How much does it cost to convert a Van in Australia? The full breakdown of my 1995 Mitsubishi Delica 4x4 transformation
- 5 hours ago
- 6 min read
Six days after landing in Australia, I transferred $12,000 AUD (€7,200 / £6,240) to someone I had only met briefly, and with that single bank transaction I bought what would become my home for the next year and a half. I bought the van that would carry me for 43,001 kilometres across Australia, through the Outback, across the Nullarbor, along remote beaches and into places where sealed roads simply don’t exist.
My new van was a 1995 Mitsubishi Delica L400 2.8 Turbo Diesel, and choosing it was never random. From the very beginning, I knew I wanted a four-wheel drive because I didn’t come to Australia to stay on highways and caravan parks. I wanted dirt roads, isolation, national parks, and the kind of freedom that only comes when you’re not limited by your vehicle. I had looked at Toyota Land Cruisers and Nissan Prados, but in most cases that would have meant installing a rooftop tent, and that never felt right for me. Travelling solo, security mattered. I wanted to be able to move from the back to the front seat and drive away instantly if I ever needed to, and that decision proved right one night near Sanremo, close to Phillip Island, when a drunk man started banging on my door at 4:30 in the morning. I stayed calm, moved to the front, started the engine and left. It lasted only a few minutes, but for the following week I slept with one extra eye open. That moment confirmed something important: having a van instead of a rooftop tent wasn’t just about comfort, it was about control and safety especially as a solo female traveller!
As soon as I transferred the money for the Delica, I felt instantly certain about my choice. I had saved for it while working in London, and I arrived in Australia already knowing what I wanted. Finding that van felt strangely similar to finding the perfect wedding dress: once I saw it, I knew it was him! Even my mechanic told me that Delicas have strong engines, and despite being built in 1995 and now sitting at over 308,000 kilometres, it still runs beautifully. Of course, with a vehicle that age, maintenance is not optional, and that is something anyone considering an older 4x4 must understand from the beginning. But now let's get straight to the point...
How much does it cost to convert a Van in Australia?
My costs before conversion
Here is the exact breakdown of the purchase and initial mechanical work:
Van purchase: $12,000 AUD (€7,200 / £6,240)
Ownership transfer: $240.40 AUD (€144 / £125)
Initial mechanical repairs AC regas: $2,515 AUD (€1,509 / £1,307)
Total before conversion: $14,755.40 AUD (€8,853 / £7,672)
The initial repairs were not a surprise. I knew the van needed work when I bought it, and I preferred fixing everything immediately rather than discovering problems in the middle of nowhere. Reliability was non-negotiable for me, especially knowing that I would eventually cross the Outback alone.
Actual Conversion Cost
The full camper conversion includes absolutely everything inside the van, down to the last fork, the curtains, the Velcro, the storage boxes and every small detail that made it livable.
Here’s how that breaks down:
Electrical system and battery monitor: $1,153.09 AUD (€692 / £600)
Fridge: $314 AUD (€188 / £163)
Plumbing (water tanks, pump, sink): $267.80 AUD (€161 / £139)
Wood: $644.62 AUD (€387 / £335)
Materials (screws, hinges, glue, paint, brackets, etc.): $557.01 AUD (€334 / £290)
Tools (jigsaw, drill etc.): $175.61 AUD (€105 / £91)
Exterior essentials (awning, roof rack, rooftop bag, camping gear): $738.92 AUD (€443 / £384)
Interior decor and living items (kitchen stuff, storage boxes, linen, duvet etc.): $471.60 AUD (€283 / £245)
Mattress: $220 AUD (€132 / £114)
4x4 essentials (jump starter, max tracks, air compressor, extra diesel tank, tyre kit): $225.52 AUD (€135 / £117)
For a total conversion cost of: $5,301.54 AUD (€3,181 / £2,756)
Adding everything together, the full cost of buying and converting my 4x4 camper van in Australia was:
$20,056.94 AUD (€12,034 / £10,428)
For a fully functional, off-road capable home on wheels.
Was It Expensive?
When I look at that number, I don’t see something expensive. I see something intentional. For a reliable 4x4 van in good condition, capable of taking me anywhere in Australia, I believe it was a fair price. Could I have negotiated another $2,000? Maybe. But I was happy, and that matters too.
It’s also important to compare this to renting. Renting a camper van in Australia only makes financial sense for short trips of one or two months. For a long-term road trip, ownership changes everything. The van becomes yours, you adapt it to your needs and you maintain it your way.
Building It Alone
The build itself took longer than expected because I was working full-time in Perth while converting it. I would wait for my salary, then buy the next piece: the fridge, the battery, the wood, the plumbing parts. I never had a workshop or professional tools. I built the entire van using only a jigsaw and a drill.
Technically, the electrical and plumbing systems were simpler than people imagine. My mechanic helped connect the main battery to the auxiliary battery, and after that the setup was straightforward. I installed a 120Ah secondary battery, a 1500W inverter, a 40W DC-DC charger and a 240W solar blanket, which I rarely use because driving 30-40 minutes a day keeps everything charged already.
The plumbing system consists of a 60-litre roof water tank connected to an external shower hose, plus a small internal sink with a $20 electric pump and separate fresh and grey water tanks. It is basic, but it works perfectly.
The hardest part of the build was not technical. It was mental. There were days when I sat inside the van for hours without knowing how to continue, feeling stuck and slightly overwhelmed. My friend, who I was living with at the time, would leave for work in the morning and return in the afternoon asking what I had built, and sometimes my honest answer was that I hadn’t progressed at all because I didn’t yet understand the next step. But every mistake forced me to learn something new, and by the fourth month, things that once felt impossible had become intuitive. When I finally put in the last screw, I didn’t just feel proud of the van, I felt proud of myself.
Before this build, I had never built furniture or designed a living space from scratch, and I certainly didn’t consider myself very practical. Yet by the time I finished, I trusted myself in a way I hadn’t before. The van was ready, but more importantly, I was ready. I knew that whatever challenges came my way on the road, I could now face them and fix them on my own.
The First Test and the Real Goodbye
Before starting the big road trip, I took Mitsu (yes, that's how I called my van!), on a short three-day test trip north of Perth to Lancelin and Cervantes, visiting the Pinnacles Desert to make sure everything worked properly. That small trip allowed me to adjust a few details and confirm that the van was functional before committing to months on the road.
Leaving Perth after six months was emotional. I had built friendships, routines and a temporary life there. Driving away felt like stepping into the unknown, and I did cry. The first nights alone were not easy, but I knew deep down that this decision was aligned with who I wanted to become.
Looking back, spending just over $20,000 AUD (€12,034 / £10,428) to build a reliable 4x4 home that carried me across 43,001 kilometres around Australia was not just a financial investment. It was an investment in independence, resilience and self-trust. Building the van changed me before the road even began, and the person who returned to Perth after that journey was already very different from the one who had left London in 2023 or the one who had left Perth when the van was ready for the road!
In my next article, I’ll break down exactly how much those 461 days on the road actually cost me, because buying and converting the van was only the first step. The real numbers start once the wheels begin to turn.
Full Van Tour Videos on my Instagram (currently in italian only)! Don't forget to follow me on social media.
If you are planning to move to Australia on a WHV don't forget to check out my blog post: Working Holiday Visa Australia 2025: The Real First Steps Guide (From Someone Who’s Done It)
Scared of taking the first step? Then this might help you too: Moving to Australia Without Being Ready: How I Changed My Life Even When I Was Scared
