📊 How much does a DIY van conversion cost?

If you're considering converting a van, you're probably wondering what it actually costs. Lauren Stone and her husband spent 10 months converting a Ram ProMaster and tracked every single expense. As Lauren Stone puts it, they were aiming for $10,000 as their ballpark number. Start with your target budget below to see if your build plan is feasible using her actual spending as a baseline.

Electrical and plumbing are typically the most expensive parts of a build. Lauren Stone saved roughly $1,000 because her van came with lithium batteries included. As Lauren Stone notes, they got the batteries with the sale of the van, so they didn't have to buy them.

Adding these batteries new or choosing to frame and plumb a full indoor shower will significantly increase your baseline costs. Lauren completely skipped an indoor shower and utilized the factory floor instead of building a subfloor to save space and money.

You can save thousands by opting for budget appliances and doing the labor yourself. As Lauren Stone points out, they did not buy a roof rack because they were far too expensive at over $1,000, so they built their own.

Scour Facebook Marketplace for extra materials. As Lauren Stone explains, they used Havelock wool for insulation and got lucky finding people who had bought too much, getting it pretty dang cheap. Opting for a budget $400 12V fridge over premium brands also keeps costs lower.

Based on content by Lauren Stone on Lauren Stone (YouTube).

Original: What It Cost Us to Convert Our Van | Full DIY Budget Breakdown

For further related reading, check out:

• AdventureVan - Build Spend & Timeline