If you want to make your own DIY campervan conversion but don’t have a lot of time or money, we’ve got you covered! This article is chock-full of practical tips and all the steps needed to make your own DIY campervan conversion on a small budget in just one week. Let’s make your vanlife dreams a reality!
So you wanna live the vanlife but you have a super tiny budget and you need a quick turnaround? And on top of that, you don’t have a ton of tools or experience with this type of campervan conversion?
Is this too much to ask?
Not at all!
We bought a van (that was in dire need of some TLC) for cheap, and transformed it into a livable home with all the campervan essentials in less than one week of working time. Plus, this was our very first time doing anything like this and we had very few tools to use.
If we can do it, so can you!
In this article, we have laid out exactly how we built our DIY camper van fast and cheap so you can follow in our footsteps and find out for yourself why living in a van is the best.
DIY Budget Campervan Build Table of Contents
If you know what you are looking for, click the link below and jump down the page.
- Campervan conversion inspiration
- Step 1: Buy a van
- Step 2: Gut and clean
- Step 3: Take measurements
- Step 4: Plan the campervan layout
- Step 5: Build the van components
- Step 6: Make privacy curtains or window covers
- Step 7: Make the van liveable and functional
- Step 8: Buy the campervan essentials
- Step 9: Organize the van
- Step 10: Van final touches: Make it feel like “home”
- Budget campervan conversion essentials
- Easy ways to save money on a DIY campervan conversion
- How much does a campervan conversion cost?
- Build steps for a DIY campervan conversion on a budget
- How much does daily van life cost?
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Campervan conversion inspiration
Let me start by saying that our campervan conversion was not super luxurious. No wood floors or raised ceilings or skylights. We didn’t have a bathroom, nor did we have a generator with electricity. (Ben quickly crushed these dreams of mine once he figured out how much they would cost and how much effort it would take.)
You can scroll through Instagram profiles of people who’ve spent years and thousands upon thousands of dollars to create super luxurious camper van conversions. They are frickin’ awesome.
We even put together an entire article of some pretty epic campervan conversions to give you inspiration for your build.
Take a look at some of these, and you’ll be floored by how people can transform a tiny space when given enough time and money.
Our camper van conversion was cute, functional, comfortable, and it felt like home. We made it fast and cheap with few tools. But luxurious it was not.
We were incredibly happy with how it turned out and can’t think of much we would change with the time and budget constraints we had.
Below is our finished product: Our beloved “Vinny the Van”. Not as fancy as those pictured above, but not too shabby!
We had an incredible summer traveling with Vinny. We made it through 8 western states and even up to Canada. If you want more inspiration to build your own campervan, take a peek at our West Coast Campervan Trip Video below.
Campervan road trip video
For those of you who, like us, don’t have tons of time or money, we are here to share exactly how you can make your own campervan conversion from square one in less than a week and on a tiny budget.
We’re also going to break down exactly how much each of these steps costs us so you have an idea of what to expect. If you have ever thought of doing a campervan conversion (or know of someone who’s thinking of making the plunge), you won’t want to miss this!
If you are looking to do a campervan conversion with a few more of the bells and whistles and have the budget to spare, check out Van Conversion Academy, our comprehensive online course that will walk you through the steps of your van build from zero to on the road!
Don’t have time to DIY your own Campervan?
If you don’t have the time (or interest!) in building your own conversion but you still want to give van life a test drive, we’ve tons of ideas for you! Check out our list of top companies for USA Campervan Rentals, from budget to bougie, we’ve even included some exclusive discounts for our readers!
One company we’d recommend looking into is Escape Campervans. They have 12 different locations across North America and come fully loaded with all the gear you need for an epic road trip. Plus, their rates are fair and affordable.
BONUS: We’ve partnered with them to give you a 10% off discount when you use our link!
Step 1: Buy a van
Well duh, right? Hold up for a minute… there’s a little more to buying a van than just shelling out some cash.
First, decide what your budget is and start searching right away! Even if you’re not able to purchase a van right now, knowing the market and how quickly things sell is helpful.
Check out some of the best vans for camper conversion, get an idea of the makes and models you like, and you’ll also start to understand what is a good price for a van in your area. Each country, region and city is a bit different.
Best vans for a budget van conversion:
You’ve probably seen on YouTube and Instagram these picture-perfect vans with all the bells and whistles as we mentioned before.
What you don’t see is that these vans are most likely a high-roof Mercedes Sprinter Van, Ford Transit, or Ram ProMaster and cost tens of thousands of dollars just for the van body.
There is nothing wrong with these vans (our second and third campervan builds were Ram ProMasters), but if you’re looking for a van for your budget DIY van build, you’ll want to be searching for these types of vans.
- Chevy G20 or G30
- Ford Econoline (2014 and before)
- Chevy Astro Van (Katie’s parents had one of these growing up)
- Dodge Ram Van (the ’90s and 2000’s)
- GMC Savana
- Vauxhall Vivaro
- Chevy Express
Where to find a van for a campervan conversion
We used Craigslist to find our van, but reaching out to friends and family is a good idea, too. You may be surprised at the connections you have. Facebook Marketplace is also worth a shot, but watch out for scam bots that just want to get your info (but that’s a story for another time).
We had better luck searching “cargo van” or “passenger van” than simply just “van” which can be a bit broad.
Don’t be afraid to widen your search a little bit, too. We ended up driving about 3 hours from where we live to pick up our van because the prices are super high in our area.
Important things to think about when purchasing a used van
Mileage and age of the car are both obvious things to consider, but here are a few other things to think about when buying a used van.
- Tires: How are the treads? Will they need to be replaced? If so, use this as a way to negotiate the price.
- Air conditioning and Heat: Do they work well? Living in a space without AC or heat can be very uncomfortable and fixing these systems can be difficult and expensive.
