Owner guides
Best vans campervan conversion: top 6 van choices
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If you have the # vanlife bug and want to maximise your campervan travels, you might want to consider campervan conversion, i.e., how to convert a vehicle into a campervan.
There are huge advantages to this, namely that you can choose how to convert your van yourself and save money by not buying a ready-made vehicle. Once you have your converted van, you can earn returns from it by renting it out on Camplify too!
We recommend hiring a converted campervan model before you start to plan your own conversion , to give you a feel this type of vehicle and get inspiration for designing and building your own. Browse ourUK campervan hire listings to find one to suit your needs.
Meanwhile, here are our top 6 vans to convert to your new home on wheels :
1. Ford Transit
This clever little van will suit practically everyone who wants to experience # vanlife. The Ford Transit is one of the most popular if not the most popular vans in the UK, combining practicality with versatility and sturdiness to make an ideal DIY campervan build.
Its popularity and ubiquity makes it our top pick for a campervan conversion: choosing a Ford Transit means you’ll have plenty of vehicles to pick from and be able to source parts easily. Ford Transits are easy to drive and inexpensive to run, and a perfect pick for inexperienced campervan owners.
The one drawback of a Ford Transit is of course its compact size, meaning they wouldn’t be our first pick for a family campervan conversion. But for couples or solo travellers, the Ford Transit is a simple and practical option.
Check out these examples of converted Ford Transit that we have in our listings and try them for yourself :
And remember – renting out your new home on wheels on Camplify means you can make a lot of your costs back. Hiring out your Ford Transit campervan conversion should net you between £49 and £65 a night.
2. Mercedes Sprinter
A Mercedes Sprinter will suit campervanners who want more space , whether they’re travelling with children or just want more room for sports and travel kit. The toughness , sturdiness and durability of these vans makes them excellent choices too for off-road adventures.
The Mercedes Sprinter is one of our top choices for a campervan conversion because of its bigger size ; these style of vans can be used for pretty much anything you want, including a travelling office, and can include decent cooking space and living space too. There’s loads of scope for different conversion styles with a Sprinter, ranging from a family holiday home to a semi-permanent home on wheels complete with office and dining space. We also love how versatile and imaginative Sprinter conversions can be.
The obvious disadvantage of a Mercedes Sprinter conversion is its higher cost , both for the initial outlay and the price of converting the van. Because it’s a more liveable van than a Ford Transit, many Sprinter owners want the van to be completely off-grid, which requires time, money and technical expertise to set up. But if you have the funds, a Mercedes Sprinter conversion is a brilliant choice.
Get some inspiration for your Sprinter conversion by taking a look to some of our listed vans and try them for yourself :
A Mercedes Sprinter campervan should bring in £85 and upwards per night on a hire charge – easily enough to start making your costs back.
3. Vauxhall Vivaro
If a Ford Transit is too small and a Mercedes Sprinter too big, why not compromise with a medium-sized vehicle to convert to your dream campervan?
The Vauxhall Vivaro is one of our favourite medium-sized campervan conversions to recommend – it’s a practical size for driving and manoeuvring; roomy enough to add your own requirements to such as sizeable kitchen space or room for sports kit; and a popular enough model that conversion parts should be inexpensive to source. The Vivaro is also an exceptionally easy drive – almost like a car – and economical to run.
One possible drawback to keep in mind is that all Vivaros built after 2006 come with a manual gearbox (six-speed) as standard, so might be difficult to adjust to if you’re used to automatic transmission. Experienced campervanners have also noted the need for Vivaro brake pads and gearboxes to be checked regularly. Overall though, this is an attractive option for a medium-sized campervan conversion.
Find inspiration on Vauxhall Vivaros taking a look or even trying some of our listed ones:
Once you have your converted Vauxhall Vivaro, rent it out on Camplify, to make between £70 and £95 per night.
4. Iveco Daily
Alongside the Mercedes Sprinter, the other leader in the “large campervan” category is the Iveco Daily , a light commercial van model going strong for over 40 years. It’s a great pick for campervanners who want a tough vehicle suitable for going off-road.
The Iveco Daily is a favourite of ours for its durability , size and versatility – convert your Iveco into a roomy family van, a spacious couples’ retreat or a home on wheels to use for most of the year. The Iveco is also one of the only vans on the market to have separate chassis and body construction , meaning it’s rated to carry heavier payloads (up to seven tonnes depending on model) and therefore a good choice if you want a tough or motocross-style van.
This is an efficient van for the budget conscious , as Iveco models from 2019 onwards are designed to be 10% cheaper to run and to have a 37,000 mile service interval for the upgraded engine.
As a sturdy and large van , the Iveco Daily doesn’t come with many disadvantages. As with the Mercedes Sprinter, however, its bigger size usually means a bigger price.
Check out these Iveco Daily for more inspiration and try them to see them in depth:
An Iveco Daily should bring in a minimum of £55 per night if you decide to hire it out.
5. Peugeot Expert
Another medium-sized vehicle , the Peugeot Expert is a neat and compact van well suited for campervan conversion and is an ideal van for solo travellers or couples.
The Expert is a Camplify favourite as it’s car-like to drive and easy to park , making it perfect for beginner campervanners and simple to take out on the road for a trip of any length. It’s small enough to drive as an everyday vehicle , so you can use it even when not campervanning (although you’ll make more money hiring your Peugeot Expert out between trips; see below).
One thing to be aware of is that like the Vauxhall Vivaro, the Peugeot Expert comes with a six-speed manual gearbox as standard; go for the BlueHDi 180 if you need an automatic.
More information on the Peugeot Expert is here:
Peugeot Expert review
Peugeot Expert Van Campervan Conversion (YouTube)
If you want to hire your Peugeot Expert out between campervan trips, start your hire price at around £65 a night.
6. Renault Trafic
Our final recommended vehicle for campervan conversion is the Renault Trafic, the most popular van in Europe and the winner of Medium Van of the Year 2020 at the annual Fleet World awards ceremony. This is a perfect van for beginner campers, families and groups of friends, for short or longer trips.
This medium-sized van is a favourite of ours because of its ease of use – like the Vauxhall Vivaro, the Renault Trafic is almost car-like to drive. Its pop-top structure gives extra space overhead while the extra space inside means different layouts are easily possible if you’re fitting the van yourself. As a popular van, it’ll be easy to find a Renault Trafic to convert and relevant parts to buy.
There aren’t many drawbacks to a Renault Trafic van; earlier reviews commented on issues with the door or the turbo, but of course you can check things like this before you buy.
Expect to hire out your converted Renault Trafic for between £55 and £70. Browse these pages for information and ideas on converting a Trafic to your new campervan:
Ready to buy a van to start your own custom campervan conversion? Let Camplify show you how conversion can be almost free.
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