There is no right or wrong answer in the old vs new debate for which vehicle to buy for van life or overlanding. However, you do need to be honest with yourself, and understand the limitations that each will impose on you. For example, older vehicles are typically easier to repair yourself, but are not as comfortable as a modern vehicles. On the other hand a new vehicle has a lot of electronics that could leave you stranded on the side of the road. There are a lot of other considerations to take into account before you rush off and buy your dream vintage van to travel in. Keep reading this article below to get a detailed insight into the downsides, and benefits of travelling in an old vehicle.
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New versus old, is an overlanding debate as old as time itself, and I can vividly picture elderly neanderthals complaining about how these new rocks just are not as reliable as the ones they had when they were young. With that being said, just because it is an old debate, does not necessarily mean that it is not worth having, in fact I suspect it means that it is definitely worth having.
For anyone about to embark on van life, or an overlanding trip, choosing a vehicle is a fairly crucial step. Of course for some people the choice is easy, if your knees go weak at the thought of an old temperamental Land Rover Defender then you should go ahead and buy one, even if it means you will end up spending a lot of time covered in grease digging around the engine bay. For those of us that are not blessed, or cursed, with a burning passion for a specific vehicle the choices can be quite overwhelming, especially once you add in the old vs new debate. If you want to start at the very beginning, we put together an article that will help you choose the specific type of vehicle for your trip, which you can find here.
We personally bought, and converted a 1993 Mercedes 711D to travel across Europe in, and recently completed a 6 month trip that took us all the way from Sweden to Turkey, and Georgia. Our highest elevation was over 2,200m (7,218 ft) and our lowest elevation was 0m when we spent a week parked up at a beautiful cove beach in Greece. The van never let us down, and started up every morning, even after spending the night at -22c (-8f) at a ski resort in Ezerum, Turkey.
The Pros of an Old Used Van for Van Life or Overlanding
Is an Old Mechanically Controlled Van or a New Electronically Controlled Van Better for Overlanding?
If you are mechanically inclined, or willing to learn, you can probably find your way around an old diesel or petrol engine with ease. Everything is mechanically controlled, from the gas to the brake, to the steering. This makes it fairly easy to trace back problems. Furthermore, if there is a problem, for example if your engine is running too rich, there is a mechanical adjustment that can be made to adjust for this.
If you plan on travelling to remote destinations with your vehicle, realistically anywhere past Georgia on the European continent, then you can easily find a mechanic that can figure out how to fix your vehicle. This is because all they need are fairly basic tools. They do not need a laptop, internet connection and a subscription to the manufacturers database just to be able to diagnose what is wrong with your vehicle.
Another benefit of older vehicles is the lack of emissions systems. Although I appreciate the importance of minimising emissions, especially in dense inner city areas, I also appreciate not having complex systems that have a habit of failing as soon as the new vehicle warranty has expired.
Are Newer Vans Really More Reliable than Older Used Vans?
This point is somewhat related to the first point. If something is not present, then it also cannot fail. In the case of our camper van, there is nothing that electronically controls the engine. This means that even if all our fuses went simultaneously we would still be able to drive the van. Not that I expect to run across this scenario, but in the event of an EMP (electromagnetic pulse) wave all modern vehicles would be rendered useless as the computer chips that run them would be destroyed. Once again, an old electronic free vehicle would be able to keep driving without a problem.
I should hasten to say that not all old vehicles are reliable, but even the ones that are not known for their reliability, such as Land Rovers are still relatively easy to fix. However companies like Mercedes were certainly in their prime in the late 70’s into the early 90’s. After that their quality went downhill, especially during the Daimler-Chrysler era, but that is a topic for another day. Several Mercedes diesel engines from that era are known to last 1 million kilometres without a major overhaul. Two examples are the four cylinder diesel engine in our van, the OM364, and also the six cylinder diesel engine the OM352.
I am by no means an engineer, and I will leave the technical discussions around these engines to the experts. With that being said, these engines were built in a pre personal computer era, and so needed to be simple enough to fix with hand tools. Being pre personal computers also meant that these engines were designed with good old fashioned pen and paper using human brain power. This invariably meant that they were over engineered, as it would be nigh on impossible to design the intricacies of a modern engine without special modelling, and design software.
