After a long and exhausting search, our choice of van to transform into home on wheels came down to a second-hand used German VW Crafter: year 2017, 90,000km, model H2L3, bright orange.

Planning a fairly premium conversion, and using/living in our vehicle full-time for a few years, we wanted to invest in a vehicle under 100,000km and in good condition, to avoid excessive maintenance.

If you are interested in some tips on how to choose the right vehicle for you, advice on where to look and what to look for, I recommend the following in-depth articles:

• Best Vans for a DIY Conversion.
• How to Choose the Right Van for You.

Our van, when we bought it, had no windows. We decided to install one on the side door and two on the barn doors, entirely DIY.

If you’re still looking for the right van for you, one piece of advice I can give you is to take into account the cost of installing windows to guide your choice: finding a van with windows already in the right places can definitely be a major savings (both money and time).

If you are interested in learning more about how we installed our windows, I recommend you read the in-depth article:

• How to Install Windows in a Do-It-Yourself Camper.

Four-month Odyssey: homologating a campervan with a permanent setup is possible in Italy, but certainly not a feat for those with little patience.

To homologate our van, we chose to go through Germany: we bought the van in Germany, made a five-month export license plate, converted it, certified it with TUV, imported it, and finally got the Italian licence plates.

In this paragraph, I have included all import and approval costs (insurance, German license plates, tax stamps, translations endorsed in Italian, gasoline, etc.). If you’re from Germany, US, UK or other van-friendly countries, probably this cost will be much much less for you 😉

If you are interested in learning more about how I approved my van, or how you might approve yours, I recommend these two insights:

• How to Homologate a DIY Camper Van in Italy

• How to nationalize your Foreign Van in Italy

If you plan to use the van in all seasons, good thermal insulation is almost a must.

We decided to insulate our van using XPS panels and polyurethane foam: these are materials that require some patience to install but definitely a good compromise between quality/price.

If you are interested in seeing in detail how we thermally insulated our camper van, I recommend the following in-depth study:

• Van Insulation: Complete DIY Guide for Beginners

The possibilities for lining a van internally are many and obviously the costs can vary greatly from project to project.

We chose the following coating:

• For the walls: 8mm thick marine plywood
• For the ceiling: 3mm thick plywood
• For the floor: interlocking PVC vinyl “click”

The walls and ceiling also were treated with 2 coats of wood stain (to protect them from mold and moisture) and painted with 2 coats of white water-based wood enamel (to make them easily washable and waterproof).

One essential thing for us (and the one on which we spent a kidney most of our budget 😉 ) was a solid and efficient electrical system, and the security of never running out of electricity (working on the PC, this is vital for us!).

Therefore, the electrical system we created was designed to work independently in all kinds of conditions, even in winter and at high latitudes where the sun’s rays are weaker.

In short, what we have installed are:

• 3 methods of charging: Solar, Alternator and Grid Power

• 600Watts of Polycrystalline Solar Panels

• 300ah of LifePo4 Lithium Batteries

• 3000Watt inverter

• 6 Recessed 230V Electrical Sockets

• 16 12V Circuits

• Smartshunt and Display of Battery Charging

• Intelligent system that can be monitored entirely via Bluetooth

If you are interested in more details about my electrical system, or if you are interested in understanding how a Camper’s electrical system works and learning how to create your own entirely Do-It-Yourself system, I recommend the following insights:

• Complete Maxi-Guide to the Electrical System + Wiring Diagram for Your DIY Van Conversion.

• Converting a Van: How to Connect Electric Cables Without Mistaking
  

The lighting of a camper van is definitely one of the aspects that more than many others really makes you feel at home wherever you are.

In our van, we installed:

• A 5Watt LED lamp in the Bathroom

• 8 Dimmable LED Spotlights (at 3Watts)

• 2 Reading Lights (at the head of the bed)

• 2 Led strips (under-shelves)

The bathroom lamp and reading lights were initially too bright, to the point of stunned eyes. To overcome this problem, we treated them by inserting 2-layers of LED filters (Lightdims).

Planning to live in our full-time camper van for long periods of time, after much reflection we agreed that having a shower was a must for our sanity.

At the same time, we tried to have a relatively large supply of clear water, to get to be self-sufficient for at least a week.

Our water system in brief:

• 135L Clear Water Tank

• 80L Dark Water Tank (under the van)

• Probe in Both Tanks to Monitor Levels

• A Sink in the Kitchen

• 2 Showers (one indoor and one outdoor)

• Water pump from max. 7/L minute

• Expansion Vessel (to prevent hiccup water)

Compared to the electrical system, the installation of the water system costs much less (and we did not make too low-cost choices anyway; the cost can still be much less!).

If you are interested in more information about the water system, I suggest you read the article:

• Do-It-Yourself Van Conversion: Complete Guide to the Water System.

Keeping humidity under control and maintaining a pleasant temperature inside one’s camper van are essential aspects of high livability and being able to experience the vehicle for long periods of time.

For ventilation (eliminating odors, changing stale air, expelling moisture etc.) we decided to install a fan Maxxfan Deluxe, with a rain cover.

For heating instead, both water and air, we ordered from China a JP Heater combi6KW.

If you are interested in learning more about how they work or why our choice fell on these devices, I recommend the following articles:

• How to Install a 12V Maxxfan on Your Van.

• Heating for a DIY Van Conversion: Gas, Diesel or Electric?

When traveling by van, the best way to save money is definitely to cook your own meals.

Therefore, we decided to invest some extra money in a good kitchen, to save more in the future.

