Published 13 May 2025 · Updated 17 Mar 2026
Campervan ownership has grown alongside the country’s love for roadtrips and outdoor adventures. Campervans are now widely used to explore new landscapes and flexible lifestyles. Tens of thousands of New Zealanders have registered their campervan, showcasing a thriving owner community.
How many campervans are registered in New Zealand?
53,836 campervans (motor caravans) are registered in New Zealand as of March 2025.
Campervan registration numbers in recent years are as follows:
- The campervan fleet in New Zealand grew from 32,379 in 2009 to 53,636 in 2024.
- 47,611 campervans in 2020.
- 49,118 campervans in 2021.
- 50,646 campervans in 2022.
- 51,899 campervans in 2023.
How many campervans are licensed in New Zealand?
- 40,305 campervans (75%) were licensed, 9,855 campervans (18.5%) were on exemption and 3,476 campervans (6.5%) were unlicensed out of the total of 53,636 campervans in New Zealand.
New Zealand Campervans – Most Common Fuel Types
- Diesel was the most common fuel type for campervans in 2024 with 48,618 vehicles. Petrol followed with 4,909 vehicles.
- CNG, LPG, electric, petrol hybrid and petrol electric hybrid are used much less.
| Number of campervans based on fuel type | |
|---|---|
| Fuel Type | No. of Campervan |
| Petrol | 4,909 |
| Diesel | 48,618 |
| Electric | 17 |
| CNG | 9 |
| LPG | 58 |
| Petrol Hybrid | 20 |
Source · Data as of 2024
What percentage of households in New Zealand own a campervan?
2.4% of New Zealand households own a campervan as of January 2025. Around 1 in 40 households have a privately owned campervan.
- There are 48,690 privately owned campervans as of January 2025, excluding rental vehicles. With 2.06 million private dwellings counted in the 2023 census, the household ownership rate is 2.4%.
How does campervan ownership vary by region?
- Auckland, Christchurch and Tauranga have the highest campervan ownership in New Zealand.
- Other territories with over 1,000 campervans include Whangārei, Tasman, New Plymouth, Waimakariri, Hamilton, Dunedin, Marlborough, Timaru and Far North.
Where do most campervans on the road originate from?
- Most campervans on the road originate from Japan (19,986 vehicles), followed by Germany (12,078 vehicles) and Italy (10,033 vehicles). These three make up the majority of campervan origins, indicating a strong dominance of European and Japanese manufacturers in the market.
- Other top countries of origin include the UK, Spain, Australia and the USA.
What are the demographics of campervan owners in New Zealand?
Campervan owners in New Zealand are predominantly older adults and retirees. 75.9% of owners are over the age of 60.
The demographics of campervan owners in New Zealand are listed below:
- 61.6% of campervan owners are between 60-74 years old and 14.2% are 75 or older.
- 2% are under 40 years old while around 5.5% are in their 40s.
- 52% are fully retired and 11% are semi-retired.
- About 22% work full-time and 9% work part-time.
What are the most popular campervan types in New Zealand?
Motorhomes (self-propelled vehicles) were the most popular campervan type in New Zealand as of 2021, accounting for 55% of the recreational vehicle fleet.
- 42% of the recreational vehicle fleet comprises standard motorhomes built on van or truck chassis.
- 13% are bus conversions (old buses converted into motorhomes).
How much does it cost to own a campervan in New Zealand?
The costs of owning a campervan in New Zealand are as follows:
- New motorhomes – NZ$140,000 for entry-level models. High-end vehicles can exceed NZ$300,000.
- New smaller campervans (2-berth van conversions) – NZ$105,000.
- Used motorhomes (15-20 years old) – NZ$50,000 depending on condition.
- Annual registration – NZ$120 per year for a typical motorhome.
- Diesel-powered campervans (80-85% of the fleet) incur Road User Charges of NZ$76 per 1,000 km, equating to about NZ$760 annually for a vehicle travelling 10,000 km.
- Insurance – Between NZ$1,000-NZ$1,500 annually for a motorhome.
- Maintenance expenses – NZ$500-NZ$1,000 per year for newer motorhomes with higher costs for older vehicles.
- Total annual ownership costs (including depreciation) – From NZ$5,000 to over NZ$10,000 depending on usage and vehicle type.
- Depreciation – Around 10-15% of value in the first year and 50% over 8-10 years.
How long do New Zealanders keep their campervans?
- 24,445 campervans were more than 20 years old (manufactured before 2004), 10,317 were 10-20 years old (manufactured between 2005-2014) and 18,941 were less than 10 years old (manufactured after 2014) according to manufacture year data of January 2025.
Other Resources
What is the registration status of campervans in New Zealand by import type?
- 35,103 campervans were registered as new and 16,439 were used as of January 2025.
- Re-registered campervans accounted for 2,157 units. 4 units were registered as scratch-built.
Campervan hire in New Zealand
- Auckland to Christchurch
- Auckland to Wellington campervan hire
- Campervan hire in Christchurch
- Christchurch to Auckland campervan hire
- Christchurch to Queenstown
- Campervan hire in Picton
- Queenstown campervan rental
- Queenstown to Christchurch campervan hire
- Campervan hire in Wellington
- Wellington to Auckland campervan hire
| Registration status of campervans in New Zealand by import type (2025) | |
|---|---|
| Status | No. of Campervan |
| New | 35,103 |
| Used | 16,439 |
| Re-registered | 2,157 |
| Scratch-built | 4 |
References
- New Zealand Motor Vehicle Register — National vehicle fleet status · nzta.govt.nz
- Figure.NZ — Motor Caravan statistics · figure.nz
- 2023 Census population counts by ethnic group, age, and Māori descent, and dwelling counts · stats.govt.nz
- NZMCA — membership and vehicle type data · NZMCA (New Zealand Motor Caravan Association)
- Caravan vs Motorhome — cost of owning campervans · motorhomesforsale.co.nz
