Average yearly costs of owning a motorhome?

[ThinkingAbout]

I know things like insurance etc depend on age/history etc.
im just trying to get a very rough guide for how much a new motorhome would cost yearly. Not including diesel/gas etc.no storage as will be outside the house.
so looking at trying to find costs for insurance/tax/yearly habitation etc etc. Or any other costs I haven’t thought of? Security/tracker if needed?
Trying to convince someone we can manage it! Will be our first one.
will be a new van so covered (hopefully) under warranty etc

 

[royandsharont]

Here is a starter, I think my prices are about right but not gospel.

When our Bessacarr 4.0t van was new in 2012 we started with Private HGV tax at £165, main dealer habitation service £200 and local non Fiat short service every second year around £120. After 8 years the tax had gone up £10, the short service about £200 and the habitation went up to £350! A full service every second year was about £250 and MOT was £40. I moved to a smaller dealer for last habitation check at £175

Insurance started at £220 with Comfort and only went up by about £25, after yr 3 breakdown added further £65. No doubt aided by being CaSSOA Gold stored & the tracker fitted too with 6k mileage limit.

New leisure battery within that time around £130 and 2 new vehicle batteries around £120 each I think. 4 new tyres in yr 7 at £620. Replacement cam belt & service £550 at yr 5. Fiat dealer prices much higher.

Alarm & tracker was about £1000 when new with lifetime tracker subscription extra at £600 I think.

No real repairs to the van other than: problematic Fiat fuel filter full replacement once rather than just filter, £150 fitted, cheap online rather then £250 from Fiat, and replacement Thetford toilet flush pump £75 fitted. One set of wiper blades ? Also a couple of free warranty repairs and one set of cupboard hinges refitting at an astronomical £60 for an hours labour, which I would do myself now.

Hope this gives you some idea. We’d done 39k miles in the almost 9 years when sold

 

[Happy Jim]

Mines 10yrs old and I DIY everything, so I’m at the cheapest end of the scale:

Ins £420
Tax £165 (P HGV, >3.5 Tonne)
MOT £54

Hopefully some new van owners will pop their costs in to give a broader spectrum

Regards
Jim

Edit: last 5 years of other costs:
Oil/filters/brake fluid ~£200
Fuel filter housing (garage) £250
2* hab batts £230
Replacement fridge freezer £1150

 

[DerryW]

A lot

 

[PP Bear]

Think this might help.

Never even tried to add it all up, as the sums would make my eyes water, but it’s still worth every single penny

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[royandsharont]

Absolutely

 

[Lenny HB]

Running costs are low its the bits you put on it after you have bought it that's expensive we have spent over £10k on bits for ours and if the boss would allow I could easily spend another £7 or £8k on it.

Annual costs not that much.
VED £165
Insurance £430
MOT after 3 years £50
Service every 2 years average £100/year (use an indepentant) .
Damp check £60
Don't bother with a habitation check.

Fitted a new starter battery last year £105.
Due for a cambelt change this year at 5 years £800 to £1000 at an in dependant.

 

[The Wino]

The big unknown is depreciation. We've all enjoyed several years of low or zero depreciation but whether it continues is anyone's guess

 

[Blue Knight]

Our standard basic costs were:

1. Insurance: £285.00
2. Hab Check: £225.00
3. Fiat Service: £425.00
4. Annual Tracker Subs: £179.00
5. Road Tax: £165.00
6. Fuel cost for hab + repairs (*): £200.00
7. Recovery via Fiat and bank account.

(*) The fuel required to take the van back for its various warranty repairs and hab checks.

Excludes MOT, repairs, new tyres, touring costs and modifications etc.

All the best,

Andrew

 

[poppycamper]

After 8 years the tax had gone up £10,

When did PHGV tax go up to £175. Sure mine still £165.

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[suavecarve]

The costs after purchase in the first couple of years will be where your money goes.

