How Long Does It Take To Do A Van Conversion? - KatieGoes (2024)

Are you about to embark upon your own van conversion? Or perhaps you are hopelessly pushing Google for an estimation on how long does it take to do a van conversion to know when you can expect to have your weekends back? Either way, this article will provide you with an approximation of the time it will take to complete a van build in years, months, weeks and hours.

How Long Does It Take To Convert A Van Into A Campervan?

A self-conversion can take anywhere between 3 weeks to 2 years. The duration of the process would greatly depend on the experience of the builder, their proximity to a hardware store, other life commitments, tool availability and the complexity of the conversion.

In this article, the exact number of labour hours spent inside the van will be revealed alongside a detailed breakdown of the timeframes within each stage of the van build. By sharing this real-life example overview, it’s intended to provide van builders with a reference point when planning their own expectations and deadlines.

ALSO: How Much Does a Van Conversion Cost?

How Long Did I Take To Convert My Van?

My own van conversion took about 11 months to complete. However, I reckon that if I had been without any commitments to work then the van build could have possibly been finished within 3 to 4 months. This timeframe estimation depends on many varying factors:

The Number of People Involved in the Process

An overwhelming amount of campers that you’ll come across on the internet have been built by a couple. Of course, it’s true what they say, “a problem shared is a problem halved“. This cliche would apply to the daily stress, cost and man-hours that are required to build a campervan. Please resist the temptation of comparing your van conversion timeframe with such duos, this is very easily done. Otherwise, if you are lucky to have a partner in crime, have fun! Because I am envious!

The Experience & Knowledge of the Builders

Before my van conversion, I didn’t have any prior experience of anything D.I.Y. I had never used a power tool before. I’d never even been a car (or home) owner, so I was totally clueless. Therefore, with every piece of wood or cabling that I was cutting, there would also be time spent procrastinating, second-guessing my decisions, fixing my mistakes or bettering my first attempt. If you have any knowledge of tools, materials or building techniques, then you will have an advantage over the hours outlined in this article.

The Season and the Availability of a Shelter

Are you lucky enough to have a shelter to work under whilst you focus on your van conversion? If not, then you should consider the elements as a factor that may delay your van building schedule. From my experience, many days were not as productive as they could have been whilst I waited for my hands to thaw out or for the rain to stop. If you plan to do a van conversion over the winter, add extra days or weeks to allow for such setbacks.

The Complexity of your Van Build Ambitions

The beauty of self-converting your own van is that the layout and the van’s capabilities can be as intricate or as basic as you dare to be. When you are thinking about timeframes, ensure to compare suggestions from someone with a conversion that has a similar van size and plan as your own.

How Many Hours Does It Take To Build A Van Conversion?

As a bare minimum, my van conversion took approximately 586 labour hours. Continue reading this article for a breakdown of this figure between the varying stages of the van build.

It’s important to note that this total was accumulated mostly by myself without any prior experience in anything D.I.Y. It also only includes the hours that were officially clocked inside the van, and not the many more spent in hardware stores, reading instructions, researching and dealing with the admin of ordering so many products from various companies.

Total Time: 52 hours

Vehicle Upgrades

Total Time: 35 hours

Insulation

Total Time: 89 hours

If you are living in a colder climate like myself, then spending a solid amount of time on your insulation will be a high priority. This stage can be completed within a few weeks, though my insulation took around 2 months due to cold weather conditions and other life commitments at the time. It was also prolonged as I was simultaneously trying to keep up with the research for the next stages of the van build.

Flooring

Total Time: 20 hours

The flooring in your van shouldn’t take up too much time, especially if you are keeping it simple with laminate or vinyl.

Walls & Ceiling

Total Time: 66 hours

If you have a curvier van like my High Roof Renault Trafic, then installing walls and ceilings will be no easy task. This stage of the van conversion was a headache and a stress inducer, yet very rewarding once completed. It’s just not as simple as you’d think; every surface requires proper fixings with some in awkward places and others requiring to be a certain distance from the insulation.

Kitchen

Total Time: 34 hours

The structure of the kitchen was another part of the van conversion that I swear I spent more time thinking rather than doing. All of which was necessary, of course! The dimensions need to be spot on, joints need to be strong and wood thicknesses need to be practical. Save time by concocting a solid plan beforehand, and sticking to it!

Total Time: 4 hours

Furnishing

Total Time: 33 hours

Just like the kitchen, my bench took a considerable amount of time to perfect. Due to the tiny nature of the van, you want to make sure that you are making the correct use of every inch.

Total Time: 10 hours

Total Time: 5 hours

My van conversion has a very basic plumbing system. It doesn’t include a shower, hot water, fixed water tanks or any fancy electrical gauges. Hence why this step in the process took very little time. Keeping my expectations simple also meant that less time was spent researching too – bonus!

This van conversion plumbing diagram aims to limit the number of hours spent researching campervan water systems.

Electricity

Total Time: 103 hours

This hourly estimation for the electrical system could easily be doubled (or tripled – probably) to reflect the amount of time that was also spent researching, buying, procrastinating and scratching my head. This was certainly one of the most challenging parts of the build! There was a lot to learn!

Check out the Campervan Wiring Diagram to find an outline of this setup which is capable of powering an induction stove! The document also includes a parts list with direct links to the products to save you hours.

Gas

Total Time: 0 hours

There were a number of reasons why I did not include any gas in my van; the extra time that it would have taken to research the parts and setup was enough for me personally, to reevaluate whether it was truly necessary. My van’s electrical setup is 100% off-grid. It was designed to withstand the necessary wattage for an induction hob. Therefore, the gas installation was not necessary. For more information on how you could do the same, read this guide on the best induction hobs for campervans.

Heating

Total Time: 0 hours

If there is one shortcut on any van build, it would be to skip the headache of installing any heating system. Though this is probably not a long-term solution, it was a stage that I was willing to delay until after I had completed the van conversion. If you are planning to do the same then make sure you leave the appropriate space for any system to be installed. Eventually, I will be looking into installing a diesel heater.

Overhead Storage

Total Time: 40 hours

If you are planning to travel for longer periods of time, then careful consideration will be necessary when planning your overhead storage. Most van builders opt to make use of the space above the cabin of the van. That process alone normally requires a lot of brain juice and in other words, time. This is apparent when comparing the time I spent on my Headliner Cupboard as opposed to my Overhead Cabinets.

Cupboard Doors

Total Time: 32 hours

Your cabinet doors, hinges and gas struts can either go right the first time or, completely test your patience with retake after retake. I have my fingers crossed for you!

Total Time: 59 hours

This will be a fairly quick segment of the build for those who have less attention to detail. Unfortunately, I became a little obsessive!.. Thankfully my persistence paid off! With 30 hours worth of painting, that’s over 30 podcast episodes! I hope you still have the patience at this point too because it will be worth it! Trust me.

Ultimately, the duration of your van conversion depends on your own standards and attention to detail. It’s not uncommon to find campers that have been built within a few weeks, and at the same time, others may enjoy the process by taking years. You’ll find that it’s easy to become wrapped up in the tiny details, or in a wave of perfectionism. So try not to be disheartened by watching others complete theirs within fewer hours. Ensure that you are taking the right time for you and your van build! Then at the same time, be careful not to set unrealistic deadlines that may affect your motivation.

Are you still looking for the perfect van? Read the Beginner's Guide to Buying a Van for a Camper Conversion. 

Let’s Go!
@katie.maree

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