Hello! Listed for sale is a van named Nirvana. She is a 2015 Ford Transit 350 HD – the largest model in Ford’s cargo line. Current milage on the ODO is 219,100. Specs include:
- 3.2L diesel Power Stroke engine – provides much better torque and fuel economy than identical gas models
- High roof – 6’5″ of standing room inside
- 148″ wheel base with a 2 foot rear extension
- Dually – 4 rear tires distribute the load of the van better and make for a very comfortable ride
History:
We are Nirvana’s second owners. Before brining her home in March of 2020 with 186,000 miles, she had previously been a fleet vehicle delivering medical supplies to hospitals across the state of Kentucky. She was purchased new, maintained and traded into a single Ford dealer (who resold her to us!).
Over the following year, we prepared to hit the road for full-time vanlife, including designing and constructing our home on wheels. She has everything you need and nothing you don’t. We spent 18+ glorious months full-time living, adventuring and working remotely with our two Border Collies. We visited every state west of Texas (our home), as well as Mexico and Canada. We couldn’t have been happier with our design, layout and appliance selection. She drives comfortably and reliably, rides quietly (no squeaks), and has the ability to both blend in and stand out.
Below are descriptions of the different spaces and features of the van.
Living Space:
The passenger side of the van is where we eat, work and chill. The large bench comfortably seats two (and a dog). A Lagun Mount table is attached to the bench. It swivels in all directions, allowing you to sit side-by-side or across from each other when the passenger seat is turned around to face the living space.
- large bench – 22″ x 54″ – ample storage and combo safe bolted underneath
- Lagun mount table – 19″ x 26″
- Passenger swivel seat (Discount Van/Truck)
- 5kW diesel heater – mounted under passenger seat – Fuel line tapped into vehicle fuel tank
- Zero Breeze Mark II – air conditioner ducted to living and bed spaces
Kitchen:
Eating healthy and delicious food is a high priority for us. We cook a lot — something we couldn’t sacrifice while living on the road. Therefore, we maximized the utility of the kitchen in our build. Cooking on the road was enjoyable, and we never felt limited with tons of storage in the lower and overhead cabinets.
- Butcher block counter top – 2′ wide x 7′ long
- Wayfiar undermounted quartz composite sink – 14″ wide x 19″ long x 9″ deep
- Greystone 3 burner gas stove and oven
- TruckFridge TF130 (4.6 liter) – holds a week worth of fresh groceries
Bedroom:
The bed platform is elevated to provide ample storage space below, and the mattress is oriented such that you sleep with your head at the rear of the van. We purchased a 6″ latex queen mattress and cut it to the length of a full, in order to maximize kitchen space (final dimensions: 60″ wide x 75″ long). The passenger side slider window opens near your head, providing great views of the ever-changing scenery and a cool breeze from the Maxxair fan.
Bathroom:
An Airhead composting toilet is mounted to a sliding drawer, tucked away in the garage space. When needed, open the door and slide it out.
Garage Space:
Adventures in the van require lots of gear, and we couldn’t afford to leave any of it behind! The central focus of the garage is storage space. On top of a set of 500lb heavy duty sliders sits a wooden frame; shelving in the front (for easy access to the smaller stuff) and an open space in the back (for the bigger items). Sliding the storage all the way out conveniently leaves an open space in the middle of the garage for cleaning, organizing and servicing the electrical and plumbing systems.
Water System:
Nirvana is equipped with a water system capable of allowing two humans and two dogs to live off-grid for over a week. Hot and cold water are plumbed to the kitchen faucet and the outdoor shower. All of our drinking water was filtered through a countertop Berkey filtration system filled by the kitchen faucet.
- 40 gallon fresh water tank with exterior fill port
- 7 gallon grey tank (ability to also bypass tank and drain outside)
- SureFlow water pump with accumulator
- Outdoor shower – housed in the garage and mounted to the rear doors
Propane System:
Propane provides fuel for the hot water heater and the stove/oven. Nirvana is equipped with an undermounted 50 lb (12.2 gallon) tank located directly behind the rear axle. With daily use of hot water and cooking, the tank only needs to be filled every 6 months!
- Flame King 12.2 gallon (50lb) propane tank
- Excel tankless vent free hot water heater
- Greystone 3 burner gas range and oven
Electrical System:
Our set up rarely left us lacking the necessary juice. In addition to the dozen 12v appliances in the van, our daily charging needs include two laptops, two phones, a drone, camera, speaker, and mobile hotspot. We also cooked meals in our instant pot a few times a month.
All of the electrical components of this build are powered by two Bluetti AC200s; one used as a primary and the other as a back up. Bluetti AC200 are all-in-one batter systems with a built in BMS and 2000w inverter. We couldn’t be happier with this set up. Each AC200 boasts 140 amp hours of electricity for a total of 280 amp hours, which can be used all the way to 1 or 2% charge before it shuts down. AC200s are extremely fast charging. They accept up to 700w of incoming solar and 400w of shore power and can pull in both at the exact same time for a total of 1100w of charging. We have charged these batteries from 0% to 100% as quickly as 2 hours! Most days, our batteries are topped off by 12pm and float at 100% until the sun goes down.
With 640 watts of solar on the roof, Nirvana thrives in sunny environments, which is convenient because Jacob and Chelsea are notorious for being sun chasers. In a pinch, use a regular extension cord plugged into an outlet under the van to accept shore power.
- 2x Bluetti AC200
- 2x 320 watt residential solar panels
Exterior:
Exterior van build components include a custom built roof rack, which houses two 320w solar panels at the back of the van and a roof top deck that seats 4 people. We upgraded Nirvana’s shoes in February of 2022. She went from commercial grade highway tires to oversized All Terrains. The impact on mpg and road noise was almost imperceptible and the benefits were huge; better handling, a more comfortable ride, better grip in mud, sand and snow, and not to mention they make all the boy vans turn heads.
- Roof deck – seats 4
- 2x 320 watt solar panels
- Maxxair fan – 7500K deluxe
- slider window (Van Windows Direct)
- All Terrain Tires – Cooper Discoverer AT3 LS in 225/75/16 – installed at ~205,000 miles
Please reach out with any questions or interest. We’d love to hear from you. Thanks for looking!
– Jacob & Chelsea