This same over engineering also applies to the rest of the vehicle. In an age before crumple zones and airbags, manufacturers relied on pure steel to keep you safe in a crash. This means body panels are thicker, and also that the vehicle frame itself is stronger than on modern vehicles.
Van Aesthetics – Why are Old Vans so Much Better Looking than New Vans?
There are very few modern car designs that I find appealing, and which I think will last the test of time. Lexus may have started the ugly front grill trend, but companies like BMW have jumped on that bandwagon with joy. Again, with special software and precisely tuned robots we can design all sorts of crazy swoops, and kinks into our modern vehicles. But just because you can, does not mean that you should.
Some of the best looking van designs came from the pre personal computer era with for example the VW Vanagon that has achieved cult status. I personally love the rounded hood design of the Mercedes T2, but also love the classic masculine boxiness of its successor the Mercedes T2N, which is the model of our current van. Another beautiful van from that era is the Citroen HY. Honestly this list could go on for a while, especially if you begin to include passenger cars from the pre personal computer era. Suffice it to say that some of the best, and timeless vehicle designs have already been made.
Although the interiors of older work vehicles such as vans or trucks can be very spartan, they are also extremely easy to understand. There is no start stop function to confuse you, and no hidden electronic parking brake to spend hours searching for. Furthermore you do not need a computer science degree to just to figure out how to operate the infotainment system, mainly because it simply does not exist. Instead you have to be content with shrieking along with the radio, or if you are ‘old’ such as myself, you can simply entertain yourself by complaining at length about how all new music is awful.
The Cons of an Old Vehicle for Van Life – Not Everything is Better on Old Vans and Trucks
Does an Old Van Require More Maintenance?
Our camper van is essentially the last generation of electronic free vans from Mercedes. The successor to our van, the Vario, has a lot of outward similarities to its predecessor but it unfortunately becomes a bit of a hybrid between new and old. The crux of this is that to get the benefits of an older vehicle, you have to go quite old. In Europe where emission regulations began to be enforced sooner than in North America, you would ideally be looking for a vehicle that is at least 30 years old to be sure that it is pre-emissions. The exact age will vary based on the specific vehicle, for example the last production year for the Mercedes T2N was 1996.
Although these older vehicles are generally more mechanically reliable, they have still been used for 30 years. This inevitably means that a lot of parts will need to be replaced, as they begin to break from age. In our van for example the seat cushions are worn out, and the drivers seat back has completely broken, so we have to prop it up against the couch with a cushion until we find a replacement. We also had to replace the suspension on our van when we first bought it because after 30 years the old suspension was completely worn out, and it felt like sailing a boat whenever we took it for a drive.
Depending on how the previous owners cared for the vehicle, you could also have a lot of deferred maintenance that needs to be taken care of. This could be small things like oil / filter changes or more expensive items like brakes, spark plugs, suspension components, and tires.
Is it Difficult to Get Parts for Old Vehicles?
Dealing with parts availability is an inevitable aspect of owning a 30+ year old vehicle. We have been fairly lucky with our Mercedes 711D, and have been able to get new parts for critical items on our van, for example the sliding door lock, directly from Mercedes. We were also able to get new plastic fenders, after the old ones were torn up when trying to fix the rust in the wheel wells. However items such as brake components, headlights, and front seats are no longer available from Mercedes, nor is the cooler grill. Obviously as more years go by, parts availability will become even more limited. In some cases there are aftermarket suppliers that still make parts for the vehicle, otherwise you to resort to used parts, which are always a bit of a hit and miss affair.
Will I Be as Comfortable in an Old Van as in a New Van?
