How much does a budget DIY campervan conversion cost?

Here you’ll find a breakdown of all our costs to get on the road, including base van, legal and conversion. Our total ‘on the road’ cost, including a full year service and insurance came in at under £6,000 GBP (around $8,000 USD).

We still have a bit more to spend, but even taking that into account, we managed to save 50% on our original budget and turned that saved cash into a passive income stream. You can read more about that here.

Table of Contents hide

Pie Chart: Total 'on the road' costs

Table: All our legal / van / conversion costs

Pie chart: Conversion costs

Areas we saved (money) on

Things still to buy/build

The 'time' cost

Pie Chart: Total 'on the road' costs

The figures shown in the tool tip are in GBP.

As you can see, around 65% was spent on the ‘base van’ and ‘legal’. Below the table, I’ll pop in another chart so you can see more clearly the conversion costs.

Table: All our legal / van / conversion costs

wdt_ID	Item	Category	Cost (GBP)	Approx USD
1	Van	VAN – BASE	2,000	2,760
2	Windscreen	VAN – BASE	150	207
3	Service & pads/discs/belt	VAN – BASE	300	414
4	Drive shaft	VAN – BASE	60	83
5	Mechanic (inc MOT test)	VAN – BASE	200	276
6	Fuel cap	VAN – BASE	13	18
7	Spare key	VAN – BASE	120	166
8	2 Swivel seat bases	VAN – BASE	237	327
9	Soldering Iron Kit with Digital Multimeter	TOOLS & FIXINGS	23	32
10	5M measuring tape	TOOLS & FIXINGS	3	4
11	Drill brush/sand bits	TOOLS & FIXINGS	3	4
12	T handle ratchet wrench tool	TOOLS & FIXINGS	11	15
13	Copper grease	TOOLS & FIXINGS	4	6
14	Socket set	TOOLS & FIXINGS	15	21
15	Masking tape, rollers, degreased	TOOLS & FIXINGS	13	18
16	Drill bits, brackets and screws	TOOLS & FIXINGS	20	28
17	Circular saw & Workmate bench	TOOLS & FIXINGS	80	110
18	Everbuild EVBPCHEATSIL Heat Resistant Silicone Sealant	TOOLS & FIXINGS	8	11
19	Malayas 4PCs Hex Shank Self Centering Hinge Drill Bits	TOOLS & FIXINGS	8	11
20	15 pcs/Set Pocket Hole Screw Jig	TOOLS & FIXINGS	15	21
21	Fireangel CO-9D Carbon Monoxide Alarm	SECURITY / SAFETY	20	28
22	Smoke Alarm	SECURITY / SAFETY	11	15
23	Fire extinguisher	SECURITY / SAFETY	10	14
24	Fire blanket	SECURITY / SAFETY	10	14
25	NJ Domino-302G Built-in Gas Hob	KITCHEN	120	166
26	OUTDOOR DOIT Stainless Steel Inset Square Sink	KITCHEN	50	69
27	Mobicool MT48W (fridge)	KITCHEN	92	127
28	Whale GP1002 Standard 12V Submersible Electric Pump-White, 10 litres	KITCHEN	13	18
29	Kitchen Sink Tap Pull Out Sprayer	KITCHEN	26	36
30	Induna Heavy Duty 25l Water Container Blue & Natural X2	KITCHEN	14	19
31	OSB Board & wood	KITCHEN	44	61
32	More wood	KITCHEN	27	37
33	Folding kitchen brackets	KITCHEN	13	18
34	Hose barb tap hose connector	KITCHEN	5	7
35	24 Pcs shell cup handles	KITCHEN	7	10
36	Tax – 6mth	INSURANCE / LEGAL	292	403
37	Insurance – 12mth	INSURANCE / LEGAL	405	559
38	Breakdown – 12mth	INSURANCE / LEGAL	55	76
39	Window themal foil 10m	INSULATION, SOUND & HEAT	27	37
40	Diall insulation wool	INSULATION, SOUND & HEAT	16	22
41	Window insulation/blackout	INSULATION, SOUND & HEAT	10	14
42	Sound deadening mats	INSULATION, SOUND & HEAT	25	35
43	Gas regulator / butane Calor	KITCHEN	7	10
44	Gas hose	KITCHEN	7	10
45	New full butane gas 4.5kg	KITCHEN	38	52
46	12v heater 150W	INSULATION, SOUND & HEAT	15	21
47	2.5mm² – Wire (Red + Black) 10m	ELECTRICS	19	26
48	50 Amp Circuit Breaker, Fuse	ELECTRICS	10	14
49	Switches Panel IP65 5 Gangs w/Voltmeter, USB	ELECTRICS	33	46
50	10mm² Black, 1 Meter	ELECTRICS	6	8
51	10mm² Red, 1 Meter	ELECTRICS	6	8
52	10 Gauge (approx 6mm²/ 60A) 10 ft Black & 10 ft Red	ELECTRICS	14	19
53	12-Way Fuse Box with Negative Bus	ELECTRICS	18	25
54	1200 Pcs Crimp Connectors, Insulated Wire	ELECTRICS	15	21
55	Battery cover clips	ELECTRICS	9	12
56	Battery charger 12V 8A	ELECTRICS	23	32
57	2 X 12V 130AH EXPEDITION PLUS Deep Cycle AGM	ELECTRICS	304	420
58	Bosch Car Battery 12V 95Ah Type 019 S4013	ELECTRICS	105	145
59	Chinese diesel heater	ELECTRICS	84	116
60	Split relay kit	ELECTRICS	65	90
61	Multifunction voltmeter for leisure batteries	ELECTRICS	12	17
62	Electrician – safety & split relay	ELECTRICS	250	345
63	Hammerite Kurust 250ml	BODYWORK & REPAIRS	11	15
64	Hammerite Direct to Rust Metal Paint Black 250ml	BODYWORK & REPAIRS	10	14
65	Hammerite Direct to Rust Metal Paint White 250ml	BODYWORK & REPAIRS	10	14
66	Spray paint and primer	BODYWORK & REPAIRS	45	62
67	Paint and Rust Remover Pad	BODYWORK & REPAIRS	3	4
68	Holts Cataloy Knifing Putty 100g	BODYWORK & REPAIRS	3	4
69	Paint wipes	BODYWORK & REPAIRS	1	1
70	Side panel clips	BODYWORK & REPAIRS	20	28
71	Masking tapes & brushes	BODYWORK & REPAIRS	10	14
72	Sanding sheets	BODYWORK & REPAIRS	6	8
73	Fire pit	ACCESSORIES / OTHER	13	18
74	12V laptop charger	ACCESSORIES / OTHER	31	43
75	12V dual cigarette lighter USB/voltmeter	ACCESSORIES / OTHER	14	19
76	Brifit Wireless Temperature Humidity Sensor	ACCESSORIES / OTHER	11	15
77	Duct tape	ACCESSORIES / OTHER	8	11
78	Van key cover	ACCESSORIES / OTHER	5	7
79	Thetford Portipotty 365	ACCESSORIES / OTHER	86	119
80	Reversing camera	VAN – BASE	30	41
81	Ronseal ultratough clear varnish	KITCHEN	19	26
82	IKEA blinds	INSULATION, SOUND & HEAT	50	69
	Item	Category	Cost (GBP)
			∑ = 6,001

