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
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
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
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
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!