Campervan Base Vehicle

Choosing a Campervan Base Vehicle for your Campervan Conversion is a big decision.

Campervans are massive business in the UK and other places worldwide! More and more people are avoiding the traditional overseas holiday for ‘staycations’ in their country. It’s easy to understand the appeal, whether you have children and want to get them outside.

Or if you have a business and want to use your van for work purposes and trips away. Holidays can become considerably cheaper and much more spontaneous! But before you start planning your travels, you’ll need a van!  There are a lot of different vehicles to choose from when it comes to Campers. We’ve selected the most popular van models:

• VW Transporter
• Ford Transit
• Mercedes Sprinter
• Renault Trafic
• Fiat Ducato
• Man TGE 
• VW Crafter

The VW Transporter

The VW Transporter (VW T5 and VW T6) is in a league of its own in our opinion, it’s one we specialise in and ticks all the right boxes for a conversion, never mind the fact it’s a complete icon! Ever since its predecessor the VW Bus came into production the VW vans have been desired.

The modern T6 is a totally different beast but still has the right kind of vibe. Volkswagen knows this, which is why more and more people are choosing to purchase a transporter to create their home from home.

The Volkswagen Transporters tend to hold their value better than any of the other vehicles listed below. Check out our blog on Converting your VW Transporter. 

You might find more accessories for the VW Transporter. Things like awnings and bike racks might be more affordable and more readily available. 

The Ford Transit

The Transporter might be the ‘cool’ one, but the Ford Transit is stylish and has a great amount of space to work with. It’s one of the best-driving panel vans on the market, and the grip and handling of this vehicle is fantastic. They have a vast range of diesel engines and come with a very ‘car-like’ driving environment, very handy if your camper is part of your job too! Fantastic cost-effective choice for a campervan conversion. 

Mercedes Sprinter

If you want large, luxurious, and full of tech? You might find the new Mercedes Sprinter is the one for you. It’s one of the safest vans available thanks to all the high-tech safety gear. This monster comes in a wide variety of wheelbase options and roof height variations so you choose which is most suitable for your camper van needs. It also has the most premium cabin on the market. It also comes with a three pointed star, that’s surely enough for some?! Great for larger van conversions including Race Vans. 

Renault Trafic

When Renault created the newest Trafic, they made sure all of the dimensions of the interior were identical to the old model. This means that if you’re converting a brand-new Trafic or one of its sister vans such as the Vauxhall Vivaro you’ll be able to use parts, diagrams and designs from the last 18 years! Renault’s range of 1.6-litre engines are highly efficient, really smooth and quite powerful! Win-Win.

Fiat Ducato

The Ducato is a great choice for motorhome conversions. Around two-thirds of motorhomes in Europe, are based on this vehicle. These vans are just the right size for most, offering enough headroom for an adult to stand completely upright, without becoming the next version of the hunchback of Notre Dame. If you’re ordering directly from Fiat, they’ll offer a specific base, with specialised tyres, a wider rear track, a lower chassis and space to install water tanks.

Our Favourite Campervan Base Vehicle

So there you have it, our top 5 conversion vehicles. We think all of them are great! The possibilities are endless with what you can do which is why we do it! No conversion has to be the same.

Our personal favourite has to be the VW Transporter, for us it ticks all of the boxes and in our opinion the VW bus is how the Camper Van scene all started. Why fix what isn’t broken?

Make sure you think about what modifications you would like to put on the van before you go ahead. Different vans will have different extras available. Such as solar and bike racks. 

Need help choosing your base vehicle?

If you need any help choosing your perfect Campervan Base Vehicle. Please get in touch with our team, they would be happy to go in to more detail with you.