In this guide we will look at the complete process of converting a campervan in Ireland. We'll discuss where to purchase your van, where to buy supplies, how to do the conversion, and how to navigate the tricky bureaucracy of getting it on the road.
Index
Shane, the founder of The Van Conversion, is a campervan professional dedicated to helping people transform ordinary vans into homes on wheels. He has authored Roaming Home, and teaches The Van Conversion Course, guiding many people through their van builds. Shane also writes The Van Conversion Newsletter, where he shares practical tips and insights. After completing two van builds and living on the road full-time since 2020, he is passionate about sharing his expertise with others.
This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you click a product link and buy anything from the merchant (Amazon, eBay, etc.) we will receive a commission fee. The price you pay remains the same, affiliate link or not. By using these links, you are helping us to continue writing free educational content. To understand our policies on content, affiliate commissions, and liability, please review our Terms of Use.
Note: Did you know you can get a free electrical wiring diagram by signing up for The Van Conversion Newsletter?
The Irish Campervan Boom
The vanlife movement has exploded in Ireland over the past few years. People are seeking freedom and simplicity, at a time when everything seems hard and complicated. Spurred on by social media and travel bans, thousands of campervans were bought and sold in Ireland in the past few years, bringing in a new age of domestic wandering.
And what better place to own a campervan than our very own, very beautiful Emerald Isle?
Legal & Insurance Requirements
Before launching into your van research, there are a few admin things to think about. Notably, it's important that you check the legal and insurance requirements first. This guide is here to help, but it may not be comprehensive. For a more complete guide on the subject of campervan insurance, check out our detailed article.
Imagine the heartbreak if you bought a van only to find that you weren't able to convert it. So before doing anything, do these two things:
Look up the legal regulations regarding your desired conversion - here are Revenue's requirements.
Research the requirements of the campervan insurers in your area. Give them a call if there is any doubt as to their requirements.
Vehicle Types
As you begin the process of converting a van in Ireland, you'll likely encounter two key phrases related to vehicle registration and conversion:
Category M1: Passenger vehicles with no more than eight seats (in addition to the driver's).
Category N1: Small commercial vehicles designed for the carriage of goods, with a weight of less than 3.5 tonnes.
A typical van conversion in Ireland will involve reclassifying from the N1 class to the M1 class.
The 4 Campervan Insurers in Ireland
Dolmen require a walkway between front and back, but don't require 5 years no claims.
Arachas' Camper Van Insurance require 5 years no claims, but don't require a walkway.
The Motorcaravan Club of Ireland (MCC) simply require 'bodily access' to the front of the van.
LHK Group acquired Richardson Insurance in 2022 and also offer comprehensive campervan insurance.
Note that all insurance suppliers have the same basic requirements as Revenue (window, cooking facility, bed, etc).
Updated December 2023: Irish Campervan Insurer Changes:
As of December 2023 there have been several changes in the Irish campervan insurance landscape:
Richardson (LHK) and Dolmen no longer require bodily access to the front of the van. This is a huge win.
Richardson (LHK) will now cover a van of less than 1.8m internal height.
The bodily access requirement is something I came up against in the past. In Ireland, many campervan insurers require 'bodily access' between the cab and back of the van. Naively, I had finished my van conversion without consulting a single insurer. During the build, I had installed the kitchen unit across the front of the van, blocking access to the cab. I was thus declined insurance by every insurer. I ended up having to approach an insurance ombudsman at Insurance Ireland to help me get insurance. I ended up paying nearly three times the price for my insurance. Learn from my mistakes, and do your research first.
How Much is Campervan Insurance in Ireland?
Insurance will cost you anywhere from €350-€1,000 per year, depending on your age, driving experience, accidents, etc.
Determining Your Budget
The Depreciation Rule
As a rough rule of thumb, you want to spend half the cost of the van on the conversion itself. So, if you spend €10,000 on your van, you should strive to cap your conversion spend at around €5,000. This is due to the depreciation of the value of the van as you clock up the miles.
Determining your Build Cost
To determine the estimated build cost, make a list of all the things you require in the campervan and price them. Then, whatever the total amount comes to, add on 30% wiggle room. That is the spend on your van conversion. At the end of this section, you will find a complete list of supplies for a van conversion.
Non-build Costs
Building your van is one thing, but getting it on the road is another. Don't forget about the cost of road tax, insurance, or vehicle inspection. This can easily add another couple thousand to the total cost.
The average (median) cost of the base vehicle for a van conversion was €9,000 per the Roaming Home 2023 Study:
According to the same study, the average (mean) cost to convert the van was €8500. Most conversions cost between €4,000 and €10,000.
How Much Should you Spend on a Van for Camper Conversion?
