Should I retrofit my Volkswagen camper with a petrol engine?

I have a campervan on a Volkswagen T4 chassis. It's registered 2000 and a 1890cc diesel. I'm concerned about the discussion of banning old diesels from towns. Would it be possible to re-engine the car to petrol and would DVLA and insurance companies accept this? The engine may be old, but the body work is still top notch and they cost over £31,000 now to buy new.

Asked on 18 April 2017 by Roger Hardacre

Answered by Dan Powell
We wouldn’t recommend fitting a petrol engine to a 17 year old campervan. Buying and fitting a petrol engine would be very expensive and easily outweigh the cost of taking your diesel Volkswagen Transporter/California into any city centre. There is also the issue of fuel economy, as a petrol camper would need a powerful engine that would use significantly more fuel than any diesel. I'd recommend sticking with what you've got or using the money to fund a camper with a Euro 6 diesel engine.
Similar questions
I have a Vauxhall Vivaro registered as a Motor Caravan (van body) with a Euro 5 M9R 1995 diesel engine at 2790 kg which is taxed as a Light Goods Vehicle at £335 for 2025. After reviewing the DVLA tax...
I have recently had my Renault Trafic van converted into a campervan by a company specialising in such conversions. My questions relate to maximum speeds, what needs to be done notifying the DVLA and does...
I have owned a Fiat Ducato panel van that was professionally converted to a camper van before it was first registered by the DOT. Its unladen weight is 2800 kg, gross weight is 3200 kg and it has always...
 

Ask Honest John

Value my van

Save £75 on Warranty using code HJ75

with MotorEasy

Get a warranty quote

Save 10% on GAP Insurance

Use HJ10 to save on an ALA policy

See offer