$6K Micro Camper Van Proves You Don't Need a Fortune To Build a Snug Tiny Home on Wheels

If you're on a tight budget yet still want to experience van life, consider converting a small van. The less real estate you have, the fewer features you'll be able to fit, which translates into a smaller investment needed to complete the project.

Meet Siena and her self-converted tiny home on wheels, based on a Ford Transit Connect. This model, along with the Nissan NV200 and the Ram ProMaster City, is one of the go-to options for micro camper van conversions. Siena has been traveling full-time inside her Transit Connect for the past nine months. It took her a mere three weeks to bring it to its current form. Regarding costs, Siena purchased the vehicle for $5,000 (€4,614) from Facebook Marketplace and invested $1,000 (€923) into its conversion.

So, $6K for a fully livable, albeit no-frills mobile home? That's an excellent deal – by comparison, some people spend that much or even more on just the electrical system for their camper vans.

As usual, I'll start the tour with the exterior. This rig is quite stealthy – at first glance, there's a high chance bystanders won't be able to tell someone is living inside. The only detail that gives away its camper DNA is a Maxxair fan on top of the vehicle.

The Ford Transit Connect comes with two sliding doors. Most people, including Siena, use one as an entrance and the other to access a storage area. The latter is essentially a tiny garage where she holds a 5-gallon (19-liter) water jug, a yoga mat, a refrigerator box, and other stuff.

Slide open the entrance, and you'll discover a simple yet stylish living space. Regarding aesthetics, Siena opted for white walls and cabinetry paired with wooden accents, such as the slatted ceiling.

You'll notice an open layout, meaning the driver's cabin isn't separated from the rest of the interior. Some people opt to divide them, but usually in larger rigs. When you do it in smaller ones, you can make the rear part feel even more claustrophobic than it already is.

In Siena's case, she installed a curtain for more privacy and to block light coming through the front part of her vehicle. Furthermore, she bought window covers off Amazon and cut them to fit the rest of the windows inside the rig.

Every single inch available in a camper van's interior is valuable, especially in a rig this small. That's why many people who convert them sacrifice the extra headroom in the driver's cabin to devise a sizeable headliner shelf – and that's what Siena did as well. Close to it, above the passenger side door, you'll see a small bookshelf.

The kitchen occupies the driver's side of the living space. It features an overhead cubby, a tall cabinet for dry food storage, a sizeable drawer, a beautiful green peel-and-stick backsplash imitating tiles, and a flip-up countertop extension.

The largest feature here, something that Siena couldn't travel without, is a Berkey water filter. I've seen it on numerous campers I've written about, and many people swear by it due to its excellent filtration capabilities, removing chlorine, heavy metals, chemicals, and even microplastics from water.

Underneath the drawer I just mentioned, Siena fitted a deep-cycle battery. She routed a cable that runs next to the driver's side door, connecting the battery to the vehicle's starting battery. A DC-DC charger allows the system to charge while driving.

Siena also uses a Jackery Explorer 500 W portable power station for charging. It boasts a 518 Wh capacity, which, according to its manufacturer, provides enough power for 22.6 phone charges.

On the opposite side, you'll notice a long bench. Of course, like in most other micro camper van conversions, the bench can be transformed into a bed. To do that, all you have to do is pull out a wooden frame extension and pull down the single-sized mattress.

Siena devised a straight wall behind the couch/bed to simplify the building process. Since the van's side wall is curved, some extra room is left between it and the panel she installed, which Siena uses for storage. Moreover, the space underneath the couch is also utilized for storage.

The only basic amenity missing in this camper van is a bathroom. Of course, there wasn't enough room for her to create a fixed one, but she could've added a cassette toilet or something similar. What's more, she showers using a portable bag and water from the jug I mentioned earlier.

All in all, Siena managed to create a cool tiny home on wheels. What makes it even more impressive is the meager budget it was built for. It might not be enough for other adventurers, but it does the job for her - and that's what matters.