Hi Stacy,
  My advice is to go SLOWLY.
  Begin by reading the chapter on how to buy a VW
  in John Muir's  "How To Keep Your VW Alive."

  Looking for a van, I found it invaluable to inspect
  at a large number of vans for sale & drive them.
  Pay close attention to the condition of the body &
  the interior--pop the top, examine the canvas,
  look for rust on the body, check out the seats for
  comfort & wear, etc.
  It's nice when the PO provides maintenance records.

  Decide in advance what you can afford to spend
  & include in that amount *whatever it will take*
  to get  the van into the kind of shape required
  depending on how you plan to use it.

  Don't be in a rush to make your choice!
  I spent over six months looking at vans for sale--
  & it paid off.  I observed that the price drops
  about 50% between October & March.

   Good luck!
   Phaedra