What van should i get

It also depends on the amount of work you want to do on the van, your budget, and the type of journey. The most important considerations are size and techical state. You need to make an inventory of your wishes and pick a van accordingly. In this article I'll go over all factors that go into buying the right van, and discuss them briefly.

Hopefully it will trigger your own thought process. It has worked wonders for me. Later on, I give examples of which vans best fit specific needs. After reading this post, you'll have plenty of food for thought and hopefully a solid idea of the van you're looking for. It's everything you need for making a smart buying decision.

As there are thousands of cargo van buying guides out there, I will primarily focus on some points that don't get enough attention, and that are specific for vanlifers. This is somewhat of a moster read, so to make it easier on you I've added some sections. You can skip there immediately, or pick up where you've left.

Allright, you have to consider a number of factors very carefully. The most important factor is definitely the dimensions of the van. Since you'll be living out of it, the things you do and want to do on a daily basis determine what van you should get. Of course there are a number of other important factors, but you shouldn't underestimate the importance of size.

Of all vanlifers I spoke to, literally all of them said that size is the number one issue. Whether it's an old van or a shiny new one doesn't really matter that much if it's too small, or too big yes, too big can also be a problem. All other factors are, in my opinion, way down on the list. The first three factors are size, size, and size.

Making an educated guess on what size you need can be difficult, especially if you don't yet know what dimensions suit what particular lifestyles. The best way to get the size right, is to grab a floor plan of the models you like - and start sketching interiors.

Ready to get going? Check out our ready-to-sketch floor plans. You should always buy the best you can afford, without overstretching yourself. Whatever number that is for you, is enterily up to you. But you get what you pay for. Now, in the internet age, there actually aren't a lot of people that don't know the value of what there offering. Mostly, if a vehicle is insanely cheap, there's something wrong with it. So I operate on the baseline that there are no bargains and that I should accept to pay whatever's the value of the car.

Also, it's a good idea to take the first two years of maintenance into account. I just set a number and stick to it. My number is sacred, I won't make any exceptions. I found this to be good general life advice to ensure I sleep sound at night. The amount of miles a car has done is a great indication for the amount of maintaince it will probably need.

But it's no holy number. Some cars can take a lot of miles before anything needs replacing. Also, the amount of service and oil changes drastically influence the technical state of the car. We'll come back to age in a minute. Like the number of miles, old age isn't always a bad thing. The amount of service is way more important than the number of miles on a car. Unfortunately, it's more difficult to check on the state of the engine.

In the buying segment of this guide, I'll show you a couple of neat tricks to get a general feel of the mechanical state of the car. If the car has been properly maintained regular oil changes, every 15, - 30, km , the mechanical state can be very good, even on very old cars.

Old emergency vehicles, busses, etc. I've seen German firefighter trucks of 40 years old with just This is a pretty important factor. Before buying any car I want to have a general sense of how complex the mechanics are. This way I can make an educated guess on how my maintenance will work out over time.

Are you gonna maintain the van yourself? I don't have the skills to work on very complex cars, which means that if I buy a complex car, I'll have to calculate hourly garage fees for maintenance. Also, some cars have notorious electrical systems, meaning only certified dealers will consider working on them.

Dealer fees are about 5x higher than an indie garage. Also, some parts of the world don't have dealers. So if you want to go to Mexico, maybe buy an older van, and not the high-tec Sprinter. An example are Mercedes Sprinters from onwards. They have a new electrical emission system called DPF , which requires a specialized computer that only dealers have.

A good rule of thumb is that all cars before have little to no electronics, making them easier to maintain yourself. Where and when you live determines the availability of the model you're looking for. Why is this important? Because supply and demand. If your model isn't widely available, you gotta be prepared to pay a little extra.

Also it's important to consider what the availability of parts is. Some popular models have plenty of spare parts available, and if there's a large aftermarket, your maintenance will be a lot cheaper. Please note that an older car doesn't automatically mean fewer parts available. This means there are plenty of engines, transmissions, and so on available.

