to consider before buying a Campervan.
Now the fun bit is out of the way, there is now the legal side of things to consider, such as; MOT, MOT history, insurance, tax, vehicle inspection, emissions. If you're from the UK then it's likely you will know what these are and won't need to worry about it. However, if you haven't held a UK drivers licence for more than two years then this will save you a lot of time and hassle.
MOT - Ministry of Transport
MOT is the equivalent of rego in Australia. Unlike Australia, a vehicle can go any length of time in the UK without an MOT and there is no penalty or extra charge undergoing MOT again. It can cost up to £55 to get your campervan's MOT, it's primarily concerned with safety. I've outlined the testing areas below.- Lighting and signalling equipment
- Steering (including suspension)
- Brakes
- Tyres and wheels
- Seatbelts
- Body, structure and general items. Includes body and components such as spoilers, bumpers and mirror housings.
- Exhaust, fuel and emissions (unless electric)
- Driver's view of the road
The majority of these things should be fine or easy enough to fix yourself for a reasonably low cost. For instead its possible to fail or faulty head or brake lights. The main ones that may require a mechanic to replace/repair would be breaks or steering (suspension), that's if you have no mechanical skills. Things like body/structure and driver's view you should look over before buying the vehicle and see if there is anything that may be a major issue.
Lastly, the longer the MOT already on the Vehicle the better, either its a lemon and you realise with enough MOT left to sell it on or you get enough time to get your money's worth before its times up.
MOT History
One of the best tools to use before you even go and look at a van is to look at the MOT history. All you need is the licence plate number and you can go to https://www.check-mot.service.gov.uk/ from here it will give you a break down of previous MOT tests that the vehicle has either failed or passed. You can also see things that have been marked down with a potential future problem.
**BE CAREFUL** just because the car has passed MOT doesn't mean everything has been check successfully. We brought a Van that had recently passed MOT (2-3 months earlier). However, there was no way it would have passed when we brought it and a lot of the problems weren't caused by short-term wear and tear.
What you want to do is go over the history and look at any reoccurring problems. If the driver side suspension has failed every two or three MOT's then its likely that they have just taken it to another mechanic. Because it's cheaper to pay another £55 and hope the next mechanic doesn't have a good look. Compared to paying for it to be replaced.
Insurance
Insurance in the UK is expensive, its also hard to get the "cheaper" types if you don't have a UK licence. We went with down under insurance. It was around £660 for the third party with theft and fire cover.
It's also a lot cheaper to insure a campervan then it is a panel van. Your van just needs to fit certain criteria to be considered a campervan.
It's also a lot cheaper to insure a campervan then it is a panel van. Your van just needs to fit certain criteria to be considered a campervan.
- a door that provides access to the living accommodation
- a bed, which has a minimum length of 1800mm or 6 feet - this can be converted from seats used for other purposes during the day but must be permanently fixed within the body of the vehicle
- a water storage tank or container on, or in, the vehicle
- a seating and dining area, permanently attached to the vehicle - the table may be detachable but must have some permanent means of attachment to the vehicle. It is not good enough to have a loose table
- a permanently fixed means of storage, a cupboard, locker or wardrobe
- a permanently fixed cooking facility within the vehicle, powered by gas or electricity
- at least one window on the side of the accommodation
For more information about changing the registration follow this link:
Vehicle Tax
Part of owning a vehicle in the UK is paying vehicle tax. Similar to the insurance, a motorhome will pay less tax than a "work van". Its based on your fuel type and how often they estimate you will be on the road for during the12-month period. You can un-tax the vehicle if you're going to store it offroad for a period of time (which means you get a portion of the money back). Just remember to relax it!
For more information and pricing follow this link:
Vehicle Inspection
While this isn't 100% necessary, it is highly recommended. Especially if you have no understanding of mechanics. The AA will provide a vehicle inspection for about £200 it will drop by ~£20 if you're a member. The test involves the following:
- up to 156-point check for vans up to 15 years old
- full inspection of body, mechanical and visible parts
- checks for previous accident damage
- up to 5-mile road test (depending on time, traffic and road conditions)
*Price will change based on vehicle, type of vehicle and location of the inspection
For more information and pricing follow this link:
Vehicle Emission
The last thing to consider is the emission rating of the vehicle. While this counts towards tax, there is also a surcharge for driving in Greater London (basically inside the M25). As a very brief guideline you need to be under 3.5 tonnes and registered after 2002 and you don't have to pay the surcharge.
For more information and or to check a specific vehicle follow this link:
