Our Van Build Budget
One of the things we were most curious to know when we were planning our van build was how much it would cost! Especially since we were looking to build on a tight budget, but still have a luxury look.
During our build, we kept track of every penny we spent (including things like screws and tape!) and broke down what we spent into categories to represent different parts of our build. This way, you’ll know exactly how much it costs to build a “Budget-Luxury” van like ours!
Below is a breakdown of how much our van cost, what each category of the build cost, and what our most expensive items were.
If you’re interested in all the ways we saved money during our van build, read this post: The Ultimate Guide to Saving Money on Your Van Build
To get all the details about our van, including Sprinter specs, appliances and finishes, visit this page: Our Van Details
If you just love spreadsheets and want to see the numbers down to the penny, check out our Van Build Costs Spreadsheet
Our Total Van Build Cost (Including The Van!)
Let’s lead with the big number… our total van build cost including the price of the van. Then we’ll break down each individual spending category below.
Total Build Cost: $25,700
Sprinter Van Cost
What did the van itself cost us? The dealer price was $16,390. But after all the necessary additional expenses that come with purchasing a vehicle, including taxes, tags, title and first month insurance, it cost us $17,900.
Sprinter Van Cost: $17,900
Van Conversion Cost
The total van conversion cost included everything from the wood and screws, to the appliances, to the mattress for the bed and cushions for the couch, to the shiplap on the walls and vinyl plank on the floors, to the organizational bins in the cabinets.
Click on a category in this listing (from largest to smallest expense) to be taken to any specific category breakdown: Electrical, Kitchen, Windows & Fan, Safety & Security, Maintenance, Bedroom, Walls & Ceiling, Insulation, Propane System, Organization, Fasteners, Glue, Tape & Paint, Water System, Cab, Couch, Tools, Bathroom, or Decor.
Total Van Conversion Cost: $7,790
Electrical
By far our largest conversion category was electrical. Our van has batteries that can be charged three ways: through solar, shore power, or the van’s alternator. We also have an inverter so we can use standard household 120 volt appliances like our mini-fridge, phone chargers, and toaster.
We saved money on our electrical system by purchasing most solar system items during a holiday sale (saving 22%!) and by using lead-acid marine batteries instead of more expensive AGM or lithium batteries. Rest assured, we created a battery box that safely vents to the outside of the van.
While we expected the solar panels and charging equipment to cost a lot, we were surprised by how much electrical cables and connectors cost. Our electrical system made up 25% of our spending on the van conversion.
Related:
Electrical System Full Breakdown (Coming Soon)
Most Expensive Items:
Electrical Cost: $1,920
Kitchen
Kitchen costs included the cabinets, countertops, hardware, backsplash, table, and appliances. Please note that our water system and propane systems are separate categories discussed below.
We kept costs down by using a 120-volt mini-fridge that we already owned, building our own cabinets, purchasing our cabinet doors secondhand, and getting a laminate concrete-look countertop from Ikea.
Surprisingly, installing a real subway tile backsplash was much cheaper (15 cents per tile) than purchasing peel and stick tiles, and it looks great! Just note that we used flexible silicone caulk in place of standard grout, which was a more expensive and time-consuming process, but necessary for a structure that will be moving and flexing.
Related:
Everything in our Kitchen, Water & Propane System (Coming Soon)
Purchasing Our Cabinet Doors at Habitat Restore (We Saved $315!)
Most Expensive Items:
Plywood For Cabinets – $230
Cabinet Doors & Shelves – $85
Concrete-Look Countertop – $75
Kitchen Cost: $850
Windows & Fan
This is a category that we saved a lot of money on by going second-hand and avoiding premium products. Typically, you can buy Sprinter-specific CRL windows for hundreds of dollars each. Instead, we pulled large sliding windows from a step-truck in a junkyard for $25 each. It took a little more effort, and we did need to modify the frames to install the windows, but going to the junkyard saved us over $1,000.