The 2023 Roaming Home Study gave us some excellent insights into how much people are spending on the base vehicle for their conversions. Unsurprisingly, we found a tight correlation between the age of a vehicle and its cost. A work van depreciates in value by about €2,000 per year. Though it should be noted that the cost of a van that is two years old or less is quite a bit higher. The best value may be found around the three year mark.
We also found a correlation between the odometer reading and the cost of the vehicle. 30,000km appears to be the best value for money - the sweet spot at which the cost drops dramatically.
Finally, we looked at the relationship between the vehicle’s age and its odometer reading. And whilst the correlation here is quite spread out, it is one of the most useful datasets we have.
We found that the average work van clocks up 13,940km per year. Accordingly, you should seek out a vehicle with a lower mileage per year than this - a sign that your van has not been overworked.
A Tip for Evaluating Cost Over Condition
It's better to spend a bit more money up front buying a van that's in good condition rather than one of questionable quality. I spent €7,000 on a 2012 Ford Transit with a fair bit of wear and tear and a lot of mileage on the clock. In the four years since, I have spent nearly €10,000 on maintenance. By contrast, I have three separate friends who bought 2014 vans around the same time I did; they each spent about €11,000 on the base vehicle, but have spent practically nothing on repairs since.
On the flip-side, my Glaswegian friend spent a meagre £3,000 on his van. Within a year, it was in such disrepair that he gave up on his vanlife dreams and ditched the van. The conclusion is: don't cheap out at the beginning. Spend a bit more money on a base van that you can enjoy for years to come.
Choosing your Van
Now that you've thought through your budget, let's take a look at common models for base vans. My top pick is the Mercedes Sprinter (despite owning a Ford Transit). Sprinters are notably reliable, well-built, and comfortable, though they do come with a higher price tag. That being said, in the Roaming Home 2023 study we found the Ford Transit to be the most popular van by a long shot, with the VW Transporter coming in third. Our article on choosing base vans goes into this subject in detail.
Lifespan of a Panel Van
Data from a European Commission report indicates that the expected lifetime mileage of a commercial van is 224,000 km. The average age of retirement of a commercial van is 13 years.
This is not to say that a van will not outlive those statistics. Indeed, in our study, we found that many individuals had purchased vans with mileages way above those mentioned.
We also found that as of 2023, the most common registration year of vans was 2015. This means that on average people are using a van that is 8 years old.
The Best Van for Camper Conversion in Ireland
My top pick for the best van for camper conversion is the Mercedes Sprinter, which consistently ranks first in the FN50 van reliability survey.
The spec sheet below showcases the stats and dimensions of some of the most popular vans for camper conversion (with a European bias). This is based on the 2014 L3H3 model of each van. This should help demystify the selection process.
Note: The Fiat Ducato, Citroen Relay, Peugeot Boxer, and Ram ProMaster all have the same body sizes.
The size of a panel van is denoted by the letters 'L' (length) and 'H' (height). Its wheelbase (length) can be either SWB (short wheelbase, L1), MWB (medium wheelbase, L2), LWB (long wheelbase, L3), or extra-long wheelbase (XLWB, L4). Similarly, its height can be low roof (H1), medium roof (H2), or high roof (H3). My van is a long wheelbase, high roof Ford Transit (L3H3). The length of your van determines your floor layout, with bed length and storage space being important considerations. The height primarily determines how comfortable you'll be standing up, whilst also affecting storage space.
Our article on base vans goes into much more depth on this subject.
Buying your Van
There are three primary options on where to purchase your van:
Online
The best sites for purchasing vans online in Ireland are:
Vehicle Dealerships
New and used vehicle dealerships like VanMonster and Windsor also deal online. You can browse their catalogues and arrange viewings before going out to inspect the van in person.
Buying from a dealership rather than a private individual is a safer option in that dealerships offer guarantees as to the state of their vehicles. They check their vehicles before listing them for sale, and most offer a period of free repairs after purchase of the van. This added peace of mind comes at a cost, with dealerships adding a commission to their prices and requiring you to pay VAT on your purchase.
Private Sales
Buying from a private individual is cheaper than buying from a dealership. However, you'll have to be extra careful and make sure you trust who you're buying from, as you'll get no guarantees from the seller once you've paid them and driven away.
Private sellers list their vehicles on sites Adverts, DoneDeal, and Carzone, as well as on marketplaces like Facebook Marketplace, Locanto, and IrelandBuyAndSell.
You could also think about buying your van from Northern Ireland, as prices may be cheaper following Brexit. Bear in mind that you will have to pay VRT (vehicle reigstration tax) for any vehicle imported across the border; for panel vans this is a flat fee of €200. Check out vans in Northern Ireland on AutoTrader.
