Why we chose to convert a Ford Transit

ford_transit_campervan_conversion_kit_3dmodel

As many of you will know, one of the hardest decisions you’ll make is what type of panel van you’ll convert into a campervan.

There’s so many options out there:

  • Ford Transit
  • Renault Master
  • Fiat Ducato (which seems to be the most popular for campervans)
  • Mercedes Sprinter

So why did we land on a Ford Transit to convert to a campervan?

For us, it came down to the fact Ford Transits are some of the most affordable panel vans on the market.

There’s also a lot of them out there so they’re readily available and they’re a bit more compact which works for us as we have frustrating parking limitations in our London borough.

campervan_conversion_how_to_measure_ford_transit

We also briefly entertained the idea of eventually shipping it back to New Zealand where Japanese car brands rule the land and European cars are an expensive mistake as it’s nigh impossible to source parts.

So realistically a Ford was our only option to export.

Plus our friends had already bought a LWB Ford Transit to convert so we’d be in good company and could share intelligence/ measurements with them.


Where to buy a second-hand panel van to convert to a campervan

The most valuable resource we used was Facebook Marketplace.

While it was frustrating not being able to filter by year and mileage, the sheer number of vans listed on Facebook Marketplace and how easy it is to contact the seller were huge advantages.

We also looked on eBay and Gumtree - where it was easier to filter - and had a few on our watchlists, but ultimately we landed on our 2013 LWB Ford Transit with 98,000 miles on the clock.

campervan_conversion_how_to_measure_ford_transit

The seller had started converting it and had put a lot of time and money into the engine, putting in a window and doing the floor.

We found this listed on Facebook Marketplace.

What we looked for in our Ford Transit to convert

We came up with a set of requirements which helped us narrow down the search.

Those were:

  • No older than 10 years
  • Ideally less than 100,000 on the clock
  • Good body without rust or dents
  • One or two owners
  • Full service history
  • Ideally windows already installed to save £500 installation costs


What about you? What were your or are your requirements for a van which you want to convert?

Back to blog