With a smaller van, the conversion would cost much less in materials, the van would be much easier to drive, and I would spend much less on gas. I originally decided on Ford Transit Connect (2013 or older) model, since the cab has an additional few inches in roof height in comparison to the other models I was considering. This would make the small camper feel much larger given the headspace would feel much less crowded. I later decided on the Nissan NV200 however, based on the next few limiting factors I'll discuss.

02

Driveability

When I began test driving potential vans, I had never even driven a van (besides my parents Sienna) and therefore had no idea what to expect in terms of driveability. The very first test drive I took, was essentially my baseline. One thing I might do next time would be going to a dealership or finding a friend who has my desired van and test driving that vehicle in good condition, so I'd have a better idea what to expect.

Nonetheless, I took the first test drive and immediately noticed how rickety the car felt. Was it just me? Are vans supposed to feel accelerate like there's one gear clicking into place at a time and you're just praying none get stuck? I had absolutely no idea.

When searching for used vans, I viewed a couple of options in Vancouver, but each option felt suspicious in terms of longevity. The entire car would rumble while driving, things felt rickety, there was lots of rust, and google reviews of the dealerships were quite varying. With this being my first-time purchasing a car as a young solo girl, I felt even more susceptible to getting scammed by these smaller used car dealerships.

All I can really say on this piece, is Driveability matters. At the end of the day, I would be driving my van tens of thousand of kilometers on my own and a broken down van might have ended my road trip in one blow. Trust your gut on this one and do your research. I had to walk away from several vans I wanted, in terms of all of the visible aspects; however, when it came down to it, I would drive the van and it would feel rickety yet again. The last van I drove had my decision made as soon as I hit the gas. You don't want to feel unsafe, let alone BE unsafe in a sketchy vehicle on a long road trip. Driveability MATTERS. Don't be tricked by your eyes: make sure you ~feel~ the car rather than just see it.

03

Availability

I started searching for vans whilst home in BC for the holidays. I originally planned on purchasing the van in BC, working remotely, and converting the van from my parents' home. When searching for used vans, I viewed a couple of options in Vancouver, but each option felt a bit suspicious in terms of longevity. Given my lack of success searching for used cars in Vancouver, I decided to head back to Toronto in January and search for used cars in the GTA. After viewing a few older Ford Transit Connect models, I came to the conclusion that I may have to sacrifice the extra roof height for a newer, more readily available vehicle. As a result, I expanded my search to include the Nissan NV200 and other GMC and Ford E-series vans.

I contacted around 20 dealerships and sellers on Facebook Marketplace and eventually went to test drive a vehicle at the Lockwood Kia Dealership in Oakville. The van had ~95,000km, clean record, good maintenance history, and best of all, drove beautifully. While the van met my checklist items, I new as soon as I started driving, that this was my best option to date. After negotiating and "thinking on it" for a night, I sent

04

Price

Price was always a limiting factor for my van. That being said, I had to increase my price multiple times since I was not finding anything in my original price range. At the end of the day, I didn't want to buy a van that would just break down quickly. When I increased my price range and viewed the vehicle I ended up purchasing, I was able to bring the price down slightly.

The vehicle had very clearly backed into something at some point, and there was a fix in the back corner of the body. It was small, but it was certainly visible. When I inquired about the dealership painting over some rust spots and fixing the back bump, they agreed to offer it for free or give a $1000 discount. I ended up choosing to paint over the rust myself with the help of a family friend, and take the discount. The price ended up being $300 over my aim, but still cheaper than the other (worse) options I had at the time.

Trying to negotiate the price was definitely a learning experience for me, but I learned you have to just ask for what you want sometimes. You never know what you might get if you don't ask.

05

Henrietta, 2015 Nissan NV200 S

After a lot of frustration and stress, I finally wandered upon Henrietta, my 2015 Nissan NV200 S. Here are some specs about her:

~95,000km mileage
clean record (technically...)
good maintenance record
very clean interior, also washed by the dealership pre-purchase
came with winter and summer tires
small bump/crack on back left body, under the tail light

And for some photos of course:

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