I found a 2016 Ford Transit Connect Camper Van w/ 15,000 miles & still under warranty, asking price is $20,000 (private seller). It’s pretty much built out w/ 100w Solar panel to charge a separate 12v battery, wood bed frame, small wood cabinetry, carpeted floor, ceiling vent & interior LED lights.
I would just need to insulate/panel the walls plus buy a cooler, a compost toilet & a mini sink if it will fit.
I’m just not sure if I should buy a cheaper van (possibly bigger), a bit older w/ more mileage (under 60K) & do some of the build myself & hire out the rest such as electrical & carpentry.
Is $20,000 for a 2016 Ford Transit Connect Camper Van w/ 15K miles mostly builtout w/ solar a good price?
As mentioned I would need to insulate & panel the walls plus buy a cooler, compost toilet & sink. Plus I have two small dogs & need room for inner bike storage.
The price and mileage you describe seem fairly reasonable on the surface.
For me, I went for one of the older Transit Connects, as I preferred the extended headroom of the older model.
I found a 2012 with 75k miles for $7k. I spent about $3k and 28 days building it out with similar electrical and cabinetry to what you described, though I left the floor open and use a camping pad as a bed instead of building a bed. I also insulated, added wall panels and a ceiling fan, and a propane stove and draining sink to my kitchen cabinet.
I think it’s a matter of what your goals are and what your skills are to do any work. My skills to do the build were a little above average, and I had all the tools I needed readily at hand, as well as the dedicated time free of distractions to complete the work on a good timeline. I wanted to be out adventuring ASAP with amenities tailored to my needs.
Hey there, sounds like you want to get on the road asap. In that case I would get one prebuilt like the one you are looking at. 20k isn’t a bad price but I would try and talk them down because you will have to insulate. That might take up some time if the interior walls are in already. We bought a 39 foot school bus (skoolie) for 4k but we knew we were going to put 10k into the renovation. If you were to buy a blank slate aka a van with nothing in it, you could go much cheaper but it will take time and some money and can very easily go back up to 20k depending on what you put in it.
Your time frame and skills will determine what you want to pay. But I will say the process of building the vehicle into a home has been such a fun experience and I would encourage it if you have the time!