A campervan is two purchases joined together: a road vehicle and a small living space. A clean test drive can hide damp, poor electrical work or an unusably small payload; a beautiful interior can distract from finance, identity or registration problems. The safest approach is to verify each layer separately.
This checklist is designed for vehicles already in Ireland. Imported but unregistered vehicles need additional registration, VRT and identity checks. Never send a deposit solely because an advert says another buyer is waiting.
Before viewing: seller, advert and history
- Identify the seller. Ask whether you are buying from a registered business or a private individual. CCPC notes that consumer-law protections differ materially.
- Save the advert. Keep the description, price, mileage, seller identity and claims about condition or equipment.
- Ask for the registration and VIN. A refusal before a serious viewing is a warning sign. Do not publish or forward the numbers unnecessarily.
- Run an Irish vehicle-history check. Look for finance, write-off or crash records, mileage discrepancies, ownership history, import status and use as a taxi where covered.
- Check recall information. Search the manufacturer's system using the VIN and ask for evidence that outstanding safety recalls were completed.
- Price insurance before paying. Give the insurer the exact base model, declared classification, conversion type, value, use, parking and driver details. An attractive van is not useful if suitable cover cannot be arranged.
At the viewing: identity and documents
- Match every identity. Compare the VIN on the body and plate with the Vehicle Registration Certificate and history report. Check registration, make, model, colour and engine details.
- Read the body type. Confirm that the registration record reflects how the vehicle is sold and used. If it was converted, ask for the conversion declaration and Revenue correspondence.
- Check CVRT status and dates. Motor caravans follow CVRT rules. Inspect the Certificate of Roadworthiness and test history, but do not treat a pass as a warranty.
- Review service evidence. Look for dated invoices and mileage continuity, not just stamps. Check timing-belt or chain requirements, gearbox servicing and manufacturer-specific jobs.
- Ask for conversion records. Useful evidence includes invoices, photos before walls were closed, wiring diagrams, appliance manuals and gas or electrical certificates.
- Verify keys and security. Count ignition, habitation and locker keys; check immobiliser, alarm and tracker subscriptions if advertised.
Base-vehicle inspection
- View it cold. Ask the seller not to start the engine before arrival. Watch for difficult starting, smoke, warning lights and unusual noises.
- Inspect tyres properly. Check age codes, matching specifications, tread, cracking and uneven wear—including the spare. Low annual mileage does not prevent tyre ageing.
- Look underneath. Check corrosion, fluid leaks, damaged underseal, recent patches, suspension condition and signs of grounding. Use a qualified inspector and safe lifting equipment.
- Check the cab. Test every light, wiper, heater, air-conditioning function, window, mirror, belt and warning lamp. A lamp that never illuminates at ignition can be as suspicious as one that stays on.
- Inspect seals and openings. Look around windscreens, rooflights, windows, high-level brake lights, aerials and awning mounts for water paths or poor repairs.
- Test-drive beyond the estate. Include urban speeds, a faster road, hills, braking, full steering lock and reverse. Listen for drivetrain, bearing, suspension and body noises.
- Commission an independent mechanical inspection. Use someone working for you, with experience of the particular base vehicle where possible.
Conversion and habitation inspection
- Measure damp. Smell is not enough. Have the walls, roof, floor, corners, openings and under-bed areas checked with appropriate equipment and interpreted by someone experienced.
- Look for water history. Staining, soft wallboard, swollen timber, loose vinyl, fresh sealant or a strategically repainted area deserves investigation.
- Test fresh and waste water. Fill, pump and drain the system; inspect tanks, pipes, pump, taps and joints for leaks and frost damage.
- Inspect gas professionally. Check cylinder restraint, locker ventilation, pipework, regulator age and appliance operation. Ask for competent certification; never test for leaks with a flame.
- Test 12V and mains systems. Operate every circuit on battery and hook-up, inspect fusing and cable protection, and ask an appropriately competent person to assess work of uncertain origin.
- Verify the leisure battery. Age, chemistry, rated capacity and a display percentage do not prove usable health. Ask for test evidence and check the charging sources.
- Run every appliance. Fridge, heater, hot water, hob, fans, rooflights, blinds, toilet and solar charging should be demonstrated—not merely described as working.
- Check restraints and travel seats. Confirm which seats are approved for travel, inspect belt mountings and never infer safety from upholstery alone.
- Check ventilation and alarms. Verify permanent vents are open and appropriately located; check smoke and carbon-monoxide alarm dates. Alarms supplement safe installation and servicing.
- Try the real layout. Make the bed, sit at the table, close the washroom, stand at the cooker and open storage with occupants inside. Check emergency exits.
Weight, licence and final cost
- Read the weight plate. Record MAM/DGVW and both axle limits. Confirm the intended drivers hold the required category.
- Demand a meaningful weight. Prefer a recent weighbridge ticket for the finished vehicle that states fuel, water, passengers and equipment present.
- Calculate touring payload. Add every person, water, gas, food, clothing, bike and accessory missing from the weighed state. Check individual axles too.
- Build a first-year repair fund. Price immediate tyres, servicing, timing work, damp remediation, batteries, gas or electrical corrections and missing safety equipment.
- Agree the transaction in writing. Record the parties, vehicle identity, mileage, price, date, included equipment, known faults and any dealer promises. Do not let a receipt falsely describe a dealer sale as private.
- Verify funds and transfer safely. Follow the official ownership-change process, ensure the named seller can transfer the vehicle, and retain payment and handover records.
Red flags worth walking away from
- The seller will not allow an independent inspection or history check.
- The VIN, plate, registration document or seller identity does not align.
- The vehicle is advertised as a motor caravan but its papers show an unexplained different classification.
- There is no credible payload figure, or the claimed figure ignores passengers and water.
- Fresh lining, sealant or paint appears only around a known leak point.
- Gas, mains or travel-seat work is described as “professional” but no evidence exists.
- A deposit is demanded before basic checks, or payment is requested to an unrelated account.
Dealer versus private sale
CCPC explains that buying from a business gives statutory consumer protections; a private sale gives fewer rights, though the seller must have the right to sell. A trader cannot remove consumer rights by calling a transaction a private sale. Look at the reality: repeated vehicle listings, business premises, trade language or a seller acting for a company can all justify further questions.
If something goes wrong, retain the advert, history report, inspection, messages, invoice, receipt and photographs. These records are much more useful than a recollection of a verbal promise.
Official and independent starting points
- CCPC: buying a used car and your rights
- CVRT: purchasing a used commercial vehicle
- CVRT: motorhome testing rules
- RSA: motorhomes, motor caravans and camper vans
This checklist helps organise a purchase; it is not a mechanical inspection, damp survey, legal opinion or guarantee. Use independent specialists for the vehicle and systems concerned.