If you are searching for a campervan for sale, it is easy to focus entirely on the vehicle in front of you. The model, mileage, layout, colour, and price all matter, but another important question to ask before you decide is: who are you actually buying it from?
A campervan is a significant purchase, so taking time to look at the company behind the vehicle can tell you a great deal. From years of experience and physical premises to customer reviews and the opportunity to visit in person, there are plenty of signs that can help you make a more informed choice.
Summary:
When choosing a campervan for sale, look beyond the specification and consider the business selling it too. Find out how long the company has been established, whether you can visit its premises, what experience the team has and what previous customers have to say. At Free Spirit Campervans, we have spent more than 20 years importing and converting campervans, with extensive facilities near Chichester where customers can visit, compare vehicles and speak to our team.
Look Beyond the Campervan for Sale
Finding a campervan you love is understandably the exciting part. You might already be imagining weekends away before you have even finished looking around the interior.
However, the vehicle itself is only part of the buying decision.
Before committing to a purchase, spend some time researching the company selling it. How long has the business been operating? Does it specialise in campervans? Can you see where it is based? Are there real people you can speak to? Can you visit and look around?
These questions become particularly useful when you are comparing similar vehicles. Two campervans may look comparable in photographs, but the businesses behind them can be very different.
There are practical vehicle checks to make too. GOV.UK recommends checking that the vehicle details match DVLA records, reviewing its MOT history, checking for safety recalls and inspecting the V5C before buying a used vehicle.
Doing your homework on both the campervan and the seller gives you a much fuller picture of what you are considering.
Why Experience Matters When Buying a Campervan
There is a difference between selling vehicles and specialising in campervans.
An experienced campervan company will have spent years getting to know the vehicles it works with, answering customer questions and understanding what people actually need from their campervans.
Free Spirit Campervans has spent over 20 years importing and converting carefully selected vehicles into campervans. Today, we specialise in the Mazda Bongo, Nissan Elgrand and Mercedes Viano.
That history is something we can actually show.
Look back through photographs from our earlier years, and you will find older campervans and interiors that are very different from those leaving our workshops today. Styles have changed, our conversions have evolved, and customer tastes have moved on. We have been here throughout that journey.
We will be exploring that evolution in much more detail in another article, but from a buyer’s perspective, those photographs demonstrate something simple: Free Spirit has a genuine history in the campervan industry, and we’re proud of it.
Does the Campervan Company Have Premises You Can Visit?
A website can tell you plenty about a business, but sometimes the most useful thing you can do is actually visit.
Physical premises give you an opportunity to see more than a carefully selected set of photographs online. You can meet the people involved, see vehicles in person, compare different options and get a better understanding of the operation behind the business.
Free Spirit has extensive facilities near Chichester in West Sussex, including full workshop facilities. Our current stock includes converted campervans alongside vehicles ready to be converted, allowing visitors to explore different models, layouts, finishes and features.
For someone who has only just started searching for a campervan for sale, that can be particularly useful. You may arrive convinced you know exactly what you want and discover that another model or layout suits you much better once you actually step inside it.
A visit also gives you the chance to ask questions there and then rather than trying to make a major decision from photographs and specifications alone.
Look at the People Behind the Campervans
Campervans are specialist vehicles, so the knowledge within the company matters too.
Before buying, take a look at who actually works there. Is the team visible? Does the company explain who does what? Is there specialist knowledge within the business?
Free Spirit has a team working across different areas of the business, with the people behind the company introduced on our website rather than hidden behind a generic contact form.
This matters because buying a campervan often generates far more questions than buying an ordinary car.
You may want to compare different base vehicles, understand how sleeping arrangements work, discuss conversion choices or simply work out which campervan suits the type of trips you have planned.
Being able to have those conversations with people who work with these vehicles every day makes the buying process much more useful.
Reviews and Independent Recognition Can Tell You More
Every company can tell you why you should buy from them. Previous customers can provide another perspective.
When researching a campervan company, look beyond a handful of testimonials selected for its own website. Independent review platforms can help you build a broader picture of other customers’ experiences.
It is worth reading the details rather than looking only at an overall star rating. What do people repeatedly mention? How recent are the reviews? Does the company respond to feedback? Are customers discussing the parts of the experience that matter to you?
Independent recognition can provide another useful trust signal when considered alongside reviews, company history and your own experience of dealing with the business.
