Top 10 Best Vans To Live In FULL TIME

[Applause] [Music] how y'all doing guys welcome to van Klan thank you for checking out this video it's much appreciated if you do enjoy this video please do hit subscribe now we get asked this question almost daily and it is what is the best fan to live in full time so instead of DMing you all individually we've put together this video of the top 10 recommended bands to live in from us now these go in no particular order nor do they come in a particular budget each one that we talk about can be picked up for as little as 5 grand all the way up to 200 grand with a conversion built in straight out of the factory so let's just jump straight in and first on the list is one you've definitely heard of and that is the Mercedes Sprinter the quintessential conversion vehicle has to be the Mercedes Sprinter the ultimate off-grid home Mercedes Sprinter conversions come in all shapes and sizes and are usually the go-to vehicle from many conversion companies thanks to their durability and power if you're looking for a sturdy base vehicle that is still reliable even when you get into hundreds of thousands of miles territory then a sprinter is the van for you Mercedes are a global name in the motoring world so whether you break down in Morocco or lose your exhaust in Kent parts and spares aren't hard to get hold of which can be useful when you're in a pickle there's also lots of aftermarket products and specifically made gear that you can buy to fit your Sprinter making it one of the most reliable vans to live in full time you could pick these up fairly cheap if you don't mind large miles or you can go all out with a brand new $200,000 build from the likes of nomad fans if that isn't your thing then maybe we should go a little bit smaller so second on our list is the classic VW Transporter bus from the SoCal surf days through to today's digital nomads the Volkswagen bus is an iconic vehicle immersed with van life culture and when you take a look at these buses up close it's not hard to see why the early VW buses aren't in production anymore so parts can be a little tricky to come by or expensive to purchase smart individuals and small businesses with access to a 3d printer are starts to make some of the smaller interior parts themselves while other companies specialize in replacing VW bus engines with a hundred percent electric options turning your classic rides into incredibly cheap maintenance vehicles these buses are loved today just as much as they were almost 60 years ago and remain the quintessential van for that summer of love feeling these are perfect for a single traveler or couple traveling on the road that don't mind keeping their life minimal lots of people around the world know how to work on these and the later transporters are very liable and spacious making you rest at ease when you're driving across countries now coming up number three on our list is one our writers actually use and that the voxels I know [Music] if you're an avid reader of our website you may know that our very own writers and full time van lifers 7 roads actually use them Ivana as their full-time home they've gone almost 14 months living on the road throughout Europe in this absolute beautiful conversion they bought a 2003 model with 90 K miles on the clock and with a fiberglass maxi roof it's incredibly tall so - in fact that Rose herself can do a headstand in it and it's served them well in their current van life journey the best thing about a fiberglass roof is that it's easy to cut through and even easier to fiberglass back over if you make a mistake or change your build plan they've had to do this pretty recently when they remove their beloved log burner and vehicle wise the van is a dream to run and it's just the right length to not have to worry about finding extra large parking spaces if you don't need the extra length of a sprinter and want something tall enough for a fixed bed then this is the best van to live in you can see they've done a cracking job with their south conversion and because they are so cheap to pick up many van lifers have some extra cash to use for their interior if you want some more information on this vehicle definitely head over to their Instagram which is at Vincent van life they've got some really cool inspiration and they're constantly on it so definitely drop them a few messages if you have some questions and that brings us on to number 4 the VW crafted [Applause] [Music] the VW crafter like this Sprinter and the Movado is a commercial vehicle for transporting goods because of its spacious nature and the fact it's a quality build from a name that you can trust it makes a top contender for the best van to live in for many van dwellers around the globe parts for crafters are much easier to obtain than their retro cousins and they're still in production today so don't worry about visiting a garage on the other side of the world on your travels these vans can cope with rough terrain just as well as they cruise down motorways and country lanes and there are our top choice if you're looking for a long-wheelbase vehicle that doesn't cost the earth you can usually find these cheaper than a Mercedes Sprinter but because it's a VW many of these are hard to find outside of Europe and because they are very boxy many value I firs find them easy to convert adding insulation sound deadening walling and everything else is a breeze and it makes a first good buy for upcoming van lifers so coming in at number five is the Ford Transit a British classic and the van of choice for white van men everywhere the Ford Transit could be considered the best van to live in because it's a universally renowned make and build that is cheap to pick up and built to last providing that it's been looked after of course the Ford Transit camper is usually a medium we'll base vehicle so it's a little smaller than the likes of the Sprinter and the Madonna's but you can get a long wheelbase for those that want that extra space for onboard showers and stuff the Ford Transit camper conversion is a natural choice for the van lifer in training that doesn't have a massive budget but wants a quality van to get them going on their travels it gets a hard wrap from some people in the business but we think that they're great runners and their shape makes them easy to add wood paneling and interior features without too much hassle it might not suit if you're looking for extra Headroom to try a few different