Top 5 Small Vans For Campervan Conversions [2020]

You have decided you want to buy a camper van, but it has to be small enough to use for daily life and also it can fit in a multi-story carpark garage as well as the one at home?

Whether you are going to do the conversion yourself, or one that’s converted, we have listed what we think are the best small vans you can buy that makes the best small camper van.

So first off, the all-important sizes;

For this argument, we will take a look at the average size of a UK garage according to Wikipedia;

A small British single garage is 8 by 16 feet (2.4 m × 4.9 m),
A medium British single garage is nine by 18 feet (2.7 m × 5.5 m)
A large British single garage is ten by 20 feet (3.0 m × 6.1 m).

For this list, we will use the medium single garage as our maximum size.

To throw another spanner in the work’s, the average height of most multi-level carparks is 2.1 meters.

So for the final overall measurements, the campervan cannot be any bigger than 5.5 meters long and 2.1 meters high, and that includes any roof accessories.

What van make’s the best small camper van?

For the van itself, we will list all the latest generation models available right now in the UK and most of mainland Europe.

It also has to be big enough to accommodate at least one person lying down as well as room to house all the basic furniture you would want in a small van to camper van conversion.

VW Caddy Maxi

Overall Length	Overall Width*	Overall Height	Internal Length	Internal Width	Internal Height	Load Volume
4.87 m	2.06	1.86 m	2.24 m	1.52 m	1.25 m	4.2 m3

* including mirrors.

The largest small van on our list.

The VW Caddy comes 6th on our list. The van is highly regarded for its build quality and its strong residual values – meaning it’s still worth lots when you come to sell it but some may find it too expensive for the initial outlay.

As the largest van on our list, the VW Caddy would make an ideal space for a small van campervan conversion, giving you more than enough room to move around.

Another good point is where the Caddy van traditionally struggled, such as fuel economy, have now been dramatically improved thanks to the latest fourth-generation model.

It’s also a fantastic looking vehicle.

Official VW Caddy Website 

Ford Transit Connect L2 (LWB)

Overall Length: 4.81 meters
Overall Height: 1.83 meters
Internal Load Height: 1.26 meters
Internal Load Length: 2.15 meters
Internal Load Width: 1.53 meters
Total load Volume: 3.2m2 (VDA)

Official Ford Transit Connect dimensions. 

The best small camper van base vehicle?

The Ford Transit Connect, just like its big brother the Ford Transit, has become an extremely popular choice of a van for many different job roles. Being so popular, the Transit Connect has also made it quite high on the list for many self-build converters making it one of the best small vans for a camper conversion.

With its ultra modern styling, generous load volume, superior handling and its relatively cheap purchase price, the Ford Transit Connect is a smart choice when converting a small van into a camper van.

However, It is one of the smaller vans on this list so if you plan on accommodating you and your favourite other, things may get a little tight in the back.

But for some, this is all part of the fun!

Vauxhall Combo Cargo L2 (LWB)

Overall Length: 4.75 meters
Overall Height: 1.81 meters
Internal Load Height: 1.23 meters
Internal Load Length: 2.13 meters
Internal Load Width: 1.63 meters
Total load Volume: 3.9m2

Official Vauxhall Combo dimensions.

The best small camper van base vehicle?

The Vauxhall Combo Cargo has come it at our number 3 spot as it ticks many of the boxes you look for when converting a small van into a camper van.

With a generous load space, this little van is bigger on the inside than it looks.
Its also relatively cheap and parts are readily available.

Buy a Combo – go on an adventure!

Peugeot Partner L2 (LWB)

Overall Length: 4.75 meters
Overall Height: 1.84 meters
Internal Load Height: 1.24 meters
Internal Load Length: 2.16 meters
Internal Load Width: 1.55 meters
Total load Volume: 3.8m2

Official Peugeot Partner dimensions.

The best small camper van base vehicle?

The Peugeot Partner is such a great little van to convert into a campervan coming very close to the top spot.

One of the most popular vans on our list, the Peugeot Partner is favoured by many professional campervan converters as it’s cheap, reliable and fun to drive.

The internal length comes in 2.16 meters meaning sleeping should not be a problem for most.

On the outside is the trademark French styling; But pop your head inside and take a look around and its like you have just entered a spaceship.

This makes it one of the most stylish on this list.

Citroen Berlingo L2 (LWB)

Overall Length: 4.75 meters
Overall Height: 1.84 meters
Internal Load Height: 1.24 meters
Internal Load Length: 2.16 meters
Internal Load Width: 1.55 meters
Total load Volume: 3.8m2

The best small camper van base vehicle?

The Citroen Berlingo; These vans are everywhere so they must be doing something right. The latest generation has had a few exterior tweaks similar to its cousin, the Peugeot Partner.

Both the Peugeot and Citroen share the same underbody, load space and exterior styling. The only thing different to this over the Peugeot is the interior.

The load space is a perfect size to make this a good choice for our list of vans that make the best small camper van.

Conclusion