Choosing a conversion company is a significant decision. You are trusting a business with your vehicle, budget and months of build time, so it is worth understanding how they work before committing.
Most people choose a converter based on photographs of previous builds, online reviews and recommendations from other customers. Those are useful, but they are only the starting point. Asking the right questions before you sign anything will help you distinguish an experienced professional from someone who may cut corners.
Build Quality and Process
A professional converter should be confident showing you their work mid-build. If a company is vague or uncomfortable about you visiting during the conversion, that's a genuine red flag. You need to understand their actual process, not their marketing narrative.
Ask specifically: Can I visit the workshop to see a van mid-build? Not their showroom or office. The workshop. Where a van is actually being worked on. Watch them build sections of the floor, the roof, the electrical system. You'll learn more in two hours than in six months of email updates.
Push on insulation specifics. Insulation is invisible once the van is finished, so it's where cost-cutting happens. Ask: What insulation do you use? What brand, what thickness, what type? Are they using PIR boards (rigid foam, good R-value) or cheaper mineral wool? Are they using 50mm or 25mm? Insulation quality determines how warm the van is, how much condensation you'll fight, and how expensive your heating bills are going to be.
Ask about attachment methodology: How is furniture attached to the van? Is it bolted to the floor or bonded? Bonding looks neater, but bolting is more robust and repairable. If a bonded cabinet starts to come loose at the joint, you're paying for it to be reattached. A bolted cabinet, you tighten the bolts. Bolting also means future owners can modify the van more easily.
Understand their design philosophy: Do you use templates and jigs for your builds, or is every van bespoke? This sounds like a detail, but it matters enormously. A good converter has templates that they've refined over dozens of builds. They know how to maximise space, where plumbing needs to run, how to balance weight. A converter who designs everything bespoke is either a genius or inefficient. Usually inefficient, which means delays and cost overruns.
Electrical Systems and Energy
The electrical system brings several parts of a modern conversion together. Ask who designs and installs it, how it is protected and what documentation you will receive.
First question: Who designs the electrical system? Is it the converter's in-house staff or an external auto-electrician? There's nothing wrong with outsourcing, but you want to know. And ideally, you want the auto-electrician involved from the start, not brought in at the end to wire up components that weren't designed for power requirements.
Ask about sign-off: Will the electrical system be designed and certified by a qualified auto-electrician? The answer should be yes. And their name and certification should be documented in the handover paperwork.
Ask what type and capacity of leisure battery and charging system will be fitted, and why it suits the way you plan to use the van. AGM batteries are affordable and well established. Lithium batteries are lighter, usually provide more usable power and can last longer, but they cost more and need compatible charging equipment and battery protection. Whichever type is proposed, ask how it will be charged from the engine, mains hook-up and solar, and make sure the complete system is properly matched.
Think about how you will actually use the van. You may often camp away from electric hook-up, particularly when staying with friends who are in tents, so ask how long the leisure battery will run essentials such as the fridge, lights and device chargers. Solar can make a significant difference by replenishing the battery during the day. Explain your likely camping habits and ask the converter to recommend a battery and solar setup to support them. They should be able to explain the recommendation in plain language.
Most importantly, request: Will I receive a complete wiring diagram and a system manual documenting all components, their specifications, and how to operate them? If the converter hasn't prepared this, they're not confident enough in their own work. A proper handover includes documentation. Everything from battery capacity to circuit breaker ratings to solar panel specifications.
Timeline and Communication
Lead times are often optimistic. Converters have waiting lists for a reason. Ask bluntly: What's your current lead time from order to handover? Not the advertised lead time. The actual current one. If it's longer than their website says, that tells you about their accuracy.
Ask how the converter will keep you informed throughout the build, particularly if the schedule or specification changes. Find out who your main contact will be, how often you can expect updates, whether those updates include progress photographs, and whether it will be possible to arrange a workshop visit at an appropriate stage. Agreeing this at the outset makes the process clearer for everyone.
Cost and Payment Structure
A clear quote is a sign of professionalism. What's included in the quoted price and what's optional extra? You need to understand the baseline, then see what upgrades cost. Are solar and heating included? Clarify the full specification before signing.
Payment structure matters enormously. A reputable converter operates on stage payments: deposit (usually 25-30% to secure the build slot), stage payments as work completes (typically at 25%, 50%, and 75% progress), and final balance on handover. Ask specifically: What's your payment schedule? When are deposits due, when are stage payments due, and when is final payment?
Ask whether the initial deposit is refundable and make sure you understand the terms. The converter is reserving workshop time, so find out what you would owe if your plans changed before the build began or while it was under way.
Ask the uncomfortable question: What happens if costs increase during the build? Get this in writing. Are there caps? Do they absorb minor overruns? Who pays if they need a more expensive component than originally quoted? Most professional converters will have a policy that they absorb small overruns (under £500) but anything significant requires customer approval and additional payment. That's reasonable. No policy at all is concerning.
Warranty and Aftercare
Warranty is where you separate professional converters from hobbyists. Ask: What warranty do you offer on the conversion as a whole? The industry standard is 2-5 years on the conversion workmanship. Make sure it's in writing and specifies what's covered.
Then ask about individual components: What warranties come with the heater, the roof, the battery system and the solar panels? These are manufacturer warranties that come with the components, but also ask if the converter offers extended warranties or guarantees on their installation of these components.
Ask: What happens if something fails at month six? Am I covered? If the heater stops working or the solar controller fails, is it repair or replacement? Are you charged labour, or is it covered? Do you need to return to their workshop or can it be fixed elsewhere?
Ask about snagging. What is your snagging period after handover? Make sure there is a reasonable period in which to report issues such as a cabinet that will not close, a faulty light or a leak, and get the process for resolving them in writing.
Compliance and Documentation
Ask what changes will need to be recorded with the DVLA once the conversion is complete, and who will handle the paperwork. It is still possible to apply to have the body type on the V5C changed to motor caravan, but approval is not automatic and depends partly on the vehicle's external appearance. Many converted Transporters remain recorded as a panel van or van with side windows, and that does not prevent them being used as campervans. The important point is that any details which need updating are recorded correctly and that you receive the relevant paperwork at handover.
Also ask which national speed limits will apply to the finished vehicle. Most vans have lower limits than cars on single and dual carriageways, while a motor caravan weighing no more than 3.05 tonnes unladen has car-equivalent national limits. DVLA states that the body-type wording on the V5C does not, by itself, determine the applicable limits, so do not rely on the logbook description alone.
Ask what safety checks and test records will be supplied at handover. A habitation check is a useful inspection of the living systems, but it is not a certificate that makes the van legally habitable. What matters is receiving the documentation appropriate to the equipment fitted, together with the relevant manuals and installation records.
Most importantly: What documentation will I receive at handover? You should get the wiring diagram (we covered this), a service manual, a parts list with warranty information, and records of the work completed. If they haven't prepared this, they're not set up for professional aftercare.
Red Flags That Should End the Conversation
Some warning signs should disqualify a converter immediately. If they can't or won't let you visit the workshop, leave. If they're vague about costs and can't give you an itemised quote, leave. If they're pressuring you to pay a large deposit without stage payments, leave.
If they have no portfolio of previous work or can't provide customer references, that's a red flag. If they're reluctant to put warranty terms in writing, don't trust them. If they can't explain their electrical system design or provide component specifications, they don't know what they're building.
And if you ask these questions and they get defensive or dismissive, that tells you everything about how they'll treat you during the build when issues emerge.