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van cost

Converting a van can (and probably will) be expensive. You will truly be tested to your limits if you intend on sticking to a tight budget. Many items you hadn’t even considered before purchasing a van become inconvenient but essential expenses. 

From batteries to bolts, to battens, here is a complete breakdown of what we have spent on our build (so far).

Disclaimer: Our total cost will be less than the cumulative cost of the breakdowns below as we utilised every piece of scrap available (e.g.using leftover scrap wood and screws etc.)

cost of van

cost of conversion

mechanical issues

£8,000

£10,433.26

£5,000

Total cost : £23,433.26

Cost of the van

Make: Citroën

Model: Relay – Enterprise edition

Age: 2016 (66 plate)

Milage: 113,000

Price: £8,000

Our van is a Citroen Relay L3H2. It was registered in December 2016, making it just under 4 years old when we bought it in August 2020. 

The price of vans has been increasing steadily over the past few years, as the demand for second-hand vans grows – particularly ones that are still in good condition. We spent several months waiting for the perfect van to hit the market. We couldn’t believe our luck when we scrolled over this one. It was in pristine condition, and didn’t have a crazy amount of miles on the clock for its age – result! We bought it from a private seller on Gumtree.

Electrics

Our van has a fully electric set-up as we were hesitant to install gas in our van, therefore it is reasonably extensive. To discover more about our electrical system, and how to wire it all together check out our page dedicated to everything van electrics below

Van electrics total - £3,331.14

Materials

2x 150AH of Lithium Batteries by KS Energy

Victron DC to DC charger (non isolated)

Victron Solar Charger (100|30)

2x 185W Solar Panels

DC isolator Switch

Victron Shore Power Battery charger

3000W Sine Wave inverter

Umshaltstation

Circuit breakers

12v fuse box

Garage unit

Bus bars

CABLES

1.5mm 2 core cable

6mm cable (red and black)

50mm2 battery cables

MISC.

Heat shrink tubing

Electrical tape

Electrical crimp connectors

3x 12v USB socket

2x single 230v sockets

1 double 230v socket

Pull up socket

Water Heater Switch

2x Toggle Switches

Price

£1,600.00

£197.00

£196.50

£516.00

£34.50

£139.99

£234.00

£59.35

£60.00

£12.99

£30.95

£35.99

   

£29.50

£21.94

£60.68

   

£8.99

£4.44

£7.99

£34.47

£3.92

£2.50

£32.99

£4.99

£5.06

Materials

2x 150AH of Lithium Batteries by KS Energy

Victron DC to DC charger (non isolated)

Victron Solar Charger (100|30)

2x 185W Solar Panels

DC isolator Switch

Victron Shore Power Battery charger

3000W Sine Wave inverter

Umshaltstation

Circuit breakers

12v fuse box

Garage unit

Bus bars

CABLES

1.5mm 2 core cable

6mm cable (red and black)

50mm2 battery cables

MISC.

Heat shrink tubing

Electrical tape

Electrical crimp connectors

3x 12v USB socket

2x single 230v sockets

1 double 230v socket

Pull up socket

Water Heater Switch

2x Toggle Switches

Price

£1,600.00

£197.00

£196.50

£516.00

£34.50

£139.99

£234.00

£59.35

£60.00

£12.99

£30.95

£35.99

   

£29.50

£21.94

£60.68

   

£8.99

£4.44

£7.99

£34.47

£3.92

£2.50

£32.99

£4.99

£5.06

Materials

2x 150AH of Lithium Batteries by KS Energy

Victron DC to DC charger (non isolated)

Victron Solar Charger (100|30)

2x 185W Solar Panels

DC isolator Switch

Victron Shore Power Battery charger

3000W Sine Wave inverter

Umshaltstation

Circuit breakers

12v fuse box

Garage unit

Bus bars

CABLES

1.5mm 2 core cable

6mm cable (red and black)

50mm2 battery cables

MISC.

Heat shrink tubing

Electrical tape

Electrical crimp connectors

3x 12v USB socket

2x single 230v sockets

1 double 230v socket

Pull up socket

Water Heater Switch

2x Toggle Switches

Price

£1,600.00


£197.00



£196.50


£516.00


£34.50

£139.99



£234.00


£59.35

£60.00

£12.99

£30.95

£35.99

 

£29.50

£21.94


£60.68

  


£8.99

£4.44

£7.99


£34.47

£3.92


£2.50


£32.99

£4.99


£5.06

Plumbing

Once again, we opted for a fairly premium plumbing system. This is primarily due to us knowing that we wanted a hot shower in our van. This required a significant amount more “plumbing” than what is necessary to have a functioning simple water system. 

