Camper Van, Converted Van, Motorhome: The Ideal Solution
Are you torn between the great comfort of a motorhome or the versatile size of a camper van to fulfill your desire to travel through France or Europe? Do you think the budget required is too high?
We've tried all the market solutions, and we're going to present the advantages and disadvantages of each one.
Table of Contents
Be patient, and you'll see we've designed a conversion kit for vans that could turn out to be the solution to your converted van issues.
The Decline of the Motorhome Due to Its Bulkiness
The Strong Appeal Among Motorhome Enthusiasts
In recent years, the motorhome van market has experienced explosive growth. The health crisis has positively impacted the growth of certain markets, and the motorhome van is one of them.
Looking for escape and freedom, a new clientele is drawn to the motorhome van world to reconnect with nature.
The interest in motorhomes remains very high, with uneven distribution across Europe. Particularly strong interest in Germany and France, which together represent 55% of the total market:
Advantages and Disadvantages of the Motorhome
When we think of a motorhome, we immediately visualize the great comfort and luxury it provides.
The advantages of the motorhome revolve around its comfort, we can truly say it's a home on wheels:
- Larger spaces due to its larger volume
- Indoor shower
- Typically chemical, sometimes dry toilets
- Energy autonomy
- Fridge for cooling
- Insulation (depending on the model) with heating for winter
- Spacious kitchen
- TV with antenna
But this imposing home on wheels also has disadvantages:
- Enormous volume on the road, hard to maneuver on narrow paths in nature
- Impossible to park in places with 2-meter barriers
- Oversize (over 2 meters), leading to extra toll costs on highways
- Only used for travel (cannot be used as a primary vehicle for commuting)
- Filling/emptying fresh water and wastewater tanks
- Exorbitant price if you're not traveling a large portion of the year (longer amortization for this investment)
- For the shower, I’m always surprised to find motorhomes in campsites with users who prefer showering at the campsite to avoid filling/emptying their tanks and drying the shower walls after use (to prevent water in the vehicle). It’s like buying a classic car and keeping it in the garage to avoid damaging it.
Justified Comfort for a Sedentary Clientele
This great comfort of the motorhome van with its associated price is justified for frequent use.
Indeed, this solution may be the right one if:
- You travel several months a year (return on investment)
- You’re not necessarily looking for remote camping spots in isolated areas
- You’re proactive and plan your itinerary in advance to avoid getting stuck on winding roads
- The large space it provides is a priority because you’re no longer young enough to be in a van of a smaller size
- You spend time inside the vehicle (watching TV, cooking often, etc.) and interior space is your main objective
The Comfort of a Converted Van, But at What Cost?
A Thriving Market
More compact, less flashy, the camper van is gaining more popularity.
The camper van market is slowly overtaking the motorhome world, steadily gaining market share and even surpassing it since 2021:
Advantages and Disadvantages of the Camper Van
The camper van retains most of the motorhome's advantages but miniaturizes everything to offer undeniable driving comfort and agility on the road.
The most famous camper van model being the renowned Volkswagen California.
The advantages of the camper van include:
- Outdoor shower and minimalist dry or chemical toilet, usually sufficient
- Same for energy autonomy and fridge
- Generally low insulation but a heater that compensates in winter
- Smaller but functional kitchen area and ability to stand up with the pop-top roof
- Easy driving and no toll surcharges with its small size when the roof is down
- Ability to have 2 extra sleeping spaces for children with the pop-up roof
But the camper van also has some disadvantages:
- Impossible to cook outside, move the fridge, or shower far from the vehicle
- Hard to store sporting equipment
- Few storage options since most cabinets are already in use
- Only used as a camper van, cannot be adapted for a move or for transporting items, etc.
- High price that’s hard to justify if the van is not used several months a year
What Budget for a Converted Van?
But once again, buying a converted van represents a significant budget. On average, you’ll need to budget between €40,000 and €80,000.
Once again, take a step back and make sure that converted vans are the solution for your way of traveling.
You can find all the advantages and disadvantages of converted vans earlier in this article, but the result is close to that of motorhomes, with the advantage of being slightly more maneuverable.
But it all depends on where you want to go. Personally, I like to plan my route but also leave room for unexpected changes and add destinations recommended by fellow travelers on the road. Also, I wouldn't want to constantly wonder if my converted van will fit on the road, if I will damage it, etc.
