13 min read · published April 25, 2026

The mistake DIY converters make most often: doing the cosmetic build first (cabinets, cladding, fancy lighting) and the systems work last. The right order is the opposite. The systems that have to work in an Irish winter — insulation, ventilation, heating, electrics — need to be specified, sourced and installed before any timber gets cut.

This is the conversion checklist we'd follow if we were starting from a stripped-out panel van today. The full conversion guide on the conversion page covers the why; this article is the order-and-checklist version.

Phase 0: The vehicle

  1. Buy the right base. Ford Transit / Renault Master / Mercedes Sprinter / VW Crafter, long-wheel-base high-roof, 2014–2018, 100–180k km. Budget €8,000–€25,000.
  2. Pre-purchase inspection by a mechanic you trust. Check rust on chassis rails, sliding-door rollers, leak history.
  3. Insure as a panel van for the conversion phase, switch to specialist motorhome insurance once it's habitable.
  4. Find a workspace. Off-street, ideally covered, with power. Garage is luxury; carport works; an open driveway is the bare minimum.
  5. Strip out anything you don't want. Bulkhead, ply panels, anything not load-bearing. Take photos of original wiring before removing.

Phase 1: Treat the floor and walls

  1. Treat any rust spots back to bare metal, prime, paint over.
  2. Apply Dynamat or similar sound-deadening to large flat panels (doors, side panels, roof). Cuts road-noise dramatically.
  3. Run any wiring you'll need behind the walls before the insulation goes in. Cables for: lights, USB ports, water pump, fan, heater, leisure-battery sense lines.

Phase 2: Insulation

  1. Closed-cell PIR foam (Recticel, Kingspan) at 25 mm walls / 50 mm ceiling / 25 mm floor. Cut to fit each cavity.
  2. Spray foam (Soudal Click&Foam) into awkward gaps that PIR can't reach.
  3. Vapour-barrier tape every joint. The vapour barrier is the difference between dry van and damp van.
  4. Cover with 6–9 mm ply on walls and ceiling for cladding-ready surface.

Phase 3: Ventilation (do this before any other system goes in)

  1. Cut the roof for a Maxxair Maxxfan Deluxe with the rain shield. Centred over the kitchen / bed area.
  2. Seal with butyl tape and Sikaflex 252.
  3. Wire to a switch + the leisure battery (this happens in Phase 5).
  4. Plan a second airflow point (small fixed vent in the rear, or a sliding window) at the opposite end. Not optional.

Phase 4: Heating

  1. Diesel air heater, 5 kW (or 2 kW for a small van). The Chinese clones at €160–€220 are now reliable enough.
  2. Mount under the floor or in a bench cabinet, exhaust through the floor with the supplied flexible exhaust pipe.
  3. Pull diesel from a separate tap on the main fuel tank (most kits include a sender unit; some need a custom job by a mechanic).
  4. Hot-air outlet and return inside the van; outside intake on the underbody.
  5. Wire to a switch + the leisure battery, with a separate fuse.
  6. Test before everything else gets buttoned up — you'll hate yourself if you have to redo this with cabinets in the way.

Phase 5: Electrical

  1. 200–300 Ah LiFePO4 leisure battery. Don't buy lead-acid.
  2. Battery monitor (Victron BMV-712 or similar) so you actually know your state of charge.
  3. 200–300 W of solar on the roof, with a Victron MPPT controller (100/30 or 100/50 depending on panel size).
  4. 30–40 A DC-DC charger from the alternator. More useful than solar in Irish winter.
  5. 1500–2000 W pure-sine inverter. Don't go cheap.
  6. Mains hookup: CEE 16A blue socket, RCBO consumer unit, mains-priority switching.
  7. 12V fuse-block for the small loads (lights, fan, USB ports, pump).
  8. Each circuit on its own properly-sized fuse.

Approximate bill of materials for the above: €1,800–€2,800 if you DIY. See the gear page for specific picks.

Phase 6: Water

  1. 60–100 L freshwater tank, mounted low and centrally for stability.
  2. 40–60 L grey water tank, low-mounted with a drain valve.
  3. 12V Shurflo or Whale pump, mounted near the freshwater tank, with an accumulator tank for steady pressure.
  4. Inline carbon block filter.
  5. Plumb to: kitchen tap, bathroom shower mixer, exterior fill cap.
  6. Hot water: combi heater (Truma Combi 4) doubles as space heating, or instant gas heater for hot-only.

Phase 7: Bed and storage

  1. Decide bed orientation: fixed transverse (best space-use), fixed longitudinal (necessary if you're >6'2"), or convertible day-bed.
  2. Frame the bed first, build storage around it.
  3. Mattress: 4-zone foam at 12–15 cm thick. Custom-cut to size; a few Irish suppliers will do this for €220–€420.
  4. Storage under the bed is the single biggest storage win in any van. Plan for a "garage" with rear-door access.

Phase 8: Kitchen and bathroom

  1. 2-burner gas hob (Dometic or similar), 12V compressor fridge.
  2. Sink with hot/cold mixer, plumbed to fresh and grey tanks.
  3. Cassette toilet (Thetford C200) or composting toilet (DIY or Nature's Head).
  4. Shower: wet-room style (toilet doubles as shower floor), or external shower at the rear for summer-only use.

Phase 9: Cosmetic finish

  1. Cladding (T&G pine or birch ply) over the structural ply walls.
  2. Trim around fan, windows, doors.
  3. Curtains or blinds. Insulating curtains help with winter heat retention.
  4. Lighting: warm-white 12V LED strips for ambient, gooseneck reading lights for task.
  5. Final electrical commissioning: load-test every circuit, check battery state-of-charge after a 24-hour passive standby.

Where to buy in Ireland

Total time and cost (DIY)

It's not a small project. It is, on the other hand, immensely satisfying when it works — and a winter spent in a van you built yourself is a different experience than a winter spent in someone else's interpretation.

Full conversion guide

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