Questions to ask when buying a used cargo van

[rassanvankouranda]

Hello big vehicle experts,

My plan is to buy a cargo van, convert it to a home and travel long term from Montreal (Canada) to Patagonia (Argentina) following the cost.
I've been looking around and think a stealthy cargo van is what I need for my trip (room, stealth, budget and off-road ability).

I would like to ask you which are the top 10 questions to ask for when looking at potential used cargo vans.

Thank you, your help is very much appreciated.

Raz

 

[caretaker]

the 1st Q should be, do you have all maint. svc. info? then do visual inspection. then you look around, who's selling it to you,(yes except for the first Q your asking your self these other Qs)because the first Q is the only thing you can generally trust because the only way you will know if they told you the truth is about a month or two later the tranny starts "making a funny noise" you drop the pan and find out your tranny needs its oily sawdust changed. and go ahead and change the oily sawdust in the rear end, oh yeah you should prolly change the bar oil that they used as an additive to keep the engine from smoking (its usually good for about a month) just substitute about 4 quarts of regular oil with bar oil. and you might make it another month. Q no.2 why is your sales office a winnebago brave? Q no.3 where did you find so many 12 year old vans with such amazingly low mileage?( and you know the odometer must be accurate because the break and gas pedal look almost brand new)and the fact that they have the genuine naugahide seat covers is a definite plus,( except on hot days but thats why they put burn ointment in first aid kits)Q no.4 why do you keep looking over your shoulder like that?( you wonder if he has sonic hearing because it always happens when there is a siren nearby, kinda like when a dog howls ) Q no.5 how does he stay in business offering such an amazing warranty (5 yrs. or 50,000 mi. on a 12 year old van is truly amazing)? I hope this little primer helps, I'm sure there are other people here who can give you tips to make your research as smooth as possible, Best regards, Caretaker

 

[bigsallysmom]

I do a lot of my questioning before I go to see it...
What is the VIN number?
Do you have service records?
What size is engine? Chassis?
Can I take it to a mechanic?
Can I test drive it?
If there is a hitch, what was pulled with it?
Call insurance agent. Will they insure it?
Smoker or non-smoker?
Does everything work?
How much rust is there?
From these answers I decide if I want to go see it.

 

[DLTooley]

Talking with the private party owner can tell you a lot, as per the above. Any vehicle with US, or Canadian, plates will not be stealthy south of the US.

 

[rassanvankouranda]

I do a lot of my questioning before I go to see it...
What is the VIN number?
Do you have service records?
What size is engine?  Chassis?
Can I take it to a mechanic?
Can I test drive it?
If there is a hitch, what was pulled with it?
Call insurance agent.  Will they insure it?
Smoker or non-smoker?
Does everything work?
How much rust is there?
From these answers I decide if I want to go see it.

Thank you very much, that is really helpful. I'll ask all these questions before doing my first visit and look for anything sketchy or too good to be true.
Thank you all, I really appreciate your help, advice and wisdom.
May we meet someday on the road, peace !

Raz

 

[James AKA Lynx]

You will be lied to. Good luck.

 

[user 37446]

Hi, what a "fun" adventure you've got planned! 

Go onto YouTube and search "van camper in South America" and you'll get several vids that may give you helpful information about van types, builds, where and how to camp etc...