During your many hours of research before the van build, it can be hard to get a round idea of how much to expect on spending! There are so many options when it comes to every. single. decision. We did our best to build our van sticking closely to a budget but still getting what we needed to be comfortable. During the build as you purchase various things, I recommend you write down each item to keep track of what you are spending. It’s easy to get lost over the course of months and not realize how much you’ve really spent. This is the full cost breakdown of what our van conversion and a few ideas to help with sticking to your budget!
INSULATION
It’s really up to you how far you want to go with insulation and how much you want to spend. Consider what climates you will be in the majority of the time and what works best for that. I plan on spending most of my time in warmer climates so we went fairly easy on our insulation (update: this was in the first van, I did more for second van. Learn more here). However, it seems to always stay pretty cool even in really warm temps and airs out easy with the vent fan. So this was plenty for me, but it’s up to you and your budget!
-
Reflectix - $63
-
Unfaced Fiberglass - $36
-
Spray Adhesive - $30
-
Memory Foam - $24
-
Spray Foam Insulation - $24
-
Misc. (eyewear, etc.) - $43
ELECTRICAL
This electrical setup is enough to run our induction stove, mini fridge, several lights, and outlets. There are 4 solar panels, 2 batteries, and 1 inverter. They can all be found in the van build shop along with a review of each one! I recommend spending a good portion of your budget on electrical because this is really what allows me to have the freedom of going wherever, whenever. If you constantly are having to charge batteries or hook up to electricity, you won’t be able to stay off- grid for very long periods of time.
-
Solar Panel Kit - $746
-
Batteries (x2) - $420
-
Inverter - $175
-
Misc. (wires, etc.) - $100
KITCHEN
I chose to go with a couple bold decisions here including the induction stove and regular mini fridge. Because I have so much power, I’m able to run the induction stove just fine which was super cheap and looks amazing. There are a few really expensive brands for van fridges but I’m sticking to the budget so a dorm fridge works just fine, doesn’t pull much power, and is a fraction of the cost.
-
Induction Stove - $55
-
Mini Fridge - $130
-
Sink - $40
-
Faucet - $33
-
Misc. (Decor, Utensils) - $100
FLOORING AND LUMBER
If you are on a tight budget, you can find used pallets and spend close to nothing on your walls, ceiling, and flooring. We went with a nice vinyl plank flooring from Home Depot because it was inexpensive and we liked the way it looked. The walls and ceiling are shiplap which is really cheap but still looks great when painted. You should be able to find used materials for your counter and/or table as well on Craigslist if needed. That’s what we did and got our counter for free (it’s an old door) and our table for $30 (another used door!).
-
Flooring - $192
-
Lumber (build included) - $950
-
Subway Tile - $50
MISCELLANEOUS
This is another category that can really be up to your discretion. We needed a few things like new bedding, a portable toilet, and some decorations to make the van feel like home! I think this section is the one where most people forget to write every item down because it’s usually just a few small things here and there. However, they add up and definitely can be put together in the same category at the end to see how much you have spent! The last line item was an add up of all kinds of small things we purchased throughout the entire build process that didn’t really correlate with another category.
-
Bedding - $136
-
Vent Fan - $122
-
Toilet - $140
-
Decor - $300
-
Misc. Items - ($1,000)
Final Notes
As you can see, it doesn’t have to break the bank to build a van that looks and feels just like a home! This is roughly what we spent on materials for our build and how we prioritized our spending. Electricity is really important when wanting to go off- grid so we put a good portion of our money there. Knowing we would spend a lot of time in warm places during winter and cooler places in the summer, we did light insulation that has worked wonderfully. Before spending your money in any one spot, figure out what is most important to you. The kitchen was also another place we wanted to focus on so we spent a little on kitchen stuff, and then saved on walls and ceiling in the bedroom by using a cheap material.
Every van costs a different amount but I hope this gives you an idea of what you can spend for your build. I have seen plenty of vans that look great and spent half of what we did. Also, there are vans that look similar to ours, and they spent 4 times the amount we did. Work with your own budget and there is always a way to get the look you want for the price you can afford.
Costs for converting a Sprinter van can range from $40,000 to $60,000. Depending on things like the electronics installed and the building materials utilized, that quantity could be smaller or more.
Hello,
So I was just wondering what you did for water or hot water? Did you have anything for that?
Thanks for the breakdown!
Erica
Thanks so much for putting this guide together, with the price breakdown!
Much appreciated 🙂
My only question would be are there any “should of done” or “redos” in hindsight during the build? I.e. type of insulation, process of building, power equipment, or anything else on the top of your head etc?
Cheer