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Vivid Builds · Used Van Buyer's Kit
Buying a used van for van life? Inspect it before you pay.
The Vivid Van Buyer's Kit is a step-by-step used van inspection checklist, offer calculator, and negotiation tool for people buying a cargo van or camper van to convert, travel in, work from, or resell.
Get the kit for $14.9932 inspection checks · One-time price · Instant access · Works on any phone
Try it on an example van.
Check off what you'd find at the van and watch the offer change. This is how the kit works, on a made-up listing.
$11,500
2016 Ford Transit 250, high roof
What you found at the van
Used van inspection checklist: what to check before you buy
Whether you're shopping for a Sprinter, Transit, ProMaster, Express/Savana, Nissan NV, or another used cargo van, start with the same fundamentals. These are the categories you want to verify before money changes hands.
1
VIN, title and history. Make sure the VIN matches the paperwork and investigate title brands, liens, mileage inconsistencies, accidents, and service history.
2
Cold start and warning lights. See the van before the seller warms it up. Listen, watch the exhaust, and confirm the dash lights behave normally.
3
Fluids, leaks and engine bay. Look for oil, coolant, fuel, transmission-fluid leaks, unusual residue, neglected maintenance, or anything that needs professional diagnosis.
4
Rust and structural damage. Check underneath, wheel wells, seams, floor, roof and body alignment. Cosmetic damage and structural problems are not the same thing.
5
Tires, suspension and steering. Check tire age and wear, listen for clunks, and pay attention to wandering, vibration, pulling, or uneven ride quality.
6
Brakes and test drive. Drive at neighborhood and highway speeds if safe. Check braking, shifting, acceleration, temperature and anything that changes under load.
7
A/C, heat and electrical. Test the systems you can reach: climate control, windows, locks, lights, wipers, charging ports and dashboard functions.
8
Cargo floor, roof and water intrusion. Soft flooring, staining, old holes, roof damage or leaks can matter a lot when you're planning a camper conversion.
9
Build fit. Verify cargo length, width, roof height, payload and whether the van can actually support the bed, bathroom, tanks, batteries and layout you want.
10
Independent pre-purchase inspection. The final decision should include a qualified mechanic when the van is serious enough to buy. The kit helps you decide what needs professional verification.
The difference between a checklist and the Vivid kit: a checklist tells you what to look at. The Buyer’s Kit also sorts what you find into walk away, negotiate, or ignore, subtracts repair costs, compares nearby vans, and gives you a hard maximum offer.
What you do at the van, in order.
Plan
Set your budget, bed size, and whether you need to stand up inside. The kit flags vans that can't fit your build, however cheap they are.
Screen
Copy a ready-made message to the seller. Bad answers mean you skip the drive.
Inspect
32 checks in the order a van builder does them, each with a "how to check" explanation. Mark each one fine, problem, or can't tell.
Verdict
Walk away, negotiate, or proceed to a pre-purchase inspection, with your maximum offer and a message you can send the seller.
What's in the used van buyer's kit
Inspection checklist
Cold start, underneath, roof, cargo area, engine, test drive and paperwork, with the walk-away items marked.
Offer calculator
Every repair you find comes off your maximum automatically, along with a reserve for what you can't see.
Seller messages
A screening message before you drive, and an offer message that lists the problems and their costs.
Build-fit check
Roof height and cargo measurements compared against the build you actually want.
Your garage
Every van you look at is saved on your phone, so you can compare them side by side.
Flip check
Planning to build and resell? See whether the deal still makes money after the build.
Built for the vans people actually use for van life
The core used-van inspection workflow works across most vans, with platform-specific notes for the common conversion platforms below.
Mercedes-Benz / Freightliner Sprinter
Use the same inspection workflow, plus the kit's Sprinter-specific notes when you're evaluating a diesel or gas Sprinter for a camper build.
Ford Transit
Check condition, cargo dimensions, roof height, service history and build fit before deciding whether a Transit listing works for your project.
Ram ProMaster
Use the inspection, comparison and offer tools to evaluate a ProMaster as a base vehicle rather than buying on price or mileage alone.
Chevrolet Express / GMC Savana
The kit works for traditional body-on-frame cargo vans too, including low-roof builds, work vans, passenger vans and conversion candidates.
Nissan NV
Screen the listing, inspect the vehicle, check build dimensions and calculate whether the asking price still makes sense after repairs and prep.
Other cargo and camper vans
Most of the core inspection, seller-screening, comparable-pricing and negotiation workflow is vehicle-agnostic and works across used van platforms.
Made by people who buy vans.
Vivid Builds is a Florida shop that buys used vans, converts them into campers, and sells them. The kit is built around the questions we ask before we buy: will this van fit the build, what will it cost to fix, and what is it actually worth?
It's for you if
- You're buying your first van to build
- You're comparing listings on Marketplace or Craigslist
- You want to flip vans and need the numbers to work
It's not
- A replacement for a mechanic's inspection. The kit tells you when you need one.
- A price guide. You enter real listings near you, so the numbers are never out of date.
$14.99
Once. Less than the gas to drive out and look at a van. Your access link arrives by email right after checkout.
Get the kit for $14.99No subscription. No app to install.
Used van buying questions
What should I check before buying a used van for van life?
Start with the title and VIN, cold start, warning lights, fluids, leaks, rust, tires, steering, brakes, suspension, electrical systems, cargo floor, roof leaks, service history, cargo dimensions and whether the van actually fits the camper build you want. If the van is still a serious candidate, get an independent pre-purchase inspection before committing.
Is this a used van inspection checklist or a replacement for a mechanic?
It's an inspection and decision-support system, not a replacement for a qualified mechanic. It helps you screen bad listings, inspect what you can see, identify the issues that change the deal, and know what a professional needs to verify before you buy.
Which vans does it cover?
The core inspection and deal tools work with most used vans. It also includes platform-specific notes for Mercedes-Benz/Freightliner Sprinter, Ford Transit, Ram ProMaster, Chevrolet Express/GMC Savana, and Nissan NV.
Can I use it when buying a cargo van for a camper conversion?
Yes. The kit was designed around exactly that decision. In addition to vehicle condition, the build-fit section checks things like roof height, cargo measurements and whether the van fits the layout you actually want to build.
How does the maximum-offer calculator work?
You enter comparable vans near you, repair or prep costs you identify, and a reserve for what you can't see. The kit turns those numbers into a hard maximum offer instead of letting the seller's asking price anchor the negotiation.
What mileage is too high for a used van?
There isn't one mileage number that makes every van a bad buy. Service history, condition, previous commercial use, platform, repair needs and price matter together. As mileage climbs, records and a professional pre-purchase inspection matter even more.
Does it work on my phone?
Yes. It's built to be used standing next to the van, with big buttons and no app to install.
Where are my vans saved?
On the phone or computer you use it on. Nothing you enter is sent anywhere. Use the same device and browser to see your saved vans.
How do I get back to it later?
Use the link in your order email. Bookmark it or add it to your home screen.
I don't know much about engines. Can I still use it?
Yes. Every check explains what to look for in plain language, and “can't tell” is always an option. The kit tells you when something needs professional verification instead of asking you to guess.
The Vivid Van Buyer's Kit is an educational decision-support tool. It does not replace a professional pre-purchase inspection, title verification, or legal advice. The example van on this page is fictional and its numbers are for illustration.
Used Van Buyer's Kit · $14.99Get the kit
