What's a good small van to convert into a camper?

We are looking at a small camper van or van conversion to take on day trips. It needs at least three belted seats with a kitchenette. We don’t want it to large so that it can be parked in ‘normal’ car parks. We’ve considered Japanese imported cars that have been converted but are unsure what to look for. Plus they are over 10 years old for the budget we have (under 20k but would prefer to spend less as it won’t be used a lot). What do you recommend or should we forget the idea?!

Asked on 13 January 2025 by Sam R

Answered by Craig Cheetham

There are a few smaller camper vans that fit your brief, but do bear in mind that they hold their value extremely well, so even a budget of £20k won't buy you anything especially new. A VW T4 air T5 Transporter would be the most obvious choice within your budget – or alternatively a camper van derived from a short-wheelbase Ford Transit or Renault Traffic, both of which are less expensive than the VW but also fairly prolific on the used market.

Tags: vans camper conversion

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