Questions to Ask Before Buying your Van
Before you hand over that cash to buy the van you've been looking at, there are a few questions that you absolutely must ask first.
“Do you have the logbook?”
This question is vital. If the vehicle does not have a logbook, this should raise alarm bells. Ensure the logbook credentials match the van (registration number, owner's name, vehicle classification etc).
“Do you have the service history?”
A prudent vehicle owner should always keep a service history for the vehicle. A vehicle with a service history is more likely to have been cared for. If you can obtain the service history you can see when the last service was done. If it was a long time ago, you may well be in for a nasty surprise.
“What did the previous owner use the van for?”
Most used vans will be retired workhorses, i.e. construction, carpentry, electrician's vans etc. Understanding what the previous owner did can help you know how much love was given to the vehicle - was it a sole trader or larger company? Larger companies usually take better care of their fleets. Ideally, you want a van that drove longer distances (across counties / countries), rather than shorter stop-start distances in cities. The more a van stop-starts, the more wear and tear is put on the vehicle. Additionally, vans that carry lighter loads, like those of electricians, painters and decorators, and plumbers, are put under less strain than those of bricklayers, scaffolders, and landscapers.
“What is the mileage and age of the van?”
These two things are intrinsically linked. A new van with a large mileage will have been put under far more strain than an older van with the same mileage. As a general rule of thumb, try to source a van with less than 100,000 km on the clock.
“Why are you selling the van?”
Are you buying someone else’s problems?
“Has the van ever been in an accident?”
A bad crash can have a lasting impact on a vehicle.
“Has the van got a valid MOT certificate? When does the MOT expire?”
This is very important. If the van does not have its MOT or if the MOT expires soon, you will have to pay for it yourself. A seller trying to get rid of a van with an MOT that's invalid or soon to expire is quite likely to be offloading a van that requires repairs to stay on the road.
“Has the van got an up-to-date tax disc?”
If the van doesn't have a tax disc you will need to put your hand in your pocket to pay for this year's tax (and potentially back tax) yourself.
“Is the used van registered in a foreign country?”
If the van is registered in a foreign country you could be in for a hefty tax bill for importing it when you buy it (Vehicle Registration Tax).
Background Checks Before Buying your Van
There are a few background checks you should do before buying a van for conversion. Most if not all of these checks can be done on a website like AutoCheck.com. To do a thorough background check on Autocheck you will need the vehicle registration number and the VIN (vehicle identification number). You will need to ask the vehicle owner for the VIN.
If everything checks out, you should see a message like this appear:
Some things to pay attention to:
Has the van got any finance on it?
There could be an unpaid loan on the van which you are about to purchase. That loan will become yours to pay if you buy it.
Is the van stolen?
Don't buy a stolen van. You will lose the van and all the money you spent when the police come knocking.
How many previous owners has the van had?
Figuring out what a vehicle has been used for by the previous owners will help you get a feel of the current state of the vehicle. A van with many previous owners will have a much more inconsistent history of use and servicing.
Getting an Auto Mechanic to Check the Van
Getting an auto mechanic to check the vehicle before you buy it gives you a detailed picture of its condition and might uncover problems that the owner doesn't know about. I received a very detailed report from a mechanic who drove out to Sligo to check out my van for me. The inspection cost about €120 and was well worth it. I brought up some of the highlighted issues with the dealership, who fixed them before the sale.
Converting your Van
With your van in your driveway, the conversion process begins. When building out your van, you will be purchasing supplies from two places: online and from physical shops. As a rough guide, you should spend about half the price of the van on the conversion itself.
Supplies List
You can find the complete list of supplies for a van conversion in Ireland (all the supplies I bought) in this list of supplies.
Purchasing Supplies Online
I purchased most of my van conversion supplies online. Everything from the fridge, to the solar panels, to the wiring. Here are the sites which I used:
Amazon (general supplies)
Goodwins (DIY materials and tools)
Jackson Leisure (Campervan-specific)
Altec Automotive (Electrical)
Gas Products (Gas)
Heatso (Heating, air-con, appliances)
ButlerTechnik (Heating, solar, batteries, electrical components)
Renogy (Solar, electrical components)
Purchasing Supplies in Physical Shops
There are many things which simply can't or shouldn't be purchased online. From the enormous amount of wood needed, to the insulation, to the mattress for the bed. I used the following physical stores:
Chadwicks (for pretty much everything)
Woodies (more expensive than Chadwicks, but needed sometimes)
Ikea (for making the van feel like home)
Cosy Campers (for campervan-specific gadgetry)
I bought most of my supplies brand new, but obviously this isn't necessary. Pallet wood has become very popular due to its rustic look. You can also pick up used supplies from Adverts, DoneDeal, or the array of other second hand sites out there.