Older vehicles are, as we discussed, much simpler but this simplicity also extends to noise vehicle harshness (NVH). When driving our van it is fairly obvious that it is in essence a 30 year old truck. The gear shifter is mechanical, and requires you to slot it perfectly in the gate. Beyond that the engine partially intrudes into the front cab, and it is more than happy to make its presence known. The suspension is also quite tough, as it is designed to carry a heavy load. The end result is that after a few hours of driving we are a lot more tired than we would be in a more modern van. For example when we had a 2020 Mercedes Sprinter in the US we could drive 10 hours in a day. If we did that in our current van we would be completely exhausted, and useless the next day. Some older North American vehicles are more comfortable, but European truck / heavy van manufacturers of yesteryear seemingly decided that well cushioned seats, a quiet cab and an automatic gearbox were entirely unnecessary luxuries.
What Will my Fuel Economy Be in an Old Van?
This is a very difficult question to answer as every vehicle is different, but chances are it will not be great. Despite only being blessed with about 100hp our 30 year old van still manages to consume 15l/100km (15.6 mpg). Luckily it has a 120l tank, so we can still go a fair distance before having to fill up, but when the time does come to fill the tank our bank account takes a significant hit.
You Have to Return Home for a Mandatory Vehicle Inspection Sooner
Every single country in the EU requires vehicles to undergo a technical inspection at fixed intervals, and the vast majority will not allow you to postpone it simply because you are travelling. The exact frequency will vary from country to country. In Sweden, where our van is registered, we have to return every year to undergo a mandatory vehicle inspection. Since we live in our van full time, and do not have family in Sweden, that is a huge inconvenience for us. If you buy a brand new van, you would not have to worry about undergoing an inspection for five years.
Pros of a New Vehicle for Van Life or Overlanding
Slightly Used Vans Still Have a Factory Warranty
Although new vehicles do come with a lot of electronic gizmos that can, and will fail, they also come with a warranty. This can be either a factory warranty or a third party warranty that you add on later. Depending on how old the vehicle is when you buy it, this means that you usually have at least 3 years where you do not have to worry about anything happening. If you buy your van from a dealer, and get them to put it through their certified used program, you can usually get another 2 years of warranty on top of that.
Corrosion protection, and paint technology have also improved significantly, which means that as long as you regularly wash the salt off your vehicle there is a very good chance that you can avoid major rust repairs in the future.
Of course the fact that the van is fairly new, also means that all the components will have plenty of life left in them. If the van was well cared for by its previous owner, then you will probably only have to worry about regular maintenance for the next few years.
New Vans Have More Safety Features and Comforts than Old Vans
It is hard to deny that modern vehicles are a lot more comfortable – with the exception of small hatchbacks and sedans, which have in my humble opinion become extremely difficult to drive compared to their older counterparts. Part of this is again new technology, for example finding ways to make the suspension capable under heavy loads, but still soft enough not to relay every single bump in the road into your bum.
Another part is consumer demand, for example heavy duty trucks are increasingly being used as leisure vehicles to tow heavy trailers during the holidays, or tow heavy boats to the lake occasionally. However, the rest of the time they are largely used as family vehicles with very small loads. As a result manufacturers began to look at ways to make their heavy duty trucks, like the Ford F-350 or Ram 3500, more comfortable when empty, yet at the same time the competition for payload and towing rating taglines, means that their capabilities have increased significantly.
Beyond the suspension, new vans are also a lot quieter than old ones. If you test drive a Mercedes Sprinter and then drive our 30 year old van immediately afterwards, you would be shocked at how loud our camper van is. Another aspect that has changed a lot in recent years is the level of safety equipment that new vans are equipped with. Probably the most notable feature is the increased number of bags. A new Mercedes Sprinter has at least four. Whereas as our 30 year old Mercedes has a grand total of zero airbags. Not great in a crash, but excellent for pushing rude drivers off the road.
Fuel Economy – New Vans Use a Lot Less Fuel Than Old Ones
Internal combustion engines have become a lot more fuel efficient with the advent of new technology. Even though modern diesels require you to use Adblue, which is an extra cost to consider, they are still going to be cheaper to drive than an old van.
