Campervan breakdown & engine cover
Every campervan we sell comes with two kinds of cover, at no extra cost: Breakdown Repair Cover for everyday mechanical faults, and Engine Failure Cover for the big failures that leave you stranded. Under both, we pay 100% of the repair cost until you reach 4 weeks or 2,000 km, whichever comes first, then 50% until your cover ends.
Effective for vans sold from 1 October 2026. Want us to keep paying the full cost after the first 4 weeks? Add the 100% Reimbursement Upgrade for $500.
Your cover at a glance
| Breakdown Repair Cover | Engine Failure Cover | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is for | Everyday mechanical faults, such as an alternator, starter motor or brakes | Major failures that stop the van, such as the engine, automatic gearbox, water pump or radiator |
| First 4 weeks or 2,000 km, whichever comes first | We pay 100% | We pay 100% |
| After that, until your cover ends | We pay 50% | We pay 50% |
| After your cover ends | You pay 100% | You pay 100% |
| Most we will pay in total (incl. GST) | $2,000 | $5,000 |
| Your checks | Oil and coolant check, logged at least every 2,000 km | Oil and coolant check, logged and photo sent every 1,000 km |
| If you miss your checks | Breakdown Repair Cover ends | Engine Failure Cover ends. Breakdown Repair Cover continues if your 2,000 km checks are done. |
These rules are for vans sold with our buy-back guarantee. A few high-km vans each year are sold outright with no buy-back, and they have different cover. See vans sold outright.
How long your cover lasts
Cover starts on the day you buy the van. It ends as soon as you reach either the time limit or the distance limit for your van’s level, whichever happens first.
| Van level | Length of cover |
|---|---|
| Bronze | 3 months or 4,000 km |
| Silver | 4 months or 6,000 km |
| Gold | 5 months or 8,000 km |
| Premium | 6 months or 12,000 km |
Distance is measured from your van’s odometer reading on the day you buy it. For example, with a Bronze van:
- If you drive 4,500 km in your first 6 weeks, your cover ended when you reached 4,000 km, even though 3 months had not passed.
- If you drive 2,500 km in 3 months, your cover ends at 3 months, even though you have not reached 4,000 km.
Your van’s level, purchase date and starting odometer reading are written in your sale agreement. Cover is for the person who bought the van from us and does not pass to anyone else.
How much we pay
We pay 100% of the repair cost until you reach either 4 weeks or 2,000 km after purchase, whichever happens first. For example, if you drive 3,000 km in your first week, the 100% period ended when you passed 2,000 km.
After that we pay 50%, or 100% if you have the 100% Reimbursement Upgrade. Either way, there is a limit on what we pay in total:
| Most we will pay in total (incl. GST) | |
|---|---|
| Breakdown Repair Cover | $2,000 |
| Engine Failure Cover | $5,000 |
These are two separate totals, and each one runs for your whole cover period rather than resetting after a repair. So you could claim up to $5,000 of engine failure work and up to $2,000 of general repairs. Once a total is used up, that cover is finished, even if time and distance are left on it.
For example: if an engine repair costs $6,000 two months after purchase, we pay $3,000 at 50%. With the upgrade we pay $5,000, which is the whole of your engine failure total.
100% Reimbursement Upgrade: $500
For a one-off $500, we will keep paying 100% of the cost of covered repairs under both your Breakdown Repair Cover and your Engine Failure Cover once your first 4 weeks or 2,000 km is up, instead of 50%.
| Standard cover | With the upgrade | |
|---|---|---|
| First 4 weeks or 2,000 km, whichever comes first | We pay 100% | We pay 100% |
| After that, until your cover ends | We pay 50% | We pay 100% |
| Length of cover | Your van level’s time and km | Same: your van level’s time and km |
Good to know
- The upgrade must be added when you buy your van, and it is shown on your invoice.
- The length of cover does not change. It still ends at your van level’s time or distance, whichever comes first.
- The totals we will pay still apply: $2,000 for Breakdown Repair Cover and $5,000 for Engine Failure Cover.
- Everything else on this page still applies: what is and is not covered, your oil and coolant checks, asking us before work starts, and how you get paid.
