Motorhome and camper van tax rates

How much is the road tax for my camper van?

The amount of VED applied to your camper van is determined by several factors, but the biggest factor is when it was first registered.

Camper vans registered on or after 1 April 2017

Camper vans of this age have VED applied in one of two ways. If it is an M1SP category camper van - which most campers will be - and has a CO2 emissions figure on its type approval certificate, then you will pay VED at a rate based on its CO2 figure.

If you are buying new, you pay a higher rate in the first year - anything from £10-£25 for a vehicle with emissions between 1g/km and 50g/km, all the way up to £2175 for emissions over 255g/km.

From the second year onwards you then pay £150 a year for petrol or diesel vehicles, and £140 for alternative-fuelled vehicles. If the list price of your vehicle was over £40,000 when you bought new, you have to pay an additional £325 a year. This additional sum applies from the second time the VED is paid until the sixth year.

However, if your camper van is not in the M1SP category or does not have its CO2 emissions on the type approval certificate, then VED is applied by the same rules for older vehicles, although there will be very few that do.

Camper vans registered on or after 12 March 2020

Camper vans up to 3500kg registered from 12 March (type approved to M1SP) pay £270 a year for road tax VED, due to the fact they are taxed as a private or light goods vehicle. This change was introduced in 2020 and is not retrospective for older camper vans. 

Campers registered before 1 April 2017

VED rates for older camper vans are determined by the age of the vehicle and its emissions rating, although it is categorised by the engine Euro rating rather than a specific CO2 figure. You can find your van's Euro engine rating on the V5C logbook.

Euro5 

Camper vans weighing under 3500kg registered between January 1st 2009 and December 31st 2010 are charged £140 for 12 months.

Euro4

Camper vans weighing under 3500kg registered between March 1st 2003 and December 21st 2006 are charged £140 for 12 months.

Older camper vans

Camper vans under 3500kg registered on or after March 1st 2001 are charged £265 for 12 months

Camper vans under 3500kg registered before March 1st 2001 are charged £165 for engines of 1549cc or less, and £270 for engines over 1549cc.

Classic camper vans

Camper vans made before January 1st 1979 are exempt from VED, although you do still have to tax the vehicle even though there is no charge.

How much is the road tax for my motorhome?

With a huge range of options in terms of size, weight, axles and engines, getting the right road tax VED rate for your motorhome can be a real headache. 

The system for calculating the VED or road tax class of a motorhome is similar to that of a camper van or conventional car in that the first and main factor determining the rate is the age of the vehicle. However, as the term motorhome can cover everything from a one-berth conversion to a 13-metre RV, there are other factors at play - namely the size, weight and emissions class of the vehicle.

How can I get cheap motorhome tax?

If you don’t already own a motorhome and are about to take the plunge, it is worth taking a little time to look at the taxation class before you dive in. Because the rules have changed for motorhomes classed as LGVs a few times since 2001, you may well find that a similar vehicle costs less to tax simply because it is a little older.

Motorhome tax rates

To calculate the VED rate for a motorhome, the first step is to look at the gross vehicle weight (GVW), which is sometimes called the revenue weight. Motorhomes rated at 3500kg or less are taxed as private light goods vehicles or cars, and there are different rates applied depending on its age, emissions and sometimes engine capacity.

Motorhomes that are over 3500kg GVW are taxed as private heavy goods vehicles (PHGV) and a different set of rules are applied. To make things as simple as possible, the following rules apply to motorhomes under 3500kg:

Motorhomes registered on or after 1 April 2017

Brand-new motorhomes, and those registered since 1 April 2017, generally have their VED rate calculated on their emissions - if it is a) an M1SP category vehicle, and b) it has a CO2 emissions figure on its type approval certificate. I

Things are complicated further if you are buying new; in the first year you will pay VED on a sliding scale calculated on CO2 emissions, ranging from £0 for a zero-emissions vehicle to £2135 for over 255g/km. These figures only apply to year one however. If the vehicle list price was over £40,000 when new, there is a supplement that has to be paid in years two to six inclusive.

If your motorhome is not in M1SP category or it does not have CO2 figure on the type approval certificate, then the VED rules applied are the same as for older vehicles, as follows: 

Motorhomes registered before 1 April 2017

For vehicles of this age VED rates are determined by the date of registration and its emissions class.

Euro5

Motorhomes registered between 1 January 2009 and 31 December 2010 are charged £140 for 12 months.

Euro4

Motorhomes registered between 1 March 2003 and 21 December 2006 are charged £140 for 12 months.

Older motorhomes

Motorhomes registered on or after 1 March 2001 are charged £260 for 12 months, while those registered before this date are charged £160 for engines of 1549cc or less, and £265 for engines over 1549cc.

Classic motorhomes

Motorhomes made before January 1st 1979 are exempt from VED, although you do still have to tax the vehicle even though there is no charge.

Vehicles that weight over 3500kg

A separate set of rules apply for motorhomes over 3500kg, which are calculated firstly by the vehicle’s weight, the number of axles and its emissions classification where relevant. Most motorhomes will be classified as rigid goods vehicles, with vehicles between 3500kg and 7500kg charged at £165 for 12 months and 7500kg to 11,999kg vehicles at £200 for 12 months.

Motorhomes at 12,000kg and upwards have an additional levy applied depending on their emissions rating, so for a vehicle between 12,000kg and 14,000kg the charge is £189.50 for a Euro VI-compliant engine, and £221 for Euro V to 0.