Guides
Motorhome & caravan buying guides
Everything to check before you buy a used motorhome, campervan or touring caravan, in plain English. When you are ready, check any UK motorhome for £4.99.
Start here
Motorhome and caravan FAQWhat the £4.99 check shows and does not, tax, MOT, licence, habitation, CRiS, imports and scams. Every price dated.Free motorhome tools
Motorhome road tax checkerEnter a reg to read the DVLA revenue weight and see the tax class and rate: £230 or £375 up to 3,500kg, £177 over. GOV.UK rates from 1 April 2026.Can I drive this motorhome on my licence?Reg or weight, when you passed your test and your age: category B, C1 or C, with the GOV.UK rule quoted and a payload calculator.Do motorhomes need an MOT?Yes: class 4 at a maximum of £54.85 whatever the weight, from the third anniversary of registration. Enter a reg for the MOT status and expiry.
Checks
Motorhome history checkA motorhome history check reveals if a UK motorhome is stolen, on finance, an insurance write-off, clocked or imported. Free summary from the reg, full check £4.99.Is there outstanding finance on this motorhome?Check if a used motorhome has outstanding finance before you buy. If it does, the lender can repossess it even after you pay. Free summary, full check £4.99.Motorhome stolen checkCheck whether a used motorhome or campervan is recorded as stolen on the police database before you buy. Buy a stolen vehicle and it can be seized with no refund.Motorhome write-off checkCheck if a used motorhome has been written off by an insurer and which category (A, B, S or N). A recorded write-off is worth far less, even after repair. Full check £4.99.Motorhome mileage checkCheck a motorhome's mileage history against its MOT records to spot clocking. A recorded mileage that drops between MOTs is a red flag. Full history check £4.99.Campervan history checkCampervans are DVLA-registered, so a full history check works: stolen, finance, write-off, mileage and identity. Free summary from the reg, full check £4.99.
Buying guides
How to check a used motorhome before buyingA step-by-step guide to checking a used motorhome before you buy: history check, VIN and V5C, MOT and mileage, habitation and damp, and finance. Avoid costly mistakes.What does a motorhome history check show?A motorhome history check shows stolen markers, outstanding finance, insurance write-offs, mileage history, plate and keeper changes, and import, export and scrapped records.How to check a motorhome's MOT historyCheck a motorhome's MOT history for free to see past results, advisories, failures and recorded mileage. What the advisories tell you and how to spot clocking.Where to find a motorhome's VINThe VIN or chassis number identifies a motorhome. Find it on the VIN plate under the bonnet, at the base of the windscreen, on the door pillar, and on the V5C.How to avoid motorhome scamsCommon motorhome scams: deposit fraud, cloned vehicles, hidden finance and fake write-offs. How to spot the red flags and protect yourself before you pay.Motorhome damp: what to look forDamp is the most expensive hidden fault in a used motorhome. Where to look, the warning signs, and how a damp meter reading tells you when to walk away.Checking a motorhome's V5C logbookThe V5C logbook proves who is registered to a motorhome. How to check it is genuine, matches the vehicle, and is not on the stolen-document list before you buy.Buying an imported motorhomeImported motorhomes can be good value but need extra checks: import markers, left-hand drive, habitation to UK standards, and a history that may not be fully recorded in the UK.Buying a Cat S or Cat N motorhomeA Cat S or Cat N motorhome is a repaired insurance write-off. It can be a bargain or a liability. What the categories mean, the risks, and how much less to pay.What is good mileage for a used motorhome?Motorhomes cover low annual miles, so mileage matters less than condition and history. What counts as high or low mileage, and why consistency is what really matters.What is the best age to buy a used motorhome?Newer motorhomes cost more but depreciate fast; older ones are cheaper but risk damp and worn habitation kit. How to weigh age, price and condition when buying.
Touring caravans
Motorhome vs caravan history checksMotorhomes and campervans are DVLA-registered and use a normal history check. Touring caravans have no plate and use the CRiS register. Which check applies to you.CRiS check: what it costs, what it shows and where to find the CRiS numberA CRiS check is £17.95 (cris.co.uk, 28 September 2026): stolen, finance, write-off and keeper. What the 17-digit CRiS number looks like and where to find it.CRiS caravan registration: how to register, transfer and check a touring caravanRegistering a used caravan with CRiS costs £20.95, once (cris.co.uk, 28 September 2026). How to register or transfer, check it is registered, and Cat S.Do caravans need an MOT?No. A touring caravan has no MOT: the MOT covers motor vehicles in classes 1 to 7, and the trailer annual test covers goods trailers, not caravans with overrun brakes. You are still responsible for roadworthiness; an annual service is the norm.Do caravans have a logbook?Touring caravans have no V5C logbook because they are not registered with DVLA. The nearest thing is the CRiS Registration Document from the caravan register (£20.95 to register, £15.95 for a name or address change). What proves ownership and what to ask a seller for.Caravan finance check: how to check if a caravan has finance owingThere is no number-plate finance check for a touring caravan, because it has no registration. The CRiS check (£17.95, checked 15 September 2026) reports outstanding finance against the 17-digit CRiS number. How to run it, what to ask the seller, and what to do if finance shows.How to check if a caravan is stolenCheck a touring caravan for theft with a £17.95 CRiS check against its 17-digit number, the Caravan and Motorhome Club's Theftcheck line, and the physical signs: ground-out window etchings, mismatched numbers, a missing CRiS document and a seller who will not meet at home.Caravan age checker: how to find the year of a touring caravanHow old is my caravan? Read the year letter in its 17-digit CRiS number: N for 1992 to J for 2018, then K to T for 2019 to 2026. The chart, and why they repeat.