- If you miss your checks, the cover they relate to ends, and the upgrade no longer applies to it.
- The upgrade is for vans sold with our buy-back guarantee. It is not available on vans sold outright.
- The $500 is not refundable, including if you do not need to make a claim.
Breakdown Repair Cover
If something mechanical breaks while you are covered, we will pay 100% of the repair cost (parts and labour, including GST) until you reach 4 weeks or 2,000 km, whichever comes first. After that, we pay 50% and you pay 50%, or we pay it all with the 100% Reimbursement Upgrade. The most we will pay in total under this cover is $2,000 (incl. GST), for your whole cover period.
Your checks: at least every 2,000 km
For your Breakdown Repair Cover to stay valid, check the engine oil and coolant levels at least every 2,000 km and write the date, odometer reading and levels in the maintenance and incident log in your glovebox. If you are doing the 1,000 km checks for Engine Failure Cover, those count too.
What is covered
- Starting and charging: alternator and starter motor
- Brakes: brake pads and rotors
- Wheels and drive: wheel bearings, CV joints and driveshafts
- Fuel, steering and ignition: fuel pump, power steering and ignition parts
- Battery: only if it is more than 3 years old (the date is printed on the battery)
What is not covered
- Small bills: repair bills under $100
- Minor items and top-ups: wiper blades, light bulbs, fuses, and oil, coolant or other fluid top-ups
- Tyres: handled separately under our tyre wear and tear policy
- Windscreens and other glass: your vehicle insurance should cover these
- Accidental damage, including hitting a pothole or an object on the road
- Batteries less than 3 years old
- Engine sensors
- Checking a warning light: the cost of finding out why the orange engine warning light came on. If that leads to a covered repair, the repair itself is covered.
- Servicing: oil changes, filters and routine maintenance
- Camping fit-out and extras: the bed, kitchen unit, water containers, any solar or second battery, stereo, and add-ons like roof racks and awnings
- Bodywork: rust, paint, trim and other cosmetic items
Engine Failure Cover
This is for the serious failures that stop your van and leave you stranded.
What is covered
- The engine: pistons, crankshaft, camshaft, valves, head gasket, timing chain or belt, and oil pump
- The cooling system: water pump, radiator and thermostat
- The automatic gearbox: including the torque converter and internal parts
If a split hose or snapped belt damages one of these parts, we cover that damage too, as long as you pulled over and stopped as soon as a warning light came on or the temperature gauge started rising.
How much we pay
| When it fails | We pay | You pay |
|---|---|---|
| First 4 weeks or 2,000 km, whichever comes first | 100% | 0% |
| After that, until your cover ends | 50% | 50% |
| After your cover ends | 0% | 100% |
With the 100% Reimbursement Upgrade, we pay 100% right up until your cover ends. The most we will pay in total under this cover is $5,000 (incl. GST), for your whole cover period.
We may use a good used or reconditioned engine or part. If a repair would cost more than the van is worth, we will talk with you about the options before any work is done. These may include a replacement van or an early buy-back at an adjusted price we agree on together.
Your checks: every 1,000 km
Older engines can use some oil, and running low is the most common cause of engine failure. For your Engine Failure Cover to stay valid, every 1,000 km you must:
- Check the engine oil level and top it up if needed.
- Check the coolant level with the engine cold.
- Fill in the maintenance and incident log. You will find it in an envelope in the glovebox.
- Send us a photo of the oil dipstick and a photo of your log entry: message us on WhatsApp. In the message, write the date, odometer reading (km) and your van’s registration.
We recommend doing it well before each 1,000 km, so you are never late.
If a check is not done and sent to us within each 1,000 km, your Engine Failure Cover ends. From then on, engine, gearbox and cooling system failures are not covered at all, not even at 50%. Your Breakdown Repair Cover for other faults still applies, as long as you keep up your 2,000 km checks.
Vans sold outright (no buy-back)
A small number of vans each year, usually very high-km vans, are sold outright. They have no buy-back and you do not return them to us.
| When it happens | Engine failure and other covered breakdowns |
|---|---|
| First 4 weeks or 2,000 km, whichever comes first | We pay 100% |
| After 4 weeks or 2,000 km, whichever comes first | You pay 100% |
Everything else on this page still applies, including the totals we will pay ($2,000 for Breakdown Repair Cover, $5,000 for Engine Failure Cover), the 1,000 km checks and asking us before any work starts. Towing is not covered.
