How much does it cost to convert a step van into a food truck?

The four layers of the price

Every step van truck is a stack: the chassis, the body work (insulation, walls, floor, windows), the systems (hood, suppression, electrical, plumbing, propane), and the cooking equipment. The low end of the answer above is Zion's cheapest used van plus its cheapest build-out and equipment. You will not get a full grill line with suppression at that number. Zion alone puts the systems bundle at $10,000 to $25,000.

The spread between builders is real. Factory Food Trucks' total for a new truck is roughly double what you get by adding Zion's mid-range lines. Part of that is new versus used chassis. Part is region and labor. Part is what each shop counts as included. Line up the quotes by layer before you decide one shop is expensive.

Which chassis, and what you actually get inside

Two names dominate: the Freightliner MT45 and the Ford F-59. Morgan Olson's food truck body on Freightliner chassis comes in 18, 20, 22 and 24 ft lengths. Cargo length behind the bulkhead is 219, 243, 267 or 291 in. The exterior is 96 in wide, but the inside is 93 in stud to stud, with about 85 in of headroom. Morgan Olson notes that it does not upfit food truck kitchens, so the body maker and the kitchen builder are often two different companies.

GVWR is the number that limits your build. Morgan Olson lists the MT45 at 14,140 to 19,500 lb and the heavier MT55 at 20,500 to 30,000 lb. Ford's F-59 stripped chassis came in three GVWR tiers (16,000, 19,500 and 22,000 lb) in the 2020 brochure, with a 7.3L V8 rated 335 hp in current Ford Canada specs. Water, propane, a generator and a full line of steel equipment eat that margin fast.

Do you need a CDL?

Usually not. Federal rules make a single vehicle a Class B commercial motor vehicle for CDL purposes at a GVWR or actual weight of 26,001 lb or more (49 CFR 383.5). An MT45 or F-59 at 22,000 lb GVWR or less sits under that.

There is a catch. Any vehicle over 10,001 lb used in commerce is a commercial motor vehicle under 49 CFR 390.5, which can bring DOT number, medical card and inspection rules if you cross state lines. Check your state's rules before you assume you are clear. And an MT55 body can cross 26,001 lb.

Buying the empty van yourself

Empty aluminum step vans show up for conversion at prices like $11,500 (a 2014 F-59 on UsedVending, and a Grumman Olson Kurbmaster at the same price). Factory Food Trucks sells refurbished used step vans at $10,000 to $25,000.

Cheap vans are cheap for a reason. Have a heavy-truck mechanic check the frame, rust under the body, the transmission and the brakes before you pay. A bad transmission can eat the savings over a refurbished unit. Our used food truck guide has the full pre-purchase list.

Timelines and deposits

Zion quotes typical delivery at about six weeks. Hudson says 4 to 6 months and takes a 50% deposit to start. A big deposit on a long timeline is where buyers get burned.

In 2019 a Colorado court ordered the owners of Denver and Brothers Custom Food Trucks to pay $4.5 million; one Nebraska buyer paid $35,000 and got no truck. In April 2024 the owner of 8A Food Trucks in Ceres, CA was charged with defrauding 28 customers of $992,895. Tie payments to milestones you can see, and get photos at each one.

Getting quotes you can compare

Send every shop the same plan: chassis (yours or theirs), body length, the appliance list, and the cities you will operate in so they price the right fire and health items. You can lay out the kitchen in the free 3D studio, then send it to up to 4 builders through Trailer3D and ask each to price the four layers separately.

Questions

Keep reading

• Food truck vs food trailer: cost, pros and cons
• Used Food Truck Problems: Checklist Before You Buy
• How to protect a deposit on a custom build

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