Costs
Comparisons
Free motorhome checkHow much of a used motorhome's history you can check for free, using DVLA and MOT data, and the specific things that are not available free from anyone.Cheapest motorhome history checkPrices read on each provider's site on 15 September 2026: CaravanCheck £4.99, Car Reg Checks from £4.99, Auto Trader £6.95 with a £30,000 guarantee, MyCarCheck £8.49, Total Car Check Gold £9.99, RAC and AA £14.99. Where the cheapest is not the best buy.Best motorhome history check: every UK provider comparedEvery UK provider that will check a UK-registered motorhome, compared on price, guarantee, finance, write-off, stolen, mileage, plates and keepers, with prices read on their own sites on 15 September 2026. Verdicts for private sales, dealers, £30,000-plus buys and tourers.Motorhome pre-purchase inspection vs habitation check vs history checkThe three motorhome inspections compared: a £4.99 history check (the registers), a £180 to £350 habitation check (damp, gas, electrics) and a pre-purchase inspection (£299 at Habcheck) that adds the base vehicle. Which you need, in what order, and what each cannot see.
Converter brand guides
Auto-Trail motorhome problems: what owners reportWhat Auto-Trail owners report, model by model: damp behind the driver's seat, locker doors, rooflights, Sargent and EM55 power units, plus every DVSA recall since 2005. Sourced, dated, no made-up statistics.Swift motorhome problems: what owners reportWhat Swift motorhome owners report, by range: floor rot on 2005 to 2010 coachbuilts, Escape 664 damp repairs, Kon-Tiki leaks, control panels, and every DVSA Swift recall. Sourced and dated, no invented statistics.Bailey motorhome problems: what owners reportWhat Bailey motorhome owners report: damp floors on early Approach vans, creaking floors, drop-down beds, snagging on new Autograph and Adamo models, the 2026 ISOFIX recall and Bailey's warranty terms. Sourced and dated, no invented statistics.Hymer motorhome problems: what owners reportWhat Hymer owners report: B544 damp at the fridge vent and corner joints, roof joints on older B-Class vans, garage floors, Elektroblock relays, Exsis wheel arches, the 2023 fuse-box fire recall and Hymer's six-year leak guarantee. Sourced and dated.Elddis motorhome problems: what owners reportWhat Elddis motorhome owners report: damp despite SoLiD construction (lower walls, floors, garage doors), sealant that degrades, warranty refused until damage shows, snagging on new vans, and the bike-rack and solar-panel recalls. Sourced and dated.
Ownership costs
Motorhome breakdown cover over 3,500kg: who covers whatWhich UK breakdown providers cover a motorhome over 3.5 tonnes (3,500kg): RAC, AA, Green Flag, Britannia Rescue, MAYDAY, Comfort and more, with each size cap.Motorhome depreciation calculatorEstimate what a motorhome will be worth in one to fifteen years from published UK depreciation rates, with worked examples from real 2026 prices: Swift Escape 694, Auto-Trail Imala 615 and F-Line F70. An estimate, not a valuation.Caravan and motorhome storage cost in the UKWhat caravan and motorhome storage costs in the UK from published price lists: CaSSOA Gold and Platinum sites from £504 to £1,095 a year, Caravan and Motorhome Club compounds from £460, indoor storage by the week, plus the insurance discounts CaSSOA storage earns. Checked 15 September 2026.Is a motorhome warranty worth it?What UK motorhome warranties cover and cap: MB&G Gold and Silver, Warrantywise, AutoProtect, Autoguard and Warranty Solutions Group, the manufacturer warranties from Swift, Auto-Trail, Bailey, Hymer and Elddis, and your Consumer Rights Act protection. Read on 15 September 2026. No affiliate links.
Campervan conversions
DVLA campervan conversion reclassification: the motor caravan rulesWhat DVLA needs to change a converted van's V5C body type to motor caravan: the five external features, the four internal ones, the fourteen eligible body types, what to send to Swansea, and what happens if it is refused. Quoted from GOV.UK on 15 September 2026.Self-build campervan insurance: what each insurer requiresWhat each UK specialist insurer requires to cover a DIY campervan conversion: photos, V5C body type, fixed bed and water tank, certified gas and electrics, cover during the build, and from-prices. Read on the insurers' own pages on 15 September 2026. No affiliate links.