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Self-contained vehicles must meet specific standards, and for small campervans, meeting these requirements can be tricky due to space limitations.
1. How to Make a Small Campervan Self-Contained
1.1. Choosing the Right Portable Toilet
Compact portable toilets, such as the CAMEC model, are ideal for small vans when it is fixed and there is some room to access to it while the bed is made.
🚽 For more information about fixed toilets, you can check out the following article: Where to Fit a Fixed Toilet for a Campervan?
1.2. Installing Space-Saving Water Tanks
Fresh and wastewater tanks can be mounted under the bed, at the back of the car, and in some cases on the side of it.
20L tanks are smaller and are valid for self-contained certification, despite in 2025 people still think the minimum requirement is 25L per tank, but it is not.
1.3. Smart Plumbing Setups
A simple yet effective plumbing system can be created using a small sink, a hand pump or electric tap, and flexible hoses leading to sealed water containers.
- More than saving you space, a simple set up can save you money in your conversion.
1.4. Multi-Use Layouts
Using foldable furniture, slide-out kitchen units, and hidden storage areas can help maximize space while keeping the van livable.
- If your small campervan roof is too low, you can always lower the storages and still have a table set-up.
2. Where to Certify a Campervan as Self-Contained
Once we have our campervan ready, it can be inspected to get the self-contained certificate.
At Travel Cars, we do inspections in Auckland, and remotely via WhatsApp in cases where you can’t find an officer nearby.
Our staff are approved self-containment vehicle inspectors with NZ Lifestyle Camping Ltd. We aim to make the certification process simple and efficient for NZ travelling campers.
- The cost is 350$, and generally takes 5 to 10 working days for you to receive the certification, green label and sticker.
📌 For more information about Self-Contained requirements, we have created the following guide: Self-Contained in New Zealand: The Ultimate Guide
3. Examples of Small Campervans Converted
At Travel Cars we convert over 200 campervans annually, and besides that, we also can assist doing conversions or modifications for non-customers.
- Here, we will show some examples of already converted and certified campervans with a “small size”.
4. Buying a Small Campervan Instead
If you do not have the time to convert your own campervan, we have a large stock of all types of campers for sale in Auckland.
Also, at Travel Cars, you can find listings from private sellers in different cities all around New Zealand.
- If you’re planning to make Auckland as your first stop for buying a campervan, you can reach us directly, otherwise you can check listings within our website.
