How to Buy a Used Van – The Essential Guide

Buying a used van for your van conversion is a bit of a terrifying experience – the last thing you want is to spend hundreds of hours and thousands of dollars building a camper van that spends half of its time, and all your money, in a mechanics workshop. For those of us who live in a van full time, an unreliable van, or a van with serious issues can cost us more than money – it can ruin our carefully laid plans toward extended travel or finding more freedom.

I wrote this guide with the aim to help people who are completely lost when it comes to assessing how good a van is. I can empathize with you because, several years ago, this was me! In 2016 I bought my first van and, the fact that it was mostly OK, was sheer luck. Other friends have not been so lucky. One full-time van lifer friend has spent in the region of $10,000 on repairs – far more than the vehicle cost in the first place and had to rent various apartments while her van had extensive repairs on three occasions. If this book can prevent just one person from experiencing that nightmare it was worth the time it took to write.

Over the past years, with learning more about the key serious issues to look out for, and with the help of two mechanics (one a van specialist) I have compiled this ebook.

The other thing that has concerned me over the years is how many scams there are out there. With base vehicles in small supply, it means that people can be more willing to take a risk to secure their van and get on with the building. In this book, I have outlined the main scams to help people keep emotions in check and stay safe.

What this ebook includes:
– Choosing a van – the main vans, known issues, and key specifications & dimensions
– Guide to inspecting a van – engine/mechanical/test-drive
– Printable on-the-day check-list
– Avoiding the main scams
– Costs of van ownerships – maintenance & fuel efficiency
– Where to buy

1st Edition – Published Feb 2022