From my reply to a discussion in r/VWBus on Reddit.

So basically a reliable tin roof camper is my dream and goal. Is something like this relatively possible and is it economic? Like not absolutely shattering my savings.

Possible? Yes. Economic? No. Especially if you want reliability and modern convenience. Depending on how much of the work you’re willing to do yourself, your tools and knowledge, you can definitely keep those costs down, but then you’re spending your time and life energy instead of money. As someone who grew up with buses and has driven them through much of my adult life, I assure you that they are cool but costly.

Consider: a running van is going to cost you in the ballpark of $5-10K. I’ve never seen a bus for that price that didn’t need some amount of parts and work just to make it roadworthy and reliable, so add another $5-10K. An engine transplant will cost will cost you $2-5K minimum if you have the tools and knowledge, and typically can run much higher. Interiors and modern convenience don’t come cheap, so budget another $5K. So realistically to get what you want, you’re going to be spending in the neighborhood of $15-20K for a 50 year old vehicle. Maybe more. Probably more.

Now bargains and barn finds do exist. And a lot of it depends on your standards. If you don’t mind being seen in a van with rust, then you can skimp on the bodywork. Having space to tear down and work on the vehicle at your own pace, then you aren’t going to need to drop cash all that at once, which saves the bank account and also helps keep the wife from getting suspicious. But the bottom line is that you’re going to spend money to make it happen.

And is it what you really want? A lot of people dream of going mobile in an iconic hippie van, but aren’t as interested in learning how to adjust their carburetors or sourcing subie engine parts. Driving them is fun on the winding back roads, but is hell on a hot day in city traffic. If you want the open road and the ability to camp out of your back hatch, there are other cheaper options.

Of course, it may be an itch that you can only scratch one way. Don’t worry, you’re not alone, we’ve all been there. Find yourself a bus, roll up your sleeves, and empty your wallet. Make it your bus. In the end, you can’t take the money with you, so make the memories and live today.