Understanding Your Campervan Warranty: What's Covered by Volkswagen and Taylored Campervans?
What's covered by Volkswagen, what's covered by Taylored Campervans, and how individual component warranties fit in – everything you need to know about the warranty protection that comes with your campervan.
Understanding Your Campervan Warranty: What's Covered by Volkswagen and Taylored Campervans?
When investing in a campervan, peace of mind is just as important as the vehicle itself. At Taylored Campervans, we want our customers to feel confident in their purchase and understand the warranty protection that comes with their new campervan.
One question we're regularly asked is: What's covered by Volkswagen, and what's covered by Taylored Campervans?
It's a great question, and one worth explaining.
When purchasing a Taylored campervan, there are generally three different types of warranty to consider:
- Volkswagen's manufacturer warranty, covering the original base vehicle.
- Taylored Campervans' three-year workmanship warranty, covering the quality of our conversion work.
- Individual manufacturer warranties, covering the equipment and components installed within your campervan.
Here's how they work together.
1. Volkswagen Manufacturer's Warranty – The Base Vehicle
Every Volkswagen campervan starts life as a vehicle manufactured by Volkswagen, whether that's a Transporter T6.1, the latest T7 Transporter or another model.
Volkswagen provides a manufacturer's warranty covering eligible defects in the original vehicle, subject to its warranty terms and conditions.
This typically includes components such as:
- Engine and associated mechanical components
- Gearbox and transmission
- Factory-fitted electrical systems
- Original vehicle electronics and infotainment
- Factory-fitted heating and air conditioning
- Original suspension and steering components
- Other factory-installed equipment
How long is Volkswagen's warranty?
The warranty period depends on the age and model of your vehicle.
For example, Volkswagen's latest T7 Transporter benefits from the 5 Plus Promise, which includes a manufacturer's warranty of up to five years or 124,000 miles, whichever comes first, subject to Volkswagen's terms and exclusions.
Older Transporter models may have different warranty periods, so it's important to check the warranty applicable to your particular vehicle.
When does the Volkswagen warranty start?
This is an important point, particularly when purchasing a newly converted campervan.
Volkswagen's manufacturer's warranty begins from the vehicle's date of first registration, not the date you collect your completed campervan from Taylored Campervans.
As our campervans undergo a professional conversion process, there can sometimes be a period between the vehicle's initial registration and the completion of the conversion.
For example, if a Volkswagen Transporter is first registered in January but the completed campervan is handed over to its new owner in April, the Volkswagen manufacturer's warranty will have already been running for approximately three months.
This means the remaining Volkswagen warranty period is calculated from the vehicle's original registration date.
Our Taylored Campervans three-year workmanship warranty is separate and begins from the date of handover of your completed conversion.
Individual component warranties may have different start dates and durations, depending on the manufacturer and their applicable warranty terms.
Does converting a Volkswagen invalidate its warranty?
This is another question we hear regularly.
Having your Volkswagen professionally converted into a campervan does not automatically invalidate the manufacturer's warranty on the entire vehicle.
Volkswagen's warranty continues to apply to eligible original vehicle components that have not been modified or adversely affected by the conversion.
However, Volkswagen may decline warranty claims where a fault has been caused by modifications or equipment installed as part of the campervan conversion.
For example, an engine manufacturing defect unrelated to the conversion would ordinarily be considered under Volkswagen's warranty.
However, if an electrical fault was found to have been caused by aftermarket equipment, Volkswagen may not cover that particular repair.
You can read more about Volkswagen's official warranty conditions on its website: Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles – Warranty Information
2. Taylored Campervans – Our Three-Year Workmanship Warranty
At Taylored Campervans, we're proud of the craftsmanship, attention to detail and care that goes into every conversion we produce.
That's why we provide a three-year workmanship warranty on our campervan conversions.
This warranty covers defects arising from the workmanship involved in installing and constructing your campervan conversion.
Our workmanship warranty applies to areas such as:
- Furniture construction and installation
- Cabinetry and interior fittings
- Installation of campervan electrical systems
- Plumbing installation
- Pop-top roof installation
- Window installation
- Installation of heating systems
- Other conversion work carried out by our team
Essentially, if an issue arises because something has not been installed or constructed correctly by us, our workmanship warranty is there to provide reassurance.
When does the Taylored workmanship warranty start?
Our three-year workmanship warranty begins from the date your completed campervan is handed over to you.
This is separate from Volkswagen's manufacturer's warranty, which starts from the date of first registration.
For example, if your Volkswagen was registered in January but your completed campervan was handed over in April, your Taylored workmanship warranty would begin in April.
This ensures that customers receive the full three years of our workmanship warranty from the point they take delivery of their completed conversion.
What doesn't our workmanship warranty cover?
It's important to understand that a workmanship warranty is different from a product or component warranty.
Our three-year workmanship warranty covers the quality of the work we carry out, rather than guaranteeing that every individual product installed will remain fault-free for three years.
For example, if an electrical component develops an internal manufacturing fault after 18 months, this would not automatically be considered a workmanship issue.
However, if a fault develops because that component was incorrectly installed by our team, this would be assessed under our workmanship warranty.
We also distinguish between genuine defects and issues arising from normal wear and tear, accidental damage, misuse or a lack of appropriate maintenance.
Every warranty claim is assessed according to the circumstances and applicable warranty terms.
3. Individual Component Warranties – The Equipment Inside Your Campervan
Modern campervans contain a considerable amount of specialist equipment, much of which is manufactured by independent suppliers.
