Before I even open the bonnet or crawl underneath, I do a 60-second walk-around that eliminates most of the vans I'd otherwise waste a full afternoon on.

Here's what I look for — and what each one actually tells you.

1. Rust bubbles around wheel arches and sills

Not surface rust on the bumper. I mean the small paint bubbles forming around the wheel arches, along the bottom of the doors, and under the sill covers. If you see bubbling paint, the metal underneath is already compromised. This is structural, expensive, and usually the tip of the iceberg.

2. Mismatched paint or panel gaps

Run your eye along the side of the van. If one panel is a slightly different shade or the gaps between panels are uneven, it's been in an accident. That doesn't automatically mean walk away — but it means you need to know how bad and how well it was repaired. Most sellers won't volunteer this.

3. The smell when you open the sliding door

Open the main door and stand there for 5 seconds. Damp, mould, and chemical cover-up smells are immediate red flags. A damp campervan conversion is one of the most expensive problems to fix, and it often means the whole interior needs stripping.

4. Soft spots on the floor near the door

Step inside and press your foot down firmly near the doorstep area and around the base of any furniture. Soft or spongy spots mean water ingress has been happening for a while. This is where conversions rot from the inside out.

5. Electrical tape and random wiring under the dashboard

Pop your head under the dash and look at the wiring. If you see electrical tape holding things together, wire nuts, or cables that look like they were added by someone in a rush — that's a DIY electrical job. In a campervan, bad electrics are a fire risk, not just an inconvenience.

These five checks take less than a minute. They won't tell you everything, but they'll tell you whether a van is worth your next hour — or whether you should shake the seller's hand and leave.

I built an entire screening system around this approach. If you want the full framework — including checklists you can print and take to viewings — check out The Smart Campervan Buyer's Guide.