- Clearance: Check out how low the van is to the ground. There are some campsites and “off the beaten path” roads that will be difficult to navigate if your vehicle has low clearance. This is a good thing to keep in mind when purchasing a camper van or RV.
- Noises: Listen to the engine as it’s shifting gears. Any unknown noises can be a sign of a problem that’ll need to be fixed.
- Leaks: If the van has been sitting for a while, look underneath and search for any signs of leaks. Some leaks are easily fixed, but others can be expensive. You’ll want to know what you’re getting into.
- Brakes: Make sure the pads aren’t too worn down and that they don’t squeak when pressure is applied.
- 4WD vs. RWD: This isn’t a make or break, but it’s a good thing to know before buying. RWD will not be the best when wintertime comes (if you’re in places where it will snow). That said, our van was a rear-wheel drive and it made it up many mountain passes in the summertime.
- MPG: I’m going to be blunt and tell you that you’re not going to find a campervan — no matter how new or expensive — that has great gas mileage. When you’re driving your home, the miles per gallon are going to be lower than with a typical car. But it’s good to ask the previous owner what type of mileage they were getting so you have an idea of what to expect. As a benchmark, our 1994 Chevy G20 got between 15 – 18 miles per gallon. Certainly not great, but there are worse out there.
How much does buying a used van cost?
We paid $2,000 for our used van (back in 2017). It is a 1994 Chevy G20 Van with 85,000 miles (super low!). We also had to pay $310 for the title transfer and registration (Washington has notoriously high fees for this service).
As mentioned above, the market for this type of van will vary depending on which area you’re searching. Prices may be a bit higher or lower, but this should give you an idea to start with.
Step 2: Gut and clean the van
Chances are that if you are buying an inexpensive used van, there will be some initial work to do to get it all cleaned out.
Gutting: We actually took on a pretty big project when we bought our van because it came with a preinstalled wheelchair lift that we had to remove.
Unbolting all the parts took both of us working on it for a full day, and it wasn’t the most glamorous job.
The good part was that we were able to sell the lift and the reclining bench seat for a combined total of $260. If there’s anything to remove from your van, do this first.
Tip: Try selling any valuable items on Craigslist – you never know what people around you may be searching for!
Cleaning: When we bought our van, the interior wasn’t much to look at. The carpet was covered in a layer of dog hair, and mold had started to form in the windows after sitting unused by the coast. And let’s just say the smell wasn’t great…
We used Arm & Hammer carpet cleaner, a vacuum and a hard bristle brush to get the smells and grime out of the carpet.
Then we used Simple Green to deep clean all the van’s hard surfaces. We bought a small air freshener and left the doors open for several hours, and it smelled brand new!
How much did the gutting and cleaning cost?
We bought a couple of cleaning products, totaling $7.83, but since we sold the wheelchair lift and bench seat, we actually made back some money here. This may not be the case for everyone though.
To give you a better estimate, we did not take into account the money we earned on these sales.
Step 3: Take measurements of your van
The next step is to measure everything in your car: length, width and height obviously, but also take measurements of the wheel wells and the windows.
Also, many cars bow out slightly so the width will vary from the floor, to the center, to the ceiling. Getting all the measurements will the next steps as simple as possible.
Step 4: Make a plan for your campervan layout
Now it’s time to design your dream campervan layout. Ask yourself what is important to you in a camper van. Our advice when building a budget campervan is to keep things simple as possible and separate your “wants” from your “needs”.
- Bed: Will a fixed bed do or is a convertible bed/bench system better for lounging?
- Kitchen: Should you place the kitchen inside or outside? Do you need a fridge or will a cooler work fine?
- Storage: Do you need storage for adventure gear, like a mountain bike or a snowboard?
- Pets: Do you need an area for a pet?
- Work: Do you need to design a desk to do work on?
- Toilet: Do you need a toilet inside the van or will using public bathrooms be enough?
- Electronics: Do you need to install campervan batteries to power laptops, lights, and a refrigerator? Or will tap lights and a car inverter work for you?
Once you know your top priorities, you can start thinking about the space each element can take up and where it should go.
It is like putting the pieces of a puzzle together when you’re working with a small footprint, so don’t get frustrated if it doesn’t work out right away.
And know that you’ll likely have to make some sacrifices. Play with a few options, and choose the one that works best for your situation.
Start drawing out some basic plans using the measurements you took in Step #3. Download our free van layout template, print it off, and fill in the corresponding measurements. This will be incredibly helpful as you start to plan your build.
For our DIY van build, we decided our layout would include:
- A fixed bed (with storage)
- A basic kitchen, with a gravity-fed sink, propane stove, and a cooler.
- A car inverter for charging electronics and tap lights and solar lights at night.
- No toilet (we’d use public bathrooms).
Step 5: Build the components of your van
This is where you’ll get to work with your hands (and get them dirty, if you’re doing it right!).
With the measurements of the van, we created a bed platform using plywood, 2×4’s and 2×6’s. Ben also made a kitchen counter that holds a stove, cutting boards and our functional gravity-fed sink.
Project #1: How to make your own campervan bed platform
We wanted to make a platform that not only supported a full-size bed, but also had tons of storage space underneath for all our gear. We are sharing our step-by-step instructions so you can build your own bed platform.
How much did our campervan bed platform cost?
We had some wood laying around our house, but we paid about $35 for all the plywood and 2×4’s at Home Depot. Also, we were lucky enough that a friend had a full mattress she wanted to get rid of, so that part was free for us.
Tip: If you can’t find a real mattress that’s in your budget, you could always look for futon mattresses or thick foam padding.
How long did it take to make?
We had to come up with a custom plan for the bed frame to fit exactly in our car. Once we had the plans and the lumber, Ben measured, cut and assembled the bed frame in about 4 hours.
