The 13 Best Vans to Live In for Van Life in 2025

Ultimate Van Conversion Buying Guide: Best vans to live in

Insulating your van is crucial for maintaining a comfortable temperature. Common insulation materials include foam boards, Thinsulate, and recycled plastic loft insulation. Once the insulation is in place, you can move on to installing the subfloor and flooring. Plywood is a popular choice for subfloors, and vinyl flooring is a durable and affordable option for the final floor covering.

Volkswagen’s California van is another classic with modern finishes, ready-to-go interior conversion, and reliability. Van has everything you need for full-time vanlife, with four available lengths, three heights, and a fuel-efficient diesel engine. RAM ProMaster vans are more affordable than the luxury Mercedes Sprinter model, costing between $31,000 to $44,000 for a new van, before conversion. If you are considering full-time vanlife, check out the list below and then do your research. Mercedes-Benz has put the Sprinter through the paces to make sure it meets all the safety standards set by folks like the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and Euro NCAP. These safety features make the Sprinter an excellent choice for Sprinter van conversion kits, providing a secure foundation for your future Class B motorhome.

The new Volkswagen Bus is electric, which is a big pro for vanlifers who also want to minimize their environmental impact. The quintessential van for life on the road is the Volkswagen Bus, which is also known as the Hippie Van. New Vauxhall Movano vans typically run between £21,328 and £29,000, before conversion costs. However, RAM ProMaster vans have a below-average reliability rating, so you may have more breakdowns than you would with another van make or model. It usually comes in inconspicuous, neutral colors such as white, gray or black, and can have side windows or not depending on the options available, your choice and/or conversion budget.

The Metris also comes with a classically high Mercedes Benz price and it uses premium fuel, which means more money out of your pocket at the pump. Unlike many other vans, the Promaster features front-wheel drive, which improves your fuel economy and makes it easier to drive on the open road. While this also means that it’s not as great in the snow as an all-wheel-drive vehicle, the Promaster’s better gas mileage does mean that you can save a bit of money during your travels.

Best Camper Vans 2024 (New Class B RVs Available!)

Germany’s Hymercar has a reputation for building campers of outstanding comfort and quality. In the business since 1953, their most recent focus has been retrofitting base-model Mercedes Sprinters and Fiat Ducatos into all-out camping monsters. From one of the oldest names in the game, Volkswagen’s California is probably the most well-balanced option on this list.

Stunning Jeep Wrangler Campers and Conversions for Off-Road Adventures

After all, Ford was the first car manufacturer, so their workmanship is definitely trusted as they’ve stood the test of time. If you ever wanted to hermetically seal every awesome bit of your life into a van, look to the Winnebago Revel. As one of the oldest names in the business, Winnebago is confident in its builds, offering owners an impressive nationwide service network. Several of the best van models for full-time vanlife are cargo vans, but there are quite a few unique additions. If you’re good at building and DIY projects, then you’ll cruise right through this process.

But in a list of the best Class B RVs, Advanced RV has to be included.For plumbing, you\'ll need to plan the water tank and pump system, as well as any sinks, showers, or toilets you plan to include.However, its cargo space is above average for its class, making it a great small van for van life.The Ford E-series is one of the stealthiest vans that’s widely available in the US.However, it’s not for the faint of heart and it’s certainly not ‘glamping’ to live out of one.

The Winnebago Revel Camper Van isn’t the most inexpensive model on our list but certainly comes with everything you’ll need for any and all of your travels. One of the best parts about the Sunlight Cliff 600 is its built-in washroom, complete with a shower, sink, toilet, and plenty of storage space. This high-quality travel van doesn’t come cheap, but when you compare it to the traditional Airstream trailers, you may feel like you’ve struck a bargain.

Each Nissan NV200 is powered by a 4-cylinder, 2.0-liter engine, which offers less power than similar vans, like the Ford Transit Connect and Mercedes Metris. That means it also hauls less weight than other vans of a similar size. The conversion vans Find out more you’ll typically see are full-size Visit this page vans, but on a rare occasion, you will find a Chevy Astro conversion van, which is what I have. Newer conversion vans are pretty expensive and may be upwards of $30,000! But if you don’t mind living in an older van, you can find great deals on these vans. Chevy Astro conversion vans with a fiberglass roof are hard to find, but if you do get lucky, you’ll have a foot or so more of headrooom.

After you’ve bought your van, it’s time to start your conversion! Unless you have purchased a van that’s already converted, this can be another somewhat overwhelming task. If not, or if the van you’re considering isn’t converted for living out of, consider renting a similar model from EscapeCampervans.com, RVShare.com, Outdoorsy.com, or another service. As you search, be sure to look into all of the details about the vans you’re considering. Take note of important technical information such as mileage, age, features, your own personal pros and cons, and of course, price and relevant links to the van listing. Either way, you’ll probably want a vehicle with low miles, but this is especially true if you’ll be traveling long distances.