If you’re interested in van life, there’s a good chance you’ve seen amazing DIY projects from people who have converted vans into beautiful living spaces. This isn’t easy to do, but a lot of the coolest camper vans come from a place of passion and creativity. As a result, there are many camper van conversions with varying layouts and decorating styles.
DIY camper van conversions are difficult, and they can be quite expensive. But many people have been able to renovate their vans with little to no experience. If you just take things one step at a time, it’s manageable.
If you’re thinking about converting a van into a full-time living space, you might want to take inspiration from others who have been successful. Studying other van builds can help you come up with ideas, discover your likes and dislikes, and apply the advice from people who have been through it all. Without further ado, let’s explore 10 of the coolest camper vans with DIY conversions (in no particular order).
1 of 10 Camper Van Conversions: Bernardo Bacalhau’s Van
This is a great step-by-step build that takes you all the way from day 1 to the final reveal. This van build is a great source of inspiration for those who are interested in joining the van life nation. It took about 18 months for the creator to finish, and he had almost no experience at the start of the project.
The end result is absolutely stunning! His camper van conversion is simple but quite effective. Light, natural wood panels the entire interior, creating a nice feeling of cohesion. All of the utilities are neatly tucked into custom cabinets that create optimal airflow and even provide extra storage.
For me, the bathroom is one of the highlights of this build. It’s very compact but has room for a nice showerhead and a composting toilet. The wooden grate at the bottom makes it easier to clean and ties into the overall decoration scheme.
2. Nomadic Visuals’ Van
This is a super cool camper van that looks great on the inside and outside! A couple of van life enthusiasts worked together to renovate and decorate every part of this amazing vehicle. The final layout has a nice division of space for the bedroom, kitchen, and bathroom. It really is a tiny home on wheels.
The decoration scheme is also very nice in this camper van conversion. The majority of the walls and cabinets are clean white wood, but these are accented by dark metal features and appliances. Dark wood paneling contrasts the white, and it retains a beautiful natural grain.
The kitchen is one of my favorite parts of this build. The countertop is absolutely gorgeous, and it features a removable sink cover that doubles as a cutting board. There’s also a flip-up section that reveals a hidden stovetop. With this setup, they can access all appliances while still retaining plenty of countertop space.
3. FLORB Van
Next up, we have this beautiful bright red van! White and black vehicles are all well and good, but it’s fun to be able to personalize the outside as well as the interior. Personality bleeds through every part of this van build, and it’s perfectly designed to suit the needs of the occupants.
This van has a distinct log cabin vibe that’s ideal for adventuring. Natural wood lines every wall, and there’s a divider that separated the driver’s cabin from the main living space. This helps everything feel more separate and brings a bit of coziness to the rear.
Everywhere you look in this build, there’s storage, storage, storage! This build is absolutely packed with shelves, cabinets, and hidden storage compartments. Even the toilet comes with a slide-out shelf, so it doesn’t take up more space than necessary. In my opinion, this makes it one of the coolest camper vans I’ve ever seen.
4. Vanhalla Adventures’ Van
I absolutely love this next camper van. It has always stood out in my mind as a van build that’s perfectly suited to the people who made it. It has a ton of personality, and you can see that the couple got really creative when it came to storage solutions and decorations.
The bathroom is very clever, and it includes in-wall storage, so nothing sticks out. I particularly enjoy the fun shower curtain and the way that it blends in with the rest of the space.
I love the variety of different textures and patterns that show up in this design. There are beautiful wooden beams, clean white tiles, black metal accents, patterned fabric, and lovely green accents throughout the floor plan. The creators also made sure to include various nooks for decorations and plants, so there’s a surprise around every corner.
5 of 10 Camper Van Conversions: Further Fabrication
The camper van from Further Fabrication is impressive for a couple of reasons. First of all, the entire conversion process only took 6 months, which is much faster than most others. It also has a convertible design that helps everything stay compact.
