A respray for a Ford Transit campervan can significantly refresh its appearance, but the cost to do it can vary widely depending on several factors.
If you need to freshen up the look of your van after having external work done or just want a different colour, it is achievable by respraying your Transit.
The cost of painting a van varies by size, for example a Transit Connect is cheaper than a standard Transit, as well as other factors like the current state of the van.
So if you are finishing a Ford Transit campervan conversion or just pimping up your current van, we’ve got a guide to the all important factors.
Cost To Respray a Ford Transit – Price Ranges For A Paint Job
The cost to respray a Ford Transit campervan typically falls between $2,000 and $6,500 (£1,500 to £5,000).
Prices can go higher for more complex jobs or larger vehicles, depending on the type of Ford Transit you are updating or converting.
Larger vans require more paint and labor, increasing costs, while naturally full resprays cost more than partial jobs.
Poor existing paintwork may need more preparation, higher-grade paints cost more but offer better durability and switching to a different color is usually more expensive than respraying the original shade.
Estimated Costs of Painting a Ford Transit
For a standard Ford Transit campervan, you might expect:
- Basic Respray: $2,000 – $4,000
- Mid-Range Job: $4,000 – $6,500
- High-End Respray: $6,500 and upwards
Vehicle Wrapping vs Respraying a Campervan
If you’re looking for a more cost-effective option to painting your Ford Transit, vehicle wrapping might be worth considering.
The cost of wrapping your van fully can range from $2,500 to $4,200 and therefore cheaper than a full respray performed by a specialist.
Wrapping your campervan is a quicker application overall, protects original paintwork and is easily reversible if you happen to dislike the look.
However, one thing to consider is that the lifespan of a wrap is 3-7-years in total, significantly lower compared to the estimated 10-15 years for a good respray.
DIY Options For Painting Your Campervan
Respraying a Ford Transit campervan can be done at home if your budget doesn’t stretch to using a professional paint company.
Some van owners we know have done DIY resprays or paint jobs and managed to do so for less than $1,000.
You can also consider doing the prep work and purchasing paint yourself before agreeing a deal with a respray specialist, and this can help keep costs down a little.
How Long Does A Respray Take For a Ford Transit Campervan
The average respray takes between four and seven days depending on the company chosen to do the paint.
Realistically it can take anywhere from a few days to several weeks, depending on factors like amount of prep work needed, complexity of the job and if bodywork repairs are required.
Removing rust or repairing bodywork damage extends the process, stripping old paint and priming the surface adds time and fixing dents or filling imperfections also lengthens the preparation phase.
The chosen color and finish also impacts the process as changing to a drastically different color requires more coats and time.
Special finishes like metallic or pearl effects need additional layers and custom designs or multi-color schemes increase complexity and duration of the respray job.
Some van lifers have had their vans away for over five weeks for a respray, but I honestly feel like up to three weeks is the maximum time you should be without your camper.
Most reputable shops should be able to give you an estimated timeframe when you request a quote, though the actual time may end up being longer in some cases.
As a comparison, a vehicle wrap typically takes around two days to adhere to the surface, or about four days if interior panels are also wrapped.
How Does The Size of the Ford Transit Campervan Impact Respray Time
As you might expect, a larger surface area requires more time for paint application and drying so the bigger your Transit the more time it takes.
A Ford Transit, especially in long-wheelbase or high-roof configurations, has considerably more surface to cover compared to a Connect model.
More surface area means more time needed for cleaning, sanding, and priming, while larger vehicles often have more areas that need repair or rust treatment before painting.
Transits have more complex shapes than cars, with numerous panels and contours. Areas like wheel arches, door frames, and the roof rack mounting points require extra attention and time.
More time is needed to mask off windows, lights, and other non-painted areas so the more windows you have the longer the process will be.