One way we managed to conserve our money when designing our plumbing system, was to buy our water heater from a relatively unknown brand on eBay. Our water heater was comparatively cheap and we have had no issues since installing it. The rest of our plumbing components are commonly used in motorhomes and caravans. 

To learn more about our plumbing system, and how to connect it all together check out our page dedicated to everything van plumbing below.

Plumbing total - £669.79

Materials

Fresh water tank

Grey water tank

Fiamma filling point

Shurflo water pump

Fiamma Accumulator 

Shurflo water filter

Propex 10L water heater

MISC.

John Guest Flexible pipe (approx 10m)

John Guest fittings (approx 20)

John guest rigid pipe fittings

1/2” Brass Flanged Backnut

Jubilee Clips

38mm food grade pipe

John guest 12mm shut-off valves

Price

£74.90

£126.23

£23.76

£74.99

£28.99

£14.99

£199.95

   

£17.50

£30.00

£13.68

£3.91

£10.99

£30.00

£19.90

Materials

Fresh water tank

Grey water tank

Fiamma filling point

Shurflo water pump

Fiamma Accumulator 

Shurflo water filter

Propex 10L water heater

MISC.

John Guest Flexible pipe (approx 10m)

John Guest fittings (approx 20)

John guest rigid pipe fittings

1/2” Brass Flanged Backnut

Jubilee Clips

38mm food grade pipe

John guest 12mm shut-off valves

Price

£74.90

£126.23

£23.76

£74.99

£28.99

£14.99

£199.95

 

£17.50

£30.00

£13.68

£3.91

£10.99

£30.00

£19.90

Materials

Fresh water tank

Grey water tank

Fiamma filling point

Shurflo water pump

Fiamma Accumulator 

Shurflo water filter

Propex 10L water heater

MISC.

John Guest Flexible pipe (approx 10m)

John Guest fittings (approx 20)

John guest rigid pipe fittings

1/2” Brass Flanged Backnut

Jubilee Clips

38mm food grade pipe

John guest 12mm shut-off valves

Price

£74.90

£126.23

£23.76


£74.99


£28.99


£14.99

£199.95

 


£17.50


£30.00


£13.68


£3.91


£10.99

£30.00


£19.90

Structure

The structure of our van is the bed and butter of the build. We spent countless hours refining our structure and reinforcing certain areas so it could withstand the weight of a few of our more unique design elements – such as the bunk beds. 

The structure of the van includes not only the wooden framing and panelling; but also, the copious amounts of insulation we used throughout the build. The price of the insulation is included in the breakdowns below. However, if you want to find out more about what type of insulation we used, how much we used, and where, click here.

For more information about the structure of our van, including handy how to guides, click the button below.

Structure total - £1,061.20

Materials

Windows

Soundproofing

Floor

Walls

Ceiling

Window frame

Price

£335.27

£56.97

£271.09

£300.00

£224.18

£83.19

Materials

Windows

Soundproofing

Floor

Walls

Ceiling

Window frame

Price

£335.27

£56.97

£271.09

£300.00

£224.18

£83.19

Materials

Windows

Soundproofing

Floor

Walls

Ceiling

Window frame

Price

£335.27

£56.97

£271.09

£300.00

£224.18

£83.19

Living room

The living room in our van was designed to make a statement! We achieved this through hand-making our boujee mid-century modern sofa! Furthermore, we really wanted our living room to have the feel of an apartment and not a vehicle – which is one of the main reasons we didn’t go down the route of having swivel chairs. 

The cost to build our living room was A LOT more expensive than we had anticipated, as it is predominantly just wood, with very few specialised materials or products, with the exception of the Lagun table mount. 

Although it cost more than we expected, we truly believe the quality of the finish and the warm, cosy NYC apartment vibe was worth it!

For more information about our living room including handy how to guides click the button below.

Living room total - £1,168.46

Materials

SOFA UPHOLSTERY

Back section

Cushions

MISC.