Additionally, because the bunk windows we wanted were on backorder, we ended up purchasing much cheaper windows that were made for an RV instead of a van. They look and work great, and we’re very happy with our choice.
We were able to get our fan at a discount by purchasing a damaged-box item from Amazon Warehouse. The fan was as good as new, and we saved a couple bucks.
Most Expensive Items:
Bunk Windows (2) – $255
Maxxair Fan 5100 – $235
Step Truck Windows (2) – $50
Windows & Fan Cost: $645
Safety & Security
Safety and security are personal, so you might want very different items than we chose for our van. This category included security features like an additional slam lock for the rear doors, dash camera, and vehicle security stickers. It also included safety items like our propane, smoke and CO detectors; fire extinguishers; and road safety items like traction mats and a bottle jack (since our van didn’t come with one).
Ultimately, we would have bought the cheaper Slick Lock set because we couldn’t use the side door lock due to the modifications we made to the wall (due to the shiplap, there wasn’t enough clearance for the door to close with the lock installed).
Our favorite item is our dash cam which also functions as a backup camera and can show us what’s going on outside the van when we’re inside, as well as records if there is any impact while the van is parked!
Related:
Safety & Security Items We Have in Our Van Conversion (Coming Soon)
10 Safety Items You NEED In Your Van Build (Coming Soon)
Most Expensive Items:
Safety & Security Cost: $540
Maintenance
This is one of the categories that will vary hugely depending on the van you buy and the skills you have. Luckily, Austin is a mechanic, so he was able to do a thorough pre-purchase inspection and perform all maintenance himself.
One of the largest expenses we had was purchasing a new key from the Mercedes dealer, since our van was sold to us with only one key. First, the keys are very expensive… we paid $140 for ours. Then, they have to program the key to work specifically with your van, and it turns out this is an extremely expensive process ($180 just for one key!). We also got a few key shanks from the dealer, which are the metal parts that can unlock the door but not start the van. Luckily, these were much cheaper at $10 for 3.
We also bought a bottle jack, which typically comes with a vehicle, but was not included with our pre-owned van. Other maintenance items for our van included sealing a leaking windshield, polishing our headlights, replacing our headlight and taillight bulbs, resealing a leaking valve stem on one of our tires, and replacing the windshield wiper blades.
Related:
Exactly the Parts You Need to Do Basic Maintenance on Your Sprinter Van (Coming Soon)
How to DIY a Sprinter Van Oil Change & Save $250 (Coming Soon)
Most Expensive Items:
Van Key & Programming – $320
12 Ton Bottle Jack – $30
Headlight & Taillight Bulbs – $30
Maintenance Cost: $515
Bedroom
Our bedroom costs included the wood and hardware to build the bed platform, and everything that went on the bed including the mattress, foam topper, sheets, and comforter.
If we did our build again, we would buy a thicker mattress… the 5 inch mattress we bought to “save space” was really uncomfortable, so we spent an additional $100 on a mattress topper, which made our total mattress height 8 inches anyway.
Related:
Everything in Our Van Bedroom (Coming Soon)
Most Expensive Items:
Bedroom Cost: $510
Walls & Ceiling
We used nickel-gap shiplap for our walls and ceiling, and PVC quarter round trim. This was purely a design choice because there are cheaper methods of cladding your build. However, during the installation process we found that we enjoyed using individual shiplap boards rather than 4 x 8 sheets of plywood or imitation shiplap, because they were much easier to custom cut and work with.
To save money, we spent time calculating exactly how much shiplap we needed, including how many boards of varying lengths, to reduce waste. Then during construction, we were careful to use the leftover pieces as much as possible. In the end, we were able to return
This category would typically include floors as well, however, we were able to use a free box of flooring left over from a home improvement project. We also included our magnetic mosquito netting because it acts as walls while the doors are open.
