REGINA LECHNER

A panel van purchase for a camper conversion is the very first, and largest, and most crucial step to your goal of creating a home on wheels. It's not something to be over-valued, this is for certain! You'll have a van for a long time if purchase it correctly. If you buy it wrong, your life could be impacted by garage costs and ongoing maintenance.

There's plenty to be aware of.

Top Tips for Buying an Used Van...

The Ideal Panel Van

An empty panel van is the most common vehicle used for conversions to campers. Once you've decided what you want your conversion to accomplish, you can start your search for the right van.

Here are some things to look out for when purchasing a used panel van

Are you eager to find your dream car? Now it's a case of finding the most "perfect" fit within your budget range. Keep the focus on the phrase "closest to perfect". As a result, unless you buy from a new vehicle, there is typically always going to be some quirk with every van that you need to be aware of before you spend your money.

The following list of considerations to consider are arranged alphabetically to make it easier for you to read:

Bodywork

The bodywork of the van can be an indication of its overall condition as well as the amount of stress it has been through in its previous life.

Take a good, close inspection of the exterior of the van. The van should be inspected for damage, scratches or other repairs that look amateurish.

Confirm that the doors shut and open as they should, with the seals and weatherstrips in good condition. They're relatively cheap to purchase, but they can tell if the previous owner was proud of their vehicle.

Personally, I didn't mind that my van had the random wear and tear bumps or scratches. If the vehicle isn't worth a look from the outside, it shouldn't be worth stealing. That's my thought. Here's hoping.

If your budget allows the purchase, stay clear of any vehicle with corrosion. If you see any visible rust in the listing photos, it could be a problem you will need to address after the vehicle has been purchased in order to prevent the rust growing. Even even if the rust isn't immediately visible, there may be bubbles appearing prior to the paintwork peeling off. If you're looking at a van, then take a quick peek to see if there is lots of rust in the wheel wells and undercarriage. It is best to keep the rust as small as you can. After looking through a variety of vans, it will give you a better picture of how much is excessive. The older versions of Ford Transits and Mercedes Sprinters are prone to rust.

Mileage

You will need to choose the van with the lowest mileage if you plan to spend a lot of money and time on your new van. It will make sure that your vehicle will last for a long period of time. For me, I was looking at vans that had been on the road for more than 100,000 miles. Anything between 40,000 and 140,000 seemed to be the best price range to my (and most other buyers) needs and budget. If you're thinking of buying an SUV, make sure you check the mileage.

MOT Histories

The results of any MOT online can be checked. As long as you know the vehicle in question's registration number then you can have a look yourself on gov.uk/check-mot-history.

You'll see any advisories you might have received in the transaction. Some advisories can be fixed fairly easily, but there are a few that are costly or potentially deadly. You should, however, try to buy a vehicle with as few advisories passed on as you can. In certain cases you might be able to request that these are amended before you buy the vehicle.

Through this investigation, you'll also be able to determine how reliable the vehicle has been in the past. The van's MOT history will demonstrate how few issues it has faced over the years. This will allow you determine the reliability of the vehicle.

Former Owners

You may find out information about previous owners from the dealership or garage from which you purchase any vehicle. This information is important and may help you make an educated guess as to the previous usage of the van.

You are in luck if the car is called an ex-fleet. This means they were previously owned by a business and were (typically) treated very well in terms of maintenance. The purchase of an ex-fleet vehicle to convert into a camper is a more secure alternative due to this reason. In addition the use of specialist vehicles like ex-AA and ex-Ambulance vans should most definitely be considered because you can be sure that they have all been looked after.

If the owner of the vehicle cannot answer your question about the previous owners, you can examine the average annual mileage to this point. A MOT checker will assist in identifying this. A typical annual mileage of around 10,000. This is a warning signal if the vehicle is driven more than 25,000 miles per year.

