Five Alternatives to Overpriced Sprinter Vans

Overpriced vehicles are making it difficult to join the growing van life movement. Here are five alternatives to beat the market.

1. Government Vehicles

Check out auction websites like Govplanet.com and Govdeals.com. These vehicles have lived out a service term for the government, often in a well-maintained fleet. Potential deals on the most popular conversion vans (Ford Transit, Ram ProMaster, Mercedes Sprinter) can be found here. Constant inventory turnover, a wide variety of vehicles, and frequent auctions make these sites fun and interesting to visit. Most have extensive photos and inspections to help assess before you buy.

2. Ambulances

Old ambulances are just cool. Built ready for emergency use, with additional alternators for a large power draw and bulky suspension for equipment weight, they even have a ready-made box on the back! Best of all, it's possible to find them cheap and in good condition. They’re an excellent platform for a camper conversion project. You may be able to find one at a local auction or privately sold.

3. Tiny Trailers

There are some inexpensive options out there for tiny towable trailers. Brand new base models usually start under $10,000, and can be towed by almost anything. Most offer kitchens, bathrooms, headroom, and more interior space than a converted camper van. Towing your living space also gives you flexibility. Want to take a day trip or go to work without dragging your whole house around? Want to go somewhere usually inaccessible by RVs and vans? Just separate your vehicle!

4. Regular Cars

You’ve embraced the tiny living movement enough to be interested in a van, but are you willing to take it to the next level? How about a wagon, minivan, or truck? Living in one of these is cheaper at every stage from the vehicle itself to the camper conversion. Ideally, the versatility of the car is maintained even after the conversion. Depending on the vehicle you can get higher MPG or greater off-road ability than a larger van.

5. Boats

Admittedly, this one is a bit out there. But even if you’ve never been on a boat before it’s possible to learn how to sail or drive one. Most small boats cost less than a Sprinter van and offer more interior space and amenities. Boatbuilders have been designing small resilient spaces for centuries, so whatever you settle on will probably be comfortable and functional. If the point of living in a van is to change your perspective, it's worth considering.

Honorary Mention: USPS Mail Trucks (Grumman LLV)

I can’t be the only one that thinks they're cool. Plus, they’re made to be virtually unkillable– the LLV stands for "Long Life Vehicle". But according to the mail carriers that use them, they're terrible.

Regular driving around town was usually pretty bearable, but driving an LLV on the highway shouldn’t even be legal. The sluggish acceleration, deafening noise and harsh vibration were all bad enough, but knowing the body of that vehicle would crush like a soda can in an accident is what made it such a frightening experience.

- Eric Brandt

The Grumman LLVs are being phased out and most are destined for the scrapyard. Finding one is hard enough, but converting one into a camper would be even harder. Anything's possible if you're dedicated, though. And at the end of this project is a unique weekend warrior.