Related:
How to Install Shiplap In Your Van Conversion (Coming Soon)
Most Expensive Items:
½ inch and ¾ inch PVC trim – $30
Walls and Ceiling Cost: $490
Insulation
We did a cost analysis for various types of insulation to determine what the most cost-effective type would be, without compromising insulative ability. The winner by far was foam board and spray foam insulation, which have high R-values and affordable prices. This insulation was frankly a pain to install, involving hours of cutting weird shapes to stuff into the hollow columns and doors. However, it is very good at insulating.
Please note that this cost includes the cost of the subfloor, which insulation was a structural part of. We framed the subfloor with 2x2s and covered the insulation with plywood.
Most Expensive Items:
23/32″ Plywood Sheathing for Subfloor (4) – $170
1″ x 4′ x 8′ Polyisocyanurate Foam Board (5) – $120
1.5″ x 4′ x 8′ XPS Foam Board (4) – $100
Insulation Cost: $475
Propane System
Our propane system includes a 20 lb. propane tank inside a sealed and vented locker in our garage. Lines from this tank run to our cooktop and our portable heater. There are a lot of lines, connectors, and a regulator that you need for a propane system, and they add up quick!
We saved $100 on our cooktop by applying for the Amazon Prime Visa credit cards, and getting an instant $100 gift card, each. This made a $200 cooktop only $100!
We also purchased our heater secondhand ($25 savings) from someone who also offered us 8 propane canisters for the low price of $5.
Related:
Everything You Need For a Super Simple Van Conversion Propane System (Coming Soon)
Most Expensive Items:
Ramblewood 2 Burner Cooktop – $95 ($195 value)
Propane Tubing, Fittings & Connectors – $225
Mr. Heater Buddy Heater – $50 ($75 value)
Propane System Cost: $400
Organization & Cleaning
Most of our organizational items were purchased from Ikea and Walmart, which was much cheaper than options we could find online or in stores like The Container Store. We found that containers to hold food in the upper cabinets, packing cubes for our clothing, and hooks for hanging items were indispensable. We also purchased hooks for organizing our garage.
We bought the packing cubes on clearance at Walmart, so we’ve linked a similar item below. And we purchased the Ikea Komplement sliding drawers in our kitchen cabinet secondhand on OfferUp.
We also included cleaning items such as a cordless vacuum and broom in this category.
Related:
6 Must-Have Organizers For Your Van Build (Coming Soon)
Ultimate List of Van Conversion Cleaning Products (Coming Soon)
Ikea Hacks For Your Van Conversion (Coming Soon)
Most Expensive Items:
Organization Cost: $250
Fasteners, Glue, Tape & Paint
It is incredible how much the items in this category can add up. We spent over $200 on this stuff! Also, this is one of the categories where spending can vary widely depending on what you already have.
Personally, we had a garage full of various fasteners (screws, nails, nuts, bolts, etc.), glue, tape, and paint. We didn’t end up having to buy paint at all, since there was some left over from home improvement projects.
We bought the packing cubes on clearance at Walmart, so we’ve linked a similar item below. And we purchased the Ikea Komplement sliding drawers in our kitchen cabinet secondhand on OfferUp.
We also included cleaning items such as a cordless vacuum and broom in this category.
Fasteners, Glue, Tape & Paint Cost: $230
Water System
Our water system includes everything below the faucet in our kitchen. Shower costs are noted in the Bathroom category, except for the Aquatainer which is included here. We saved money by getting our sink at a garage sale for $5, and our faucet on clearance for $12. Both items would have cost over $80 new.
We also made our water system as simple as possible, which meant we didn’t have to purchase expensive water tanks, electric pumps, water heaters, etc. Instead, our sink is foot pump operated, which we purchased second-hand for 50% of the list price. We also do not have a fancy water filter, instead using a Brita filter (bought secondhand) on our counter.
These costs also include the items needed to procure water, including a RV filter, drinking water hose, and sillcock key.
