Buying a VW Bus - special attention is necessary

You can drive to all the places you want to see and have the freedom to continue your road trip at any time. However, the purchase of a camper should also be carefully considered for this very reason. When buying a used VW Bus there are many damages that can easily be overlooked and can cost you not only money but also nerves. We want you to enjoy theliberating Vanlife.

VW has a lot of models on the market, from the Bulli to the Transporter to the minibus. However, Volkswagen's most popular vehicle still is the VW T6 and its predecessor the VW T5. Since other features should be considered when buying older Bulli vehicles the following article refers to the newer Volkswagen T5 and Volkswagen T6 models.

The first thing you should do when buying a VW bus is to check the vehicle documents. You should ask yourself the following questions:

At the same time, you can check the key facts:

Useful tool: tread depth gauge

When buying a VW bus you have to check a lot more than when buying a normal car. A larger surface area and more equipment harbour a higher potential for damages.

You should stick to a fixed procedure and not let yourself be distracted by other people. This reduces the risk of making mistakes and overlooking damage.

It's also advisable to make a note of any damage you discover. This way you can make an overall assessment of the Volkswagen T5 or Volkswagen T6, or any other model.

The rule here is: always look at one part after the other and from front to back.

When buying a VW bus, first inspect the front bumper for damage, then move on to the area of the wings and bonnet. Parts made of glass are not inspected at first. Only the sheet metal is inspected. Go around the entire vehicle until every part has been inspected. When you reach the end, you inspect the entire surface of the car again. Dents, scratches, paint defects and indications of accidents are taken into account.

You then look at all the glass parts. Then the tyres and rims. Finally, the brakes.

Now pay attention to the windscreens, side windows and headlights. You should look out for cracks, stone chips and scratches. These can cost you a lot of money in repairs later on.

Tyres and rims should also be checked for damage, wear and age.

Regarding the tyres: You should pay attention to the date of manufacture. This is a 4-digit number on the tyre. For example, if the DOT is 1918, the tyre was manufactured in the 19th calendar week of 2018.

You should make sure the brakes are not rusty. They should also have a certain lining thickness. It't is best to have an expert by your side to check on this.

Finally, you should check all exterior equipment such as awnings, elevating roof, outside shower, etc. Every camper, VW T6, VW T5, Multivan or Bulli has different extras.

Useful tool: torch

You should check every little corner and try out every function!

You can ask yourself the following questions:

It's also advisable to carefully and lightly press down surfaces. Are there noises that should not be there? Do surfaces that should be firm give way?

(Useful tool: torch)

First examine all mats and tubes in the engine compartment. Look for bite marks and friction points. Does anything indicate damages caused by martens?

Then look for leaks. Are there drops of oil on the engine? Is there a puddle under the vehicle? Black traces indicate oil, pink residues on parts indicate coolant.

Finally, all fluid levels are checked. Then you're already done here.

Useful aid: a 2nd person 😉

When buying a VW bus this step should also be carried out very conscientiously and function after function should be checked. Repairs can quickly cost you a lot of money.

Lights and lamps can be examined with the seller. It's particularly important that the seller sits in the vehicle and you examine the lights yourself.

Then you should examine all the functions of the radio and the on-board computer. The music can also be turned up during this test.

Be sure to turn the radio off again! Now you should pay attention to the noises coming from the vehicle.

You should pay attention to the following:

As you can see, there are a lot of things to consider when buying a VW bus. But if you follow our tips, nothing will stand in the way of buying your next companion.

At the end of each season, we also sell our campers. Take a look at our various models and register on our sales page if you're interested.