models before you buy the newer ones can get expensive but dang do they look incredibly modern almost like something out of transformers now coming on to our next some of you will say it's not a van but it's really really one that we recommend picking up if you've got the money and that is a classic American School Bus [Music] I know it's not a van but you can't have a list based on alternative living methods without including everyone's dream tiny home ask any American traveler and they'll tell you that this little yellow bus is the best van to live in because of its space its durability and because converted buses look downright epic think about how many times these buses get used day in day out when they're in service they're kept in good Nick by the schools and built to last because they have to get the kids from A to B on time every day parts are readily available because American schools still use them and their bright yellow color means that you'll never lose track of where you parked why do we like this little adventure bus so much well they can take on pretty much anything that you throw at them and they look very homely inside once converted the windows give ample light and they're high enough to have a fixed bed without losing tons of living space we've seen so many different school bus conversions out there that we've actually lost count which means that there's a network of bus lifers out there who can help you out if you're stuck on want to purchase or having a mechanical problem now next on our list one that you might not have considered being here but it's the Renault trafic [Music] Reynolds Citroen and Vauxhall vans are usually very much alike in fact they're pretty much the same vehicle with a slightly different exterior and badge take German conversion company Campania who have turned a run-of-the-mill goods vehicle into a camper with an attitude showing us the possibilities that can come with purchasing one of these vehicles in it's four of the standard traffic van isn't the best vehicle for long-term off-grid living because of its height but it's perfect for the weekend warrior who likes to get out whenever they can if you buy a ready-made conversion or are thinking about adding a pop top into the equation then everything changes being able to stand up in your home is one of the things that we believe is essential if you're on the road 24/7 and the addition of extra height would undoubtedly make us reconsider getting one ourselves if you've been following us on Instagram or the van life scene on Instagram you have definitely seen this vehicle upcoming and it is one from our American friends over the pond that we absolutely love and want over here in the UK and it's the sports mobile 4x4 classic this van is an absolute beast and if you're looking for something that will serve you just as well on rough terrain as it does on the freeway then this is the vehicle for you the sports mobile takes a Ford cutaway body and molds it with a reinforced fiberglass shell to give a unique look that's perfect for off-roading and enough space to live out of the van full-time this van includes all of the high spec upgrades needed to take your vehicle on the rockiest tracks including a ground clearance of a whopping 6.5 inches inside the sports mobile it utilizes a pop top to give you extra Headroom meaning you can stand up without a problem the sports mobile classic 4x4 comes in a $40,000 with plenty of added extras available it's not the cheapest found on the market but if you're looking for a camera van to take you wherever your heart desires and this could be a great investment now almost coming up to the end here number 9 on our list is the RAM Promaster or also known in Europe as the Fiat Ducato [Applause] [Music] the Promaster is becoming a significant competitor to the Mercedes Sprinter and for transit vans and is worth considering if you plan on living in your van all year round one factor that makes the RAM Promaster a huge contender for the best band to live in is that it is wide enough to fit a standard full-size bed width weighs unlike in a Mercedes Sprinter or for transit where you would lose some length this can save you loads of space in your conversion for other components in your camper van build the Promaster is also the only one of these three vehicles to have front-wheel drive making it easy to drive handle and park the inside of a ram promaster can be converted to meet your wildest dreams everything you ever need for an epic adventure can be squeezed inside with ease you can even buy DIY IKEA like kits for it the only thing left to add is your own gear oh and the toilet should you want to poop off the grid now coming in at number 10 one that will blow your mind and unfortunately this one is a concept but you never know it might come into the works in the next couple of years is the higher vision venture [Applause] last one on our list and we might as well go out with a bang is currently a concept vehicle which may be coming to the public by 2023 and it's the himer vision venture originally shown at düsseldorf last year it blew us away with how incredible this thing was based on a brand-new 2020 sprinter it had custom bodywork interior fit for a king and a back door that slides down into a balcony built with 4x4 tires a snorkel and all of the off-road accessories you can imagine this thing will tackle anything you can chuck at it it's rumored to be around the $250,000 mark should it be released and you can see why when you take a look at the inside it looks like you're in a five-star hotel heck it even has steps up into the electric pop top this thing is an absolute beast and one of the best camper vans we've seen so far let's just hope Homer and Mercedes actually launch this thing because we'd love to see it on the road so there you have it a quick video showcasing the 10 best campers to live in full time let us know if you have any comments below or if you want to get into the Nitty Gritty stuff definitely dms on instagram as per usual I hope you subscribe and I hope to see you in the next video peace

Channel: Van Clan

Views: 1,753,754

Keywords: van life, camper, camper van, campervan, rv, rv tour, camper van tour, camper tour, van life tour, off road camper, camper trailer, van tour, campervan tour, diy van conversion, camper conversion, van conversion, rv conversion, diy conversion, van

Id: 3XpIFAgKFB0

Length: 13min 3sec (783 seconds)

Published: Wed Feb 05 2020