Self Containing Your Campervan In New Zealand 2023 - Everything You Need To Know
New Zealand’s main attraction has to be it’s natural beauty, and what better way to enjoy it than to go off grid and fully immerse yourself! While it’s perfectly legal to do here, there are some rules that have been set up to protect our environment and make sure all campers enjoy New Zealand responsibly. We’ve done our best to simplify the info for you, for the official standards read here.
Why should you self-contain your campervan, caravan or motorhome?
Great question! It’s not a legal requirement to have your camper self-contained, but without it you’re greatly restricted to where you can stay in New Zealand. While there are plenty of great DOC (department of conservation) and privately owned campgrounds around the country, sometimes you just need to get away from everyone else and be at one with nature! If you want to do any kind of freedom camping your vehicle must meet certain standards to make it ‘self-contained’. It’s definitely worth getting the certification as the freedom to go anywhere (well not really anywhere) makes the Vanlife experience much more enjoyable!
So what is Self-Containment?
In a nutshell, having a self-contained vehicle means you can carry enough fresh water and waste (grey water/rubbish/human waste) for 3 days without needing any external services. The guidelines have set minimum requirements that need to be met in order for you to be able to stay at all the amazing freedom camps around the country.
The basic requirements are the same for all vehicles and need to be sized correctly in relation to the amount of people occupying (sleeping) in the vehicle. Let’s get into the nitty gritty!
What do you need to Self-Contain your Camper?
To make it easy, we’re listing the MINIMUM requirements to get your vehicle self-contained. These are what is needed for 1 PERSON for 3 DAYS of camping. If you’re sleeping 2-3 or more, you’ll need to multiply the capacities by how many people your camper can sleep.
Fresh Water > 4L per day, 12L minimum
Grey Water > 4L per day, 12L minimum
Sink > Must be fitted to the vehicle and have a smell trap
Toilet > 1L capacity per day, 3L minimum
Evacuation Hose > 3m length minimum (for fixed waste tanks only)
Refuse Container > Rubbish bin with lid (no size requirements)
Below is some additional information on the specifics around each component.
Fresh & Grey Water Tanks
As above, you’ll need 2 separate containers for water. One to hold your fresh water, the other to hold your grey water (dirty water not containing human waste). With most campervans being designed to sleep at least 2 people, this means that both of these tanks must have at least a 24L capacity. The cheap and simple method to achieve this is to purchase 2x 25L Water Containers and your set for water storage. Both tanks must also have a vent pipe that raises higher than the water level of the sink, and then exits the vehicle. This vent pipe must be no less than 12mm in diameter. NOTE: If the grey water tank is a smaller capacity than the fresh tank, it must be able to be monitored easily to prevent overflow.
Sink
There are no minimum sizes the sink needs to be, but it must be fixed to the vehicle. The sink must then be connected to the grey water tank via a smell trap and sealed so that no water can spill onto the ground. The purpose of the smell trap is to stop odours from the waste water entering the vehicle. Standard house traps are generally too large for campervan purposes, so a simple loop in the drain hose can be used to achieve the same results. This drain hose must be a minimum of 18mm in diameter for lengths under 3m, and 25mm for lengths of 3m+.
Simplified look at a basic plumbing system for a campervan
Toilet
For your vehicle to be self-contained for 2 people, you’ll need a portable toilet or black water (human waste) tank with at least a 6L capacity. The best option we’ve found that meets these requirements is an 8L portable toilet. With space at a premium when living in vehicles, this was the most compact option available. In addition to the holding capacity the toilet also needs to be usable, with enough leg and elbow room, while the bed is made. This can be a challenge in the small people mover type vehicles, but is doable with a bit of brain power!
How do I get my campervan Certified Self-Contained?
Once you’ve done all the hard work setting up the necessities for self-containment, it’s time to make it official! You’ll now need to get your vehicle inspected by an issuing authority or a qualified self-containment testing officer. Issuing authorities such as the NZMCA or All Points Camping are organisations that promote and protect responsible camping in New Zealand. Signing up to either of these organisations gives members access to their club’s large list or testing officers and usually discounted fees. The other option is to find a registered plumber, gasfitter or drainlayer in your area to provide the certification.
After passing the inspection you’ll receive your certification in the mail along with your blue self-contained sticker and window card. The sticker needs to be clearly displayed on the back of the vehicle and the card goes in the front windscreen next to the registration details. You’ll be certified for 4 years from the date of application. NOTE: Don’t be tricked when buying a secondhand camper! Some people steal or reprint the rear stickers and try to pass their vehicle off as certified self-contained. Make sure it has the front window card with the correct details!
How much does it cost?
There’s no set price for certifying vehicles, with each issuing authority and inspector charging different rates for the certification and inspection. Signing up to a camping organisation will cost, but comes with heavily discounted rates for certification as well as plenty of other perks. Have a look in your local area and ring around for pricing!
Now you’re Certified Self-Contained, time to hit the road!
Looking for ideas on the best things to see and do travelling in a campervan around New Zealand?! Check out out blogs below for awesome travel inspo and handy information for what to do in NZ!
The Ultimate Guides to New Zealand’s famous Milford Sound & Aoraki/Mt Cook
It’s time to hit the road!! Drive safe and as always…