Converting a camper van into a fully livable home is an amazing way to see the world and experience everything around you. We only have so much time in our lives, most of it is spent sitting at a desk or working to pay bills. Many people seek to just leave everything behind and start living off the grid. There are many ways to do this, but converting a van or bus into your living space is the popular one at the moment. For those who are looking to do this, the road can be difficult to traverse, but not impossible.

Finding The Right Camper Van

Buying new is never the way to go. Unless your trust-fund is limitless, you’re going to want to purchase used. Finding the right van can be difficult. The way to go, typically, is to purchase a van for about $5k. For it to be fully road-worthy without issues, you will be looking at a budget of about $3-$4k. This has you at about $8-$9k. You can get really lucky, too. I have found full school buses for 5k with the necessary repairs for long-term use. Even then, I replaced some of the important parts i.e Alternator, starter, starting coil, and battery. These had a lifetime warranty and with a house, you want to be covered. If you are looking for the “vintage van” look, you’ll be spending more.

For those looking to take that route, the best bet is dropping the $13k for a fully customized van. It may be easier and quicker.

Installing What You Need

For a lot of new camper van enthusiasts, having the right layout and essentials is important before you head out. Most vans already come with some of these features. A spot for your bed, a small section for a countertop/sink, underneath that should be a small mini-fridge and the incorporation of solar panels. These are going to run you anywhere between $2.5k- $4K. Also, depending on the condition of the interior, you might need to remodel. You will typically be looking at either new carpeting or hardwood floors. For either, it will run you an extra $200-$400. After you have acquired everything you need for a comfortable living space, the challenge of putting everything together can now take place.

Rebuilding The Interior

This can either be the fun part or the hard part. I have extensive experience working on both camper vans as well as both large and small school bus conversions. With the simplicity of vans, the time needed to get yourself on the road is far less than that of a bus. If the interior of your camper van is solid, then typically the hardest part is done. If you need to install hardwood flooring or insulation, then its time to rip everything out. The hardest part, in my experience, has always been the floor. Whether it’s a van or bus, they make it hard to rip out the floor. There are multiple layers to this and in order to maintain the longevity of your home, you should look into resheathing it. Once that is squared away, using spray foam for insulation is your best bet.

Camper vans aren’t the most watertight. Especially after you take one apart. Regular home insulation can get wet and once it does, it will decompose and simply stop working. Spray foam insulation works to keep moisture out and is the best bet for longevity. Once you have installed that and placed the researched flooring, you can either ad carpet or install hardwood.

Hardwood flooring is typically the safer bet. Consistently cleaning the carpet is time-consuming, and with the space in your van, it can be a hassle. Hardwood flooring prevents this and acts as a more effective way of cleaning.

Installing the Ceiling can Provide Difficulties With Your Camper Van

Depending on the make and model of your van the internal wall and ceiling panels can be easy or hard. If you have a converted camper van, then chances are you can skip this step. If you are really looking into changing things up, this might present an issue. The camper van walls are designed to insulate already, and with the way most are set up, it is more difficult than simply unscrewing the hundreds of screws keeping everything in place. For those who have a basic utility van, stripping out all the screws that hold the paneling in place, although not difficult, can be time-consuming. Again, spray foam should be used for this section as well. Once the spray foam has been installed, then you can either put the panels back on or if you’re feeling really into it, then you can install hardwood.

Installing Cabinets and Storage

Understanding the floor-plan of your van is the biggest step when making sure everything fits properly. You will (in most cases) have enough space for a counter with a sink and pump attached, a full-sized mattress, storage for clothes/supplies/tools. When you get to this step, the main thing to think about is: “Everything needs to provide storage“. Under the bed, under the sink, even having a couple of cabinets can provide you with enough to live in. Once you have everything planned out, installation is fairly easy.

Solar Panels: Worth Having (if you can afford it)

Installing solar panels can be extremely useful on your journey. If the battery in your van dies, it is easy to redirect the power from stored solar power in order to get you where you need to go. These can be costly, and the electrical work is moderately difficult, but not near as impossible as many would think. We had 3 military-grade car batteries installed under our bed, they were hooked up to the power converted and relayed outward to whatever electric outlets we needed.

Once The Bus Is Set, Plan For Extra Repair Costs

Brakes, tires, basic maintenance: these are all parts of what driving a car is, but this time its also your home. I have run into nightmare stories from other people during their van/bus conversions. I have even seen first hand how the “on the road” lifestyle affects people who are not ready. I’ll never forget this one experience I had with a young couple. I was at a music festival, and it was the last day, everyone was starting to pack up and the lots were clearing out fast. A young couple had been trying to start their van but to no avail.

You’re Going to Get Stuck

They needed to replace their alternator, but there were a few issues getting in the way of that. The first was that they were miles from town (more specifically a repair shop) and they were out of cellphone reception. These things are typical when you are way up in the North East US. The girl was evidently not happy with how things were going and was extremely expressive (and vulgar) at the boy who was under the hood desperately trying to get things moving. It looked like a nightmare for the both of them. Then came time for my friend and I to walk over and ask if they needed help.

We had a mobile wi-fi on our bus so we were able to locate the closest repair shop. It was a scrap-yard in the northern boons of New Hampshire. They were in luck when we found a used alternator that worked. For $100 bucks we took it back to their van, installed it and had them on their way. The entire time, having to re-iterate that the used alternator is just temporary and that they should get a brand new one with a lifetime warranty. Also mentioning that AAA is totally worth having.