Permanent beds take up a lot of space in a camper van, but this vehicle has a bed that can fold into a cough when it’s not being used. The extending countertops serve a similar purpose. Nothing takes up too much space in this camper van. Plus, the design is clean and beautiful. With its sharp lines and modern decoration style, this camper van is perfect for minimalists.
6. Brenda and Ranger’s Van
The next van on the list is definitely one of the most beautiful designs I’ve ever seen. If you’re a fan of the #vanlife aesthetic, this one should definitely be on your radar. Every part of the floor plan is worthy of an Instagram photo shoot, but it’s also functional and practical.
This van belongs to a solo traveler and her dog, and it suits their needs perfectly. For instance, the dog has a small kennel where he can stay during travel.
Function and form combine beautifully in this design. The driver’s cab is separated from the living space, so it feels homey in the back section. The color scheme is light and airy, with a lot of whites, warm metal accents, and lovely patterns. It also has an L-shaped countertop, which is rare for camper vans, but it provides plenty of workspace.
7. Bas & Bianca Vrolijk of Reis Van
Next up on our list of the coolest camper vans, we have a unique design that smoothly incorporates a variety of interesting elements. For starters, there’s a fairly spacious bathroom in this van. It’s framed by an arched doorway and has a composting toilet that is easy to take in and out.
The dinette benches flip up to reveal hidden storage compartments within the seats and even the seat backs! Recessed shelving is nestled into the walls, so the overhead space doesn’t feel too crowded. A lovely color scheme of orange, yellow, and warm tans keeps the space cute and cozy.
8. Court and Nate’s Van
Although it can be fun to look at vans that are highly decorated, sometimes simplicity is better! A great example is this van that Courtney and Nate renovated. It’s very clean and simple, with no extra frills, so it’s perfect for campers who want to go for a minimalistic life.
This design makes great use of space. There’s a little shower nook that includes a composting toilet and some in-wall shelving. Nothing needs to be removed in order to use it, so this simplified the morning routine.
There are kitchen counters along both walls, which provides a lot of open space for food prep. The light-colored wood, white walls, and pale green accents make this van feel clean and open. Plus, the mirrors on the walls make the whole space feel a lot bigger.
9. Nate Murphy’s Van
Our next contender on the list of the coolest camper van conversions actually comes from Britain! This design might be hard to pull off if you’re using an American model, but you can definitely take inspiration from the design.
The kitchen counter has a lovely raw edge that showcases the natural texture of the wood. It also wraps around two walls, forming the rare L-shaped design that maximizes workspace. The dinette tabletop slides out from below the bed. A pair of seats face each other in front of the bed, and both of them have hidden storage under the seats.
There are lots of windows and skylights in this design, so natural light can come through from every angle. Thin wood panels cover most of the walls and all of the ceiling, which ties the entire space together.
10 of 10 Camper Van Conversions: Jennie & James’ Van
Finally, we’ve got a unique van design to wrap up the list. This one is different from all the others, which definitely makes it one of the coolest camper vans. It’s modern, chic, and extremely adaptable.
Instead of a traditional bed, a large dinette occupies the back of the van. This can be transformed into a full-size bed, but it also works as a great place to work, eat, or just hang out during the day. The cushions can be rearranged, and there are different table tops as well. It really is an all-purpose space!
In addition, lights are installed along the bottoms of the furniture, proving a nice ambient glow. A full bed can lower down onto the cushion base. It can serve as a separate bed or lower all the way down so passengers can sleep together. This is a design choice I’ve never seen before, and it’s extremely effective!
There’s also an extendable shower curtain that can be raised or lowered, so the bathroom doesn’t need to be a permanent fixture that takes up space. Overall, this is one of the most innovative camper vans I’ve ever seen!
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- Check Out This Awesome DIY Camper Van
- Top 10 Camper Van Interior Design Improvement Ideas
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