The Best Vans to Convert for Van life

by Lori Straus

Van life has become a lifestyle in the past decade, like minimalist living and the tiny house movement. Only, instead of retaining your apartment or home, or trying to find a place in the city that allows for a tiny home, van life is transitory. You get rid of almost everything, pack your remaining items into a van converted into an abode on wheels, and drive off into the horizon. In this blog post, we’ll share with you some of the best vans to convert for van life and give you a few tips and some warnings to help you start your new adventure on, ahem, the right wheel.

What are the Best Vans to Convert for Van Life?

We reviewed some of the popular websites for van life and vans, like The Wayward Home, Van Dimensions, and Parked in Paradise. They agree on the following best vans for van life:

  • Mercedes-Benz Sprinter
  • Ford Transit
  • Dodge Ram ProMaster

However, a few other fun ideas popped up on these sites, like trying to source an old VW bus or buying a used short school bus.

Buying a Used Van

Whether you’re buying a used cargo van, like the ones van lifers recommend, or a used car, like one you’d buy for your city life, the process and warnings remain the same. So read our blog posts on buying a used vehicle as you investigate different vans to buy for your new adventure. You don’t want to be stuck hundreds of kilometres in the middle of nowhere when your engine makes a scary noise and learn later on you should have had a mechanic inspect the vehicle before you bought it.

Van Life Conversion Kits

Once you’ve purchased your van, you’ll want to convert the interior into livable space. This includes, for example, installing beds, work surfaces, optional appliances, and insulation.

Van life conversion kits don’t come cheap, but it depends on what you’re looking for. For example, you could take a Mercedes-Benz Sprinter passenger van that, used, might cost around $40,000. Adventure Wagon’s MOAB bed conversion kit starts at about $11,500 USD (about $14,000 CAD).

This kit includes insulation, an elevated bamboo plywood and aluminum bed, an electrical harness fuse box and wiring kit, two remote-controlled ceiling fans, marine-grade ceiling LED lights, and fabric wall panelling.

If you want the interior of your Sprinter completely renovated, for around $21,000 to $26,000 CAD, Zenvanz has a DIY van kit that is a complete cabinetry and component system. It includes a galley kitchen that can be upgraded with a fridge, two-burner propane cooktop, sink, and mounted tabletop. The van life conversion kits also includes loads of storage, a bed system that sleeps two, and a port-a-potty.

Van life 101

Don’t be fooled by #van life on Instagram. As gorgeous as those photos are—and as possible as it is to have those moments—just like the rest of life, van life is filled with ups and downs. Follow these tips to get you in the right mindset before you start on your van life adventure:

  • This is a new way of life, not a tourist way of life. It will take time—possibly years—to get used to it.
  • Van life is about learning, so keep your mind as open as possible.
  • Flexibility is key to adapting to van life.
  • Clean up after yourself wherever you go.
  • Remember to be a gracious guest wherever you stay.

Keep It Real, but Have Fun

Van life is all about adventure, and like any adventure, you’ll have good days and bad, frustrations and triumphs. Keep your head on straight, but remember to enjoy the moment, too!