Hi... There was a similar question asked on another post in the last few days, i wrote the following:
Just be careful though when looking at these vans, watch out for the ringers (the multivans, caravelles & transporters that have been converted - more than likely with the interior from some poor bugger's stolen California!).
Check the paperwork thoroughly - if the original documents don't say California, then probably best to walk away. Check the service books too, if they don't tally with the mileage or look tampered with, then also a bad sign... Saw a couple of these vans during my search - one claimed to be a California, but there were just too many telltale signs - a colour that didn't seem like one offered for the Cali, the mileage that was not tallying (said 169k but turned out in the end to be nearer 350k!), the interior (which was expertly fitted) that somehow didn't match the specifications relevant for the model year and the final blow, the documents that stated 'multivan' as the model... The link above to www.westfaliat4.info is a great source of info - get to know the model specs, revisions and signs of what is correct for particular model year and you'll be well armed to spot the potential dodgy vans...
(important!)
Also, when viewing, play with everything in the van - pop the roof (check for neat installation - another sign of a non-factory original), spin the seats, try the tap (though if there's no water in the tank don't try it for long!), try the gas burners, run the night-heater, switch the fridge on, flip the bed... Try EVERYTHING - cos anything that doesn't work properly will cost you later... Check there's nothing missing (the table is a sneaky one!), saw one where the rear mattress was missing... things easily overlooked, but additional costs...
You might also be lucky to find a van with all the extras too, look out for awnings (again, test it), thermal window/roof covers, bike racks, etc... Accessories aren't cheap and having these thrown in will save you a lot of money adding later...
I'm no expert on these vans (still very much a newby myself), but doing your homework before going to view can save you a lot of trouble... And remember, if its too good to be true, then most likely it is...
The van on Gumtree seems like a nice example. Though be careful of the mileage pre-import to the UK - for the one i reference above, there was no inter-country checks done. When it arrived in Belgium from Germany, the mileage was simply recorded as what was on the clock and that became the baseline for the Belgian Equivalent of the HPI, but of course it was clocked before it arrived in Belgium and this wasn't checked. It was only through going back to Germany and contacting the authorities there, that the true mileage could begin to be known - if its moved between more than one country then you really have a job to chase it up... Unfortunately for a lot of 'ringed' vehicles in Germany, they're taken between there and bordering eastern European countries to mask the effects of the dodgy dealings. The mileage changes (or indeed rouge conversions) then can get lost in the import/export processes...
Of course, hopefully this is not the case, but just to raise awareness of these practices - Sadly the California is one such vehicle that the perpetrators of these deeds focus their talents on as they're a lucrative business - Knock several hundred 1000 km's off a vehicle and its worth much more - A 15year old caravelle or mutlivan is worth a fraction of a similar aged Cali, put the interior of a stolen Cali into one of these and pass it on to the unsuspecting buyer and you can stand to double (or more) the value of the old van...
So just be wary of vehicles that have been imported/exported to multiple countries...
Not sure if this link helps (
http://www.tuv.com/en/corporate/pri...ic/vehicle_inspection/vehicle_inspection.html), but you might be able to follow the vehicle's German history through here if you've any doubts?
Hopefully all checks out and you've found a nice example of a Cali Blue... Price seems to be 15.5k now (was the price drop recent?). If its all in order, then I'd certainly be doing my homework on it - the fact its a limited edition will be interesting in the future too...
Good luck!
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