Buying a CamperKing VW campervan: Where to start?

So you’re sold on the exciting lifestyle a campervan offers. You want to hit the road to go touring and exploring in your new pride and joy. But you don’t know where to start with the buying or conversion process because, well, there are so many options it can feel a little daunting.

We get that. But rest assured, the CamperKing crew is here to help with every step of your journey. And it’s actually a lot simpler than you think when broken down into bite-sized chunks.

Finding the right van for you is also an exciting and enjoyable part of the buying process.

Two main ways to buy

There are two primary buying options to consider for your VW Transporter campervan. Firstly, purchasing a ready-made campervan, which can be brand new or second-hand.

Secondly, taking the ‘built-to-order’ approach, which means you can customise a VW Transporter with the help of the CamperKing craftsmen and design team. And the VW Transporter base vehicle can also be either new or second-hand.

A good place to start, whichever way you want to buy, is to download the latest CamperKing brochure that explains our different models and has a handy comparison grid to easily understand the differences. We have also included a ‘jargon-buster’ for the different terminology you may come across.

Buying a ready-made VW campervan

In essence, this is when the VW Transporter base vehicles we specialise in – the T5, T6, T6.1 and T7 – have already been converted into a campervan and will be the quickest way to get you on the road.

You can buy a brand new CamperKing van from any of our three main dealerships at Banbury, Newcastle or Sutton in Surrey. New CamperKing campervans are also available from our network of stockists around the country (you can find these locations here).

Our main dealerships and stockists also offer a range of second-hand vehicles that you can browse online or in person at showrooms.

Typically our three main dealerships stock up to 70 vehicles to view in person so there is always plenty of choice to find the right campervan for you.

You can begin your search on our website – www.camperking.co.uk – for the latest stock and use our filters to set a range of criteria such as a minimum and maximum price, the model, dealership location including our stockists, and whether it’s new or pre-owned.

Then it’s important to step inside a van and have good look for yourself. By getting in touch we can arrange an appointment and a no-obligation test drive.

If you’re still unsure about what to buy we’d recommend coming in to see us anyway as our experienced team can talk you through the options, show you examples in person, and answer any questions you may have.

Buying a ‘built-to-order’ VW campervan

Customising your CamperKing van takes a little longer – a custom build typically takes about six weeks – but it means you can create exactly what you want on the T6, T6.1 and T7 base vehicles.

The process starts by getting in touch with our team to arrange an appointment to talk through the various options.

The VW Transporter base vehicle that we will customise on your behalf can be your own, or we can provide it for you as part of the overall purchase. And it can either be new or pre-owned. It’s worth noting that ordering a vehicle from VW will also add time into the process, which means the overall timescale can become several months.

Buying a brand new van comes with Type Approval, though this has yet to have been confirmed for our latest launch, the T7 Go!, but we are aiming for it to be achieved within the next few months.

There is an almost endless set of options to tailor-make your campervan including exterior packs, upholstery packages, furniture options, colour schemes and accessories.

To get the process underway, you can visit one of our configuration lounges to take a look at the many different options. The lounges are located in all three CamperKing dealerships – the CamperKing HQ at Banbury and our Newcastle and Surrey showrooms as well as some of our stockists nationwide. There’s more about the built-to-order process on our blog Customising your Campervan.

Seven simple steps

Step 1: Decide whether you want to buy a ready-made or built-to-order CamperKing campervan.

Step 2: Do your research and sums. Think about the layout, the internal equipment and furniture, the driving experience (for example manual or automatic gearbox) and how often you will use the van – will it be occasionally as a campervan or regularly as a day van? Or both?

Step 3: Set your budget and consider the different finance options, factoring in wider ongoing costs such as servicing, insurance, and secure storage. You can also consider part-exchanging your vehicle with us.

Step 4: Talk to the CamperKing crew – we’re here to help at every step of the journey. Our team are easy to chat to in a no-pressure environment.

Step 5: Pay us a visit and step inside the vans to see the different options available, and to have a no-obligation test drive.

Step 6: Select your chosen van, buying either a ready-made or built-to-order vehicle.

Step 7: Start living the dream…

•  Whichever way you want to buy your CamperKing van, we’re here to help. To visit us, simply book an appointment or drop into one of our showrooms – and get planning those campervan getaways.