There are many things to consider when buying a van. There is even more to consider when finding the right van for your lifestyle. When you are trying decide what van to buy, its important to think about how much space you’ll need, what kind of budget you have, and how your van is going to serve you. Here, I’ll break down those factors and help guide you to your decision to take the next step.
When you’re looking at buying a van, its important to have realistic expectations and an understanding of who you are and how you operate. A little bit of introspection can go a long way to help you decide what van to buy. You can make it work, but you’ll have a much easier transition if you have a good idea where to start.
Decide What Space You Want to Occupy
Deciding what kind of a space you want to occupy is probably the single most important thing when deciding what kind of van to buy. Living in a small space comes with the territory, so if you’re already looking at buying a van, you’re halfway there! Once you’ve gotten this far, the next step is really focusing on just what kind of a space you want to live in. It’s basically the difference between living in a tiny house and living in a mansion, even when it comes to vans. Be realistic. Some of us are perfectly equipped to live in a tiny house but some of us need the extra space of a mansion to be happy. If you’re the latter, you’re going to struggle with your living space more if you choose to live in a VW bus much more than if you convert a skoolie.
Here’s a few things to ask yourself to figure out just how big of a space you’ll need:
Do I want a shower inside my van? A dedicated space for a toilet?
Do I want to live inside my van or am I okay using it for travel and sleep, and living outside?
Do I want a full wardrobe?
How much and what kind of food storage do I want?
Am I bringing the kids? Pets?
Am I going to be traveling solo or am I traveling with a significant other?
Am I using my space for weekend and vacations or as a full-time living space?
There isn’t a “correct” way to live in a vehicle. If you feel minimalist is the way to go and feel excited about spending lots of time in nature, your commute or adventure vehicle might just be the perfect fit. Cars, trucks, hathbacks, to SUV’s can all make perfectly good vehicles for your nomadic lifestyle. Folks often use Subaru because they are a great all-around vehicle to maximize both space, ruggedness, and fuel efficiency. You won’t be able to have indoor facilities without decent modifications, but this is a great, simple option. This is also a great way to get your feet wet and make sure this is the lifestyle for you.
Decide What Type of Budget You Have
Vans come in all shapes, sizes, and builds. That means they can range drastically in price. I believe that the van lifestyle is accessible to many so its important to figure out an idea of your budget ahead of buying your van. To set yourself up for success, budget should play a large role when you decide what kind of van to buy.
Typically, when we discuss budget, we mean hard numbers such as “I can afford $30 for fast-food this week” or “I can afford $2000 in rent each month”. “I can save $100 every two weeks.” While this type of budgeting is important, we don’t talk enough about how we spend our money.
Think about this. When you buy a house or a car, most people can’t pay the full amount in cash. We lease our cars and mortgage our homes. We take months, years, even decades to make renovations. Think about your van budget in this frame of mind. Do you have the money for your van/van build right now? Or do you need to spread your spending out over time?
I fall into the latter category and to hopefully illustrate better, I’m going to use $50k as our example. Say you find a completely built out van that fits your needs perfectly for sale for $50,000. Do you have $50k saved up so that you can buy it in cash? If not, can you take out a loan for $50k and pay back the loan over time?
Those are two options. If the answer to either or both of those is “no”, don’t worry – that’s not the end of the line! There are still other options, so don’t be discouraged.
What cash do you have on hand? What kind of loan can you get?
I bought LuLu using a personal loan. The loan I have has reasonable monthly payments. I could not afford to purchase something for $50k and that’s okay! Yes, I am doing the build myself and at the end, is it possible that I’ve made her worth $50,000? Absolutely! That I’ve put in 10s of thousands of dollars into making her exactly what I want? Also completely possible! The difference lies in how much I can afford at any given time.
If you can’t afford custom built cupboards the day you buy your van, that’s okay. I bought and repurposed a house cupboard for $50 from Humanity Re-Store as well as the hardware, faucet, and basin. I found an old countertop for free and cut it to the right size and shape. All of that ends up being about $120 worth of materials, but that’s spread over 6 months. Not only is that much more affordable than custom cabinets, I didn’t have to have $120 outright.
Maybe, at the end of the day, you don’t have the ability to take out a loan or have the savings to buy a van. Maybe instead, you can afford a sheet of plywood for the trunk of your car, a sleep pad, and a sleeping bag (or, if you’re like me and hate sleeping bags – grab that comforter set from your bedroom). Once you know what kind of a budget you have, the better idea you have on what you can afford and what you need to save for.
What Does Your Van Mean to You?
Now that you’ve thought about space and size, the next thing you should consider when you decide what van to buy is what your van means to you and your lifestyle.
Do you want or need all the luxuries of home? RVs are great for maximizing living space and luxury. Skoolies are also a great size for maximizing space and they are endlessly convertible.
Are you mechanically inclined? Do you enjoy learning everything there is to know about what you’re driving? A Volkswagen or older model van may be cheaper at the start and be simple to fix yourself along the way. They have far fewer electronics and computers, meaning its easier to figure it out as you go.
Is getting in, starting up, and turning on the AC your best version? A Sprinter or a Transit are probably both good options.
Is your van just a way to get from destination to destination? Something simple is a great option and there’s no need to shy away from considering smaller options like Subaru and SUVs.
Consider the market for your van as well. Life happens so its important to consider not only how you’re going to buy your van, but what it’s going to be like if you need to sell it. I knew when I bought LuLu that I would be able to sell her if I needed to. She’s a classic and people love Volkswagen. She was, however, difficult to track down in my price range. Sprinter vans are easy to find and people always seem to be in the market for them. About about something like a box truck? An old ambulance? A skoolie? What about a 90’s van or an 80s Winnebago? All important things to think about when you decide what van you want to buy.
When I found LuLu, I knew I wasn’t going to have the money for a brand new van or a custom build. I knew it would all be me and I’d have to put in a lot of time, effort, and money building one myself, so it was super important to me that I loved not only my van, but every bit of time I spent with her. That’s why I chose a VW bus. Above all else, I wanted something I’d feel passionate about.
To help you out even further, I wanted to include some price ranges for different vans. They vary greatly depending on condition, mileage, and anything that has been added to for living so keep that in mind. Private sellers, forums, Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace, car lots/websites, and fields are all place where you might be able to find your gem of a van, so keep an eye out. All values are approximations.
2023 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter $49,000
2014 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter $40k-$50k2023 Ford Transit $45,000
2014 Ford Transit $20,0002024 Winnebago Camper Van $140,000
80’s era Winnebago found on FB Marketplace $150 (ran but with a completely destroyed interior)60’s era Volkswagen $50,000
70’s era Volkswagen $10,000-$20,000
80′ era Volkswagen $20,000
2024 Volkswagen ID.Buzz $55,0002021 Promaster with complete build $79,000
Full-length Skoolie $30,000
Short Skoolie $25,000
Skoolie with complete build $75,000
There is a ton to consider to decide what van to buy, so let this guide help you navigate one of the more important choices in your journey. Let it steer you in the right direction to know where to focus your efforts and research. There are an abundance of options and it can be overwhelming out there, so narrowing it down will help you from getting frustrated before you even start.
Did this help you out in your decision making? What did you decide? Need more guidance? Let me know down below! And as always, feel free to ask any questions!
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