“No van ever costs less than $5,000.” - Anonymous

You should go into every potential buying inspection knowing more about that specific model of vehicle than the seller does. Before you even go to look at a vehicle in person, you want to know things like:

• What were the differences in generations for that vehicle?
• What were the engine/transmission/interior/options offered for that year/make/model?
• What are the known or common problems for that specific vehicle?
  • Owner forums for specific models can be immensely valuable for finding this!
• What are the factory recommended service intervals?
  • How often does the manufacturer recommend things like transmission fluid changes, serpentine belt replacement, cam chain/belt changes, waterpump rebuilds, A/C system recharges, coolant flushes, brake fluid changes, etc?

Not all miles are created equal. “City” driving characterized by frequent short trips and start-stop driving causes immensely more wear and tear per mile than cruising down the highway.

As a HUGE over simplification for the chassis/engine/body itself:

• 0-10,000 miles
  • Higher risk of manufacturing defects, failures or repairs needed due to build issues.
• 10,000-100,000 miles
  • Usually the most trouble-free period, but also expensive to buy something used.
• 100,000-150,000 miles
  • The sweet spot. Maintainence items will start to become more common, but most vehicles will still be pretty reliable. Depreciation has taken it's biggest bite so prices start to become quite reasonable.
• 150,000-200,000
  • Minor repairs will start to be needed, but the purchase prices can be low enough to make it worth it. See the All vans have issues page for some common failure points that are model specific to watch out for.
  • Having some mechanical abilities are useful to help tell the “Oh that's annoying but I can live with it” problems from the “shut down the engine immediately to prevent further damage” problems.
• 200,000-300,000
  • Vans with this many miles can be very cheap if you are savvy, but this is also where miles can start to be a concern.
  • If you're buying something with this mileage, you should be capable of doing minor to medium repairs yourself.
  • Passenger vans are typically in better shape with higher mileage. Especially if you can find something that did a lot of highway driving (like airport shuttles), this many miles might not be as much of a problem.
• 300,000+ miles
  • This is the danger zone, only experienced mechanics should be looking for vehicles in this range. They can still be acceptably reliable, but you need to know what you're doing.

A clear title in the seller's name is mandatory. Most people will want a normal title. Some with mechanical skills and a sense of adventure will accept a SALVAGE or LEMON title. Regardless, it has to be in the seller's name.

For those in California, there is a minor chance that a vehicle from out of state may not be able to be legally registered in California due to California-specific emission controls. However, this hasn't been a major problem since the early 90s due to most manufacturer's making their vehicles CARB (California Air Resources Board) complaint. However it is worth researching if you do plan on registering the vehicle in California.

Before you talk to the seller learn what the vehicle's title should look like. This will vary by state. In Texas, for example, normal titles are blue. Salvage titles may be red, green, or have a red SALVAGE stamp (“brand”) on them.

Some other types of not-ideal title types can be “Lemon”, “Rebuilt”, “Flood”, “Theft Recovery”, etc. Some states lump these all into the single type of “Salvage”, while some states have individual designations.

Also check your own state's laws regarding registration of out of state Salvage titles. Some states allow registration of Salvage titles to individuals; some only allow it to licensed repair shops who have to certify that they've fixed the vehicle and can therefor issue a “Rebuilt” title.

(Interesting note: Some states don't do Salvage titles at all. Nefarious sellers may be able to register a Salvage vehicle in a state that doesn't do branding, obtain a clean title from that state, then use that clean title to re-title the vehicle back in their local state with a clean slate. This is called “Title Washing” and it is one of the reasons you want to have a VIN check done.)

• How long have you had it?
• What did you use it for?
• Have you had any work done to it?
• Do you have a normal, non-salvage title in hand?
  • Salvage and other branded titles aren't necessarily a “hard no” but it's important to have full information.
  • A vehicle with a Salvage or otherwise branded title should be significantly cheaper than one with a clean title.
• Does the VIN match the title?
• Is it registered in your name (ie, the name on your driver's license)
• Will I be able to see the title when I come to see the vehicle?
• When and what recent repairs or maintenance has been done?
• Why are you selling it?
• Can I have it inspected by a mechanic?

If the answer to any of these questions is seems shady, complicated, or uninformed it may be wise to pass.

Tales of woe like these about the title are red flags:

• “I don't have it”
  • Translation: “The van is stolen.”
• “I have the title somewhere, I'll send it to you later”
  • Translation: “I don't have it” (See above)
• “I never registered it”
  • Translation: “I don't legally own it and therefore cannot legally sell it to you”, or
  • “The van is stolen.”
• “I lost the title but you can get a replacement easily”
  • Translation: “Getting a replacement title is expensive and/or a PITA so I never did it.” or
  • “The van is stolen.”
• “Well, it actually belongs to my mom/friend/dog/etc”
  • Translation: “The van is stolen.”

VIN checks are not perfect but can provide usable information about a potential vehicle. Individual checks can be expensive, so if you are in heavy hunting mode it can be much cheaper to get a bulk allotment of VIN checks or an unlimited number in a certain period.

The most popular VIN check service is Carfax.

Next in line is Autocheck.

• Paid services
  • Carfax
  • Autocheck - bulk checks available
• Free checks
  • National Insurance Crime Bureau check for stolen or salvage (totaled)
  • vehiclehistory.com
  • Carfax flood check (free)

“Interior cabinetry is a good indication of overall construction quality. Cabinets made of paper veneer over particle board or MDF are cheap, and are indicative of the overall cost target for the construction. Rvs that are targeted for weekend use can be made inexpensively because they don't get much wear and tear.” – Gary RV_Wizard¹⁾

The general advice on the CRVL forums is to buy on condition first.²⁾

A vehicle with lots of miles but in good condition with all maintenance records may be a better bet than a vehicle with fewer miles but in rougher condition or with unknown maintenance history.

Rust-free is better than rusted, but body panel rust is less serious than frame rust (for example). Your mechanic will be able to advise what is cosmetic and what is problematic.

See the page on rust for info on prevention.

All vehicle platforms have known issues; these are weak points or problems that may happen more frequently on that platform compared to others. There are no perfect vans, no perfect campers.

Knowing what the common issues are can help you look for (or ask about) common problems. Here is an attempt to collect known issues on various platforms.

If the vehicle is not local to you, consider asking a forum member who lives in that area to lay eyes on it for you. It won't be an inspection but can give you an idea whether or not to buy a bus or train ticket to see it for yourself.

There are also RV and Vehicle inspectors who will travel to the vehicle to inspect it. The price is generally higher and they will not be able to lift the vehicle onto an overhead rack for thorough underside inspection.

If the vehicle still interests you after the above it is time for a pre-sale inspection.

The potential vehicle is taken to a preselected mechanic (who knows you're coming!) to have it professionally inspected. This usually takes less than an hour and costs $50 - $100.

If you're buying a factory-made RV, you'll want to take it to an RV specific repair shop to have it inspected by someone who specializes in RVs. These inspections take much longer and are more expensive, because they are checking many more systems. Expect to pay $150-200 and it might take a few hours.

If the seller balks at the inspection you might sweeten the deal by offering to provide him with a copy of the inspection. This will reassure him you are honest and give him something to show other buyers if you decide to pass. If the seller still won't allow the vehicle to be inspected it may be safest to assume they are hiding something about the vehicle's condition.

On new or nearly-new vehicles the mechanic may find nothing interesting. On older vehicles there will generally be work needed immediately or at some future time; this isn't necessarily a problem, but you should take it into account when negotiating the price of the vehicle. The mechanic should be able to ballpark the costs of the needed repairs.