Camping at the Beach in France with the Self-made Campervan
Converting a Campervan to Travel Europe on the Cheap
Travelling in Europe is unfortunately not a cheap thing to do, especially when you are over 26 years old and can’t get discounts for the rail tickets anymore. Eventually the cost of accommodation, transport and food adds up, making it extremely difficult to travel long-term on a budget. Luckily, the idea of buying an old van and self-converting it into a camper proved to be not only a cost efficient way to travel, but also one that made exploring different countries independently and on a personal schedule possible.
The only prerequisite for travelling cheaply in a campervan is having a friend or partner in crime to share the costs with. Instead of paying for two rail tickets or the double price for accommodation, the cost of gas and campsites can be split in two, making the whole camper experience even more cost efficient and enjoyable. As many people don’t have any prior experience with campervans, below you will find some tips and recommendations that will help you to explore Europe, North America, Australia, or other expensive parts of the world as well.
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Tips and Recommendations for Travel with a Campervan
Homemade Campervan Conversion of a VW T4
The original Army Van
Campervan Preparations
Interior Fit-out and Furniture
Finished Homemade Campervan
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21 great Reasons to Use an Army Van as Camper
General Advantages,
Specific Advantages and
Surprising Advantages of
Using an Army Van as Camper
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Ultimate Packing List for Campervan Road Trips
Equipment for the Van
All necessary cooking Gear
Items we added on the Road
Things to bring for the next Trip
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How to Prepare a Campervan for Winter Storage
Step by Step Guide
Preparing and Winterizing
Putting the Van in Winter Storage
How to treat the Campervan Registration
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Hey man I am so impressed by your experience with your van and I’m having that wish for a long time now…recently I moved to Hamburg,Germany and really thinking to start my own project with a conversion of a van.Could you give me some insights with the requirements for paper work. What kind of van is the best of buying for conversion because you’ve mentioned something about a truck/passenger van differences and legal work for having a integrated gas stove…Any kind of help would be appreciated.
Wish you more happy discoveries on your camping travels.
Igor
Hi Igror, it’s great to hear that are also thinking of converting a VW Bus into a Campervan! In general it is cheaper tax-wise in Germany to run an official truck or a camper. Official truck means that it is a two-seater, like in my case, with a passenger area and then then some sort of separation of the back area. There can not be any seats or even connection points for seat belts in the back, but check with your local authorities. In some cases you have to put up a full height wooden board between the cabin and the back to get the license. It’s easiest if the van was already registered as a truck before… The other option is an official camper, but for that you need a built-in stove with standing height, which means you need a high roof or at least a pop-up one. This wasn’t really an option for me and so I just went with the truck license and a fold-able stove to cook outside the van. This option was a lot cheaper and works perfectly fine for me…