Sofa Base Construction

Shoe Storage

Overhead Cabinets

Custom window covers

Lagun table mount

Top top

Ikea drawers

Tough operated lights

Vinyl flooring

Picture Frames

Mirror

Artwork

Price

£148.48

£161.06

   

£40.00

£81.26

£102.41

£67.02

£159.95

£50.00

£90.00

£10 per light

£100.00

£29.37

£28.91

£30.00

Materials

SOFA UPHOLSTERY

Back section

Cushions

MISC.

Sofa Base Construction

Shoe Storage

Overhead Cabinets

Custom window covers

Lagun table mount

Top top

Ikea drawers

Tough operated lights

Vinyl flooring

Picture Frames

Mirror

Artwork

Price


£148.48

£161.06

 

£40.00


£81.26

£102.41

£67.02


£159.95

£50.00

£90.00

£10 per light

£100.00

£29.37

£28.91

£30.00

Materials

SOFA UPHOLSTERY

Back section

Cushions

MISC.

Sofa Base Construction

Shoe Storage

Overhead Cabinets

Custom window covers

Lagun table mount

Top top

Ikea drawers

Tough operated lights

Vinyl flooring

Picture Frames

Mirror

Artwork

Price

£148.48

£161.06

 

£40.00

£81.26

£102.41

£67.02

£159.95

£50.00

£90.00

£10 per light

£100.00

£29.37

£28.91

£30.00

Kitchen

When designing our van, we knew that if there was one room in the van that may feel a touch too small, it would be the kitchen. We are not foodies and love nothing more than a burger and chips. Building an excessively large kitchen was not even a consideration for us – cooking is certainly not our priority when travelling.

Although the kitchen is small, it is well equipped and completely suits our needs. We always knew the kitchen would be expensive, due to having to buy appliances, so the total wasn’t too much of a surprise.

One of our favourite things about our kitchen is the fact that we DON’T have a built-in hob; this allows the space to be a lot more flexible and versatile – perfect when living in a van.

To discover everything about how we created the kitchen in our van – click the button below.

Kitchen total - £1,729.04

Materials

Kitchen base unit

Curved door

Overhead Cabinets

Domeic CRE65 fridge

Worktop

Slide out pantry

The big drawer

Sink

Tap

Induction Hob

Ikea magnetic knife rack

Diesel heater

Maxxair fan

Price

£70.00

£114.70

£102.41

£599.95

£107.00

£34.98

£33.00

£75.99

£59.00

£45.00

£15.00

£107.01

£355.00

Materials

Kitchen base unit

Curved door

Overhead Cabinets

Domeic CRE65 fridge

Worktop

Slide out pantry

The big drawer

Sink

Tap

Induction Hob

Ikea magnetic knife rack

Diesel heater

Maxxair fan

Price

£70.00

£114.70

£102.41

£599.95

£107.00

£34.98

£33.00

£75.99

£59.00

£45.00

£15.00

£107.01

£355.00

Materials

Kitchen base unit

Curved door

Overhead Cabinets

Domeic CRE65 fridge

Worktop

Slide out pantry

The big drawer

Sink

Tap

Induction Hob

Ikea magnetic knife rack

Diesel heater

Maxxair fan

Price

£70.00

£114.70

£102.41

£599.95


£107.00

£34.98

£33.00

£75.99

£59.00

£45.00

£15.00


£107.01

£355.00

Bathroom

Having a fully functional bathroom and a hot shower was non-negotiable for us when living in a van! Therefore we built the smallest shower room possible in our van. 

We are lazy girls. This means we didn’t want the faff of having to alter spaces to use a shower. We constructed a fully functioning shower room, which also houses our toilet. Furthermore, it is the perfect place to store our laundry, dry our clothes, and hang our jackets, it truly is the most multifunctional space in our van. 

Unfortunately, like everything in our van – it wasn’t cheap. This is primarily due to opting to use lightweight aqua panels, as they are a relatively expensive way to clad a shower, however, they are perfect for keeping the weight of the van low, and they are not prone to damage like tiles, as they are flexible and move with the van.

To learn more about the intricacies of our bathroom, click the button below.

