Campervan Conversion Cost Breakdown by Van Size and Spec

Why Van Size Drives the Cost

When people ask what a campervan conversion costs, the honest answer is "it depends on the van." Two factors tied to size move the price more than almost anything else: the volume you're fitting out and the base vehicle you start with.

A bigger van has more wall, floor and ceiling area to insulate and line, more cubic space to heat, and room for more (and larger) furniture, appliances and systems. A full-height Sprinter with a fixed bathroom simply contains more materials and more labour than a compact VW T6 pop-top. On top of that, the larger platforms cost more to buy in the first place.

One rule applies throughout this guide: every price below is for the conversion work only. The base vehicle is a separate cost on top. When a converter quotes you a figure, they almost always mean the fit-out — insulation, electrics, furniture, kitchen and roof — not the van itself. Always ask explicitly: "Does this include the van?"

This guide breaks the cost down by van size across three spec tiers, so you can see how a budget, mid-range and premium build compares on each platform.

The Three Size Classes

UK conversions cluster into three broad size classes:

Compact Vans (VW T6, Vivaro, Transit Custom)

Compact vans are the most popular conversions in the UK and the natural choice for couples, solo travellers and weekenders. The trade-off is space: a fixed double bed eats most of the floor, and a full wet bathroom is rarely practical.

Budget conversion: £12,000 – £20,000

A weekender spec — basic insulation and ply or carpet lining, a rock-and-roll bed or simple fixed platform, a two-burner hob and sink, a leisure battery with 12V lights and USB. No roof upgrade, no heating, no fridge in many cases.

Mid-range conversion: £22,000 – £38,000

The sweet spot. Proper insulation, a furniture-quality lining, a full kitchen with a 12V compressor fridge, a pop-top roof for standing height and an extra berth, a 160–300W solar system, a leisure battery bank, swivel seats and a foldaway table. Often a Truma or diesel heater.

Premium conversion: £38,000 – £55,000+

Bespoke joinery, a lithium battery bank with a Victron MPPT controller and an inverter, a diesel heater, a high-spec kitchen, and a quality pop-top. A compact van rarely justifies a full bathroom, so premium spend here goes on electrical capability, finish and materials rather than extra rooms.

A compact van is the cheapest class to convert at every tier, simply because there's less of it. It's also the cheapest to run and the easiest to park and use as a daily driver.

Medium and Large Panel Vans (Transit, Sprinter, Ducato)

Step up to a medium or large panel van and the whole proposition changes. You gain the length and the factory high-roof height to create distinct zones — a kitchen, a seating area, a fixed bed, and often a bathroom. Costs rise accordingly, driven by the extra materials, more capable systems, and the larger base vehicle.

Budget conversion: £16,000 – £26,000

A simple but spacious build: insulation and lining throughout the larger shell, a fixed bed across the back, a basic kitchen, a leisure battery and 12V system. The extra volume costs more to insulate and line than a compact van even at this tier.

Mid-range conversion: £28,000 – £48,000

A genuinely capable touring van. Full kitchen with fridge and often an oven, a fixed bed with a garage beneath, a proper solar and leisure battery setup, a diesel heater, and frequently a compact wet room or a separate shower and cassette toilet. The factory high roof means no pop-top cost.

Premium conversion: £45,000 – £70,000+

A full off-grid home: a large lithium bank (200–400Ah), a 400–600W solar array, an inverter, diesel heating with proper ducting, a full wet bathroom, a full-size fridge-freezer, and bespoke cabinetry. This is the tier most full-timers and serious tourers commission.

The larger platform is where a bathroom becomes realistic, and a bathroom alone adds roughly £2,000–£5,000 depending on whether it's a simple cassette-toilet cubicle or a fully tanked wet room with a shower.

Extra-Large Vans (LWB Sprinter, Crafter, Ducato Maxi)

The largest platforms are commissioned almost exclusively for full-time living and long European or expedition touring. At this size everything is bigger: more insulation, larger water tanks, bigger battery banks, and the longest build times.

Typical conversion cost: £40,000 – £80,000+

Budget builds on this size are uncommon because few people buy an extra-large van for occasional use. Most are mid-to-premium specifications with a fixed bathroom, a large galley kitchen, a substantial off-grid electrical system and four-season insulation and heating. The base vehicles are also the most expensive to buy, which pushes the all-in figure (van plus conversion) well into five figures even before a premium fit-out.

Side-by-Side: Mid-Range Conversion by Size

To see the effect of size clearly, here's a typical mid-range conversion-only cost on each class — same broad spec, different volume:

The pattern is consistent: each step up in size adds several thousand pounds at the same spec level, before you've added a single optional extra.

How Spec Multiplies the Difference

Size sets the floor; spec sets the ceiling. The gap between a budget and a premium build on the *same* van is often as large as the gap between van sizes. A compact van can cost £12,000 as a weekender or £55,000 as a bespoke off-grid build. The single biggest spec decisions are:

Don't Forget the Base Vehicle

Because every figure above is conversion-only, your total budget is always conversion cost plus the van. As a rough guide for used vehicles around three years old:

A larger van therefore costs more twice over: more to buy and more to convert. That's why the choice of platform is the most consequential budgeting decision you'll make.

Getting an Accurate Figure for Your Build

Ranges are useful for planning, but the only way to know your number is to specify your build and get quotes. Use our conversion cost calculator to choose a van size, spec tier and add-ons and see an indicative range, then compare it against real converter pricing and request quotes from builders within your budget.