Last Updated on Travelling in a new motorhome is fun due to the comfort it brings. You get all the comforts of home while on the road. This is especially true if your own motorhome is well furnished and equipped with the necessary appliances.
You can’t just buy motorhomes and campervans and drive them around without getting them registered and taxed.
Motorhome owners must keep up with recent motorhome road tax policy changes to avoid trouble with UK law.
Figuring out what you’re supposed to pay as motorhome or campervan road tax isn’t as easy as one may think; you need to consider some terms and factors.
But the good thing is that we’ve compiled all the information you need to know about taking care of the road tax payable on your own motorhome. Read the full details below.
What is a motorhome road tax?
Motorhome and campervan owners must pay road tax to the government. As long you’re a campervan owner in the UK, you need to pay road tax. Motorhome road tax or Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) can be paid as a one-off fixed fee for six months or a year. You can make one payment or monthly direct debit instalments; the choice is yours.
Vehicle excise duty can be paid in two different ways. For instance, if a new vehicle is bought, the VED rate will be calculated based on fuel emissions as a one-off VED payment. If you purchase a second-hand vehicle, there is no one-off VED payment, but you still need to pay annual road tax.
Factors that might affect motorhome road tax?
Not all motorhome or campervan models are put on the same scale. The road tax charge on your camper van will depend on other factors aside from the model of your campervan.
Production date
The age of your vehicle will definitely affect road tax rates.
For instance, if your new motorhome was manufactured between the 1st of April 2017 and the 11th of March 2020, you’ll have to pay a different rate.
MS1 Category
There is a different road tax rate for motorhomes and campervans under the MSP1 category.
Gross Weight and Engine Size
Road tax varies depending on vehicle weight and engine size.
Vehicles weighing over 3,500kg (taxed as private heavy goods vehicles) have a different rate from vehicles weighing below 3,500kg (taxed as private light goods vehicles).
If your motorhome/campervan has an engine size of under 1549cc, you pay £180 for 12 months’ road tax. If the engine size is over 1549cc, you pay £295 for 12 months.
How much is the road tax for a motorhome?
As we stated earlier, motorhome tax will vary according to age and emission rates which can be found on the “conformity or individual vehicle approval”.
Euro 4 motorhomes
For motorhomes and campervans that are Euro 4 compliant, their annual road tax cost will be €140.
However, for this road tax to apply to new motorhomes, they must have been registered between 1st of March 2003 to 31st of December 2006, plus the vehicle’s revenue weight must be below 3500kg.
Euro 5 motorhomes
Any motorhome and camper van that is Euro 5 compliant and registered between 1st of January 2009 to 31st of December 2010 will be charged £140 per annum for road tax.
However, this only applies to campers and motorhomes with a gross vehicle weight below 3500kg.
Older motorhomes
Motorhome owners with vehicles first registered on 1st of March 2001, or after, will be charged £260 per annum, while those registered before 1st of March 2001 with an engine capacity of 1549cc will have a vehicle tax rate of £180. Those with engines above 1549cc will be charged £295 every 12 months.
Motorhomes weighing under 3,500kg (TC11)
Motorhomes and campervans with a revenue weight of 3500kg and below fall under the private light goods vehicles category. Private or light goods vehicles weighing 3500kg and below, with an engine capacity of 1549cc and below, will be charged £178 per annum for motorhome tax.
A light goods vehicle with a revenue weight of 3500kg or below and an engine size above 1549cc will be subject to a £280 to £294 motorhome tax.
Motorhomes weighing above 3,500kg (TC10)
A motorhome or campervan with a revenue weight above 3500kg is categorised as a private heavy goods vehicle. However, these private heavy goods vehicles are taxed based on weight, emissions, and the number of axles.
A motorhome or campervan with a revenue weight between 3500-7500kg is taxed £165 per annum.
Campers that weigh 7,500-11,999kg have an annual road tax cost of £200.
Motorhome tax rates increase for vehicles with revenue weight of 12,000kg and above. However, the tax is based on CO2 emissions, and vehicles that weigh 12,000kg to 14,000kg with a Euro VI-compliant engine will have a road tax rate of £189.50 per year.
And motorhomes with the same weight but Euro V-compliant will be charged £221 per annum.
Classic motorhomes
People with motorhomes first registered over 40 years ago in the UK are no longer required to pay vehicle excise duty (VED), as there is an exemption policy.
However, you’ll still have to apply for a historical road tax exemption. Regardless, it still means excellent news for those with vintage campervans.
Is getting cheap motorhome road tax possible?
Your motorhome road tax is dependent on the type and model of motorhome you purchase. If you want to save extra money on road tax, you should consider other factors aside from budget.
You can get a motorhome that’s Euro 4 compliant, and you’ll have to pay only £140 every year.
Also, motorhomes and campers with low real driving emissions pay the least tax and diesel vehicles under the RDE2 standard.
