# Campervan and Motorhome Misfuelling in New Zealand — What to Do and Who Pays > Campervans and motorhomes are among the highest-risk vehicles for misfuelling in New Zealand. Hired diesel engines, tired drivers, and foreign tourists combine to make this a common and costly problem. Here is everything you need to know. - Canonical URL: https://www.eek.nz/news/campervan-motorhome-misfuel-nz - Published: 2026-03-20 - Author: EEK Mechanical - Publisher: EEK Mechanical, a trade name of Forman Pacific, LLC ## Why Campervans Are a High-Risk Category Campervans and motorhomes represent one of the highest per-vehicle misfuelling rates of any vehicle category in New Zealand. Several factors combine to make this so: - **Hired vehicle:** Most misfuelled campervans are hire vehicles. The driver is unfamiliar with the vehicle and may never have fuelled a diesel engine before. - **Foreign tourists:** Overseas visitors often come from countries where diesel campervans are less common, or where forecourt layouts differ from New Zealand's. - **Fatigue:** Campervan travellers frequently drive long distances and fuel at the end of a long day, when attention is lowest. - **Physical access:** The fuel filler on a large motorhome is sometimes in an awkward position, and drivers focus on the physical act of fuelling rather than checking the nozzle. ## What Happens to a Diesel Campervan Engine When Petrol Gets In The vast majority of campervans and motorhomes in New Zealand run diesel engines — typically a Toyota HiAce, Mitsubishi Rosa, or Fiat Ducato variant. These are common-rail diesel engines with high-pressure fuel injection systems. Petrol acts as a solvent in these systems: it strips the lubricity that diesel provides to fuel pump internals, causing metal-on-metal wear almost immediately. The high-pressure fuel pump in a common-rail diesel operates at pressures between 1,500 and 2,000 bar. Even a small amount of petrol contamination can score the precision-machined surfaces inside the pump within minutes of operation. If the engine is started, those metal particles are distributed through the injectors, fuel rail, and return lines — turning a relatively straightforward fuel flush into a full fuel system replacement job worth thousands of dollars. ## What to Do If You Misfuel a Hired Campervan Stop immediately. Do not start the engine. Do not move the vehicle under its own power. Then: - Call EEK Mechanical on [0800 769 000](tel:0800769000) - Call the hire company to notify them - Take photos of the forecourt, the fuel pump, and the vehicle's fuel cap label - Retain your fuel receipt EEK Mechanical will dispatch a tow truck to your location, transport the campervan to our nearest certified workshop, and complete a manufacturer-spec fuel system recovery, filter replacement, and operational test before returning the vehicle to service. Do not allow anyone to attempt a roadside drain — there is no such thing as a safe, complete roadside drain on a common-rail diesel system. The only correct resolution is at a certified workshop. ## Who Pays? This depends on your hire agreement and insurance position. Most New Zealand campervan hire agreements place liability for misfuelling with the driver. However: - Many hire agreements include a misfuel waiver as an optional add-on at booking - Some credit cards provide rental vehicle excess cover that includes misfuelling - Travel insurance policies sometimes cover misfuelling — check before you travel - If the misfuel was caused by an incorrectly labelled nozzle or pump, the station may carry some liability EEK Mechanical provides full documentation — a job report, contamination assessment, and itemised invoice — that meets the requirements of all major New Zealand campervan insurers and hire companies. See our [rate card](/rate-card) for current pricing and our customer portal for job tracking. --- Source: https://www.eek.nz/news/campervan-motorhome-misfuel-nz