Campervan Tips – How to Pick the Right Camper Van For Travel

October 31, 2010 · 7 comments

It’s all well and good deciding to go on a long distance campervan trip, and that you want to buy your own campervan to do so, but what checks should you do to make sure it will be up to the job?

I recently discovered the perfect solution for my adventurous spirit: a truck camper combo. This versatile setup combines the maneuverability of a truck with the comfort of a camper, making it ideal for those weekend getaways and extended road trips.

Some newish vans are as likely to give you problems as a 20 year old one. I’ve got some previous mechanic experience and know what to look out for, so here is a list of things you should be looking for underneath the funky paintjob.

Pick the right campervan

Getting you from A – B is the most important thing

From the advert you find, you will probably have a load of included extras listed, but not much on the actual facts of the campervan from my experience. A viewing and test drive is necessary – you’re going to be in it a lot, so make sure you don’t buy something which gives you back ache.

Extras

But don’t be fooled by all the extras. Indeed the more the merrier generally, but if something isn’t there that you desire, the chances are it can be bought fairly cheaply. A fishing rod and gas stove is remarkably easy to buy on Australia’s coastal roads I can guarantee you that. Of course they are nice, and if you need to kit out a van from scratch (e.g. are converting a normal work van to a campervan yourself) all the extra’s will add up. I also found as the campervan gets older and passes more hands, people tend to contribute (or take away) their own bits and pieces. I threw away a body board out of the Mystery Machine, as it lowered the ceiling height (it was hung from there) so I bashed my head on it every morning, blocked my view of the stars at night (It had a wonderful 1/2 ceiling size moon roof), and had cracks which were slightly leaking. I added a fishing tackle kit, as all it came with was a rod, some fishing wire and a hook. I also replaced the cool box as mine smelt badly of fish and was quite old, and I wanted it to hold beer and ice not fish.

Service History

So, now that the fun flashy bits are over, it’s time to concentrate on the vehicle itself. The main thing I suggest you check (and feel free to spent 15-20 mins doing so) is the service history. The vehicle should be regularly serviced. Unfortunately a lot of backpackers being on a budget and all tend to skip it if possible to save a few extra dollars. This means you’ll have to pay for it, and it’s a good assumption that you will need to do it anyway (and good for peace of mind). This will give you the best overall look on your vehicle and what has been done. I found the mystery machine had a full engine rebuild 2 years before I owned it, this showed me it would be very unlikely anything will go wrong with the main engine itself and it should be very reliable. As it turns out I was right, the only things that went wrong were engine and electrical accessories (starter motor, alternator, exhaust). The cost to the person that got the engine rebuilt? Well it’s well into 4 figures and starts with a 2 – you don’t want that person to be you.

Expected Lifespan & Engine

Most accessories have a 10 year life span – just a general assumption for you to go with. You should see a lot of things replaced when the vehicle is 10 and 20 years old, if it hasn’t then guess who might need to change it? Engines themselves tend to last a good 20-25 years, or 200,000 miles / 350,000 km for an old 2 litre engine before they need some serious attention, especially if you but a reputable reliable brand like Toyota. Other brands might not last so long.

Accessories & Mechanics

Of course the engine is a self contained and constantly lubricated metal block. There are other moving parts that need attention, mostly the brakes and suspension – you don’t want either of these in bad condition. A brake test can be done during your test drive. Long distance trips don’t test or put much pressure on brakes (or the engine for that matter) compared to say a twisty mountainous road. Make sure it stops cleaning and true in a straight line (brake hard and see if it pulls to one side). Suspension is a little harder to test, but a quick one is to push above where the suspension/wheel is down hard. The car should fall down on that wheel, bounce back up, and then settle down in it’s original position. If it keeps going up and down it needs attention.

