Choosing the base van for your campervan conversion is not an easy decision. As well as the make and model perhaps the biggest decision is what size of van to go for. Too small and you’ll be wishing you had more space. Too big and you might have trouble driving and parking. There are a few factors to think about, so let’s think about them.
Budget and availability
You might think that bigger vans cost me, and generally this isn’t the case. Smaller vans are in demand, and often there are less of them for sale. Whereas there are typically lots of big vans available, as they are more commonly used by delivery companies, utility companies, etc, and there are often lots of used examples around.
Those choice of small vans is more limited. The VW Transporter van is the most popular of the small vans, from it’s iconic days as one of the original campervans. They still have that cool factor, making them in demand and expensive. By there are other options now.
Number of people
The biggest factor in choosing the size of van is the number of people who need to travel and sleep in the van. For a couple things are simple, as pretty much any size of van will allow you to have a rock and roll bed or a permanent bed without too much to think about. A family of four requires more consideration, as you’ll need more than the typically three seats in the cab, and sleeping 4 people takes quite a bit of space. A family of 5 or more will take careful consideration, and quite probably a pretty big van.
Use
Your use of your campervan is probably the factor you should consider the most.
I’ve camped with tents all my life, and have owned campervans, big and small, for over 20 years, being single, as a couple and with a family. I’ll let you know about my experiences and what defines what I would want.
For long-term traveling, or living in a van, go for a big van. The bigger space will make such as massive difference to your everyday experience. Having a permanent bed makes a big difference. You can have more storage and generally have a nicer living space. Using a big van as a daily driver is OK, as long as you are not doing massive miles. Medium Wheel Base (MWB) vans can be parked in most car park spaces if you are careful.
For occasional camping use the choice is harder.
When camping with a tent I don’t like the time it takes (hours or even a day) to get everything ready and packed into the car or small van. There is also the time to set up when you get there, and the time to pack everything away once you get home.
With a big van you can reduce this set up and pack away time to almost nothing. By keeping your van ready to go, with all of your kit in it, you can decide to go camping, grab some food, clothes and bedding and be away. Set up when you get to the camping spot is also normally very minimal.
With a small van, how much set up is required depends on a few factors. If you are travelling along your set up time is probably none. And as a couple it’s also probably pretty small. But if you are a family of four, with a small van, you might not be able to all sleep in the van. If so you’ll need to set up a tent or an awning.
If you have a pop-up roof on your campervan you can often sleep two people in there. Just be aware the sides of the pop-up are often thin material, like a tent, and so this is not always great in high winds or winter camping. If everyone is sleeping in an insulated van winter camper is very doable.
As I write this article my wife and I are thinking about getting another campervan, for us and our two small children. Exciting times. The decision is whether to get a small van or a big van.
If we get a small van we will have a great vehicle for days out :
- A usable everyday vehicle.
- Lots of storage (compared to car).
- Fridge, cooker, etc.
- A toilet.
- A great base during the day to get changed, make lunch, etc.
But, there are downsides :
- We won’t all be able to sleep in it, and we’ll need a pop-up (which I’m not very keen on) or a tent/awning. This won’t allow good year-round camping.
- Set up and pack away time will be quite a lot (compared to a big van).
- We regularly visit the beach, and having a small van seems like a good idea for this. But in reality we’re more likely to take a car as the lanes to the beach are tight and branch lined, and parking spaces are small.
If we get a big van then we’ll have :
- A great warm/cool insulated home.
- More conveniences such as a proper bathroom and better seating.
- Everyone gets their own permanent bed and storage.
- Lots of space and storage.
And of course downsides :
- A big vehicle that takes a up a lot of driveway space.
- A less versatile vehicle that will only be used for camping, and not day trips.
- A more difficult vehicle to drive around when visiting places or traveling in general.
- Slightly more expensive running costs.
Let’s see what happens.
Parking
A vital consideration is parking. Where are you going to park the van when it’s not in use? Do you have enough space, and is it safe there? If you are touring long term or living in the van parking isn’t too much or a problem. But if you use the van occasionally and the van will be parked most of the time you’ll need to find somewhere secure for it.
If you have your own driveway with enough space then problem solved. That’s the ideal space, and you can keep your eye on the vehicle at home, and even keep a hook-up cable connected to keep the batteries topped up and a dehumidifier or hater running in winter.
If you have limited space on your driveway then you’ll need to ensure the van can be parked long term whilst allowing any other vehicles to park regularly as well. A lot of people have to carefully park their bigger campervans up against a hedge or wall to leave enough room for their cars. This is OK for occasional use.
If you have to park your van on the public road then things are different. Smaller vans are easier to park on the road as you need a smaller space, and can often park on space left by cars. Bigger vans need a bigger space of course, and if you live in a busy urban area this spaces are hard to find.
For 12 years I lived in the City of Brighton and Hove with the Blue/Silver Mercedes Sprinter you often see on this site. For 7 of those years the van was parked on the public roads. It was not easy finding a space and I often had to move the van to get it closed to home once more spaces appeared. Arriving home late at night often meant parking many streets away from where I actually lived. I also needed a parking permit. In many places street parking permits do not allow tall vehicles to be parked on the road, so watch out for this.
When parked on the public road my van received a few bumps, including having the rear light smashed and bumper knocked off!
Smaller vans are definitely easier to park on public roads!
If you do have a big van, and have no where to park it at home, then you can try a caravan storage facility. There are lots of these around, and people regularly park motorhomes and vans there. Costs are typically about £50 per month. This ads the hassle of not having the van at home to prep for journeys and quick trips.
Running costs
Running cost between a small and big van are not that different. In the UK vehicle road tax is the same for all lights good vehicles, covering all small and big vans. Insurance is similar for all types of van. Bigger vans use a little more fuel, averaging around 30mpg for a diesel, smaller vans typically 40mpg, with the very latest vans being as much as 50mpg. So, smaller vans use a little less fuel, but you won’t get the 70mpg figures unless you are looking at something like a car derived van.
Driving licence
Be sure to check you can drive a big van, and even a small one, with your current driving license.
If the UK anyone with a car driving license can drive common big vans, such as a Mercedes Sprinter, Ford Transit, etc. In the words of the DVLA “You can drive a van up to 3,500kg if you have a standard car driving licence.”
Driver confidence
If you’re new to driving just consider whether you want to start driving a big van. Maybe a few years driving smaller vans or cars is better to build up confidence and driver experience.