Many people fall into the trap of seeing a sweet built out van and decide on a make and model without considering what they actually need. This is a huge mistake. It is important to first assess your requirements before you pick the car that can be converted into the camper.

Budget

What is the amount you willing to invest/can you spend? This is the most important and crucial question. Budgets are the most important thing to consider when it concerns your van’s construction and if you don’t have one things will quickly become out of hand. Although you don’t need to get one, it will aid you in deciding what is essential and what is optional.

You’ll always find bargains however as the saying is, “you get what you pay for.” Skimping out of your platform could cause problems with reliability and maintenance in the future. It’s not logical to spend $30,000 on the vehicle that has 150,000 miles and more than 10,000 miles.

When it comes to your van build platform, make sure you understand the risks involved. There’s no single formula that can tell you how much money needs to be allocated to the van cost. It is recommended to budget between $10,000 and $20,000 for the components of the conversion.

Height and Length

These two elements are usually the most important factors in determining the cost of a van. They also are the primary aspects for virtually every aspect of your van including bed size and the orientation of your bed to things like seating and showers. It also depends on how large a car and how comfortable you are driving it. Larger taller vehicles operate differently from shorter vans.

Length

How long your van impacts turning radius. It may be harder to maneuver in tight spaces like campgrounds and parking spaces. The length of the vehicle also influences breakover angle. We’ll get into this in the off-road section later.

The bed’s length determines its shape and its orientation. For more information about planning your sleeping area, refer to our guide on camper van beds. The length of the van will determine the storage space, capacity, and whether you can incorporate showers.

Height

It is crucial to think about how important it is to be in a position to stand tall. Do you feel comfortable standing up and crouching? Are you okay with eating in a sitting position and later putting on your clothes when you get up? This is a huge one.

Your height could also affect the places you are able to travel. Many tall vans aren’t big enough to go through drive-thrus, banks, and parking garages. This might seem small but it doesn’t really hit how limiting this can be until you need to leave the places you’re used to

The ability to drive off-road

Will you be sticking to campgrounds and pavements or are you looking to blaze your own trails? Although 4×4 vehicles that look amazing are costly, they can be a bit of an inconvenience. Think about where you will be driving before jumping into a vehicle that you may not need.

With a simple tire change, most 2WD vans can manage snowy and dirt roads. Some vans do have better factory clearance than others. Read more about this in the following article.

Another factor to think about when thinking about off-road capabilities is breakover angle. Read more on approaches, departures and breakover angles here. Wheelbase and overall vehicle length will affect the objects you drive over. Longer vans are at possibility of being stuck when climbing steep hills, and they could drag the rear as well.

Gas or diesel

It’s a personal preference. Both diesel and gas vans do the job equally effectively. Diesel is better if you plan to frequently tow your campervan however, you won’t be wrong with either.

You may be able to buy a diesel vehicle with a lot of miles at a lower cost, but you must consider the maintenance costs. View Our Editors Post can last “forever”, but they still require regular maintenance.