Legal Paperwork

This is something you’ll need to look up in the country you are buying in, and state if it’s a large country. Australia has different rules for each state, which is why some campervans are advertised as ‘Western Australia Registration’ because it’s the only state in Australia you can renew your registration online and not need a vehicle check certificate and inspection – big advantage and time saving when wanting to get out on the road. Although I’m not going to go into the legal requirements of each different state (as this article is intended for all countries/continents not just Australia) – I will say in 99% of the countries you will need an address in the state it is currently registered to, in order to have the vehicle transferred to you easily. You can usually register them to a hostel address or a friendly couch surfer – just check before, and make sure you take paperwork with you if it’s getting sent in the post. If you are changing the area of registration (the Mystery Machine was registered in New South Wales with 2 days of legal driving left when I got it) then changing to your current area will be more of a hassle but still possible – try to buy a vehicle from the place you are currently staying in. Insurance is usually required somehow too, and often means a separate company getting involved. Another advantage of WA registration that I put the mystery machine in is 3rd party insurance is included in the registration.

Body

For the body you are mostly looking out for accidental (and criminal) damage (chassis bent underneath, broken headlights, that the keys work in every door + petrol filler cap, bumpers bent, paint not even, etc). Also rust is an important consideration and you will need to think about your countries climate to judge whether it is expected or not. In the UK we salt the roads every year to prevent snow and ice settling, this causes huge erosion to car bodywork (and why cars in the UK lose their value quickly compared to other countries). In Australia where it is often hot and dry (where people drive their campervan anyway), the metal lasts a lot longer, and a 20 year old car will look similar to a 10 year old one from the uk if they have both been untreated against rust. Rust is not always a big concern especially in hot countries. If you see it on an exhaust it means it has gone all the way through (the rust from the inside out) and it will need replacing.

Test Drive

On the test drive you should be using your experience to judge how good the vehicle is. If you are used to driving new or newly new cars and are looking at 15-25 year old cars (the mystery machine was 25 years old when I got it!) then you have to allow for things to feel a little looser. Keep your ears open for any suspicious knocks and rattles, especially from suspension and engine compartment. It can be difficult as campervans are usually loaded with tonnes of extras rattling around in the back anyway, but you just need to zone in and concentrate.

If in Doubt – Get a Pro

Mechanics are usually easily found all around the world. They will happily take some cash off you to check over a vehicle (and test drive it using their greater experience). It’s really not a bad idea if you plan to keep a vehicle for a long time (4 months +) and live out of it. Depending on the country the chances are it will need a check to show it is legal to be on the road anyway. A recent test/inspection reduces the need to get it checked as it would have already had this done.

I hope those tips help you when looking for a campervan, it’s not a fun process, but get it right and you’ll not have to worry in your time of ownership, after all you don’t want your trip and budget to be spent constantly fixing your campervan. Feel free to leave any more tips if you think I’ve missed something out that will benefit my other readers, and happy road tripping!

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{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }

sofia October 31, 2010 at 3:45 PM

Good stuff, there are so many things to think about before buying a camper van, thanks for making it easier.

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AdventureRob November 1, 2010 at 2:04 PM

There certainly is, sometimes it is easier to rent, in terms of hassle and cost. My next topic will cover when to buy and when to rent I think.

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Merav | AllWays Car Rental NZ November 4, 2010 at 12:25 AM

Great post Rob. We have met many travellers who did not follow these guidlines, especially the most important one – if in doubt get a pro, and the outcome is not pleasant. Saving the bit a mechanical check cost can cost you the entire vehicle and it’s not the way I would want to start my adventure.
Merav | AllWays Car Rental NZ´s latest blogpost – Why Do We Celebrate Labour Day

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AdventureRob November 4, 2010 at 4:46 AM

Yep! Before I left for travelling I did an engine conversion and plenty of upgrades to a very old car (of the same age and brand as the mystery machine – 1985 Toyota) so I knew a bit on what to look out for. Despite that, I didn’t spot it had a slow leaking radiator, so got that re-cored at considerable expense (wasn’t a failure in the test, but I didn’t particularly fancy driving across a desert in a car with a leaking radiator!)

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Jill - Jack and Jill Travel The World December 3, 2010 at 2:34 AM

Thanks for the post. My husband and I are considering renting one of these during our RTW trip next year wherever they’re available… we’re leaning towards renting one though–seems more straightforward that way.
Jill – Jack and Jill Travel The World´s latest blogpost – 10 Quotable Travel Advices – Weekly Travel Tip

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AdventureRob December 3, 2010 at 4:34 AM

No problem! I also have a post comparing rental to buying campervan’s which may be more appropriate for you then :-)

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