Project #2: How to make your own campervan kitchen
We love to cook, so having a kitchen — however tiny — inside our campervan was a huge plus. We (aka Ben) built a simple countertop that held a Coleman 2-burner stove, a small cutting board, a working sink, and a water container. Plus, there’s plenty of storage below!
How much did our DIY camper van kitchen cost?
The wooden kitchen counter Ben built was made out of plywood and 2×4’s. The lumber cost about $15 from Home Depot. The Coleman stove was about $35 and the kitchen sink was about $23.
How long did it take to make?
We put a lot less thought into the kitchen counter compared to the bed frame, because it basically is a flat table with four legs.
The only tricky part was getting the sink hole to fit the sink nice and snug. In total, it took about 2 hours. Take a look at our step-by-step tutorial on how to make a DIY campervan kitchen.
Step 6: Make your own privacy curtains
We love natural light as much as anyone, and the big windows in our van were something we were super excited about. But when you’re living in a van, you’ll want some privacy. Trust me.
You’ll also need curtains to keep out the lights when you’re trying to sleep. Making your own curtains can seem like a daunting task, but it’s not all that hard. (I speak as someone who had to look up a tutorial to operate a sewing machine!)
Project #3: How to make your own campervan curtains
After a bit of trial and error, we kind of perfected the process and we have put together a step-by-step DIY tutorial so you can make your own campervan curtains too!
How much did our DIY campervan curtains cost?
With the thrift store sheets, thread, picture wire, screws and velcro, we spent a total of $26 for all our curtains. This cost will be higher if you get your fabric from a craft store.
Step 7: Make the van functional to live in
When you’re living in a camper van, there are some things you’ll want to think about before hitting the road. Here are some things to consider:
- How to charge electronics
- How to light up your camper at night
- How to do laundry on the road
- How to keep cool when it’s hot
1. How did we get power to charge our electronics in the van?
We did a lot of research and landed on the Bestek 300W Power Inverter. We usually had our devices plugged in while we were driving so they’d be charged by the time we parked for the night.
If we were ever really in a pinch, we would plug the inverter in for 10 minutes with the car off, then another 10 minutes with the car running until it was sufficiently charged.
Also, we always travel with our Anker external battery pack to charge items like our phones, GoPro and portable fans. This baby has 7 charges in it!
More time and money?
If you have more time and a higher budget, why not consider adding solar panels to your campervan!
We really like our Renogy solar panels because they were easy to install, the kit had everything we needed, and they are relatively inexpensive.
Don’t want to bother with solar?
Since our first campervan trip back in 2017, so many companies have popped up creating portable power stations, like the Jackery Explorer Series.
It has USB and 120V plugs so it can change pretty much anything. It also can connect to portable and foldable solar panels to charge, making it great to bring out at campsites. Even the tiny Explorer 240 wouldn’t break the bank since it just around a couple hundred dollars, but still pack a punch at 6.6 lbs.
If we were to go back to our very first campervan, this is the power station I would want to charge all our gear and electronics.
Psst! Wondering how are are able to get work done while on the road? We put together a complete guide on campervan wifi, including multiple options we’ve used during our vanlife adventures.
2. How did you light your campervan at night?
We bought a pack of battery-powered push lights that lasted 3 months and are still going strong.
We also had a solar-powered lantern, Luci, that we left on the dashboard while we were driving. It inflates and gives off tons of light at night. Perfect for the campervan and bringing on any backcountry trips we did along the way.
We also had small, LED-powered fairy lights in the back of our campervan that gave off a nice glow if we wanted to read or watch a movie at night. (And did I mention, they’re super cute?!)
3. How did you wash clothes in your campervan?
Over our 3-month road trip, we went to 1 laundromat and washed clothes at a few friends’ houses.
Most often though, we washed our clothes by hand. We either washed them in our sink, which conveniently has a drain stopper, or we took them into restrooms when we showered and washed them there.
We use Dr. Bronners as laundry detergent and dish soap. It has tons of uses, is biodegradable and lasts a super long time.
We made a laundry line by stringing up a clothesline and fastening it to the ceiling. We bought clothespins to secure our clothes.
This worked wonderfully because we could wash a few items in the morning and they’d be dry before evening.
4. How did you keep cool on hot days? (Or warm in the wintertime)
We were traveling in the summertime, so we only had to worry about how to keep cool. (Though there were quite a few chilly nights in Washington where we had to bundle up at night!)
We bought two fans, each with a different purpose:
USB fan: At night, we set this beside us and plugged it into our Anker charger. It would run all night and keep us cool.
Chargeable fan: We had a small handheld fan that is more portable and if charged, doesn’t need to be plugged in. We found that it didn’t last as long though, so it was nice to have both as backups.
Step 8: Buy campervan essentials
Now that most of the hard work is done with the van build, you’re going to need to make a list of all the campervan essentials you’ll need to make your campervan a livable space.
We have a complete list of all the items we packed inside our camper van, but here are some of the basics:
- Enamelware pots
- Cast iron skillet pan
- Durable cutlery
- Camping plates and bowls
- Coleman propane (you can find a 2-pack for a few bucks at Target or Walmart)
- Spatula
- Cutting board for camping
- Camping chairs
- Large cheap cooler or we recommend a Yeti cooler
Check out our ultimate campervan packing list for even more ideas of what to bring in our DIY van shop.
Money-saving tip: Try shopping at thrift stores and you’ll be surprised by how many of these items you’ll find for super cheap.
And if you want to buy them new but are on a budget, try Target or Walmart. (As much as I hate to admit it, Walmart actually does have a pretty decent selection of inexpensive camping gear.)
Step 9: Campervan organization
Without organization, living in a DIY van can feel cluttered and chaotic, so you’ll want to make the most of your space.
This is a good time to make sure you’ve paired down your belongings to a reasonable amount and to make sure everything has a place. (As a former engineer who loves making things as efficient and optimized as possible, this was Ben’s favorite step!)
