Vanlife Trader is a modern, easy-to-use marketplace for buying and selling campervans. Our owner, Jon, started his own vanlife over 10 years ago. A few moves and several van builds later, he had the opportunity to take over Vanlife Trader and help connect thousands of van buyers and sellers across North America. Our team loves vanlife and we feel lucky to help others buy and sell their dream vans, hopefully with as much success as we’ve had in the past.
How it works
Buying a van
Follow these simple steps to find your dream home on wheels.
1. Create an account
It’s free!
2. Decide on your budget and ideal specifications for your future campervan
After deciding your budget, you can start to make a list of your most desired features, i.e. indoor shower, shore power vs. solar power, number of seats with seatbelts, etc.
3. Filter for your ideal van and save the search
We pride ourselves on having vanlife specific filters, so get as specific as you want! You can narrow down your options to only show the vans that meet your specific needs. You can also save searches and get notifications of any new vans that meet your criteria.
4. Reach out to the seller via their contact page on the listing
When you find a van that interests you, just reach out to the seller via the contact form on their listing. This sends the seller a notification to their email. If you would like to be contacted via phone, provide your number and let the seller know that’s the best way to contact you. The transaction is 100% between the buyer and the seller. Read our resource for tips on how to have a safe transaction.
Selling a van
Ready to sell your rig? Create a listing and get your van in front of more potential buyers than anywhere else on the internet.
1. Decide on a listing price for your van
To decide on a reasonable price for your van, we recommend perusing our other listings for comparable vehicles to get a feel for the market, as well as considering the money you’ve put into it/how fast you need to sell. Read our pricing resource for some tips!
2. Photograph your van
Using your camera or smartphone, snaps some high quality pics of your van’s interior and exterior (for tips on how to get the best pics, check out our photo guide).
3. Create an account if you haven’t already
4. Choose your listing package
We have three options depending on various factors like how long you want your listing live, how many photos you’d like to include, and if you want your listing featured on our social channels. Read our FAQs to learn more about all of our offerings.
5. Give yourself time to create the listing
Make sure you have all your records and van specs handy for the listing process. We pride ourselves in having a robust filter system, which not only helps buyers find their dream van, but it also helps sellers show off every spec of their rig. Give yourself at least 15-30 minutes to complete the listing!
6. Be an active seller
Keep an eye out for messages from potential buyers in your email inbox, your seller dashboard, and via Instagram if you’ve included your handle. Try and respond in a timely manner.
7. Complete the sale!
The transaction is 100% between the buyer and the seller. Read our resource for tips on how to have a safe transaction.
FAQ
Buyer Questions
How do I have a safe van purchase transaction?
Vanlife Trader does not participate in sales transactions. We leave this up to the buyers and sellers to navigate. However, if you feel a third party is needed, we recommend using our partners at KeySavvy. Read more in our resource on safe transactions!
Do you provide financing options?
Yes! We partner with Trident Funding and they have a wide range of offerings for campervan loans. Van Loans
What kind of insurance do I need for my campervan?
Campervan insurance is a tricky and evolving industry but there is finally a solution! For more info, read our Blog post about Roamly Insurance `
How do I buy a van I see for sale on your Instagram?
Contact the seller through form on the listing page. If the seller lists their social media handle or phone number you can contact them there as well. When you fill out the form on a listing the seller will receive an email and respond via email.
Seller Questions
What types of vans/campers are acceptable to sell on VLT?
If the vehicle has an engine and a build (or potential for a build), you can list it!
How much is it to list on VLT?
We have three options for sellers, Basic ($39), Premium ($99) and Epic ($299). You can purchase additional boosts for social or onsite once your listing is live.
What is a boost?
Boosts are add on features that get your rig in front of more potential buyers.
Social Media Boost ($150) – Includes a feed post on our Instagram and Facebook as well as a story post. Feed posts are up indefinitely. Story posts are up for 24 hours and then saved to our Vans for Sale highlight.
Story Only Boost ($65) – Includes a story post on our Instagram and Facebook. They stay up for 24 hours and then are saved to our Vans for Sale highlight.
Homepage Feature ($50) – Gets your rig on the most trafficked page on the site for 24 hours.
Vans for Sale Feature ($35) – Your listing will be featured in the Vans for Sale section and search results for 3 days.
How will I communicate with potential buyers?
When a potential buyer is interested they will fill out the form on your listing page. That notification will get sent directly to your email correlating with your account and listing. You can respond to their email and communicate from there.
We also recommend including social media handles or a phone number to give potential buyers multiple avenues of communication.
I'm getting hit with so many scammers! What do I do?
Unfortunately, Vanlife Trader is not immune to online scammers. However, we work hard to block and report scammers daily. The best defense is education, read our Fraud Awareness blog for more info!
Will you help me figure out the value of my vehicle?
For liability reasons, we cannot help you value your van. We recommend searching SOLD listings for comparable vehicles to get a feel for the market, as well as considering the money you’ve put into it and how fast you need to sell. For more info, check out our Blog post about Benchmark Auto Appraisers
Do you take a commission when my van sells?
Nope! Just pay to list and the rest is yours to keep.
Why are my photos not uploading?
The first thing is to check to make sure they are not .heic (iphone live) files. These are technically image files but our site does not support them. The easiest way to convert these file types is to turn off live on your iPhone. You can also use an image converter or export as new photo on your desktop.
How much are social media posts?
We have two options for social media posts. Social Boost ($150) and Story only post ($65). See above for more info.
When will my van be posted on social media?
3-5 days from the time of order.
Do I need an Instagram account to have my van posted on social media?
No! We can post any van for anyone, regardless of social media involvement.
My listing expired! How do I renew it?
Head over to your “My Listings” page. You should see your expired listing under the “Expired” section and a button to renew. You can edit before or after renewing and choose between a Basic or Premium renewal! We keep expired listings on the site for 6 months, so if your listing has been expired for longer than 6 months you will no longer be able to renew it.
How do I mark my van as sold?
Dashboard > “My Listings” > “Mark As Sold”
