Hey thanks for taking a look at my rig. I bought this van new in May 2018 and built it out between June 2018 and Feb 2019. I detailed most of the build on IG at @jason_explore. I designed it for functionality and simplicity, and paid great attention to the details. I lived in it for about 1.5yr while travelling the country doing photography, and it was amazing. I just had it cleaned and detailed, and it's ready for a new owner. Read to the end for a complete list of specifics, but here is a quick summary:
Medium length and medium roof height, with interior clearance of 5ft9.5". Bed is almost queen size at 73.5" x 50" and custom made from 6" memory foam. It sleeps 2 comfortably. The bed converts to a dinette with 2 benches and a table during the day. There is tons of storage: under the benches, in the 9 drawers, 8 cabinets, and large closet. The 2 small book shelves above the bed hold about 15 books :)
There are 310aH of batteries, 300W of solar, and the batteries charge from both the solar and the alternator. The batteries run the electric fridge, sink water pump, MaxxAir roof fan, cabin fan, lights, and both DC and AC power outlets. There is a Victron battery monitor so you always know how much power you have available. On top of everything mentioned above, I also charged my laptop, cameras, and phone daily and I never got the batteries below 80% state of charge. This is a well built system and I will provide all electrical specs and electrical one-line diagram.
The sink is fed from two 6-gal fresh water jugs, and drains into a 5-gal grey water jug. A trash can fits nicely with those 3 jugs below the sink. The fridge is in the bench next to the sink, right next to the sliding door. It's 50L which is perfect for 2 people. There is a Partner Steel 18" 2-burner stove in the top drawer , this is the best camp stove money can buy. I went this route so that Id have the flexibility to cook outside or in the van, without taking up permanent counter space.
There is space for a cassette toilet in the cabinet opposite the sink. There is no indoor shower but an outdoor shower bag clipped to the roof rack works great. 24hr gyms are also everywhere and I highly recommend getting a membership.
The van sits on BF Goodrich All-Terrain tires that will bring you just about anywhere. Comes with a full size spare, a jack, traction boards, shovel, and a tow strap. On top is an Alu-Rack roof rack with a 72" Trex deck perfect for 2 people to lay out under the stars or as a platform for photography. There is a backup camera also.
The carpentry is all pocket-hole joinery and frameless for a clean look, made from birch coated in white lacquer finish. The counter-tops are handmade from solid reclaimed oak. Cushions are durable grey demin. Fixtures, hardware, and edging are brushed nickel. For an 80sf campervan this thing has a spacious and luxury feel.
VEHICLE SPECS
2017 Ford Transit 250 Medium Roof w/ 85,000 miles.
100,000 mile Ford Premium Care warranty.
148" Long Wheel Base.
3.7L Ti-VCT V6 engine.
Rear wheel drive.
275 horsepower.
MODIFICATIONS
Passenger seat 180° swivel.
Vented slider door window.
Rear door windows.
MaxxAir Deluxe roof fan.
Prime Design rear door ladder.
Prime Design Alu-Rack roof rack.
300W Roof mounted solar.
Trex composite roof deck 72" x 67".
BFGoodrich All-Terrain T/A KO2 tires.
New brakes installed at 80K miles.
Total vehicle height 9ft 6".
INSULATION
1" subfloor polyIso insulation board.
Siless sound deadening layer on walls, ceiling, wheelwells.
Siless polyethylene insulation layer walls/ceiling.
Thinsulate layer walls, ceilings and all van body structural support channels.
Total R-value: R6.5 floors, R6 walls/ceiling.
Slider door and rear door panels removed and fully insulated with thinsulate.
Slider + rear windows have insulated window covers custom made w/ thinsulate.
This van is thoroughly insulated and will be 15-20° warmer than outside on chilly nights. And when it's hot out the roof deck prevents the sun from beating down on the metal and the insulation and fans keep it cool.