Here are some of our favorite campervan storage tips:
1. Underneath the bed is a great spot for clothes, camp chairs and all other big things.
Make the best use of this area with clear plastic containers:
- We used the containers from a 3-tiered drawer to store toiletries and pantry items.
- We used one large but shallow plastic container (minus the lid) to keep our clothes. We put all of our clothes into packing cubes first to keep them better organized and compressed, then placed them into the container for easy access.
Psst! We put together an entire article on our favorite campervan storage tips in which we’re sharing all of the creative storage solutions we’ve seen in campervans.
2. Use a behind-the-door-organizer to hold kitchen supplies, like spices and oil. Hanging this on the back of the driver’s seat will maximize your space.
3. Make the most of your vertical space. We hung a laundry bag for dirty clothes and hung a shoe rack from our ceiling.
4. Get creative about your storage space. We turned a cheap laundry bag into a double-level produce holder. Here are the simple steps:
- I started by sewing in a line completely across the bag. (I sewed in the shape of a slightly concave arc instead of straight, and reinforced it a few times.)
- Then I made a horizontal cut in one side of the bag near the middle.
- Lastly, we hung it from the van’s ceiling.
It’s as simple as that! We were careful not to put too many vegetables or fruit inside at once so that it didn’t tear, but it was a nice place to store fresh produce!
Step 10: Final touches to make the van feel like “home”
This was the step I was most excited about, but Ben kept telling me to wait until everything else was done. And he was right, of course.
Since we were working on a small budget, we frequented the thrift stores near us to find lots of little touches that make our DIY van feel like home.
I found a cute set of pillows for $1.50 each, a mirror for $1.25 and seat cushions that worked perfectly in our “nook” for a total of $12.
It’s certainly not necessary, but I loved our $5 battery-run fairy lights that gave our back door a little personality! (Ben came around to love them too!)
Cute, easy and cheap mason jar storage project
One of my favorite projects was making a place to store our toothbrushes and other odds and ends using Mason jars, an old scrap of wood and hose clamps.
You can make this fun and practical addition in less than 20 minutes!
Simply use screws to attach the hose clamps around the necks of the Mason jars to the wood (measure first so it fits the jars and inside your campervan).
Make sure they’re secure, screw the wood to the wall panel, and you’re all done!
Start small in this category, because as we’ve learned, keeping it simple and uncluttered will make it feel bigger and more like home.
Budget camper van conversion essentials
- Campervan kitchen sink: This is the perfect size for what we needed and has a stopper drain. We bought it online at Bed, Bath and Beyond, but you can find it on Amazon too.
- Coleman Stove: When it comes to camping stoves, you can’t get better than a Coleman 2-burner stove. This stove makes it easy to cook inside (with the windows open) or move it to a campground picnic table. Make sure to pick up the portable propane tanks.
- Hanging shoe rack: Get some use out of your vertical space in your van and hang one of these bad boys from the ceiling so you can easily store shoes or other supplies.
- Behind the door organizer: Hanging behind the driver’s seat right next to the “kitchen” makes this convenient for spices and oils. It’s a great way to stay organized and make use of vertical space.
- Ottoman with storage: Doubling as a coffee table, this ottoman comes in handy to store jackets, blankets and other puffy gear.
- Packing cubes: We never leave home without them. In the van, you’ll have to keep things organized and packing cubes work the best to keep your clothes compact and in one place.
- Trash can: You will definitely want a trashcan with a lid. Trust us. Choose a small trashcan so it doesn’t take up much space, and you can use reused plastic bags from the grocery store as garbage bags. Also, you’ll want to empty it frequently to prevent your van from smelling, so the small size helps you keep on top of this.
Tip #1: We secured our trashcan to the kitchen counter using a bungee cord so it didn’t move around while we were on the road.
Tip #2: If you are concerned about your trash can smelling up your tiny home, sprinkle some baking soda in the bottom of the trash can. You can also keep a dryer sheet in the bottom before lining it with a plastic bag.
Easy ways to save money on a DIY campervan conversion
It can be so easy to fall into the traps of wanting to add everything to your van. Believe me, we’ve been there.
We are firm believers that anyone at any budget can start van life. And you can always modify or upgrade your rig along the way. Heck, we are still making changes to our van as I type!
Here are a few hacks we’ve learned through our 3 campervan builds that you can apply to your DIY conversion:
- Skip on solar. Start small when it comes to your electrical system. Buy a car inverter and tap lights or headlamps. Then buy a power station like the small but powerful Jackery Explorer 240. Then upgrade to a house (campervan) battery with a DC to DC charger so it charges as you drive your van. That would allow you to install lights! Then when the time is right, you can invest in solar and a solar charge controller.
- Cool it on a fridge: You can get by with just a cooler in the beginning. Especially if it is a Yeti or a Rtic super-insulated cooler. A bag of ice can last a few days or dry ice will last even longer. Plus, coolers make great additional seating in a low-top van!
- Hold off on a fancy kitchen: All you need is a portable Coleman propane stove and a gravity-fed or foot pump sink. Cooking outdoors is way better anyway.
- You may not need insulation: Depending on where you are traveling, loading your van walls up with insulation may not be necessary or even possible with an older passenger van. That being said, having a van insulated on a cool mountain highway is kind of a nice luxury. Check out our entire article on how to install van insulation.
- Don’t install a rooftop fan: Stick with portable fans, rechargeable fans, or window fans. These are cheap and you’ll be able to get by with them. When the time comes, you can plan out the hole in your ceiling and install a Maxx Air Fan, but you don’t need it right away.
How much does a campervan conversion cost?
By now, you might be trying to tally up all our costs to get an idea of the grand total. Don’t worry, we’ll tell you how much it all added up to so you don’t have to strain your brain (Note: these are 2017 prices).
Our grand total for the van AND everything it took to convert it into a livable space adds up to $2,900.96.
