Check for rust!

[VWAIRCOOLED]

I would say the number one concern when buying a camper is rust.Rust can be visible on the outside.It can also be underneath,which is where it starts getting expensive to repair.A big concern is that your shiny camper that you're looking at could be full of many surprises.This could be newspaper bridging holes,expanding foam,seam sealant,metal plates not welded properly or just pop riveted on and loads of filler.Don't be afraid when viewing a camper to give it a thorough going over.Idealy take an expert along.Get right underneath and check out the chassis,inner and outer sills,outriggers,inner wheel arches,front axle beam, rear assembley and behind the front panel.Check any welding that has been done is good.If it has belly pans fitted,this can be an extra concern as you never know the condition of the metal behind/above these.Idealy you would want to cut a section off and have a look up there with a torch,but the sellers may not like this.Also lift up all the rubber mats and carpets and have a look at the floor.You could use a magnet to check for the presence of steel,but don't drag it along the paint or it'll scratch it!Also have a good look around the window edges and the roof guttering.Don't forget the doors,they can rot out along the bottom edges,the cab doors,sliding door,tailgate and engine lid are all getting expensive to replace.It's much better to spend a year looking for a decent camper,than spend many years and much money fixing a rotten one.It could cost many thousands of pounds to restore a camper.
It's very rare to find an early camper that hasn't been welded at all so be careful,if someone has taken pictures of the work as they went along this can help judge the quality of the work carried out.Remember that imported campers can also be rotten and neglected too as there are rainy states in America and Australia too.Just because a camper is being sold in Southern California,it might not have spent it's whole life there!
Good luck,there are some good ones out there!

 

[scott wilson]

Ideally you want to be looking at metal like this
chassis drivers side

cab floor drivers side

cab floor passenger side

cargo floor

cab step always prone to rust

door bottoms are always prone to rust

check side panels for accident damage.A good bus should look like this

Watch out for these

there are lots of things to look out for ....just make sure you don`t drink too many of these before you buy