Tyres
Tyres wear down a little on every trip. Without a shared system, whoever happens to own the van when the tread gets low would pay for a whole new set, even though earlier travellers did most of the wearing. So we share the cost fairly across everyone, based on how far they drive. Our tyre wear and tear policy is separate from the Breakdown Repair Cover and Engine Failure Cover, so their limits do not apply.
How it works
- A small tyre wear fee. We take $20 for every 1,000 km you travel off your buy-back amount. For example, if you drive 10,000 km, your fee is $200.
- We pay for worn-out tyres. If a tyre wears out from normal use during your trip, we will reimburse the full cost of replacing it. We add this to your buy-back amount when you return the van.
- Ask us first. Before any tyre is fitted, check with us so we can approve the tyre model and price. Never buy asymmetric tyres.
Not included: punctures and damage, for example from a nail, pothole or kerb. These are your cost.
This applies to vans sold with our buy-back guarantee.
Towing and roadside help
We do not provide roadside assistance and we do not pay for towing under any cover, for buy-back or outright vans.
We strongly recommend joining AA Roadservice at www.aa.co.nz. Add the AA Plus upgrade, which includes longer-distance towing that standard membership does not. AA cover only starts 24 hours after you join. If you belong to a motoring club at home, such as AAA, RACV, NRMA or the UK AA, you may get free AA benefits here. Ask at an AA Centre when you arrive.
What applies to both types of cover
Looking after your van
- If the temperature gauge rises or a warning light comes on, pull over safely and turn off the engine straight away.
- Your van is serviced before you pick it up. If you travel 10,000 km after purchase, get it serviced (oil and oil filter change) at a licensed garage and keep the receipt.
- Drive on sealed and gravel roads only, with no beaches, rivers or off-roading.
Wear and tear
All our vans are older and have travelled a long way, so some wear is normal. A part gradually wearing, such as an engine using a bit more oil over time, is not a breakdown. But if a worn part suddenly fails and stops the van working properly, we will treat it as a breakdown.
Not covered under either cover
- Towing, accommodation, rental cars, travel, and time without the van (such as missed bookings, tours or ferry changes)
- Damage from driving on after a warning light, overheating or a strange noise
- Damage from running low on oil, coolant or transmission fluid
- Accidents, misuse or neglect
- Off-road or beach driving, or water crossings
- Overloading the van or towing beyond its limits
- The wrong fuel or fluids, or contaminated ones
- Repairs or modifications we have not approved
Your cover ends straight away if the odometer is tampered with or if false information is given in a claim.
If something goes wrong
Five steps, in order. Step 3 matters most: always get our OK before any work starts.
Stop driving
As soon as it is safe, to avoid further damage.
Call, text or WhatsApp us
Please message us on WhatsApp, or call or text us on the number on our contact page. Have your van’s registration and odometer reading ready. Claims must be reported within your cover period.
Get our OK before work starts
Always ask us first, whatever the repair. We will help you find a licensed garage wherever you are in New Zealand, and tell you what is covered before work begins.
Pay the garage and keep the invoice
Keep the paid invoice, plus any reports from the garage.
Record everything in your log
Write down every breakdown and accident in the maintenance and incident log. If you have an accident or damage the van, note what happened and the date and time. Your insurer will ask for this if you make a claim.
How you get paid
- Buy-back vans: we reimburse our share when you return the van to us at the end of your trip, with the paid invoice.
- Outright vans: email us the paid invoice and we will pay our share into your bank account within 7 days. We can pay into an overseas account.
If we disagree
If we do not agree on what caused a breakdown, you can get an independent report from a licensed garage or the AA. If the report finds the fault is covered, we will pay for the report.
Your rights under New Zealand law
This cover is in addition to your rights under the Consumer Guarantees Act 1993. Nothing on this page takes away or limits those rights.
Questions about what is covered?
Ask us before you buy. We will tell you straight what is and is not covered on the van you are looking at.