FindMyNextStay

A used campervan is two purchases in one: a vehicle with an engine and a mileage, and a small home with a kitchen, a bed and sometimes gas and water. Both halves can hide expensive problems. This checklist takes about an hour to work through and can save you thousands of pounds.

1. Do the free checks before you travel

Ask the seller for the registration number, then spend ten minutes online before you go anywhere.

• MOT history. The government’s MOT history check is free. It shows every pass and fail, the advisory notes and the mileage recorded at each test. Mileage that goes down, or the same rust warning year after year, tells you a lot.
• DVLA details. The free vehicle information check shows the make, colour, engine size, year and tax status. Make sure they match the ad.
• A paid history check. For a few pounds, a private history check tells you whether the vehicle has outstanding finance, has been reported stolen or has been written off. If there is finance on it, the lender may still own it.

2. Check the paperwork in person

• The V5C log book. See the original, not a photocopy. The name and address should match the seller and the place you are viewing, and the vehicle identification number (VIN) on the document should match the one on the vehicle.
• Proof of purchase. The V5C shows the registered keeper, which is not always the legal owner. Ask to see the seller’s own receipt or invoice.
• Service history and receipts, especially for the cambelt, clutch and any conversion work.

The government has a short guide to the checks to make when buying a used vehicle.

3. Check the living space

• Damp. This is the most expensive fault in any campervan, motorhome or caravan. Look for stains, soft or bubbling wall panels and a musty smell, especially around windows, roof lights and in cupboards. For a costly vehicle, pay for a professional damp and habitation check.
• Gas. Ask when the gas system was last checked and by whom, and see the certificate. Make sure the cooker, heater and fridge all work.
• Electrics and water. Try the leisure battery, the mains hook-up, the lights, the water pump and the taps. Look under the sink for leaks.
• The conversion. If it was converted from a van, ask who did the work. Check that seats with belts are properly fixed, and what body type the V5C shows, because insurers will ask.

4. Check you can drive it, and where

• Weight and licence. A standard car licence covers vehicles up to 3,500 kg. Heavier motorhomes need the C1 category, which many drivers who passed their test before 1997 already have. Check which vehicles you can drive.
• Clean air zones. Older diesel vans may be charged in some city zones. Check the registration on the government’s clean air zone checker if you plan to drive into cities.
• Test drive. Drive it from cold, on fast and slow roads, and make sure you are insured to do so.

5. Pay safely

• Never pay a deposit for a campervan you have not seen. A seller who is abroad and offers to deliver it is a classic scam.
• View it at the address on the V5C, in daylight.
• Pay by bank transfer to an account in the seller’s name, when you collect it, and get a signed receipt with the date, price, registration and both names.

Not sure yet? Hire one first

A weekend in a hired campervan tells you more than any review: whether you want a fixed bed, how big is too big to park, and whether you need a toilet on board. On FindMyNextStay you can find campervans for short stays as well as for sale.

Selling a campervan or a caravan? Ads are free, with their own boxes for berths, year, mileage and gearbox.

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Sources: GOV.UK, checks when buying a used car, check the MOT history of a vehicle, get vehicle information from DVLA and vehicles you can drive. Checked October 2026. This is general guidance; have a mechanic inspect any vehicle you are unsure about.