Calculate your van budget
Start with your purchase price, assumed resale and travel days. Add costs or a rental quote when you’re ready.
Ownership cost is the purchase price minus your assumed resale proceeds, plus the expenses you enter. Divide that total by the number of travel days. Compare it with a rental quote covering the same days and comparable inclusions. Every result changes with your inputs.
Open the ownership cost calculator and enter your purchase price, assumed resale proceeds, travel days, expenses and rental quote.
Illustrative example: the prefilled numbers are assumptions, not market prices or provider quotes. Replace every amount with your own budget. All entries and results are in NZD.
| Purchase price | $12,000 NZD |
| Assumed resale proceeds | $9,500 NZD |
| Travel days | 90 |
| Inspection budget | $250 NZD |
| Repairs and servicing budget | $1,000 NZD |
| Insurance budget | $600 NZD |
| Licensing, RUC and other costs | $300 NZD |
Net ownership cost: $4,650 NZD. Ownership cost per travel day: $51.67 NZD.
Ownership = purchase − assumed resale + inspection + repairs + insurance + administration. Rental = days × quoted daily rate + rental extras.
This scenario excludes costs you have not entered. Cash needed before resale and final trip cost are different: future sale proceeds are not available to fund the purchase.
How to build a useful comparison
Purchase and resale
Use the actual purchase price and a resale assumption you can afford to miss. Compare similar advertised vans, then test a lower resale amount. Advertised prices are not evidence of completed sales.
Inspection, repairs and servicing
Enter your inspection quote, work identified in the report, servicing and a contingency. Leaving a field blank means zero in the arithmetic; it does not mean the cost is unnecessary.
Insurance and administration
Get quotes for your licence, age, trip and conversion. Add applicable licensing, RUC and selling costs to the administration budget. Use current charges for the actual vehicle.
Rental quote
Enter a quote for the same travel dates and length. Put additional cover, fees and equipment you need in rental extras if they are not included in the daily rate.
Comparable running costs
Fuel, campsites and ferries are excluded unless you include them in your entered budgets. Compare the same itinerary and cost categories on both sides; a lower ownership subtotal is not a complete trip budget.
Actual buyback arrangements
A seller buyback is a separate agreement. Check the named buyer, timing, amount, deductions, mileage and condition requirements, and payment terms. The calculator does not cap your trip cost or guarantee that agreement will be fulfilled.
Frequently asked questions
Does this calculator estimate the market resale value of my campervan?
No. You supply the resale assumption. The tool performs transparent arithmetic on your inputs and uses no validated depreciation, brand reliability or seasonal pricing model.
Is buying a campervan cheaper than renting in New Zealand?
It depends on the purchase, eventual sale, repairs, insurance, rental quote and length of travel. Enter comparable quotes, test a lower resale amount and allow for unexpected repairs and time needed to sell.
What happens if my resale assumption is wrong?
A lower sale amount raises your ownership cost dollar for dollar. Try several resale and repair scenarios and keep enough cash available before relying on future sale proceeds.