Here is the breakdown:
- $2,000 Van
- $310.25 Van title and tabs (in most states, this cost will be cheaper)
- $58.31 Auto parts and fixes
- $7.83 Cleaning supplies
- $50 Lumber and screws
- $6.90 Decorations
- $32.68 Curtain supplies
- $23.78 Kitchen sink
- $408.51 Gear and miscellaneous (aka pots, pans, cutlery, camp chairs, stove, carpet, etc.)
Not too shabby, huh? While buying a new camper or doing a “fancy” conversion can cost a hefty sum, it certainly is possible to live the van life on a small budget.
DIY campervan conversion: Build steps for a budget van
- Buy a van
- Gut and clean
- Take measurements
- Make a plan and design the van layout
- Build the van bed and storage
- Build the van kitchen
- Make privacy curtains or window covers
- Plan an electrical setup
- Plan for ventilation or fans
- Buy all the campervan essentials
- Organize the van
- Campervan final touches
Related: Find out exactly how much a campervan costs, from budget to luxury builds, in our detailed breakdown of costs.
Now you know how to convert your campervan, all you need is a travel partner. But before you hit the road, be sure to run these questions by that special someone to avoid complete breakdowns.
How much does daily van life cost?
We kept track of every single expense while we were on the road, from gas to ice, to coffee. In this article, we share those costs and the breakdown of all our expenses on the road soon so you can get an idea of what daily van life costs.
Are you planning a campervan conversion of your own?
We have TONS of resources on converting your own campervan and living the #vanlife. Check out our Ultimate Guide to Van Life for all the answers to your most burning questions, or read some of our favorite articles below.
- Best Vans for Conversion: Van Specs + What to Look For
- DIY Camper Van Kitchen for Less than $50
- DIY Camper Van Bed Frame with Built-In Storage
- How Much Does a Campervan Cost: Budget to Luxury Van Builds
Interested in engaging with others about all things #vanlife? Join our Vanlife Facebook community!
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We want to hear from you!
Are you planning on building a campervan by yourself? How did you like the article? What questions do you still have? Let us know in the comment below and we’ll get back to you!
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This is truly inspiring! It looks like a pretty easy set of instructions and is so simply laid out.
b”This is a great blog post! I’m a recent convert to the tiny house movement and this is exactly the kind of information I was looking for. Thank you for sharing!”
Hi! I am so inspired by your simple build! I have been planning my future build in my head for years, but I’m now in a position to actually make it happen! I have a pretty good idea of what I want and need and mostly will use my van to stay at the beach in Delaware and maybe some lakes here in Pennsylvania. I’ll only be plugging into shore power. My question is, were you able to stand up in your van and if not, did it really bother you all that much? It seems like when you want a van with a tall inside height the price doubles! I’ll be using your guide as my guide and I’m so happy I found it! Thanks!
You folks are just Super Phenomenal! Really.
Thank you so much, Kevin!
Excellent article. I’m going through many of these issues as well..
Well, let us know if there are any spots you need help with.
This is inspirational! Looks like pretty easy instructions, and so simply laid out. One of my thoughts for power was just somehow bringing in the power from a campsite. It occurred to me that an easy way to do that might be from the front, like an East Coast battery charger plug. Then just somehow run the cord into the cockpit and on back to the living space. Have you ever seen anything like that?
Hi Mark,
I haven’t seen anything called an East Coast battery charger plug. Can you explain it a bit more? At a campsite with power, (if you want to go really simple) you could just get an extension cord and plug in your electronics from that.
Forgot , we are in France, plenty of places to travel to !
We are planning to do this, your site so far is the best, explained wel, and for people who dont have loads of money to spend. Hope ours is half as good.
Thank you for posting your work. Well done !
Jo
Thank you so much, Jo! We’d love to see what you created!
I’ve got gypsy feet and a steady job I’ve been saving to buy a van and convert it myself I just don’t know what kind of van to get and if I should do a sit down shower in it what do you think
Hi. Our main concern is toilet, sink, water, electricity and sewage solutions. If you have any info would be of help. Thanks
Hi Ben and Katie. Great list of things to do.but what about a toilet? We are in South West France. Thakeham you take care of yourself and stay safe
Can you list all the places you visited in the west coast video. Also your route and places and where to stay
This is something I’ve been going back’n’forth on for years now. My husband is finally onboard with going location-independent for work, so it’s back on my radar! I’m curious about making or buying accommodations for a cat. Any recommendations you have would be greatly appreciated! Also, I think we may be the first to consider bringing our pet snake along too… Luckily, he’s not full grown yet, so we should be able to figure it out. But, if you know anyone who’s attempted this before, I’d love to know.
Thanks for all of your guides and great inspiration!!!
I did a camper conversion on a high roof 1995 Chevy G20. Best thing I did was install a swivel base on the passenger seat to it can be a rear-facing leather recliner.
Hey, thank you so much for this breakdown. Had a quick question, can you tell us more about what you did for bathroom breaks and showers?
Hi Nihal, in this van we mainly stopped off at trailhead, rest stops, or fast food restaurants to use the bathroom. In our newest van build, we installed a Nature’s Head Compostable toilet and LOVE IT. Totally worth the extra cost. If you want more info, please reply below.
For showers, many campgrounds have shower facilities or even some laundromats have showers attached too. It’s not the prettiest but it works 🙂
I saw one van conversion where the lady used one of those pump weed sprayers for a makeshift shower. Not the greatest, but might work in a pinch.
Are you able to stand up inside your van? I think that is a requirement for comfort but I don’t know which vans to select from.
Great question! Katie (5’4") was able to just barely stand, but Ben (6’1") was not. We made due for our summer in that van, but Ben said our next build would need to be one he can stand up in haha! We are in the middle of our second van build now, and Ben got his wish!
