#sprinter van

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.

Van Build: Sub Floor & Flooring

There are so many different ways to go around building a van, and I don’t think there’s really a wrong or a right one. Some people do the floor first before they insulate their walls; some people insulate the whole van before they move on; some people leave the floor/flooring for later when they have their bed, kitchen, living area, etc all built. But with the van fully insulated (walls, ceiling,…

Many people used to choose sprinter work vans as a permanent residency rather than paying rent on an apartment or a mortgage payment. These vans have even given the traditional RV market a run for their money due to their relative economic cost, their ease of parking, and the living space they provide in return

So can you live in a Sprinter van?

Yes, full-time Sprinter van life is possible, provided the owner has the financial means to buy and maintain a converted vehicle and that there is some portable source of income that allows a nomadic lifestyle.

Van life in a converted Sprinter van might seem imminently Instagram Mable with its stunning vistas, and carefree lifestyle. However, some trades must be made in comfort to secure the sort of freedom that van life provides, and these inconveniences can be too much for many would-be nomads. 

Continue on to find out more about life in a Sprinter van and whether it would be the right life for you. Many advantages come with living out of a Sprinter van. Here are some of the benefits you can enjoy from a nomadic van-based lifestyle:

Freedom: If you live in a vehicle, you effectively have the option to pick up and leave and settle someplace new any time you feel like it. For people who aren’t tied to a single location by their jobs, this can be a great way to see the world and travel while working at the same time.

Low costs: Compared to a monthly mortgage on a house, the costs of living in a van can be minimal. The solar setup typically used to power a Sprinter van’s living quarters cost pennies on the dollar relative to the cost of utilities in a house. Also, you can enjoy the freedom of not needing to pay property taxes and other costs associated with home ownership.

Minimalist lifestyle: It can be challenging to implement a minimalist lifestyle in a traditional home setting. In general, humans are consumers who like to buy tons of stuff and keep it in one place.

For people who prefer gathering experiences to things, living out of a Sprinter van at least for a few years can let them focus on paring down their lives to make room for the life experiences that are most important to them.

While there are many benefits of living in a Sprinter van, there are some distinct drawbacks too. It definitely isn’t a lifestyle for everyone. Here are some of the disadvantages of living in a Sprinter van:

It doesn’t work with all careers: To be able to move around from place to place in a nomadic sort of lifestyle, you obviously can’t work a job where you have to report to the same office day after day.

Van life is suitable for retirees, freelancers, artists, and very few other careers. Those constraints can make it hard for anyone who wants to live out of a Sprinter van to be able to pull it off.

Cramped spaces: One of the most significant disadvantages of living in a van is the reduced living space. Many people who consider a studio apartment too cramped for a comfortable living would not be able to cut it in van life. To prevent feeling cramped by a lack of living space, many people who live in a Sprinter van spend the majority of their time outside of it.

Lack of water and basic amenities: Most people who live in a house or apartment take their easy access to water for granted, and don’t take into consideration how many household tasks require it. When living out of a van, cooking, bathing, and even just grabbing a drink becomes more complicated than when you’re living in a house.

Extreme temperatures: Many people in this modern society wouldn’t think about being without air conditioning or an insulated residence. As a result, the fluctuating temperatures of living out of a van, especially in geographies with extreme high and low temperatures, can be a significant discomfort for some people. This is especially true for those who are more vulnerable to extreme temperatures, such as children or the elderly.

Difficult hygiene: Living out of a van requires van owners to bathe out of public baths a lot of the time. Since vans don’t come with bathtubs and showers, it’s harder for people living out of vans to stay clean compared to people who own private bathrooms in a home.

This can mean a life spent in porta-potties and questionably clean public restrooms, not for the squeamish. Displaced due to repairs: Like any other vehicle under heavy load, a Sprinter van outfitted for living quarters will eventually need to go in for mechanical repairs, and this can involve the van being out of commission for days or even weeks. Van owners will need to have money saved up to rent other living quarters during repairs, not to mention saving up for repairs themselves.