Related:
Our Super Simple & Cheap Water System (Coming Soon)
How We Get Water On The Road (Coming Soon)
Water System Diagram (Coming Soon)
Most Expensive Items:
Water System: $200
Cab
These items were entirely optional upgrades to the cab of our van, where we sit when we’re driving. The most expensive item we purchased was a ScanGauge, which is an OBD scanner that gives statistics on the engine and computer while driving. Austin didn’t feel that the readouts on the gauges gave enough information (such as engine temperature) while we were driving, so for us this was a must. It also gives interesting information like fuel economy.
We already had a Bluetooth adapter, but if we didn’t, we would have bought one. Our steering wheel was in terrible shape when we bought the van, so we bought a steering wheel cover and Austin hand-stitched it on. Now it looks as good as new! It also includes things like magnetic phone mounts and a mirror for the back of the visor.
Related:
5 Essential Products For Your Van Conversion Cab To Make Driving a Dream (Coming Soon)
Most Expensive Items:
Cab Cost: $185
Couch
Our couch is a relatively small area of our van which functions as a couch and seating at our table when eating or working. Most people either sew their own couch cushion covers or get them custom upholstered, but our skills are lacking in the sewing department, and upholstery was too expensive of an option.
What we decided to do was purchase foam to cut to size and get pre-sized elastic covers. This worked out well but we did need to tighten the couch cushion covers using grommets and string so they fit better.
We used leftover plywood from other parts of the build to construct the base of the couch, and we purchased the hinges secondhand at a Habitat ReStore so they were very inexpensive.
Related:
How To Make Van Conversion Couch Cushions For Cheap (Coming Soon)
Most Expensive Items:
Couch Cost: $170
Tools
This is another category that will vary widely depending on the tools you already have. We had a full garage and tool set, and still needed to buy new blades, specific size/shape bits and hole saws, and more. We particularly loved the Forstner bit set that we bought, which we used many many times throughout the project. Same goes for the heat gun, which had applications we didn’t even imagine when we bought it (shrink wrapping electrical wires and applying veneer edging to the cabinets).
What we decided to do was purchase foam to cut to size and get pre-sized elastic covers. This worked out well but we did need to tighten the couch cushion covers using grommets and string so they fit better.
We used leftover plywood from other parts of the build to construct the base of the couch, and we purchased the hinges secondhand at a Habitat ReStore so they were very inexpensive.
Related:
Top Tools For Making Your Van Conversion Easier (Coming Soon)
Most Expensive Items:
Forstner Bit Set – $25
Heat Gun – $20
Tools Cost: $150
Bathroom
Instead of installing a shower (which is added expense and takes away space), we decided to use an Aquatainer and shower pump for an outdoor shower. Originally, we purchased items and assembled a RoadShower to mount on the roof, but decided that the expense and difficulty of filling and using it was not worth it. We are very happy with our outdoor shower setup, combined with showers at Planet Fitness.
For our bathroom, we went with a chemical toilet instead of a composting toilet because we knew we’d be using public restrooms most of the time. We saved $100 on our toilet by applying for the Amazon Prime Visa credit cards, and getting an instant $100 gift card, each. This made a $155 toilet only $55!
Related:
Do You Really Need a Shower In Your Van Conversion? (Coming Soon)
Chemical Toilets VS Composting Toilets (Coming Soon)
How To Build a RoadShower (and is it worth it?) (Coming Soon)
Most Expensive Items:
Microfiber Packable Towels (2 sets) – $35
Shower Head/Pump – $25
Bathroom Cost: $130
Decor
Obviously, this category is totally personal and will depend on what you want your van to look like! For us, the entryway needed a mirror and shelves for our small plants, as well as hooks to hold our backpacks and jackets.
We picked up a throw pillow at GoodWill, and bought a message board and letters, rugs, and a door mat for our front step. We also decided to get a scratch off map of the United States and National Parks so we could keep track of our journey as we went!
Related:
Decor Ideas That Will Make Your Van Build Look Like a Home (Coming Soon)
Most Expensive Items:
Decor Cost: $105
Want receipts?
See exactly what we spent every penny on in this spreadsheet.
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