We’re actually working on an article with the best vans to choose from, but Promasters, Sprinters and Ford Transist are good bets when it comes to standing up. You can also buy a regular van and pay to have a high roof installed. We’ve known some people who have had success with that (and sometimes it’s cheaper than the aforementioned makes/models). Best of luck!
Thanks for the good ideas and step-by-step projects. I’m thinking of doing the same, but need to stay warm in the winter as I will be full-timing. I live in northern Nevada 8 or 9 months of the year. Please help.
Hi Mary, make sure you properly insulate your van so you can trap your heat and keep warm. You’ll also want a ceiling fan, like a MaxxAir Fan to regulate your temperature. The Mr. Heater Buddy heater looks like a cheap and safe way to heat your van.
Hello!! I’m in the middle of renovating my G20 and I love it I actually had a wheelchair lift that I took out and I’m going to take out the bench seat tomorrow. I was just wondering did you just use a power drill to unbolt the seat??
I just purchased my 1992 Chevy g 20 turtle top 2 days ago for $450 dollars and I will be using your information to start my demolition. It is in pretty bad shape but the engine and transmission are good and it has only 122,203 miles. I am retired and woke up one day and said I want to do RV camping but I didn’t want something big so I starting thinking about a van. I plan on first just using it for weekend trips and then working my way to a week and on from there. Thanks for making me believe that I can do this. I am a little frightened to do this alone but here I am so here I go.
Valerie P. Morgan
Thank you so much for your kind message, Valerie! You got this!
Just bought my first camper.
Going to be following your guide.
Thank you very much for putting this together for clueless people like me!
So happy it’s helpful, Bradley! Wishing you the best of luck with your conversion! Once you get it completed, you’ll be impressed by how much you’ve learned along the way!
Hello to both of you !!
Y’all have inspired me to go for it! I am a college student and want to do this once I graduate, but I am scared because I would be traveling by myself. Would you recommend looking for someone to tag along?
Hi Abi, we have known many solo campervan travelers throughout the years. There are tons of ways to stay safe on the road, and I’d recommend researching (googling, hehe) so you have some ideas. Some people we know have opted to travel with a dog, others have a pretty good security system in their van. It’s really up to you. Having a friend to share the campervan experience with is great as well, but you will definitely get pretty close 😉 I hope this helps.
Hi Ben, Just wondered whether you installed any type of fridge in the camper/any advice for food storage?
Thanks
J and R
Hi Josh, we just had a cooler in our DIY campervan, so no fridge. Maybe in our next build 😉 but the cooler would keep food cool enough for a few days so it worked for us.
Hey Ben!
Did the cooler keep meat at a safe temperature? My girlfriend and I are debating whether or not to get a fridge (which would require us to get solar panels as well) and aren’t sure if the cost would be worth it if we can safely keep our food in a cooler.
Thanks!
Maddy & Syd
Hey Maddy, great question. Whenever we got meat we made sure to buy ice for the cooler and cook the meat that day. Because it was a bit tricky to keep meat cool, we mainly at vegetarian that summer. If you do want a fridge, you’d have to buy batteries and a way to charge the batteries like solar panels. However, a pretty quick way to charge batteries is to get a battery isolator that charges you "house" batteries when your vehicle battery is fully charged. You’d only be able to charge when your van is running so that gets a bit tricky as well, but it is a cheaper option to think about.
I will be buying my first van in 2 month and can’t hardly wait. I will be converting the van on my own because it’s what I wanna do. If something breaks I will be able to fix on my own. Love the simplicity of your van and that’s how I wanna start. Safe travels.
Yay! Such an exciting time! I think it’s best to build it yourself if you are able, because that way you know how to fix it! Best of luck!
First of all I want to thank you for the step by step guide so that anyone can understand and follow it. You made it so possible for anyone to achieve a way to travel without doing without things that make you happy. My husband and I are in our late 60’s and I am partially disabled. We have a large 4×4 pickup and he thought of us buying a camper to mount on our truck, But with a bad leg, I just couldnt accomplish that climb up or down. So what we have done is save for months to be able to go down to ocean Shores and see the beach, and have to pay the out of this world rates to stay in a hotel for a night or 2. so we tossed around an idea regarding a motor home and that would be possible only if we won a lottery! (Fat Chance of that ) so everyday of life gets less and less opportunity to enjoy and it really depresses me. Reading this makes me happy and gives me hope that, yes, it is truly possible to enjoy life, without winning a lottery to do it. After raising our kids and grand kids, pets and other life commitments we are now free to do as we please. We just had no idea how to make it happen until now. Thank You, Thank You, Thank You!!! Tess & Dean.
Aww you are very welcome, Tess & Dean! It’s comments like these that truly make our day and give us purpose to do what we do with this blog. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you! We wish you the happiest of travels! You deserve it!
That was so great thanks.. You have encouraged me a lot
You’re very welcome, Dennis!
Thank you for this step by step breakdown! This is so amazing. Great job you guys. I hope to find someone to do this with me one day 😛
You’re very welcome, Viola!
I am dying to do this! I will save this for my future inspirations. Thanks 🙂
This is fantastic! You did such a great job on a small budget, too. Very impressive.
Wow this is fantastic. I do however have a couple questions. One Where is the cooler you speak of sitting. What did you do for showers and bathroom business. Did you stay in campgrounds? or Boon Dock? Thanks in advance for your answers.
Hi Debbie, we answer all of these questions and more in our Campervan Q&A article. But in short: The cooler sits by the side doors; bathrooms and showers are SO frequent in the US you just need to know where to look; and we did both campgrounds and Boondocking. Hope this helps and we’d recommend looking at that other article!
Your van looks amazing! And that is such an affordable budget. It is so cute and personal… Do you still have it? We sort of have our eyes on vans but we’re not really all in. Trevor and I need a River Dog Shakedown tour rig…!
Hey Hey Emily! I wish we still had it! We miss Vinny so much! It would have been a perfect van for a River Dog Shakedown tour!