For some reason the table won’t total the approximate USD cost – it’s around $8,000. There are also probably some bits I missed…will come back to this at a later date!

Pie chart: Conversion costs

Base vehicles were hard to come by and whilst we were on the lookout for a ‘clean slate’, we ended up acquiring a 2004 Renault Master ex-ambulance that someone had started to convert.

There were some advantages and disadvantages of this base van which I’ll cover in another post. With regards conversion costs; the floor was good and so we kept it, the walls were moulded plastic and had decent insulation, so we kept them too. There was also some stuff we could re-use, at least for prototyping.

This was our first van conversion and we made the decision to ‘go budget’ and spend the savings on developing passive income streams, which you can read more about here. So what we did in terms of conversion/spend was to fit that ‘budget’ narrative.

The above chart is simply the top chart, minus the base van costs and legal/tax.

As you can see, we spent a fair amount on electrics; mainly batteries. Two large AGM leisure batteries and we also upgraded the vehicle starter battery to ensure the split relay charger would be effective.

Being an ex-ambulance, there are gazillions of cables, so we also paid for an electrician to give it a once over.

Areas we saved (money) on

The flooring and walls/insulation already being in good enough condition to use was a big saving. We also recycled and used as much as possible of the stuff we pulled out. That saved money, but cost a lot of time!

For the kitchen, we built with basic roughcut wood and OSB board (cheaper even than ply!). Lots of sanding, painting (cheers, da!) and varnish did the job.

Old wardrobe doors form the base of our bed (cheers, granny!) and the mattress was salvaged from the original van — old caravan-style foam and surprisingly comfortable.

We decided against fitting hot water and a shower, however we installed a large sink.

We also decided against an inverter and a fancy fridge. You can read up on our batteries and power calculations here.

Things still to buy/build

We’ve still got about £1.5K remaining from our estimated £7.5K budget (that we slashed from £15K!) and there ‘s a few things still to do…maybe!

Bench/table: we have a prototype, mainly built out of random wood. As a minimum, it needs a tidy up or possibly a complete rebuild. This will cost more time than money. Probably about £40 for wood and maybe £100 for foam/furnishings.
Cab divide: we’re just using an old hippie throw for now. Need to get some blackout. Can probably have that done for about £40. More if we decide to get something for the front windows too.
Skylight blackout: it’s currently way too bright in the morning.
Insect nets: keep out them bugs.
Some odds and ends for storage: Again; more a time cost than money.
Rain gutter &/or awning: stop the water dripping in the siding door and possibly a bit of outside shelter. £40+
Wifi router/extender: we haven’t had any issues so far but are looking into this with antenna. Estimate £100.
Water inlet/outlet etc: we just have basics for the moment. Need to consider hose inlet & outlet plus upgrading tanks. TBC
Solar power: this is up for debate. It was budgeted for but again probably not really required for this van and our planned usage. Could probably do something decent for around £300.
BF Goodrich all-terrain tyres…hmm! At around £700 these were not in original budget and I doubt this is worth the spend, especially if this van is only for the year. Also, we have air suspension, so I’m doubtful there would be enough clearance to accomodate them. Common sense says don’t do it. But damn, they do look good!

The 'time' cost

Whilst the monetary cost may seem low, the time cost has been massive.

I probably would not try to re-use wood that’s all different sizes again; right-angles are difficult enough for us newbie wood-workers!

Nor would I attempt to build a kitchen (in fairness, everywhere was shut due to lockdown so didn’t really have much choice!).

Cleaning and bodywork also take ages, especially when you don’t have a sheltered work space.

And, whilst the moulded plastic roof and walls have their benefits, it’s also a nightmare trying to find anything to attach stuff to.

—

So that’s where we are for now on DIY van conversion #1. Hope it’s been useful!

I’ll link some of those items through to Amazon at another time 🙂

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How much does a budget DIY campervan conversion cost?