money stuff

how paying works

two different things happen around here — you're either paying for a buildout, or you're paying for a rental. they work differently, so here's both, plainly.

cashzellevenmocashappwire transfercards — on rentals

🔨 paying for a buildout

buildouts start at 10k and go up from there depending on what you want inside — layout, solar, battery, sink, skylight, bed size, finishes. there's no fixed menu, so there's no fixed price.

  1. tell us what you're dreaming of and we'll talk through what it actually costs.
  2. we put the number, the scope and the schedule in writing before a single tool comes out.
  3. to start your buildout, we need 50% up front to cover materials and labor costs — that's what holds your spot on the build calendar. the final 50% is due upon completion, when the build is finished.
  4. the van is in your name the whole time — we're building an interior into a vehicle you own.

most builds take less than 30 days once they start. want the number for your build? call or text estelle at 952-250-0000.

🚐 paying for a rental

rentals are priced per night, by tier — the stay wild line, the live free line, the boujee mf. nightly rates and minimums live on the rent a camper van page.

  • credit and debit cards are accepted on rentals — this is the one place we take them.
  • on a rental over $600 we also need $500 of it through zelle, cash app, venmo, or cash. the rest goes on the card as normal. under $600, pay however's easiest.
  • your dates aren't held until the rental agreement is signed and payment has cleared.
  • we rent to anyone 18 and over with a valid, current, legal u.s.a. driver's license — no under-25 surcharge. you're fully liable for the van while it's with you.
  • there's a refundable deposit on every rental, the same for everyone regardless of age. bring the van back the way you got it and it comes straight back to you.

check dates and rates →

💵 what we accept

two different rules, because the risk is different. here is both.

🔨 paying for a buildout

  • cash
  • zelle
  • venmo
  • cashapp
  • wire transfer
  • no credit or debit cards — any amount
  • no personal checks
  • no cashier’s checks
  • no payment plans or ious

a van is a big purchase and a card can be reversed long after the keys are handed over. worth knowing too that zelle, venmo and cashapp all cap what you can send in a day — so on a whole van most people do the deposit that way and the balance in cash or by wire. plan it before pickup day.

🚐 renting a camper van

  • credit card
  • debit card
  • cash
  • zelle
  • venmo
  • cashapp

cards are fine here. on a rental over $600 we also need $500 of it through zelle, cash app, venmo, or cash — the rest goes on the card as normal. anything under $600, pay however is easiest for you.

we have had people charge back after a trip, and that lands hard on a small shop. the $500 is the bit that keeps us covered on the bigger bookings.

🏦 if you want to finance it

we are not a lender, not a broker, and not a financial adviser. we don't arrange, originate, or service loans, and nothing on this page is financial advice. if you want to borrow, you're borrowing from a lender, on their terms, and that's between the two of you.

that said — customers ask us constantly who other people have used, so here's the honest answer:

one observation, not a recommendation: a hand-built conversion is awkward to value as a used vehicle — book-value tools price the van, not the buildout, so the number they spit out is usually well under what the finished camper is worth. some of our customers have found a personal or private loan simpler to work with than an auto loan for that reason. whether that's right for you is a conversation for you and your lender, not us.

📋 before any money moves

read the expectations page first. it's the short, honest version of what we do and don't promise: we build camper interiors into vehicles our customers already own, the vehicles are as-is, where-is, there's no warranty on a 25-to-35-year-old vehicle, registration and inspection rules are different in every state, and once the money's transferred and the keys are in your hand, the deal is done.

we'd much rather tell you all of that now than argue about it later.

read expectations →

still have questions about numbers? estelle would rather talk it through than have you guess.

talk to us

florida van life co. is a camper van builder based in saint petersburg, florida. we are not a motor vehicle dealer and do not hold a dealer license. the lenders listed above are independent third parties — we don't control their rates, terms, approval decisions, or privacy practices, and listing them is not an endorsement, a guarantee of approval, or a referral arrangement. prices, rates and availability can change.