Buying a used van is way more complicated than we can think. Especially if like me, you never bought or owned a car before.

Here are some things to consider.


  1. What is your budget ?
  2. How many kilometers does it already drove ?
  3. What type: Transporter ? Camping car ? Pickup with a cabine on top ?
  4. How many seats ?
  5. Already furnished interior ? Or you want to do it yourself ?
  6. Where do you want to park with it ?
  7. Should it be stealthy ?
  8. Do you need a toilet ?
  9. Do you need a shower ?
  10. How many months do you have for the search ?
  11. How far are you ready to travel for the opportunities you will find ?


After some months scruiting the announces on internet, and understanding what are the different types of vans, I setup my criteria list:

  • a transporter
  • max 20000€
  • max 150000 kilometers
  • steathy (should look like a normal transporter so I will get less troubles with parking)
  • already equiped: isolation, water, solar panels, toilet, kitchen, bed, fridge
  • 4 seats minimum
  • not too old: built in 2000 or after
  • not further than 4 hours by car (I can make the trip in a day + I will loose only 8 hours if the van is shit)


So once you have a very good idea of what you want and you successfully defined your criterias, you can go on announces websites and setup a search filter so will get only what is interesting you. If there is a notifications system, subscribe to it, so you will be able to react to new occasions very rapidly. Hints at this stage:


  • have your full budget available on your account
  • contact your bank to verify that you can withdrawal your budget in cash
  • subscribe to notifications on the filter you setup
  • call the seller some hours after the announce is online
  • if you confirm it is interesting, go meet the seller as soon as possible


Let's a take a breath. Do you understand what is happening at this stage ? You are very near your goal and you have to get more courage and patience than ever. Indeed, each occasion could by your new home. And if it is doesn't work, will you find a similar occasion again ?

You have to understand that buying a used van is not only matter of the van itself, but also how do you feel with the seller. Why ? Because you can alway validate the quality of the inside and outside, but you will never be able to confirm at 100% that the motor works well. And that depends on what is previous user of the car. Hints and things to pay attention to:


  • Why is the seller selling the van ? Ideally a senior who is now too old to travel with, and who took care of it as his baby.
  • On the phone, ask the seller to send a photo of the identification paper of the van. It doesn't tells a lot about the car, but more about the seller. Is he ready to cooperate with you to make this happen ? If he doesn't want, it is not dead, but you already know that the seller is in a defensive position.
  • Ask if you can drive the car to test it. If he refuses, don't go.
  • Ask if there is still a licence plate, and if there is, if he will lend it to you one or two day if you buy the car
  • On the phone, tell him that you would like to make the motor of the car be checked by a professional when you come to visit. If he refuses, it is not your van. If means that the guy is afraid that you discover that the motor is shit.
  • Ask how he would like to be paid. Most of them want cash, but for you it is annoying to transport cash. I think that a good compromise is to bring the half in cash, and transfer the rest with your bank account.
  • Ask if you can negociate the price, ideally negociate on the phone already.


Nice ! You have now a date and meeting point with a seller. Stay in contact with the seller regularily to make sure that it is not already sold when you leave ! How to prepare ?


  • Create or download a checklist of everything you should check
  • Print 2 copies of a selling contrat template
  • Ideally take a friend with you know knows how to negociate
  • If it is far and you go by car, take a friend with you definitively. Indeed, if you buy it, then you will drive the van, and someone has to drive your can back also
  • Prepare sandwiches because it can last a long time without pauses !
  • Try to not test it by rain, because you won't see rust


Now you arrived, how to test it ?


  • Try to create a good relationship with the seller
  • Drive the car in different situations. Fast, slow, urgent brake, obstables, ...
  • Go with the car to a professional so he can check the motor (you will have to pay for that)
  • Find all possible hacks so you can argue to lower the price
  • Ask about the seller's life so can try to know if he is a scammer or not


So .. ! You followed all hints I gave, and you are in front of the seller about to buy it ... now forget about anything I said, and just follow your intuition :D