Service Histories

A 'service history' is typically a paper book that details any work of maintenance or repair completed on the vehicle. It's not illegal to sell or possess the vehicle without a. So, lots of service history manuals may become lost between owners.

Find out more about the best car to reside in. If you've got some idea of the van you want to buy, it is time to begin looking! The first step is to start with some general tips, then move on to the process of evaluating the campervan you want to live in.

General Tips When Making the Decision to Buy A Van

Mindset!

The way you think about buying a van is just as crucial as the other aspects of the plan. Each step is important to take a step back and take a look at your overall goals and the big overall picture.

Avoid becoming attached to any particular vehicle. Humans, when we focus all of our attention on a single thing, it can control our thoughts and alter our reality. You may allow "the person" go in the event that you do not act fast enough. However, if you begin your search too quickly you're less likely that you will find the right person.

Be aware that private sellers may not be honest when you are considering used cars.

I'm of the opinion that the majority of people are nice people, but that doesn't mean that you shouldn't protect yourself from people trying to sneak up over you.

The biggest thing is to not get frustrated when someone doesn't to a question or meet up with you. If you're getting over 25% of the time this is better than I usually get in the market for used items!

Mileage How many miles are too many?

This issue is too much focus in my opinion! While it is important to have a good mileage, the condition is just as important. A well maintained vehicle at 200K miles will treat you better than 100K miles of driving hard and uncared for. If your car isn't prone to breaking down at a higher mileage then you must follow the regular inspection procedure.

Nevertheless, any vehicle with an annual mileage of 200K or more is an option worth looking at. While older vehicles might require more care, it's uncommon to have fuel pumps, wheel bearings, and other minor repairs. These aren't unforeseen costs and can keep you on the road for a long duration if you budget your money well.

If you're mechanically inclined you can push that number and If you don't want to handle maintenance go for a certified-used option from a dealership.

Budget

When purchasing a used car we aren't usually a fan of the idea of financing. If you don't have a unique situation in which you are able to make a significant amount of money driving but have to move in a hurry, it makes sense to invest your money with an emergency fund prior to making the decision to commit to a lifestyle.

If you're thinking about financing, you're likely setting the bar too high. Leasing is worse as you should not make any major modifications to a vehicle that you don't already own.

Consider an emergency fund when you're looking at vans. Although there are many opinions on the subject it's important to keep an emergency fund available in the event that something unexpected happens while traveling.

Age of the vehicle

There are several aspects to consider when deciding on the age of the van you want to purchase. Modern vehicles are generally safer all around. More crumple zones, better air bags, and safer breaking systems.

Any vehicle in the US manufactured between 1996 and up will have OBD II, which makes diagnosing easier.

Old vehicles are easier to repair, but they also break more often and generally have longer maintenance intervals. It is possible to get a manual if you are adept at ensuring you are maintaining a high quality of preventative maintenance.

In certain cases older vans can have their own issues.

Rust

This headache is so severe that it deserves its own category. When dealing with body rust, it can cause headaches. The process of removing corrosion is never easy and requires more time than you think.

It's also harder to maintain when you have rust. The hope that you won't break a bolt when changing your shocks can be an additional level of hassle that you're not likely to think about when buying a rusty van. Be cautious when buying rusty vans as it is an issue you are unable to reverse the clock.

Specific issues for vehicles

If you are deciding on an automobile or one that has caught your eye, you ought to conduct some research on the internet to identify specific issues related to that vehicle's model and year. You'll be amazed by how difficult these problems are to solve if you take a look at the comments posted on forums.

For example, the motors in 1996 Ford are amazing, but in 1997 they switched to the Triton motor, which could blast spark plugs.

Re-sale value

Should you think about re-sales cost to finance your construction? We believe that any additional money you intend to make on top of the conversion should not be considered into consideration as part of the construction project.

For those who only want to reside in a van for an entire year or so, we like to consider the van as an affordable extended vacation expense. If you want to stay permanently in a van, it shouldn't be the top item on your priority list.

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