Designing your Campervan's Interior
The two best resources to digitally design your campervan's layout are SketchUp and Vanspace 3D. I designed my van before Vanspace was a thing, so I used Sketchup, the simple architectural software originally created by Google. It worked okay and was pretty easy to use..
If I were to do the project again I would definitely use Vanspace 3D as it's specifically built to design beautiful campervans, with pre-built layouts for pretty much every type of van and a drag n' drop functionality for components.
Here's a video showcasing the design process on VanSpace 3D:
Our article on campervan layout design goes into this subject in much more depth.
Designing your Campervan's Electrical System
Besides designing the overall interior layout, designing the electrical system is the most complicated part of your van build. We have many articles on the subject, covering solar power, inverters, batteries, wiring, fusing, and more. These articles will help you understand campervan electrics in full.
Once you understand how electrics work, you need to actually decide on the individual components you'll incorporate into your electrical system. The size and capacity of these components depends on your electricity usage, but the specs of some components affect the required specs of others. This electrical system builder from Vunked is designed to help you spec out a full system of compatible parts.
We also have a collection of calculator tools for speccing your electrical system, including one for sizing your batteries, one for sizing your solar system, and one for calculating your electricity usage.
Other Elements of the Van Build
An entire guide to building a campervan wouldn't fit in a single blog post. Instead, check out our comprehensive collection of guide articles, or take a look at my book Roaming Home; The Comprehensive Guide for Converting Your Van Into a Campervan. It's a 380-page book available in digital and hardback format, with endless van conversion information tailored specifically to Ireland and the UK. Grabbing my book is the best way to help me continue creating free content for the van conversion community.
Getting Your Converted Campervan on the Road
Once you have built your camper, you're about halfway there. The next step is to get it on the road. Getting your newly built campervan on the road can be a bit of a headwrecker and more than a little confusing, so here's a complete summary of the process. You can find Revenue's requirements here.
The following steps are in chronological order:
Get an SQI engineer to inspect your campervan. An SQI Engineer will inspect your campervan and provide a certificate stating that it is a safe build. They will also provide the necessary forms to send to Revenue. I highly recommend Cillian O'Cinneide (based in Dublin).
Book a CVRT test. Schedule your CVRT test about a month in advance, as the waiting list is often long. This gives you time to get everything in order. The CVRT is the road safety test for commercial vehicles.
Send all documentation to Revenue. You will need to send the following documentation to Revenue:
SQI engineer's report.
10 photos of the campervan (6 inside, 4 outside).
Declaration of conversion (provided by the SQI) – ensure you list the estimated total cost of the conversion, based on the receipts of all materials purchased.
Copies of all receipts for materials used in the conversion.
Receive confirmation from Revenue. After about 10 days, you should receive confirmation that Revenue is satisfied with your conversion. They will also request payment of the VRT via bank draft. The VRT is 13.3% of the estimated current value of the vehicle (average cost of a similar van + cost of conversion). For example, I paid €1,600 in VRT, which means Revenue estimated my van’s value to be €12,300. Go to your bank, get a bank draft, and send it by mail to Revenue in Rosslare Harbour, Wexford.
Confirmation of assessment. After a few days, you will receive a confirmation of assessment of the declaration of conversion form. This means Revenue has received your payment.
Insure your van. Now it’s time to insure your campervan. Refer to the earlier section of this guide for details on different campervan insurers in Ireland.
Visit the Motor Tax Office. Bring your van to the local motor tax office for inspection. You’ll need to provide:
The original vehicle registration certificate.
The signed RF111 form.
Once everything is in order, you will pay the motor tax and receive a new logbook indicating that the vehicle class has changed from Commercial (C) to Campervan (M1).
Book a new CVRT test. The final step is to get your newly registered campervan a CVRT test. Your van must be registered as a camper (M1) before this can be completed.
Final Thoughts
Despite the challenge, building a campervan is fun and rewarding. You'll learn a comprehensive set of DIY skills whilst saving money over buying a van that's already converted. Additionally, your conversion will be fully custom, suited exatly to your tastes and needs. Converting a van significantly increases its value beyond the cost of the base van and materials - a rare thing considering vehicles are otherwise depreciating assets.
Don't forget to subscribe to The Van Conversion Newsletter for everything you need to get started with your own van conversion (we'll send you a free wiring diagram when you join).
If you're looking for some guidance with your van conversion, you might be interested in our book Roaming Home, or in our online course The Van Conversion Mastery Course. You'll learn directly from our founder Shane how to convert a van into your dream home - no prior experience needed!
Until next time.