At Taylored Campervans, we carefully select the equipment used in our conversions, including electrical systems, batteries, appliances, heating systems and other accessories.
These individual products come with their own manufacturer's warranty terms, which can vary considerably depending on the product and manufacturer.
For example:
- Some electrical components have a manufacturer's warranty of just 12 months.
- Other electrical equipment may benefit from considerably longer warranty periods.
- Batteries, appliances, heating systems and other equipment each have their own warranty conditions.
This means that not every component within your campervan will necessarily have the same warranty duration.
An example of how this works
Imagine your campervan is two years old and an electrical component stops working.
There are two different possibilities.
Scenario 1 – Product failure
The component itself has developed an internal manufacturing defect.
In this situation, the applicable component warranty would be considered. If the manufacturer's warranty has expired, the fault would not automatically fall under our three-year workmanship warranty.
Scenario 2 – Installation fault
The component has failed because of an issue with how it was originally installed.
In this situation, the fault may fall under Taylored Campervans' three-year workmanship warranty.
Understanding the cause of a problem helps establish which warranty applies and how it should be resolved.
Of course, any applicable statutory consumer rights remain unaffected by these warranty arrangements.
4. What Happens If Something Goes Wrong?
We understand that experiencing an issue with your campervan can be frustrating, particularly when you're away travelling.
Our aim is always to help customers establish the cause of an issue and identify the most appropriate solution.
If you experience a problem with your campervan, we recommend contacting us with as much information as possible.
Depending on the nature of the issue, we may ask for photographs, videos or further details to help with the initial assessment.
Where necessary, we may need to inspect the campervan or arrange for further investigation.
Volkswagen-related faults
For issues involving the original Volkswagen vehicle, an authorised Volkswagen Van Centre will generally be best placed to diagnose and carry out repairs under the manufacturer's warranty.
Conversion-related faults
For issues involving our conversion workmanship or equipment installed by Taylored, please contact our team so we can advise on the appropriate next steps.
In some circumstances, specialist components may need to be returned to their manufacturer for testing, repair or replacement.
Where the cause of a fault is unclear, further investigation may be necessary before warranty responsibility can be established.
5. What About Additional Labour Costs?
Another important consideration is the difference between repairing a defective component and the additional work sometimes required to access it.
For example, Volkswagen may agree to replace a faulty original vehicle component under its manufacturer's warranty.
However, if campervan furniture or other conversion equipment needs to be removed to access that component, Volkswagen may not cover the additional labour involved.
Similarly, individual component manufacturers may provide replacement equipment without necessarily covering every associated removal, refitting or diagnostic cost.
These situations are assessed individually, taking account of the applicable warranties, the cause of the fault and the customer's statutory rights.
Our team can help explain the process and advise on the next steps.
6. Looking After Your Campervan
Like any vehicle, a campervan requires regular care and maintenance to keep everything operating as intended.
We recommend that customers:
- Follow Volkswagen's recommended vehicle servicing schedule.
- Maintain campervan equipment in accordance with the relevant manufacturer's instructions.
- Regularly check and maintain seals, fittings and other components where required.
- Avoid overloading electrical systems or using equipment outside its intended operating limits.
- Report potential faults promptly to prevent further damage.
Correct maintenance is an important part of keeping your campervan in good condition and can help prevent avoidable issues.
7. Our Commitment to Our Customers
At Taylored Campervans, we take pride in building campervans that are designed to be enjoyed for years to come.
Every conversion represents a significant investment, and we want our customers to have confidence not only in the finished vehicle but also in the support available afterwards.
Our three-year workmanship warranty reflects the confidence we have in the quality of our work.
Alongside this, customers benefit from the applicable Volkswagen manufacturer's warranty and the individual warranties supplied with the equipment installed in their campervan.
Although different warranties cover different elements of the vehicle, our team is always happy to help customers understand where an issue may fall and the best way to proceed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does converting my Volkswagen into a campervan invalidate its warranty?
No, not automatically. Volkswagen's manufacturer's warranty generally remains valid for eligible original vehicle components that have not been modified or adversely affected by the conversion.
When does my Volkswagen warranty begin?
Volkswagen's manufacturer's warranty normally begins from the vehicle's date of first registration, rather than the date you collect your completed campervan.
When does my Taylored Campervans warranty begin?
Our three-year workmanship warranty begins from the date your completed campervan is handed over to you.
Does Taylored's three-year warranty cover every component for three years?
No. Our three-year warranty covers conversion workmanship. Individual components have their own manufacturer's warranties, which vary depending on the product.
What happens if an electrical component fails after its manufacturer's warranty has expired?
The cause of the failure would need to be established. If it relates to an installation or workmanship defect, it may fall under our three-year workmanship warranty. If it is an internal product failure, the manufacturer's warranty terms and any applicable statutory rights would need to be considered.
Who should I contact if something goes wrong?
For faults relating to the original Volkswagen vehicle, an authorised Volkswagen Van Centre can usually assist with manufacturer warranty claims.
For issues relating to the campervan conversion or installed equipment, please contact Taylored Campervans.
If you're unsure where the problem originates, our team will be happy to offer guidance.
Have a Warranty Question?
Whether you're an existing Taylored Campervans owner or considering commissioning your own campervan, we're always happy to answer questions about warranty coverage, servicing and ongoing support.
Get in touch with the Taylored Campervans team, and we'll be happy to help.
Please note: This article provides general guidance on warranty responsibilities. All warranties are subject to their individual terms, conditions and exclusions. Warranty coverage may vary depending on vehicle age, model, equipment and the circumstances of a claim. Nothing in this article affects your statutory consumer rights.