Free Spirit Campervans was recognised as a Highly Rated Dealer for 2025 by Car Dealer Reviews. Free Spirit also received Auto Trader‘s Highly Rated 2025 accolade, which has criteria relating to verified customer reviews and retailer responses to feedback.
Awards should not decide for you, but they can form another piece of evidence when you are researching the company behind a vehicle.
Ask Questions Before You Make Your Decision
When you find a campervan for sale that looks right, asking a few questions can help you understand both the vehicle and the seller.
You might want to ask how the vehicle was selected, what preparation has been carried out, what paperwork is available, what is included with the purchase and whether there is a warranty.
A reputable specialist should also be comfortable answering detailed questions about the campervan it is selling. You should not feel rushed simply because you want to understand what you are buying.
At Free Spirit, our current campervans come with a recent MOT, full service and comprehensive warranty. Free Spirit Campervans
The aim is not to make buying a campervan unnecessarily complicated. It is simply to give you enough information to make a considered decision.
See the Campervan and the Company for Yourself
Online research is an excellent starting point, but campervans are particularly difficult to judge from a screen.
A photograph cannot tell you how comfortable you feel sitting inside, whether a layout works for you or how much space you really have once you start moving around.
That’s why we encourage customers to come and visit Free Spirit near Chichester.
More Than 20 Years of Free Spirit Campervans
When you start searching for your next campervan for sale, of course the vehicle needs to be right. Your budget, preferred model, layout and plans for using it should all influence your choice.
But take a little time to look beyond the campervan too.
Free Spirit Campervans has been importing and converting vehicles for more than 20 years. Today, customers can visit our West Sussex facilities, meet our team, see our current campervans and explore the different options available in person.
Our history, facilities, customer feedback and independent recognition are all there for prospective buyers to investigate for themselves.
If you are beginning your search, come and see us near Chichester and take a proper look around. You might arrive with one campervan in mind and leave with a much clearer idea of what is right for you.
Call us
Tel: (01243) 649087
Email us
info@fscltd.co.uk
Opening Times
Monday – Friday: 09:00 – 17:00
Saturday: 10:00 – 16:00
Sunday: CLOSED
If you enjoyed this post, you might like Campervan Dealer Sussex: Why Visiting a Campervan Dealer in Person Makes All the Difference.
Frequently Asked Questions
What should I look for when buying a campervan for sale?
Look at both the vehicle and the company selling it. Check the vehicle’s condition, mileage, MOT history, paperwork, layout and conversion, but also research the seller’s experience, premises, reviews and specialist knowledge. For used vehicles, GOV.UK provides services for checking MOT history, DVLA details and safety recalls.
Is it better to buy a campervan from a specialist dealer?
A specialist campervan dealer may be able to provide more relevant knowledge about the vehicles and conversions it regularly works with. Regardless of where you buy, research the individual business and vehicle rather than relying on the word “specialist” alone.
Should I view a campervan before buying it?
Where possible, yes. Seeing a campervan in person lets you assess its condition, try the living space and compare layouts in a way photographs cannot replicate. It also gives you an opportunity to meet the seller and ask questions before making a decision.
What questions should I ask a campervan dealer?
Ask about the vehicle’s history, mileage, servicing, MOT, preparation, conversion, included equipment, warranty and paperwork. You can also ask how long the company has specialised in campervans and what facilities it has.
How can I check the history of a used campervan?
GOV.UK recommends checking that the vehicle’s details match DVLA records, reviewing its MOT history, checking whether it has been recalled and inspecting the V5C log book. A vehicle history check can provide additional information too. GOV.UK
How long has Free Spirit Campervans been in business?
Free Spirit has more than 20 years of experience importing and converting campervans. The company currently specialises in Mazda Bongo, Nissan Elgrand and Mercedes Viano campervans.
Where is Free Spirit Campervans based?
Free Spirit Campervans is based at The Grain Store, Brimfast Lane, Sidlesham Common, Chichester, West Sussex, PO20 7PZ. Customers can visit to explore available vehicles and speak to the team. Free Spirit Campervans
Can I see different campervans before deciding?
Yes. Free Spirit holds a range of campervans and vehicles ready for conversion, so visiting gives you the opportunity to compare different models, layouts, finishes and features before deciding which suits you.