So, consider the above if you don’t want your road tax to be expensive and wish to save money. However, alternative fuel vehicles are charged the lowest rates for road tax.
Current changes in motorhome road tax
According to the National Caravan Council, there have been policy changes regarding motorhome taxes.
To start enjoying the benefits of your motorhome, you should be familiar with the motorhome industry, motorhome manufacturers and road tax policy.
Clear Air Zones
It’s expected that most cities in both the UK and Europe will charge vehicles that emit above the CAZ emission standards. All road taxes are categorised according to the vehicle’s age and the CO2 emissions figure.
For instance, campervans that are Euro 3 to Euro 5 compliant with an earlier diesel will be charged £10 every day; but note that this is very particular to Manchester in England.
Vans that weigh above 3500kg, with a Euro 5 diesel engine capacity, and under the HGV tax class are expected to pay a flat rate of £60 daily, starting from the date of the CAZ launch. There are four classes that cities can impose the CAZ charge on.
- Class 1: Private hire vehicles, buses, taxis, and coaches
- Class 2: Private hire vehicles, buses, taxis, coaches, and HGVs
- Class 3: Private hire vehicles, buses, taxis, coaches, HGVs, mini-buses and vans
- Class 4: Private hire vehicles, buses, taxis, coaches, HGVs, mini-buses, vans and cars
The 2019 EU Policy Update
Motorhomes and campervans road tax (VED) rules have changed over the years.
According to UK law, one of the most evident changes implemented in recent years was the EU regulation.
EU regulations in 2019 reclassified motorhomes and campervans as light commercial vehicles. Previously, the commercial vehicle tax band was used.
Owners of light commercial vehicles were required to present the CO2 emissions figure because their tax rate was based on that.
If you don’t know your vehicle’s emission figure, ask your dealer to ensure that the CO2 emissions are included in the individual vehicle approval.
However, this recent reclassification led to an increase in the VED rates, from £265 annually to £2135 in the first year.
However, this law was overturned on the 12th of March 2020 due to new motorhomes (type approved M1SA) being built with commercial engines.
People who own new campervans and motorhomes no longer need to present CO2 emissions figures for registration. Because new motorhomes are now classified as LCVs.
Conclusion
Campervan road tax is different from car road tax because it is a rate based on several factors.
Before purchasing a high-value motorhome, you need to understand that road tax will be increased depending on the weight and engine size of a vehicle.
The higher the value, the higher the road tax rate.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Do I need to insure my motorhome after paying road tax?
Paying road tax and applying for motorhome and campervan insurance are different yet similar things. To have peace of mind while travelling, you should have insurance for your camper.
2. Is motorhome road tax going up?
The current rates of motorhomes and campervans are fixed, and unless there’s a policy change, there’s no sign of a higher rate.
As a registered disabled person and receiving the higher rate of pension ,if I buy a secondhand camper will it still have the same free insurance as my car etc
I’m not aware that anyone is entitled to free motor insurance. Motorhome insurance tends to be a lot cheapoer than you might think given the value of the vehicle. Most customers pay £200 – £400 per year for motorhome insurance.
I’m not aware that anyone is entitled to free motor insurance. Motorhome insurance tends to be a lot cheapoer than you might think given the value of the vehicle. Most customers pay £200 – £400 per year for motorhome insurance.
Mr Brions question really concerns me. Was he/is he really driving around with no insurance. Why would anyone think that just because they are disabled, that they are less of a risk (or not one at all) on the road, than an able bodied person. If he was unfortunate enough to be the cause of an accident, who would he think his victim would recover their losses from?
Hi we have a 2020 plate VW Grand California registered 16.03.20
It was registered by a dealer as M1. And so has a different tax to a motorhome along with the additional over £40,000 tax.
I questioned this and VW acknowledged a mistake had been made and it should be M1SP. The dealer wrote to DVLA but they say it cannot be changed and it makes no difference to the vehicle or its tax.
Could you please give any advice.
Many thanks
Hi, We generally find that the DVLA will not change the tax bracket if a mistake was made. If it was registered as a motor caravan or similar during the luxury vehicle tax experiment, you will have to pay the increased tax for the first 4-5 years.
Hi. I have an Autotrail Imala based on a Fiat Ducati that was mistakenly registered by Autotrail as Diesel Car in March 2017. I have letter from Autotrail confirming the mistake. I have written to the DVLA to ask for this mistake to be corrected. The DVLA say that my vehicle was correctly registered so it will have to stay as a Diesel Car. On what basis can the DVLA refuse to correct such an obvious mistake? I wonder how many other motor homes are caught up in this problem and paying twice as much Road Tax than they should?
This is pretty disappointing but unfortunately quite common. We have had motorhomes and campervans which have been incorrectly registered and very rarely will the DVLA change it. I have never understood why, you would think that they would want vehicles to be registered correctly.