It is a little bit difficult to find a perfect modern comparison to our van, in terms of payload capacity, as in Europe the majority of vans in our weight class (5.9-6.9 Tons) have been replaced by small cabover trucks. Nevertheless a 3.5t (or 4.1t in Canada and the US) Mercedes Sprinter with the 160 hp turbo diesel engine manages to only use 8l/100km (29.7 US Mpg) compared to our van which consumes 15l/100km (15.7 US Mpg) on a good day.
Cons of Buying a New Van for Van Life
New Vehicles Cost More than Old Vehicles
If you want to buy a lightly used van, you need to have a good amount of money saved up. Even if you opt for the cheaper van models such as the Ford Transit or the Ram Promaster / Fiat Ducato (aka Citroen Jumper / Relay, Peugeot Boxer) newer vans have increased in value significantly over the last few years.
Since interest rates have also been going up, I would personally steer away from financing a newer van. If money is tight, and you have time to do some rust repair and maintenance, then you are better off buying an older van or school bus.
Some New Vehicles Use Proprietary Software that Only Dealers Can Access
The worst case scenario with a new vehicle is that in order to replace a component you may have to reset the software, some that is typically only possible with dealership software. A classic example of this is anything to do with emissions on modern diesels. To comply with emission laws, and avoid customers tuning their vehicles to cheat emission standards, manufacturers have very tight software controls on anything to do with emission components – this is especially the case with modern vehicles and their catalytic converter systems. All this control also means that you could be stuck with an electronically locked engine, simply because you do not have the right software.
Some Safety Features on New Vans are More Distracting than Useful
Safety is a good thing, unfortunately a lot of new vans and cars have begun acting like helicopter parents. I think some of these ‘safety’ features are more of a distraction, and sometimes even dangerous. I have a particular dislike for lane assist, especially when driving in Europe where there are lots of cyclists. Whenever I need to move to the left of my lane in order to pass a cyclist, the lane assist ‘safety’ feature will try to steer me into the cyclist in order to keep me in my lane. If you are a less experienced driver, and not expecting it, this could easily lead to an unfortunate accident.
Can I Use My Modern Diesel Engine Van in Every Country?
Increasingly you can use a modern diesel van anywhere in the world. The majority of countries are in the process of, or have already switched to Ultra Low Sulphur Diesel (ULSD). If you are based in Europe you can drive all the way to Armenia without experiencing any issues at all. Similarly in the US you can drive to Canada or Mexico and still be able to fill up with ULSD. As you begin to venture outside of these countries the fuel quality can become a little bit more hit and miss. There are a lot of horror stories from travellers about having to drill holes in their DPF because it became completely clogged up.
However, from reading through overlanding forums it seems that the newer Euro 6 emission class engines have become somewhat better at handling higher sulphur content fuel. The downside is that you will use more fuel in the process, as the engine has to burn off the excess sulphur inside the filter more regularly.
Of course the easiest way to avoid this issue is by buying a gasoline powered model. This is not particularly hard to achieve in North America as all the big three vans come with gasoline options. Unfortunately Europe is still in love with their diesel engines, probably because they use less fuel, and apart from the small Volkswagen Transporter there are no vans offered with a petrol engine.
Should You Buy a New or Older Used Van for Van Life and Overlanding?
In our article on 5 key questions to answer before buying a camper van, we go into depth about all the different types of vehicles that you can choose from. I would recommend reading that before buying any van as it will help give you an insight into what your needs are for the way you want to travel.
Both new and old vans have their benefits and downsides. The right choice for you will really depend on your interests, and how you want to travel. If you love working on vehicles, then you would probably take great joy in maintaining and caring for an older van. If you admire the mechanically inclined, but struggle to even assemble an IKEA bed, like myself, then you are probably better off with a newer van. Of course if you have the budget, and desire to do a complete restoration on an older vehicle then you can to a certain extent get the best of both worlds. Even if you have the budget, be careful about spending too much money on an older vehicle, as you may not always get it back unless that model has developed a significant status amongst enthusiasts.
I hope this article has helped you make a decision about whether to buy an old or a new van. As you can see it is not a simple question, and there are a lot of nuances to take into consideration. If you have any questions about buying a new or old van for van life, please leave us a comment below and we will be happy to answer them.
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