You buy your van and it is ready to go, you then realise on your first weekend away the neighbours have an awning they are sat under, then you see that it has sides so it is like an extra room, which you think is worth it, then you find out about aires being free in France but you will need an extra battery, but in order to feed that you need more solar, and then the LPG gas comes into it, then the TV, external BBQ point and then you see these electric bikes and/or motorbike as you realise you want to explore locally to where you stay then you realise you need to uprate it because of weight but may need to add semi air suspension. Never mind the cadac, the comfy chairs, the vast array of hoses, sheepskin seat covers, a decent carpet and those are just the "necessities" ! The money pit can easily go to a quite a few grand, whereas buying something second hand someone might have paid for some of that stuff beforehand.

Edit, Mirrorguards, reversing camera, dashcam, duvets, seperate cutlery and pots pans plates, habitation locks, Satnav, mifi, satellite.

The problem with some of them is you buy the cheapest because of budgeting and then have to buy better again when you realise your mistake. And by the time you have bought all that you realise the van is the wrong set up for you and you buy a new one !

 

[ThinkingAbout]

thanks for all the breakdown of costs, really appreciate it and it’s useful thanks

 

[Jimbohorlicks]

thanks for all the breakdown of costs, really appreciate it and it’s useful thanks

Don't forget your site fees , for overnighting,club membership fees, ferry or tunnel costs and medical insurance if going abroad. Extras like solar panels additional leisure batteries. And most cost of all is letting other funsters near your wines and spirits.

 

[Lenny HB]

And most cost if all is letting other funsters near your wines and spirits.

That can get very expensive.

 

[Vipar]

Taking all the above into account it will probably be cheaper to live in your van when the utility bills go up in April

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[gus-lopez]

It is far cheaper than the 50€ a week the vets bill used to be.

 

[bobandjanie]

I look at it as how much would a holiday from May until mid October pleasing ourselves where we go, spending as little as possible on parking and sleeping in our own bed cost, while receiving an income from families enjoy a nice holiday by the beach in sunny Spain. Bob.

 

[Madmag]

Actually I have no idea. We are fortunate enough to be able to just do it. But we have a PVC and a fairly simple life , don’t have many other big expenses. I could add it up as have all the figures to hand but make a point if not doing as it’s our pleasure in life.

 

[Madmag]

Sorry if the above wasn’t very helpful to the OP but just a personal viewpoint.

 

[Two Owl Ones]

I know things like insurance etc depend on age/history etc.
im just trying to get a very rough guide for how much a new motorhome would cost yearly. Not including diesel/gas etc.no storage as will be outside the house.
so looking at trying to find costs for insurance/tax/yearly habitation etc etc. Or any other costs I haven’t thought of? Security/tracker if needed?
Trying to convince someone we can manage it! Will be our first one.
will be a new van so covered (hopefully) under warranty etc

we have a 2003 mercedes 2.7 cdi £250.00 fully comp £265.00 tax £5 per month tracker, all diy and servicing done by myself,kept on the drive under the watchful eyes of the cctv system and our 10 stone rottweiler

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[Blue Knight]

Trying to convince someone we can manage it! Will be our first one.

P.S. A van can become a very expensive burden if you don't use it so make sure that you can allocate sufficient time each year to get out 'n' about.

There's far too many people who pay a fortune for a van and then only manage to achieve a few weekends per year.

That's when you'll start regretting your purchase!

Good luck

Andrew

 

[BusyBuilder]

About £3k per annum with depreciation, ours is Hymer B544 2012 reg, cost us £51k just over5 years ago.

 

[poppycamper]

There's far too many people who pay a fortune for a van and then only manage to achieve a few weekends per year.

Sound advice... there is 2 moho's and a caravan in our street that very very rarely move..

 

[Stealaway]

im just trying to get a very rough guide for how much a new motorhome would cost yearly

It becomes far cheaper if you use it regularly - leaving it stood on the drive is very expensive.

Try a 2-3 year old van first and see how you go - they tend to be very well looked after and the depreciation will be far less.

You don't need all the bells and whistles of expensive trackers, alarms and dealer services.
Basically just insurance at around £400 and road tax at £280.
Diesel at 30 MPG on average, 13 Kg gas bottle is around £35 and should last 3-4 weeks