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Valuing a Motorhome or Campervan: Probate and Insurance

Published 15 October 2026 · 6 min read

A motorhome or campervan is valued like any other vehicle: at the price it would fetch on the open market on the date that matters. The difference is evidence. The Financial Ombudsman Service says the motor valuation guides do not cover conversions such as campers, so a value has to be built from an engineer's report and adverts for similar vehicles.

That matters whether the camper is on an inheritance tax schedule, in a divorce disclosure or the subject of an insurer's total loss offer. Two Ombudsman decisions on camper vans show how the argument goes.

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Why are motorhomes and campervans harder to value than cars?

Insurers and the Ombudsman lean on specialist motor valuation guides for cars. The Ombudsman's own page says there are vehicles the guides do not cover, including vehicles over 20 years old, less common or unusual vehicles such as agricultural machinery, and "conversions, such as ice-cream vans or campers". When it cannot use the guides to reach a fair valuation, it says it will ask the customer and the insurer for other information, such as an engineer's report.

The same page says the Ombudsman now typically considers adverts when assessing market value, and that differences in mileage or year of registration can have a big effect on the value of the same model. For a camper, two vans of the same make can be worth very different amounts depending on the layout and what was fitted.

What happened when a converted campervan was stolen?

In decision DRN-5596018, a campervan converted less than a year before was stolen in April 2024. The insurer valued it at £24,000, partly by taking into account what the conversion had cost. The owner pointed to adverts for similar converted campervans and said it was worth at least £35,000.

The ombudsman upheld the complaint and set the value at £30,000. The reasons: the normal valuation guides do not list values for a converted van the way they do for an ordinary car, so the ombudsman relied on adverts for similar conversions; adding the cost of the conversion was not a fair or reasonable method; and the insurer had not explained why it ignored the many adverts at higher prices. The ombudsman also noted that this was not an agreed value policy, so the figure on the schedule was only an indication.

What happened to a factory-built camper van after an accident?

In decision DRN-4733448, a three-year-old camper van insured on a motor caravan policy was declared a Category S total loss. The insurer's engineer valued it at £58,500 and the owner's research said a replacement would cost at least £65,000. The insurer argued that motorhomes lose value slowly and that the van had cost £58,900 new, and later offered £60,000 based on a figure from the manufacturer.

The ombudsman noted the guides did not cover the van, looked at the adverts from both sides, kept only the ones for models the manufacturer had named as similar, and settled the claim at £62,995, with 8% simple interest on the extra £4,495. A depreciation argument was not preferred over the adverts for vehicles actually on sale, given how uncommon the make and model were.

How does a motorhome appear on the probate forms?

Form IHT407, the schedule for household and personal goods, has a box headed "Vehicles, boats and aircraft". It asks for details of cars, "including vintage and classic", "motorcycles and other vehicles", boats and aircraft. A motorhome is not named, and it is neither a car nor a motorcycle, so the line for other vehicles is the natural place for it. If you are unsure, ask HMRC or the solicitor handling the estate. For each vehicle the form asks for manufacturer, model, year of manufacture, registration number, condition at the date of death and the open market value at that date, and it says to enclose a copy of any professional valuation.

The test is section 160 of the Inheritance Tax Act 1984: "the price which the property might reasonably be expected to fetch if sold in the open market at that time". For a camper that means its value on the date of death, with the conversion and equipment it had on that date. Our guide to open market value in probate covers the test for cars, and a vehicle sold after the death explains why the sale price and the date of death value can differ.

Does a motorhome go on Form E in a divorce?

Section 2.8 of Form E asks for "Details of personal belongings individually worth more than £500" and says to include "Cars (gross value)". Motorhomes are not named, but a motorhome above that figure fits the heading, so it is usually disclosed there. If you are unsure, ask your solicitor. The form gives no basis for the value, so the figure is yours to explain: our guide to the Form E car value sets out why stating the basis matters. Finance outstanding is a liability, not a deduction from the gross value.

What about agreed value insurance for a camper?

The Ombudsman's page says vehicles with particular features or accessories are often insured through an agreed-value policy, which fixes the figure in advance. That is why the written value matters before the claim, not after it: an agreed value is set from evidence about the vehicle you have. Our guide to agreed value against market value explains the difference, and the one on modified, imported and classic cars covers what insurers ask to see. Each insurer decides what it accepts.

What does a valuer need to know about the motorhome?

Make, model, VIN, year, mileage, condition and photographs, plus the date the value is needed for. For a converted campervan add what the conversion includes (for example power, water, toilet, bed and kitchen), who did the work, and the invoices. The first Ombudsman case turned on exactly these details. For a factory-built motorhome, add the layout and any extras fitted. A written valuation then sets out the comparable vehicles and the adjustments for the specific one, so the figure can be checked rather than just accepted.

Frequently asked questions

Do motor valuation guides cover motorhomes and campervans?

The Financial Ombudsman Service says there are vehicles the valuation guides do not cover, including conversions such as ice-cream vans or campers. In those cases it asks the customer and the insurer for other information, such as an engineer's report, and it now typically considers adverts for similar vehicles.

Can an insurer add the cost of a conversion to a campervan's value?

Not as a shortcut. In decision DRN-5596018 the ombudsman said adding the cost of the conversion did not give the market value of a finished campervan for sale, and valued the van from adverts for similar conversions.

Where does a motorhome go on the IHT407 form?

The Vehicles, boats and aircraft box on IHT407 lists cars, motorcycles and other vehicles, and a motorhome is not named. It is not a car or a motorcycle, so it goes on the line for other vehicles, with the open market value at the date of death. If you are unsure, ask HMRC or the solicitor handling the estate.

Does a motorhome count in Form E section 2.8 in a divorce?

Section 2.8 asks for personal belongings individually worth more than £500 and names cars, not motorhomes. A motorhome above that figure fits the heading, so it is usually disclosed there. If you are unsure, ask your solicitor.

Sources: Financial Ombudsman Service, motor valuations and write-offs; Ombudsman decisions DRN-5596018 and DRN-4733448; HMRC, form IHT407; Inheritance Tax Act 1984, section 160; Form E (01.23), section 2.8, as quoted in our Form E guide. All read on 15 October 2026.