Step 1: Find A VAn
Used or new?
One of the first decisions that will need to be made is what sort of budget you are able to work towards. This will depend on whether you can stretch to buying a new van, or whether you go for a used van. We can supply new and nearly new VW vans which are more reliable of course due to age but come with a VW Warranty for up to 3 years. We always recommend buying a PANEL van to start a conversion – ie a van with nothing in the back, or just fitted ply lining.
What make and model do you want?
We mostly convert VW T5/T6 vans as they are very popular vans, however, we also convert other post 2003 vans e.g. Vauxhall Vivaro, Renault Trafic and Ford Transit Custom vans, which lend themselves well to conversion. VW vans are more expensive as a base van, but if your budget allows, we would recommend VW – if you are interested in resale value when you come to sell it then they hold their value well.
Finding your Van
If you decide to source your own van, it can be difficult to know what is genuine and what isn’t from any of the usual Autotrader, Ebay, Gumtree or Facebook options. To try and prevent any mishaps, we would suggest taking a mechanic with you when viewing the vehicle, checking all log books, service history and ownership/registered keeper documents.
Inspecting a used van
After making sure the specification is what you would like e.g. air con, sat nav, DAB radio, colour-coded bumpers etc, you would need to check the following when taking it for a test drive: brakes, steering, lights, air con/heating, tyres, suspension, gear box and the engine itself.
Expert advice
We are very open to giving advice on which van would work best for you as this decision is of course quite an important one and effects what budget you are left with to convert your van. The best option is to come to the workshop to see some vans that are part way through conversion and discuss face to face your options – please just phone to make an appointment. However, if you’ve already found the van you’re looking for, please just get in touch or better still come to the workshop for a consultation and we can give you a no obligation quote; your first step to getting your perfect conversion. Call us on 01425 276290 or email us at info@revampavan.com .