HOW TO HIRE · VEHICLES & TRANSPORT

How to hire a campervan converter in the UK
The checks, the questions and the paperwork.

No regulator covers conversions. Here is the DVLA paperwork and what the contract should say.

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THE 60-SECOND VERSION

Hiring a campervan converter in five steps

  1. Write the specificationBed, kitchen, electrics, solar, heating, windows, water.
  2. Check DVLA's guidanceWhat DVLA expects for a motor caravan body type.
  3. Agree stage paymentsTied to finished stages, not dates.
  4. Ask about gas and electricsWho fits them and what certificates or test records you get.
  5. Inspect at handoverEvery system tested, paperwork handed over.

BEFORE YOU BOOK

Check before you book

No register applies

No UK nation — England, Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland — licenses or registers campervan converters. The Consumer Rights Act 2015 requires the conversion to be done with reasonable care and skill, so a detailed written specification is your main protection.

Get the full specification, price and payment stages in writing. citizensadvice.org.uk →

Trader status and a written price

The Consumer Rights Act 2015 protects you when you deal with a trader: the campervan converter must work with reasonable care and skill, and you can ask for poor work to be redone or the price reduced. Agree what is included in writing.

Look for the trader badge on the Locufy profile and keep the quote message. legislation.gov.uk →

Body type on the V5C

DVLA says you must update the V5C registration certificate when you convert a van into a campervan or motor caravan; DVLA sets the body type from the vehicle's external appearance and may inspect. Its guidance sets out the features it expects to see.

Read DVLA's motor caravan guidance before the build, and plan the V5C update. gov.uk →

Trader status and a written quote

Your rights under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 apply when you deal with a trader. For a campervan converter, settle the price up front: where none was agreed you need pay only a reasonable sum, and Citizens Advice says a converter may keep the vehicle over a disputed bill but not sell it.

Check the trader badge on the Locufy profile and keep the quote message. citizensadvice.org.uk →

VAT

Converting a van into a campervan is standard-rated at 20% on parts and labour. Among campervan converters, any with taxable turnover above £90,000 must be registered, add the VAT and show it apart from the net figure.

Ask the converter for its VAT number and for each stage payment shown with its VAT. gov.uk →

“Can I see campervan conversions you have finished?”

A good answer: Yes, with photos or a visit.

“What is in the written conversion specification?”

A good answer: Every item listed — insulation, furniture, electrics, windows.

“How are stage payments linked to the conversion work?”

A good answer: Payments tied to completed stages.

“Who fits the gas and leisure electrics?”

A good answer: Named, qualified people, with test records.

“Will the conversion meet DVLA's motor caravan guidance?”

A good answer: An honest answer, if you want the body type changed.

“What guarantee covers the conversion work?”

A good answer: In writing, by item.

“How long will the campervan conversion take?”

A good answer: A realistic timetable.

Getting the quote right

  • Full specification
  • Price and stage payments
  • Gas, electrics and heating fitted by whom
  • The converter's VAT number, and VAT shown under each stage payment
  • Timetable and guarantee
  • Who actually attends to the gas, electrics and joinery — the converter's staff, employed or subcontracted

Walk away if

  • A large upfront payment
  • A vague specification
  • No test records for electrics or gas
  • No finished examples to show
LOW
£5,000
TYPICAL
£15,000
HIGH
£40,000

What a campervan converter costs: £5,000–£40,000 per project

A campervan conversion is priced per project from a written specification — insulation, furniture, electrics, windows, gas and heating — usually paid in stages. Campervan Conversion price guide →

Guide prices compiled by the Locufy team from published Irish and UK provider price lists and 2026/27 cost guides. Updated 2026.

KNOW WHAT TO LOOK FOR? NOW FIND ONE

Campervan converters near you, with the badges that matter shown

ID checked, trader status and one score from every review — on the card, before you message anyone. Nearest first. No account needed to look.

Or post the job free and let them come to you.

  1. DesignSpecification and layout agreed.
  2. Strip and insulateVan stripped, windows cut, insulation fitted.
  3. First fixWiring and pipework installed.
  4. FurnitureBed, kitchen and storage fitted.
  5. Commission and handoverSystems tested; manuals and records handed over.

Motor caravan
DVLA's body type for a campervan or motorhome.
Leisure battery
A separate battery for the living area.
Split charge
A system that charges the leisure battery while driving.
First fix
Wiring and pipes before panels go on.
Specification
The written list of everything to be built.
Stage payment
A payment due when a stage is completed.

AFTER

When the job is done

Update the V5CIf the body type changes, apply to DVLA; tell your insurer.
Keep the paperworkSpecification, invoices, test records, manuals.
Test every systemLights, sockets, water, heating, solar.
Review it honestlyYour review helps the next customer choose. Under four stars, Locufy offers the converter the chance to put it right first — then the review is published.

STEP 1Tell the converter, in writingDescribe the faults in the campervan conversion and what you want. The Consumer Rights Act 2015 sets the bar: reasonable care and skill in doing the job.
STEP 2Make-it-right, then reviewA rating below four stars for this campervan converter opens the make-it-right step: you choose whether the converter hears about it first, we chase it, and the review follows.
STEP 3The Motor Ombudsman or Trading StandardsIf the converter is accredited to The Motor Ombudsman, it can decide the dispute once the business has had eight weeks to reply. If not, take the campervan converter complaint to the consumer helpline, which can pass it to Trading Standards: Citizens Advice on 0808 223 1133 in England and Wales, Advice Direct Scotland on 0808 800 9060, and Consumerline on 0300 123 6262 in Northern Ireland.
STEP 4The court, as a last stepFor a campervan converter dispute that will not settle, the small claims route covers up to £10,000 in England and Wales, up to £5,000 in Scotland and up to £5,000 in Northern Ireland; the court fee depends on the amount claimed.

Hiring a campervan converter: questions people ask

No. No UK nation licenses conversions. Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 the campervan converter must still work with reasonable care and skill.

Yes — a change of body type, such as van to motor caravan, must be updated on the V5C; DVLA may inspect.

Invoices, the specification, test records for electrics and gas work, and equipment manuals.

Typically £15,000: the range is £5,000–£40,000 per project. The campervan conversion price guide breaks it down; put in your postcode above to compare campervan converters near you.

DVLA says the body type does not change the insurance category; check with your insurer.

Tell the converter in writing. Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 you can require faulty work to be redone or a price reduction.

MORE GUIDES

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Campervan converters near you

Campervan converters in LondonCampervan converters in ManchesterCampervan converters in BirminghamCampervan converters in GlasgowCampervan converters in BelfastAll campervan converters on Locufy →

Sources — checked October 2026

  1. Citizens Advice — problems with a car repair
  2. The Motor Ombudsman — Garage Finder
  3. Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 49 — reasonable care and skill
  4. gov.uk — change vehicle details on a V5C
  5. gov.uk (DVLA) — converting a vehicle into a motor caravan
  6. gov.uk — make a court claim for money: court fees
  7. mygov.scot — make a court claim for money
  8. nidirect — small claims process
  9. VAT rates — VAT rates for goods and services: standard rate 20% on most goods and services
  10. GOV.UK — Register for VAT: when to register