Affordable Multi-Functional Van Conversion Kits with Endless Combinations
Choose a Van as Your Primary Vehicle
The utility vehicle market is slowly carving out its niche, gaining an increasing share compared to "regular" vehicles.
The advantage of the converted van is that it can be used as a primary vehicle. By choosing this option, you no longer need a second vehicle dedicated to travel.
Now you just need to find a removable solution to switch from a converted van to an empty van, so you can use it during the week for work or to transport furniture, move, etc.
Affordable and Clever Converted Van with the Combeing Solution
Combeing offers DIY conversion kits that can be installed in 5 minutes to turn your van into a camper van.
Simple and Modular Van Conversion Kit
Nothing simpler, it's a technical floor that we place on the floor of your converted van and cubes that we slot and secure (wing nuts without tools) onto this floor.
You understood it, you can arrange the cubes however you want with endless possible configurations (camping, sports, maxi bed, daytime comfort with double bench...)
If you already have a used or new vehicle (from a small van to a larger one), we offer you the opportunity to convert it into a Volkswagen California at a low price whenever you want and camp wherever you wish, as you are discreet in your converted van.
What’s the Best Van for a Conversion?
Simply move the cubes on the technical floor as you like.
In seconds, switch from a "day" setup (with table and seats) to sleeping mode with a large bed covering the whole vehicle.
From single beds with bikes beside to separate double beds or shared double beds, do as you wish!
Where to Store Your Belongings in a Converted Van?
Each module that makes up your converted van is a storage space.
Some choose different front colors to organize their storage and camp more serenely.
Others prefer to stay neutral by opting for a single color.
No matter what, you can personalize your converted van as you wish.
And when you're not using the kit, in 5 minutes, you can remove it, and in the same way, you can choose to use the conversion kit for winter:
What Are the Best Vans to Convert?
The most popular converted vans are:
- Citroën Jumpy
- Peugeot Expert
- Volkswagen Transporter T4 T5 and T6
- Renault Trafic
- Ford Transit Custom
- Opel Vivaro
- Mercedes Vito
- For smaller vans:
- Renault Kangoo
- Citroen Berlingo
- Fiat Doblo
- Peugeot Partner
- Ford Connect
- Mercedes Citan
- Opel Combo
- Volkswagen Caddy
- Nissan Evalia, NV200
- Toyota Proace City
- For medium-sized vans:
- Trafic
- Custom
- Expert
- Jumpy
- Vivaro
- Transporter T4, T5, T6, T6.1
- H1 Satellite 2
- Proace, Hiace
- Scudo, Talento
- NV300, NV400
- Class V, Viano, Vito
- And for the largest van models:
- Master
- Transit
- Boxer
- Jumper
- Movano
- Crafter
- Daily
- Ducato
- Sprinter
If one day you change your van model after many road trips, don't worry, just buy new floors, and you can reuse all your modules in your new converted van.
Our low-cost kits fit all types of vans, with or without a pop-top roof.
DIY Truck Conversion: Watch Out for Regulations
Converting a truck yourself can be a good option for those who are handy and not pressed for time.
As for the budget, having done it myself in Australia, don't imagine you'll save thousands of euros with a converted truck. And if you count the hours spent, you’ll easily exceed the cost of a Combeing conversion kit.
But sometimes, some prefer to do it themselves, which I understand, as it’s also an adventure and a story to tell.
Back in France, I opted for the DIY approach to the insulation part of my converted truck and chose the Combeing kit because its modular aspect and the ability to remove the conversion kit as needed seemed to be the solution that best fit my usage mode (2 vacation periods of 2-3 weeks and several weekends a month).
Also, with a converted truck by your own hands, don't forget that you must go through the VASP certification process. This comes with a cost that adds to the total project cost. With a removable kit, you can pass your technical inspection without worrying about VASP regulations.
Here’s an article with more information on the different steps to convert a truck yourself.
Rent a Converted Van to Get a Feel for It
In conclusion, there are advantages and disadvantages to each solution, but depending on your traveler profile, you should have found the ideal solution for a motorhome, converted van, camper van, truck, or utility van.
But if you can't decide, you can rent a converted van and go on a road trip to get a first impression of life in a van and thus realize what's most important in your personal way of traveling.
