It’s time to move into the van!! I have bought three vans to convert now, and I am only 22 years old. The first was the worst, second was okay, and the third has been my best purchase so far. I have finally figured out the hidden flaws to look for on the body and a little bit mechanically.

What Kind of Van Do You Want?

I would look at the size of the van first. The size will determine how many miles per gallon you can get, the amount of space that you will need to convert, and the price. I would always opt for a bigger van, at least the length of a ford econoline,

Vans on a Budget

• Ford Transit Connect
• Ford Econoline E-Series
• Chevy Express
• GMC Savanna
• RAM Promaster City Tradesman

I lived in a Ford Transit Connect and that was super small. My kitchen was outside and my bed was convertible. I had little to no space inside the van, but it was livable. I also had no bathroom so I had to go out and search for one in the public constantly. With no space to relax inside the van, there was also no privacy. However, if you are looking to do small weekend trips or be super mobile, I would recommend the Transit Connect.

What Brand of Van is Good?

If you are based in the US I would go with Ford products all the way. There are other great van brands like RAM, Chevy, Mercedes, GMC, Nissan, and many others. Here are some pros and cons of each.

Ford

Ford is the easiest brand to attain. There is an abundance of Ford Vehicles in the US and the parts are abundant as well. There are lots of Ford dealerships around the nation so it is easy to get something fixed and fast. I have found Ford Vehicles to be the most reliable and last the longest.

Chevrolet

Chevy is also US based, but still comes second to Ford. They have better fuel economy but have a cheaper build on the body. Dealerships are also very popular across the US with easily accessible parts.

RAM

RAM’s are usually wider than other brands which makes it great for a conversion. However they are not very reliable. I have heard of brand new vans breaking down multiple times i the first year. This is a little scary especially if you are going to be camping remotely,

Nissan

Nissan is the most affordable out of all of the brands, but it is not based in the US. Their headquarters are in Japan so it is a little bit harder to source parts and takes longer to fix. They are very reliable and safe compared to most other vehicles.

Mercedes

I see the most van conversions in the Mercedes vehicles and I can’t figure out why. These vehicles are so expensive and are impossible to fix in a in jiffy. They are not based in the US so all parts come from overseas. There is a shortage of Mercedes dealerships so it is tough to find a place to get it fixed. They do have good reliability and durability though.

GMC

They have much more power in their engines. If you are planning on towing or pulling a trailer during van life I would recommend a GMC. Not only towing, but getting through mountains can be much easier with a powerful engine.

Take a look around on the road as you’re driving around to notice what brand of vehicles are on the road. Surveying the popularity of vehicles can be an indicator of how long certain brands last on the road.

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What Should I look for on the Body?

The cosmetic look of the van is the easy to fix in comparison to the engine. I would always take the vehicle for a test drive to make sure all of the outer workings work well.

Rust is a huge huge huge factor in the body of the van. I have looked at vans with rust so bas that it rusted through the door. I was driving and through the window was open, but the bottom of the door was rusted off. If you are buying a van in the midwest or anywhere with snow, there will be rust. The snow and salt eat away at the vehicle and tries to rust off the bottom of it.

Hinges on the doors tend to collect a bit of rust as well. Make sure that the hinges are not going to rust off or fall off in the near future. If there is a little squeak, you can just throw some oil on it and it will be okay.

Brakes should work right when you press on them. If the brakes take a while to brake after you press or if you have to press them down all the way to stop, you are going to need new brakes. Make sure that they are sensitive.

Windshields are an easy fix. If you find a van with a cracked windshield, most of the time insurance will cover it to be fixed. It is about $100 for a fully new windshield. You just have to say a rock git you on the road and they’ll drive right out to you.

Roof will get some rust on it too. Try to check the roof to see if there is lots of rust up there. Rust is inevitable, but the less rust you can find the better!

What Year Should I Get for my Van?

Honestly anything works fine. The year doesn’t matter too much, only the care of the vehicle. If the vehicle was company owned and maintained, then that it AMAZING. That means that there were regular oil changes and engine checks.

Most vans I have found on Facebook Marketplace are made in the year 2000- 2014. These seem very old already, but most of them tend to run okay. When buying the vehicle make sure the engine doesn’t shake when you run it (I learned the hard way). Don’t be intimidated by the old year. because it can still be a great van, as long as you get it checked out by a mechanic and he gives you the green light.

My Van Stories

Ford Transit Connect #1

The first van I bought, I was so excited. I actually went about an hour away to look at this car. It was the evening and I looked at it in the dark (big mistake). I was emotionally blinded by the excitement of getting a van. I bought a lemon, and there is no Lemon Law that applies when buying from a private seller in Michigan. We took it to the mechanic and they said it needs a whole new engine. I bought it for $3,300 from a guy on Facebook marketplace and he ripped me off. It was my fault that I took the deal in the first place, but that was kind of disappointing. I eventually I sold it to a guy and told him that it needed lots of fixing.

Ford Transit Connect #2

I was a little smarter on the second time around. I actually bought my van from my neighbor down the street. He was a carfax dealer and everything was legit. The van was $4200 with 270,000 miles on it. Crazy right. It honestly worked fine except for the fact that it would over heat when we turned the air conditioner on. I was just mind blown that it still worked. Eventually, after building out the whole thing I hit a deer on the highway in Indiana. It was a traumatizing experience and I would not recommend. I didn’t have full coverage insurance either so I was completely screwed. I had to leave it at the tow place in Indiana.

Ford Econoline 350

Now were onto the current vehicle. I bought a Ford Econoline, high roof, extended, 350 E-Series. This is a huge van compared to the other ones. I has a huge engine for towing and most importantly getting up mountains, There is mininmal rust on the bottom and runs very well. This baby was only $5,500 and twice the size of the Transit Connect. It is 5ft tall on the interior and 12 ft long. It is like a house for sure. I am so excited to get started on this van conversion!

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