The points I've made are going to be biased because my own choice has been made: I love van conversions and I love the fact that externally, they can look like exactly that: a plain old van, but inside they are a home on the go.

If a pickup conversion ticks a sufficient number of your boxes, then you should consider them as a viable option.

As for building the interior yourself: it really depends on how deep you want to go.

My conversion involved: taking up the floor to paint the metal with a thick coat of Hammerite, getting rear seat brackets re-welded so that the seat could sit in mid-position, replacing the internal panels with cut plywood, fixing a horizontal wooden ledge along the midline as a bed support and then building a bed frame in 3 sections.

I built it so that the two main halves slot into one another when stored and the whole bed acts as a storage shelve for our gear.

Finally, I added a folding table to one of the side panels in the passenger area. That ended up being used to change diapers more than anything else.

The point is that gives me the van I need and it was easy enough to do myself, but I had a garden to work in.

A roof tent and some storage compartments under the bed frame in the rear are all I need to build myself and ideally replacing the front twin passenger seat with a single passenger seat so that I can move freely between drivers chair and the rear without any undignified acrobatics.

For me that is enough and is a conversion that costs in the hundreds, not thousands (if you don't count the roof tent).

With recovery boards, and somewhat knobbly tyres, I thank that van would get me most places my driving could handle and can do 6.5l/100km all day if I stick to 90km/h.

So it all depends on how comprehensive a build you need. Above was my level while some people need the full 4x4 Sprinter Hymer at €60,000!

Whatever you decide, keep us posted: always nice to follow a build. And watch YouTube videos for inspiration and ideas: it's amazing what some people create.

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Adventure: it's an experience, not a style!
(so ride what you like, but ride it somewhere new!)

We've travelled in a G Wagen and with others in 4x4's with roof top tents. We now have a mwb 4x4 Sprinter.

I'd never go back to the G Wagen (an excellent vehicle) or anything like it Anything other than a van has too many disadvantages.

Want to park up in a layby or an urban car park? In a roof top tent! No chance. So you either need to find a cheap hotel or sleep in a tiny space. Blowing a gale. You won't get any sleep.

If you do it right a van conversion just blends into the back ground. Doesnt attract unwanted attention. It's more secure.

If you don't want to pay the 4x4 premium a 2wd van and some decent tyres will do just fine.

For a family of 4 I'd be looking at Sprinter mwb/Crafter size as a minimum. Having said that a lwb Sprinter is big and will limit your mobility.