We have a 12 passenger van that used to be my daily driver when all 7 kids were at home. In August, we will be down to 4 so I usually drive a minivan these days. My husband & I thought converting our van would be a great way to extend the life of our van in a few years when we are doing some just-the-two-of-us travel. Thanks for these great ideas!
That is a great idea, Lu! Let us know how it turns out!
Thank you So Much for taking the time to write and post this!!!!
Beautiful inspiration & practical information for someone who is working on a tiny (microscopic..) like myself hehe. Thanks!
Awesome, Savannah! Let us know how it turns out!
Nice job. It’s 1 1/2 years later and I’m hoping your van is still working good.
I was thinking that if I did this on the inside of a van, I’d try to go as light as I can, by using light weight PVC pipe wherever I can so my gas mileage doesn’t get much worse. Using a blow dryer would bend the PVC piping to my liking.
Hey Eric! PVC pipe is a good idea, never thought of that. It would make it lighter for the kitchen, but I’m not sure if it would work for a bed frame. Are you planning a campervan conversion?
I am so impressed! Awesome job guys! I am guessing at first you might’ve been feeling like you bit off more then you could chew but you guys sure did a great job with the conversion and awesome budgeting skills. So many times I go through those fancy conversion posts and I’m thinking they must have unlimited budgets! Thank you so much for sharing.
-Katie
https://www.travellers-autobarnrv.com
Thanks for commenting, Katie! If you’d like to talk further, please feel free to connect with us through our Contact Us page!
That Blog is amazing, I will read it again and again, thank you for your time !!!
Hey guys, love this article! I was wondering, once you stripped it out, did you need to add any floor or wall coverings? (I’ve read below that you didn’t need insulation because it was summer, so did you just leave the walls and floor as they were?) Thanks!
Maggie
Hey Maggie, we did leave the floor and walls the way they were. If we had more time in our conversion, we probably would have gutted the whole thing and did something with the floors and walls, but our conversion was just about a week. Hope this helps.
This is so great! How did you attach things to the van body — for example the mason jar rack and shoe hanger? Just screwed them into the wall?
Since the van was build to be a passenger van, there was already sturdy paneling on the walls. We simply screwed into that and it was able to hold. You could drive pilot holes into the frame, but we didn’t need to go that deep.
Love the post! Found some great ideas. I do like the idea of renovating an actual van because buying an RV can be intimidating I’m sure and because of the lack of places you can take/park the RV and motorhomes.
Hey Ian, converting an actual van was great and pretty simple once we planned it all out. And you’re right, it was pretty easy parking compared to the big RV’s.
I’m 58, widowed 2 years ago, and in the process of cleaning out my possessions so I can hit the road while I’m still able to do it. I will be buying a van and helping my son in law get it ready inside. I am limited by my allergies — no spray foam insulation, carpet, rubber, vinyl, or stinky stuff — but I know we can get this done so I can hit the road with my 2 kitties and see the country. This article was just what I needed! Thanks so much for sharing!
We are happy you can use our campervan tips Trisha. Have fun building your van exploring the country!
Hi Trisha
I’ve just read this very helpful Article.
I’m 57 and thinking about doing some solo travelling. Are you living the dream?!
How big was your mattress. I.e. twin, double.
Hey Glen, we had a Full-size mattress. Let us know if you have any more questions.
I grew up in NYC my entire life now my wanderlust is in full capacity. Its as if I will explode. I am close to 30 and feel silly for having this desire but it seems out of my control. I am write and designer so I know I cannn work on the road, my lifestyle is minimal, and I hate the city. Of course, being here so long means I dont yet know how to drive, nor own a car. But I this as a fresh beginning to turn this dream into something real. I have done so much research and am willing to teach myself everything I need to make it out on my own. Oh yes, and I am a single female. Why does this feel so impossible?
In other words, thank you so much for sharing and layout out a clear step by step process to this.
Hey there NYCGirl, we know how feel. We knew nothing about building a campervan or fixing cars, but we somehow found a way and made it work. If you’re feeling pulled to do something, then we say go with it and follow your dreams. You can crush all the obstacles that seem to be blocking you. You’ll look back once it is all done and be so proud of yourself. Please let us know if you have any other questions or need motivation to convert a campervan because we think it was the best summer of our lives and want to do it again soon!
Very inspiring! Thanks for sharing and pushing me over the edge to doing this myself!
Kudos to you Katie&Ben,
I’ve been also thinking about to make a RecordingStudio/Home in van, but in India its rather challenging, cops, but yes your post do give me hopes.
Thanks&Love
Nikhil
Glad we can give you hope on your dreams Nikhil. A recording studio would be cool. Have you hear of #JamintheVan? I bet it would look something like that.
I was a designer at Mark III industries Ocala, fl and I’m glad to see someone did what I always wanted to do. we never turned out a camper van but it wasn’t because there was no interest. for some reason the guys in the front office thought pickups, vans, and suv’s(mainly jeeps) were the way to go. congrats and I hope you get many years of trekking out of that chevy se model.
Don
Thanks Don for your additional insights. It is too bad that the guys in the front office gave you a hassle, but it allowed us to design our own campervan and make it ourselves. That was half the fun!
I needed this post today! Ive been looking at older vans, mainly for the looks… But after searching and chatting with an IG van guy, I ran into a ’93 G20 campervan.. Interior looks great on it… Its about 800 bucks more than what you guys paid for, and has more miles. But its perfect for what we are needing. I plan on using it for camping, as well as, for hauling band equipment. Thanks for this post, as it proves you can do alot with a small budget!
Nice Post! I appreciate your Post. This blog is really helpful. Thanks for posting.
Hey there, glad you liked the article and happy you found it helpful. Let us know if you have any other questions about campervan conversions.
ive been obsessing over wanting to start my van life and your guys post made me so hopeful and inspired! i finaly decided 4 days ago i was going to do this and was thinking i was crazy but your post has made me so much happier! I cant wait to continue to read your posts and learn! thank you!
