Below we tracked and categorized the cost and labor of our entire DIY camper van conversion. Although it varies a lot with the complexity of your project (number of features), where you are located, etc., we hope it helps you create an estimate for your own van conversion!
A few notes:
– We didn’t track hardware cost precisely, but we added it to the cost of major components.
– The hours shown are hands-on time spent building the van; we spent countless hours researching and planning (Instagram, Pinterest, YouTube, etc.) which is not accounted here…
Far Out Van 1
Completed
- 2016 Ford Transit Cargo Van
- 3.7L Ti-VCT V6 Engine
- RWD
- 148″ Wheelbase, Extended Length (EL)
- High Roof
Our first labor of love, this Ford Transit camper van conversion took us throughout Canada, USA and Mexico. 4 years of full time Van Life adventures, unreal!
| ITEM (click to view Build Journal entry) | COST ($ US) | LABOR (hour) |
|---|---|---|
| Climate Control | 3,700 | 168 |
| Thinsulate | 1,050 | 20 |
| Low-E | 130 | 6 |
| Floor insulation | 100 | |
| Roof fan | 360 | 8 |
| Webasto gas heater | 1,300 | 30 |
| Fridge floor vent | 100 | 15 |
| Insulated window covers | 500 | 80 |
| Floor vent | 80 | 8 |
| Electrical System | 4,515 | 86 |
| Solar panels | 600 | |
| Lithium batteries | 1,900 | |
| Solar Charge controller | 225 | |
| System monitor | 205 | |
| Inverter | 370 | |
| Battery charger/converter | 215 | |
| DC-to-DC charger (B2B) | 400 | |
| Others (wiring, switch, fuses, etc) | 600 | |
| Living | 11,135 | 370 |
| Swivel seat (driver & passenger) | 900 | 8 |
| Awning | 1,300 | 8 |
| Floor | 565 | 30 |
| Platform bed | 450 | 20 |
| Slide-out-bike-rack | 280 | 8 |
| Fridge & electrical cabinet | 230 | 30 |
| 12V refrigerator | 1,275 | |
| Overhead storage | 150 | 40 |
| Bedroom storage | 150 | 30 |
| Sink & stove cabinet | 280 | 40 |
| Water system | 1,100 | 40 |
| Propane system | 1,000 | 40 |
| Composting toilet | 1,200 | 20 |
| Wood paneling | ||
| Mosquito screens | 1,200 | 0 |
| Radio upgrade | 525 | 5 |
| Speakers upgrade | 130 | 8 |
| Exterior shower | 100 | 10 |
| Tire inflator | 100 | 2 |
| Garage | 200 | 20 |
| Others | 850 | 15 |
| TOTAL | $20,150 | 640h* |
* To be fair, we most likely spent close to a 1,000 hours total. There is ALWAYS time lost here and there that we did not account for…
Far Out Van 2
In Progress
- 2021 Ford Transit Cargo Van
- 3.5L EcoBoost (twin-turbocharged) Engine
- AWD
- 148″ Wheelbase, Extended Length (EL)
- High Roof
Life is about project, so here’s an awesome new project to keep us busy for a while! We should start the conversion early January 2022, the cost and labor will be updated as we progress.
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Hi Isabelle and Antoine!
You guys are amazing, huge thanks for your guides and ton of useful info!
I’m curious, hours spent on build mentioned in tables are for couple or per person? When you write “1,000 hours total” – is that ~500×2 each or 1000×2 each?
I’m dreaming to build the campervan, but for now I’m alone and trying to estimate how many hours I’d spend building it solo. Ofc I understand that it depends on lots of factors, so let’s take each of you building your Van 1 with no experience – how many hours do you think you’ll need to spend on that?
Thanks in advance!
Best,
Kirill
Hi!
The hours logged are man-hours, so 1,000 hours total = 500 hours x 2 each.
Like you mentioned, the total man-hours of a build varies a lot with the complexity and details. But as a general rule, it’s more time than you would think 😉
Hey, the numbers don’t seem to add up for the total cost – I think it’s $34,495 spent total currently.
Yep, correct!
Oh man, I liked it better before the update haha
Hi, love the site and all the info. I’m curious why your Eco Flow cot is so high on this page ($13,000 approx) but on this page (https://faroutride.com/ecoflow-vs-victron/#cost-vs-time) it’s much lower and listed as a lower cost to the diy victron approach. These two sections seem to contradict each other but I’m likely missing something. Thank you.
The comparison is made using 2 similar systems (Power Kit Gen 1 5kwh), for a fair comparison. Our Power Kit is the Gen2 10kwh and is more costly .
Thanks, that makes sense. Does that mean you’d recommend the EcoFlow over a DIY approach? And do you think in the Gen 1 meets the needs for one person full time van life, including over winter in Canada?
I know it would depend on my specific power needs, but generally speaking do you think the power kit gen 1 would be okay for a single person living full time in Canada?
You got a great site!
félicitations! super blog détail complet des étapes de fabrication.
merçi
Hi! I absolutely love your website! So much useful information, thank you! Also, do you have updated price list for the 2022 Ford Transit conversion?
Thank you!
It’s actually on this page: https://faroutride.com/cost-and-labor/#2022
We update it as we progress, it’s still a work in progress! As shown in our build journal: https://faroutride.com/van-2
🙂