Choosing
What does it cost to convert a van into a camper?
An honest answer has four numbers in it, not one: the van, the fit-out, the systems and the tax. That last one is missing from almost every overview and lands exactly when the van is finished. All four are below, with the ranges to work with.
Updated on 12 min read
The four items
| Item | Range | Where the difference sits |
|---|---|---|
| Second-hand panel van | € 7,000 – 14,000 | Year and mileage. A high van is cheaper per metre than a low one. |
| Insulation, floor and panelling | € 800 – 2,000 | Material choice. Closed-cell rubber is about twice the price of rigid foam board. |
| Furniture | € 2,000 – 8,000 | Cutting your own from sheet material is cheapest but costs 80 to 150 hours; ready-made sets sit in between. |
| Electrics | € 900 – 3,500 | Lead versus lithium, and whether solar and an inverter are included. |
| Water and sanitation | € 400 – 1,500 | A tank with pump and sink is the floor; a shower and grey water tank double it. |
| Heating | € 700 – 2,000 | A diesel heater including fitting. Summer-only travellers skip this item. |
| Windows, vents and ventilation | € 500 – 1,500 | Two windows and a roof vent is usual; a powered vent costs more but earns it back in comfort. |
| Inspection and registration | € 72.50 – 675 | The high figure applies as soon as you modify the seating itself. |
The item almost nobody mentions: registration tax
Converting a panel van into a camper in the Netherlands triggers registration tax — even if the van is over five years old, and even if you are not a business. The exemption for entrepreneurs' panel vans was abolished on 1 January 2025. The rate is calculated on the van's original net list price, reduced by a depreciation that rises with age. On an older van the depreciation is substantial, so the amount is modest; on a young van it is a serious item you want to know before buying, not after.
Two things save money here. Meet the tax office's interior requirements for campers and you pay the more favourable special passenger-car rate instead of the full one — and those requirements are stricter than the RDW's. And Dutch road tax moved from the quarter to the half rate on 1 January 2026; reckon on fifty per cent of the passenger-car rate for your weight class.
The RDW and tax requirements side by side
Four routes, four price tags
| Route | Fit-out costs | Your time |
|---|---|---|
| Professional converter | € 25,000 – 45,000 | Almost none |
| Everything yourself, from sheet material | € 6,000 – 14,000 | 300 – 600 hours |
| Ready-made furniture sets | € 3,000 – 5,500 | 80 – 150 hours |
| Sets cut to size per van model | See the layout pages | 8 – 20 hours |
The difference between the second and third rows is almost entirely time, and that is the sum only you can do. Four hundred hours is ten working weeks. If you enjoy it, you build the cheapest camper of the three and get a winter of pleasure out of it. If you mainly want to use it, you pay with money rather than evenings.
Where to save sensibly
- On the van, not the insulation. A year older saves thousands; cheaper insulation saves hundreds and costs comfort every winter.
- On the water tank. Fifty litres less is hundreds of euros less and fifty kilos more payload.
- On the heater, if you only travel in summer. You can always fit it later; do run the cables and gland now.
- Not on fixings and not on fuses. Those are the two items where saving buys risk rather than money.
Frequently asked questions
- What does converting a van into a camper cost?
- Reckon on € 12,000 to € 30,000 in total: € 7,000 to € 14,000 for a suitable second-hand van, € 3,000 to € 10,000 for insulation and furniture, and € 2,000 to € 6,000 for water, electrics and heating, plus inspection and registration tax. The range is driven mostly by how much you do yourself.
- Is converting it yourself cheaper than having it done?
- Yes, roughly half, but you pay in time. A professional converter charges € 25,000 to € 45,000 for the fit-out; building everything yourself from sheet material costs € 6,000 to € 14,000 and 300 to 600 hours. Ready-made or made-to-measure sets sit in between, at far fewer hours.
- Do I owe registration tax on my self-built camper?
- In the Netherlands yes, as soon as you convert a panel van into a camper — even beyond five years old and even as a private individual, since the entrepreneur exemption ended on 1 January 2025. The amount follows from the original net list price, reduced by a depreciation that rises with the vehicle's age. Meet the tax office's interior requirements and the more favourable rate applies.
- What is the cheapest way to build a camper?
- Buy an older high van and cut the furniture yourself from sheet material. That is the lowest outlay and the highest time investment: 300 to 600 hours. Save on the water tank and on heating if you only travel in summer, but not on how the furniture is fixed and not on the fuses in your electrics.
Sources
Regulations change. This page was updated on the date above; check figures and requirements at the source before relying on them.
- When registration tax is due on a camper conversion — Belastingdienst
- Interior requirements for the camper tax rate — Belastingdienst
- Converting a van into a camper: inspection and costs — RDW