HOW MUCH DOES A USED VAN CONVERSION COST?
If you are considering buying a used van conversion or selling your own van conversion, we hope this is a great resource for you to determine a fair price for selling or buying a used van conversion.
Here are the factors you need to determine in order to come up with a fair purchase price of a used van build:
1) Determine the price of the vehicle itself
Using kbb.com, you should be able to get a good idea of what just the van itself is worth. You will need to know the following information:
What is the make, model and year?
How many miles does it have?
What extra features does it have that aren’t “standard” (i.e. navigation, heated seats, leather seats, navigation, etc)?
Is the title clean? Does it have a clean carfax?
How is the condition of the van? Has standard maintenance been done?
With all of this information, you should be able to get a good idea of what the van is worth. Note that it it’s a used Sprinter van, these typically sell for more than the “fair” price listed on Kelley Blue Book due to demand in the market.
Next up, you’ll want to determine what materials were used in the van conversion…
2) Determine the overall price of the van build materials
Ask the builder/seller to provide you with a list of components and materials what were used in the van build. You can look up pricing of most of the components online to give you an overall total of what actually went into the van conversion.
Here are some good questions to ask:
What are the specs of the electrical system?
What type of batteries (AGM, Lead Acid, Lithium), size (AH’s) and how many?
What are the specs on the inverter? 2000 Watt? 3000 Watt? Is it an Inverter Charger?
How do I charge my batteries?
Is there solar? If so, how many watts?
Is there shore power?
Do the batteries charge from the alternator when driving?
What components are 12 volt versus 110?
Typically in a high end van conversion the lights, fridge, vent fans, heater, etc will all be 12 volt. These are more efficient and will not draw as much power from your battery bank. If these aren’t 12 volt, the builder probably used 110 volt materials because they are a lot cheaper.
What is the plumbing setup?
How many gallons of fresh water?
Are there grey/black water tanks?
Is there a water heater?
How do you fill the water tank?
Is there a shower?
How is the van insulated?
What type of insulation did the builder use?
Are there any outside features (i.e. roof rack, ladder, windows, etc)
Is there a roof rack? Was it made by a reputable company like Aluminess?
Is there a ladder?
Was any rust prevention done?
We typically have the roof of the van sprayed with a truck bed liner to prevent rust issues. Sometimes we also do the lower panels and below on the Sprinter van since they are also prone to rust in that area.
Were windows installed in the van? If so, how many and where? What type of window are they (i.e. are they a t-vent window that can open)
Are the wheels and tires original or have they been replaced?
What type of materials and wood was used?
There will be a cost difference based on the type of wood that was used. Baltic birch plywood is much more expensive than birch plywood from Home Depot. Similarly, pine wood is much cheaper than poplar or cedar.
Ask the builder what type of wood was used. If MDF was used, note that it is very heavy and prone to moisture damage.
Did they use baltic birch plywood? Or plywood from Home Depot?
What is the ceiling material?
What are the cabinets made of?
What is the flooring material?
Vinyl is the best bet when it comes to flooring in a van due to its waterproof features.
Last but not least is labor…
3) Determine the labor hours that went into the van and the experience level of the builder to put a fair price on the labor that went into the van conversion
Once you know the Value of the Van and Total Cost of the Conversion Materials you just need a labor cost to finalize the price.
Understand that van conversions can take hundreds of hours depending on the layout and features. A conversion company will typically charge a figure for labor close to the total cost of the materials added to the van. Again, this is a professional build company.
A DIY van builder should not charge the same amount for their labor as their skillset is not as refined and the quality of their work as high.
I would only consider someone who has built at least 2-3 vans to come even close to this category unless they have additional experience in construction.
Value of the Van + Total Cost of Materials + Labor
= Conversion Van Value (Selling Price)
If you are considering selling your used conversion van or purchasing a used van we are happy to be a resource for you. We offer 30 Minute Consult Calls which can be purchased here.