The same goes for information. Frankie Vauxhall. No name. Once you have your converted Vauxhall Vivaro, rent it out. The Iveco Daily is a favourite of ours for its durability. This is an efficient van for the budget conscious. Check out these Iveco Daily for more inspiration. Ivor the Terrible! High and Mighty. One thing to be aware of is that like the Vauxhall Vivaro, the Peugeot Expert comes with a six-speed manual gearbox.

Renault Trafic interior Our final recommended vehicle for campervan conversion is the Renault Trafic, the most popular van in Europe. This medium-sized van is a favourite of ours because of its ease of use.

Ready to buy a van to start your own custom campervan conversion? Let Camplify show you how conversion can be almost free. Over the last years, Camplify has become the largest platform for renting motorhomes, camper vans and caravans in Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom, with more than 4, vans worldwide and growing. We connect owners like you with local and international tourists all of whom are verified to maximize the safety of each hire.

If you do not have all-risk insurance, we provide you one when you sign up, as we saw before. You have complete freedom to approve or reject guests interested in renting your vehicle. Your wheels, your rules. We provide you with tips and step-by-step guides on how to improve your service and your vehicle to get more and more rentals,. We increase your rental possibilities along the year thanks to our continuous advertising campaigns and contents we publish. The sooner you register your ad, the sooner it will start receiving visits and bookings.

And the more good reviews you get from your tenants, the more attractive your ad will be and the more reservations you will receive. You can even calculate how much you can earn with our free income calculator. Sign up now. Renault, Citroen, and Vauxhall vans are usually very much alike. That being said, the Renault Trafic has seen some major conversion upgrades by certain companies that have thrown it ahead of its competition. Take German conversion company Kompanja.

It is, however, perfect for the weekend warrior who likes to get out whenever they can. If you buy a ready-made conversion or are thinking about adding a pop-top into the equation, then everything changes. Knaus is well known for making futuristic looking vehicles with all of the modern conveniences that you could ever need for life on the road.

With space-age LED lighting, a clean and comfortable living space, luxury leather seating, a master bedroom, and an onboard shower, it is a true luxury van. Citroen has come to the rescue with the WildCamp—a thoroughly modern vehicle with that classic motoring touch.

This is the easy choice for those adventures who just want to buy a vehicle and get out into the wilderness on the same day. More importantly, the CUV is comfortable, spacious, has enough storage for all of your cooking accessories and campervan gifts. You need to give Four Wheel Campers a try. These camping pods attach directly to your truck bed, and can be removed and put into storage whenever you like.

We were lucky enough to be flown out to California to spend a bit of time in these beasts. The pop-top on these four wheel campers provides ample space for standing, cooking and working, and the bed pulls out to make a sleeping platform that you never want to leave.

All in all, these camping units provide your favourite truck with an option into the van life. We thoroughly recommend checking out the Four Wheels Co website to find out more information—and to locate a dealer near you!

The Luton is still a fairly unusual choice, but is growing in popularity thanks to the rise in self-conversion and independent campervan conversion companies. One of the best things about a Luton van is that the extra space above the cab of the van is large enough to comfortably hold a double bed that you can sit up in.

This means that you can use the entirety of the main space solely as a living space and kitchen area, without worrying about where the bed should go. A Luton van is even big enough to create a generously sized bathroom—and carry enough water to actually be able to use it! It also features an easy shape to convert, as all edges are straight and square. They also allow for more overhead storage, making the interior feel like a room in a house, rather than the inside of a van. This vintage-looking number above is a testament to the fact that a modern camper can still hold a sense of retro-class.

That picture also gives you a good idea as to how easy it is to live in this van once the top is popped. With a pop-top or awning, you can transform a small space into something luxurious. Consider the type of places that you want to go to before you purchase your van or start converting!

The Rivian Electric Truck could well be the best van to live in if you like living green, and are conscious about the environment as well you should be!

Admittedly, the Rivian is perhaps more impressive for its off road capabilities than as a camper that you could live in full time.

Electric off-road trucks such as the Rivian Electric Truck and the Tesla Truck Camper are making waves in the over-landing world.