Bathroom total - £638.80

Materials

Shower construction 

Shower tray

Shower cladding

Shower thermostat

Porta potti

start/stop Shower head

Vertical storage solution

Price

£90.30

£35.99

£272.84

£54.99

£59.90

£20.99

£163.69

Materials

Shower construction 

Shower tray

Shower cladding

Shower thermostat

Porta potti

start/stop Shower head

Vertical storage solution

Price

£90.30

£35.99

£272.84

£54.99

£59.90

£20.99

£163.69

Materials

Shower construction 

Shower tray

Shower cladding

Shower thermostat

Porta potti

start/stop Shower head

Vertical storage solution

Price

£90.30


£35.99

£272.84

£54.99

£59.90

£20.99


£163.69

Bedroom

Before buying our van we knew we wanted to sleep in separate beds, and as a result, we were set on having bunk beds to maximise space.

The bedroom area was one of the most difficult things to construct in the van. This is due to the fact we wanted the top bunk bed to have the appearance of it floating above the bottom. We didn’t want chunky battens of wood supporting the bed to draw from the overall aesthetic of the van. If you choose to build bunk beds, special considerations must be made very early on into the build – particularly if you want the top bunk to look like it’s floating, like ours!

We also made sure that both beds has sufficient sockets nearby so we could charge up to 3 devices each, from the bed!

We were a little surprised by how expensive our bedroom area, was, however, it was easy to see where the money went when taking into consideration the mattress and bedding as the actual construction was very reasonably priced.

For more information about our bedroom including handy how to guides click the button below.

Bedroom total - £624.98

Materials

5 Skorva midbeams

10 Skorva brackets

Single mattress

Small double mattress

Bedding (approx)

Plywood

Slats

Price

£100.00

£70.00

£156.99

£167.99

£100.00

£100.00

£30.00

Materials

5 Skorva midbeams

10 Skorva brackets

Single mattress

Small double mattress

Bedding (approx)

Plywood

Slats

Price

£100.00

£70.00

£156.99

£167.99

£100.00

£100.00

£30.00

Materials

5 Skorva midbeams

10 Skorva brackets

Single mattress

Small double mattress

Bedding (approx)

Plywood

Slats

Price

£100.00

£70.00

£156.99

£167.99


£100.00

£100.00

£30.00

Garage

Our garage may look small but it is in fact deceptively large! It houses our plumbing system, a kayak, wetsuits, skateboards, scooters, and much more.

When designing our van we knew that we didn’t want to pack a camping table and chairs – we wanted our garage area to be filled with toys! This led us to build perhaps our most ambitious design element yet – slide-out picnic table and benches.

One of the more unique elements of our garage area is the underfloor storage. We raised our floor slightly in order to install drawers, this is perfect for storing tools, and other smaller items that could easily get lost in a larger space, and it also helps us keep our “garage” organised. 

The cost to kit out this small space may seem excessive, however, it wasn’t too much of a shock, knowing the amount of work that went in! We absolutely love our garage and wouldn’t change it for the world. However, if you told us prior that it would cost us over £500 to have a nice garage area, I don’t think we would have taken the same path. 

For more information about our garage, including handy how to guides click the button below.

Garage total - £601.12

Materials

Pull out picnic benches

Picnic table

False floor

Scooter racks

Curtains

Covering rear doors

Price

£179.67

£70.00

£76.95

£15.00

£50.00

£209.50

Link

Link

Link

Link

Materials

Pull out picnic benches

Picnic table

False floor

Scooter racks

Curtains

Covering rear doors

Price

£179.67

£70.00

£76.95

£15.00

£50.00

£209.50

Link

Link

Link

Link

Materials

Pull out picnic benches

Picnic table

False floor

Scooter racks

Curtains

Covering rear doors

Price

£179.67


£70.00

£76.95

£15.00

£50.00

£209.50

Link

Link

Link

Link

Miscellaneous

Our van wouldn’t be what it is without these miscellaneous items. Whether they aid the functionality of our van – or are just nice to look at; they are what make our van so uniquely us!

Misc. total - £584.75

Materials

Thule Elite XT Bike Rack

Reversing Camera

5m Carpeting sliding doors

Paint

Wallpaper

Price

£421.14

£74.26

£49.35

£40.00

£11.95 per roll

Materials

Thule Elite XT Bike Rack

Reversing Camera

5m Carpeting sliding doors

Paint

Wallpaper

Price

£421.14

£74.26

£49.35

£40.00

£11.95 per roll

Materials

Thule Elite XT Bike Rack

Reversing Camera

5m Carpeting sliding doors

Paint

Wallpaper

Price

£421.14


£74.26

£49.35


£40.00

£11.95 per roll