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Buying Guide

How to Compare Campervan Conversion Quotes

A practical checklist for lining up UK campervan conversion quotes on the same spec — what must be in writing, and the gaps that make a cheap quote expensive.

24 September 20269 min read

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Send one written spec to listed workshops and compare the replies on the same brief.

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An indicative range from van size, spec and add-ons. It is a planning tool, not a quote.

Compare the spec, not the headline

Two quotes with the same total can be different vans. Two quotes £8,000 apart can be the same van once you line up what each one includes. Before you rank workshops on price, put every quote on one sheet and tick the same boxes.

Use the cost calculator first so you have a planning range. Then request quotes with one written brief, or ask the workshops you have shortlisted in the directory to price that same brief. The price index is a market median from published listing ranges — read the sample size on that page, and do not treat it as the price you should be quoted.

The checklist

Work through this for every quote. If a line is missing, ask for it in writing before you compare totals.

  • Conversion or van-and-conversion – State whether the base vehicle is included. Most UK workshops quote the fit-out only. If one quote includes a van and another does not, they are not comparable.
  • VAT – Confirm whether the figure is including or excluding VAT, and whether you can reclaim any of it. A 20% gap is often just the tax treatment.
  • Layout and berths – Bed type (fixed, rock-and-roll, or pop-top), how many people it sleeps, and whether the seating is crash-tested if it faces the road.
  • Insulation and lining – Material and where it goes (walls, floor, ceiling, wheel arches). "Fully insulated" is not a specification.
  • Electrical system – Battery chemistry and amp-hours, solar wattage, charge method, inverter size if any, and who designs and installs it.
  • Water and kitchen – Hob, sink, fridge type, fresh and waste tank sizes, and whether hot water is included.
  • Heating – None, diesel, or gas. Named equipment is more useful than "heater fitted".
  • Roof – Factory roof, pop-top, or high-top, and whether the roof is in the quote or a separate order.
  • Bathroom – None, portable toilet, or a plumbed shower. On a compact van, "bathroom" sometimes means a cassette in a cupboard.
  • Gas work – Which appliances use LPG, and that a Gas Safe engineer with the relevant caravan and motorhome qualification will sign the work off. The certificate is part of the job, not a favour.
  • Warranty – What is covered, for how long, parts versus labour, and who you call. See the warranty and aftercare guide.
  • Lead time – The date a slot starts, how long the build is expected to take, and what happens if it overruns. Waiting for a slot and the build itself are different numbers. The lead times guide explains how to read them.
  • Payment schedule – Deposit, stage payments, and the balance due on completion. Be wary of a large share of the price before work starts.
  • What is excluded – Habitation check, type approval or IVA if offered, delivery, and any customer-supplied parts.

    • A simple comparison table

    Make one row per workshop and one column per checklist line. Write "not included" rather than leaving a cell blank. When you are down to two or three, compare the listings side by side and visit a finished van if you can — photographs hide wiring and damp traps.

    If a quote is far below the others, assume something is missing until the workshop shows you the line that explains it. If it is far above, ask which lines (lithium and solar, a pop-top, bespoke joinery, a bathroom) are doing the work. The guide to what moves the price is the map for that conversation.

    After you choose

    Get the agreed spec, the price basis (VAT and van), the warranty and the dates into the contract before you pay a deposit. A friendly email thread is not a specification. If you are still choosing a base van, the T5, T6 and T6.1 cost guide separates the van purchase from the fit-out.

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    Ready to commission a build?

    Price the spec, then ask listed workshops for written quotes you can compare on the same brief.

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