I’ve found people generally fall into two camps – those who loved converting their campervan and those who never want to go through it again. On the one hand, you get to customise your van so that it meets your exact requirements and standards… but it takes a lot of hard work and to be honest, trial and error.
If you’re very hands-on by nature then converting a van will be a no-brainer. Once you’ve made that choice, if it ever was a choice, then the next thing to do is decide on what van you want to convert. Before that, here are a few things to consider that’ll help you narrow down your decision.
Before you start trawling the internet looking for the best deal you can find and start coming up with a catchy Instagram username, I’d suggest you focus on some essential requirements you want your van to have.
- How will you use your van? Are you planning weekend getaways (2-4 days), extended road trips (a few weeks), or full-time living? If you’re only going to be in your van for a few days at a time then you can get away with a cooler instead of a mini-fridge. Once you’re going away for weeks at a time then you need to start thinking about water, power, etc. If this is going to be your home then install some kind of toilet. It’s way easier than the alternatives.
- How tall are you? Interior height is crucial for comfort. I’m 6 foot 2 so I can tell you from personal experience how quickly having to constantly stoop over can lead to back problems. You may think you’ve got enough room but as soon as you add insulation to the floor and cover it up, precious inches are eaten away!
- Will you be travelling alone or with a companion? Getting a good night’s sleep is one of the top things I’d prioritise when building a van. If you wake up comfortable and well-rested, all other problems don’t seem so bad. I’ve done both ends of this – throwing a camping mat and a sleeping bag on the floor and stretching out in a full-sized mattress. As long as you don’t mind sharing, the mattress is always better!
- What is your budget? This is the deciding factor for most people. It’s the same as buying a car really – the more miles a van has on the clock, the less it costs but the trade-off is it may be more prone to problems. In all my years doing this, I’ve only met two couples who bought a van brand new from a dealer to be converted – just something to keep in mind. Make sure your budget also includes things like running costs, insurance, and of course the cost of conversion!
With all that information in mind, it’s now safe to start exploring different van options.
Top 5 Vans for Conversion
Mercedes Sprinter
The Mercedes Sprinter is often considered the ‘gold standard’ for van conversions. You know how when you say ‘search for it online’ what you really mean is ‘go and check on Google?’ It’s the same for vans – when you say van life, the majority of people will think of a Sprinter.
And what’s not to love? It’s got a lot of space (as well as height and length options) and is known for being reliable so it makes sense that it’d be
“most people’s first choice for a van conversion”
This does mean it’s often priced at a premium – people know they’ve got a valuable asset on their hands and want to get the highest price they can.
VW Transporter
The VW Transporter is another very popular option – which again means very expensive. Whereas the Sprinter is the ‘new face’ of van life, VW Campervans have a lot of history. I nearly bought an old one back in high school with some of my friends – but by the time we’d managed to scrape enough money together, it’d already been sold!
This kind of heritage has advantages and disadvantages. It’s definitely nice to feel like you’re continuing on a tradition and VW vans do have some cool additions which are aimed at people who go off adventuring – though if you buy one of these vans, you’ll end up ripping that all out. A lot of accessories (like awnings and roof boxes) are built with this van in mind so they’re easier to install.
Fiat Ducato (AKA The Citroen Relay AKA The Peugeot Boxer)
Putting my Top Gear hat on for a second, the Fiat Ducato is a reliable and fuel-efficient option, making it a popular choice for long-distance travel. At least, that’s what it says on their website. Compared to the two options above, this one isn’t quite as expensive so it has that going for it.
Now, here’s where things get a bit tricky. According to my research – and please keep in mind I am not a ‘car person’ – this van is built on the same chassis as the Citroen Relay and the Peugeot Boxer. They are in fact built in the same factory!
The only difference between all 3 of them is that you can find a Ducato with an automatic gearbox. Everything else (length/weight/internal dimensions) are essentially the same. So, when choosing between these 3 vans it’s most likely going to come down to price.
Ford Transit
The Ford Transit is anecdotally the van most often used by tradespeople. Or maybe it once was, hard to say these days. If I think of a carpenter or a plumber, they are in a white Ford Transit.
That reputation may work unfairly against it. It’s the most affordable option out of all the vans on this list – especially compared to the premium options like the VW or the Mercedes – and it’s got a load of room on the inside. Check out some different van layout options to see how you can maximise inside space.
Vauxhall Vivaro (AKA Renault Trafic)
This is another case of a Scooby-doo van, where if you pull the mask off it turns out they are basically the same – at least depending on the year the van was made. Before 2018, the Vivaro and Trafic are essentially the same van just with a different badge on it. From 2019 onwards, Vauxhall introduced a new generation Vivaro after corporate buyouts and all that kind of drama.
How does this convert into buying a van to be converted? Well, pre-2018 vans will have a wider availability of parts. Post-2019 vans will be a lot newer (less than 5 years old at the time of writing) so you’d expect them to have a lot fewer miles on the clock.
Of the two, the Renault is the more reliable. I recently had to buy a new car and when told by my mechanic what brands to look for, Renault was on the list. Vauxhall wasn’t.
Final Thoughts on best campers for your conversion
Ultimately, the best van for you depends on your individual needs, personal preferences and what deals you can find. You’re about to make a huge commitment so do as much research as you can. If you’re still unsure, you might want to hire a campervan first to get a feel for van life.
A great piece of advice I was given was to reach out to van lifers who have the sort of van you’re looking at and ask them about their experiences. If you go and look at a van, it can be tempting to buy it then and there to get your dreams rolling – I know it’s easy to say but try not to be too hasty. A snap decision now can lead to a lot of extra expense further down the road.
Andrew has been doing vanlife on & off for years. In fact, one of the reasons Andrew went into writing is so he can work from anywhere with an internet connection – so a prefect fit with van life and he does exactly this during his many vanlife escapades.
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