Hey Jarrett! You’re not crazy at all. So happy you decided to convert a van. Let us know if you have any questions!
Feeling most optimistic after reading this – truly simple and DIY + thrifty.
Lots of conversions include a vent fan cut into the roof. Do you wish you had one for cooking and temp control? Obviously you make it work, but if you had the tools, little more time, and little more money would it be something you’d recommend or does it seem like more of a luxury? Thanks!
Another great question, Conrad! Truthfully, if we were to do it over again with more time/tools and a bigger budget, we’d probably do a raised roof so it was more comfortable for Ben to stand. At 6’1”, he couldn’t stand straight in our van. Definitely got used to it, but it would be awesome to have a taller roof.
And the fan would have been nice too for air circulation at night. We didn’t have too much problem with cooking since we usually opened up our doors, but I suppose we wouldn’t need to if we had the fan.
If you end up adding one, let us know how it goes! We can’t wait to do another conversion someday 🙂
And thanks so much for the kind words. It really means a lot!
Awesome job! I have read so many of these blogs that are "on a budget" and then they go out and buy a syncro lol. Thanks for keepin it real!
Happy you appreciate it, Kallie! And I know exactly what you mean 😉 hopefully this article shows that it really is possible to create your own tiny home truly on a small budget! Happy camping!
Great job on your frugal and creative renovation!
When I did curtains for our van I just cut up old dark colored table cloths and sewed magnets in the corners to stick them up on the metal walls of our van 🙂
That’s such a clever idea! Our van walls weren’t exposed, so magnets wouldn’t have worked in our case, but that is such a good idea. Thanks for sharing!
Can you stand up at your stove and sink?
Hey Joyce, we could not stand at our stove or sink. We had a small stool that we used and we could sit very comfortably. In order to stand up in this vehicle, we would have needed to remove the top of the car and replace it with a raised roof. Hope that answers you question!
Love the article! You have some great ideas. I did a temporary conversion on my Dodge Grand Caravan last summer, so it could go from being a regular vehicle to a camper and back again as needed in about half an hour. My biggest expenses were a good camp cot, an air mattress & pump, a sleeping bag, a portable toilet and material for side window blackout curtains. Total cost was about $150. For privacy at the front and rear, I pinned clippable curtain holders to the ceiling and bought very inexpensive but pretty table cloths which, hung doubled over, made great privacy curtains. The clips stay on all the time, and the curtains can be taken off or put up in a couple of minutes when needed. On the side windows, I pinned long pieces of heavy felt fabric above the windows. These are rolled up and tied during the day. I left these on all year, because in winter, in the case of an accident or being stranded, they can be removed and used as insulating blankets. However, in summer, when the sun hit the felt in the morning, the interior did get hot, so I might rethink that. I really like your idea of the shoe holder over the front seat and your sink — not sure if I have room for a sink in mine, though!
That’s awesome, Terry! We’re constantly impressed with all the different unique ways people are able to convert vehicles into homes 🙂 Whether it’s super fancy with a working toilet and hardwood floors, or if it’s more like yours and ours — a little simpler (with a much smaller budget!)
Thanks for sharing about your home. I’m sure your tips and ideas will be helpful for others looking to do the same thing!
This is so encouraging, thank you! The curtains are adorable.. Did they get the job done as far as blocking the sunlight and giving privacy? Or would you recommend a darker color fabric?
Hey Sarah, great question! They did pretty good paired with the blinds that were built into the van. In the mornings, we could tell when the sun was rising. We were still able to sleep, as it wasn’t too bad, but I imagine a darker color would block out the light a bit more. Best of luck!
Very comprehensive post. Thank you. What did you do about insulation? Was it insulated when you bought it?
Thank you Sandra! We actually didn’t add insulation because we were traveling in the summer. Had we been planning on road tripping in the winter, we probably would have had to do something about it 😉
Hey Joe, great to hear you built your own campervan. Safe travels!
I love the simplicity, yet beauty of your design. Question, how wide is your bed? Do you fasten with something? Thanks,
Julio
Hey Juilo, I believe the bed was 4 feet wide (double size bed). And no we didn’t fasten it to anything, because the head and the foot of the bed were pressed up against the sides of the van so it didn’t move around at all. Let me know if you have any more questions. Cheers!
Omg omg this was seriously THE best advice I’ve found anywhere on van living! My boyfriend and I don’t have enough money to do all the fancy stuff to our van but wanted to kee it simple and I could not find anyone with real advice that has done this ! THANK you so much for creating this post!
You are very welcome Meaghan. The fancy stuff is pretty, but when your doing the van life (in our opinion) it’s best to keep it simple. Glad you liked the article, let us know if you have any questions about building a camper van. Cheers!
Hi Ben, Maybe I missed it? I was looking for the instructions on
how to make the bedframe?
Hey Christian, no problem, here is the link to our DIY Campervan Bedframe Build:
https://www.twowanderingsoles.com/blog/diy-campervan-bed-frame-with-built-in-storage
Remember, every van is different so make sure to measure your dimentions first and cut size. Let us know if this helps!
My husband and I are like 6 months behind yall! We are in month 8 of our year of world travel. We’ll be living out of our homemade travel trailer starting in January! I’m excited to see what your daily costs were in the van.
Hey Maggie! Sounds like you’re on an incredible journey! We’ll be sharing our daily cost shortly. Happy travels!
Found this ridiculously useful thank you so much for the write up!! Looking to do the same thing starting in Washington as well here within the next few months and this was the perfect guide and right around my budget as well!
Hey Aaron! Thanks for the kind words and we’re glad it was useful. Sounds like you have some awesome vanlife plans ahead of you! Reach out to us if you have any other questions or want some more tips. Cheers!
You can check it, it good