The main elements we installed are:

• An 85L Isotherm Cruise Compressor Fridge (enough for us to stay over 2 weeks without grocery shopping…and keep beer cold even in summer! 😉 )

• A Two Plate Induction Hob

• A Sink large enough to wash Dishes and Pans (50x45cm) with pull-out faucet

If you are interested in reading insights on the topic of cooking, I leave you with the following insights:

• The Best Refrigerators for a Motorhome – Which One to Choose?

• Guide to Cooking in a Camper Van

Planning, building and waterproofing the bath-shower was certainly one of the most ambitious projects in our camper project (and also one of the ones that took the most time!).

In a dedicated area of 105×62.5cm, we created both a shower and a Compostable toilet entirely built Do-It-Yourself.

For waterproofing, we used 2 layers of Mapei WPS liquid rubber, covered with mosaic tiles (one job, one adventure! hahah).

Surprisingly, the cost of all the work was not TOO excessive, on the contrary: DIY in this case saved us quite a bit of money(a high-end compostable toilet alone would have cost more than 1000Euro!).

(Note: In the costs given here, the cost of the outdoor shower is also included)

If you might be interested in insights into how we built our shower or what prompted us to build a Compostable toilet, I’ll leave you with the following articles:

• How to Build a Shower in a DIY Campervan

• DIY Van Conversion: How to build a DIY Toilet

Furnishing a camper van is a very personal thing, and certainly, the aspect that differentiates each individual project the most. In the end, the beauty of DIY camper vans is that, at the end of the conversion, you find yourself with an unique vehicle, built exactly to satisfy your needs.

In our case, we tried to combine functionality with stylistic choices that would make us feel at home in any corner of the world.

Following this philosophy, we installed:

• One Bed Convertible into Dinette

• A Lagun table

• A Quality Memory Foam Mattress

• Custom Furniture built with what we would then stow inside it in mind

The main cost of this step certainly was the raw material: wood (4×4 lath, multi-layer dinette/bed tops, laminated worktops, custom veneer tops for furniture, etc.).

In the initial plan, in order to save money, we had thought of installing already pre-made furniture from Ikea to save us the hard work of having to build it, but once we saw the curved walls of our van, we thought that to optimize the use of space, it would be better to create customized furniture right to the millimeter.

In this small chapter, I have included the cost of all the items and accessories we purchased to make our van habitable.

As in the previous case, item choices are very personal choices, where you can spend a little or a lot depending on your taste and availability.

In this area, we did not want to invest more and went quite economical: in fact, our idea is to slowly “fill” our little house on wheels during our travels with typical utensils and accessories, objects to which we can tie a memory or a story.

Every Do-It-Yourself Camper Van, besides having an economic value (which can vary greatly depending on the project), definitely has a very high emotional value: in the end, it is the result of something created with passion and sweat through one’s own hands!

In order to enjoy it to the fullest and for a long time, I think it is essential to take safety measures.

In our van, we installed:

• a Carbon Monoxide Sensor (for sleeping peacefully)
• Two 2KG fire extinguishers (in the event of sparkles/fire principles)
• A Satellite Alarm to monitor the location of the van at all times (in case of theft)
• A small hidden killswitch (to prevent vehicle ignition and theft by malicious parties)
• Magnetotherms on the 220AC system, to prevent electrocution and potential causes of fire

Meroni UFO3 Door Locks and a Fiamma Duo Safe (to extra-lock all doors) Seems quite some protection, but if you think it well, it makes sense to spend money on security to prevent a greater loss: even with 4-5 anti-theft systems, the cost of security will likely be about 2/3% of the entire cost of your conversion.

In this section, I have included the costs of those accessories that I consider necessary to refuel the van (water, electricity, etc.) or solve potential emergencies on the road.

These include:

• The Extension for Recharging from the Column

• 220V-12V Emergency Charger Kit for Lithium Batteries

• Cables with clamps for bridging (in case the starter battery is completely discharged, I can reactivate it using the service batteries)

• Hose Reel for Water Refilling

• Snow Chains for Crafter/Sprinter

In this section, I have collected the costs of all the non-strictly essential accessories we installed.

These are the accessories that we could have done without, not strictly necessary but nice to have. In our case, we decided to invest a quite large sum to increase the usability and enjoyability of our DIY Campervan (being it our home too 😉 ).

These include:

• Plate for front swivel seats

• Bike rack

• Parking Wedges

• Rearview Camera for Parking

• TV/Monitor

• Picnic Set

In the future, we are also thinking of investing in an awning and a Mifi antenna for better Internet reception, but we have decided to wait and install them only when we find it really necessary (or for when we have more money!).

In my case, finding myself converting a van for the first time, I needed to purchase quite a few tools and hand tools.

Some tools I already had at home (e.g., screwdrivers, drill, etc.), some I was able to borrow (circular saw, heavy-duty crimping machine etc.), but I think a good 80% I needed to purchase.

In this account of tools and materials I have included:

• Tools for Cutting, Filing and Working with Wood

• Tools for Wiring the Electrical System

• Adhesive Tapes and Scotch

• Glues and Silicones

• Paints and Impregnants

• Putty and Brushes

• Work clothing (goggles, gloves etc.)

On a final note: I thought of making a total also of all the “wrong” expenses and the costs of “mistakes”that I probably could have avoided by having more experience or a few more guides to read.

Van Conversion, in fact, is a project made up of many micro-projects, and to do it entirely DIY you have to take courage and put your hands in various areas: research, carpentry, electricity, plumbing, design, assembly, and much more!

Mistakes, both in purchasing and processing, are unfortunately physiological and part of the learning process and must be accepted.

If I were to redo the van a second time, surely I know I could do it even better and maybe even spend less. Personally, if this is your first experience, I would advise you to consider 1-2% of your budget for “mistakes and wrong expenses” – you learn by making mistakes!