FLOORING
Van floor coated with Rust-Oleum enamel first.
1" subfloor polyIso insulation.
3/8" plywood sealed with Thompson's woodsealer.
5mm oak finish LVF - durable and waterproof.
I've seen a lot of builds both professional and amateur but Ive never seen another one done using rustoleum and woodsealer. These details give you peace of mind that you won't ever have to worry about the van floor rusting or rotting.
ELECTRICAL
300w solar on roof.
310Ah VMAX deep cycle AGM batteries.
Victron battery monitor.
Dual Charger - alternator & solar.
2000A pure sine inverter.
4 AC 120v wall outlets.
4 DC 5v/2A USB outlets.
8 LED ceiling lights - front and rear zones.
12v appliances - fridge, water pump, roof fan, cabin fan.
Circuit breakers, battery kill switch, and other electrical components from Bussman and BlueSea.
Electrical system is grounded to van chassis.
I kept the electrical system very simple. I don't think you need 20 plugs in an 80sqft space like I've seen in some of these other vans. This lifestyle is about minimalism.
The 3 solar panels on the roof are connected in parallel so if one is damaged the others will continue to produce power.
In terms of safety: I oversized the wire gauges, used fuses and in-line circuit breakers for everything, grounded the system to the van chassis, and installed the best kill switch available from BlueSea Systems to disconnect the power distribution from the battery
CARPENTRY
Countertops hand made from reclaimed old growth oak ceiling joists from a 1754 New England colonial house. This wood was growing in the 1600s when the first settlers arrived in New England.
Cabinetry built with 3/4" birch + pocket hole joinery
Everything is attached to van body using Plusnuts and 1/4-20 bolts - the strongest mechanical connection possible, and no holes or screws in the van body. Everything is easily removable with the right tools.
Cabinets and drawers all frameless construction.
Drawers are full-extension and soft-close.
Main counter unit has 7 drawers each 20" deep, and 1 large cabinet.
There are 2 long 28" drawers under the floor platform with 100lb rating. The rear one pulls out the back of the van and can be used with the tabletop for outdoor cooking.
6 overhead cabinets above countertops.
Cabinet under sink for water and trash bin.
18" width closet with vertical closet door mirror.
Bench seat next to slider door contains fridge.
Rear benches have huge volume for storage.
Table top measures 22" x 30".
Lagun adjustable table mount for maximum flexibility.
Bed measures 73.5" wall to wall, and 50" wide, basically a queen.
APPLIANCES
Partner Steel 18" 2 burner propane stove - the best camp stove money can buy. Use inside with roof fan on or outside on table or rear drawer.
Indel-B 50L fridge - efficient and reliable Danfoss/Secop compressor, lots of space.
ShurFlo Revolution water pump - 3 gal/minute, self priming, internal bypass. I installed additional in-line particle strainer to protect pump.
Two 6gal fresh water tanks and one 5gal grey water tank.
Sink basin is 22ga stainless steel, measures 12" x 10" x 6".
MaxxAir Deluxe roof fan - 3 speeds, does intake and exhaust, and works when its raining out without letting any rain in!
Caframo 2 speed cabin fan.
DETAILS
Cushions custom designed from 6" memory foam mattress.
Cushion covers custom sewn from durable and comfortable grey denim fabric. They zip to remove for washing.
Professional spray-applied lacquer finish on all cabinetry - hardest coating for scratch resistance and ease of cleaning.
Brushed nickel finish on all cabinetry hardware and floor edging for a cohesive refined look.
Book shelves fit about 15-20 books.
Towel bar in front of sink is clutch.
Paper towel holder is clutch.
Side + rear mosquito nets - Velcro to the van and zip shut so you can keep the doors open and the bugs out.
Hidden curtain rod with grey black-out curtain to separate cabin.
Side and rear insulated window covers, custom designed and sewn using Sunbrella water resistant performance fabrics.
EXTRAS
Tow strap & traction boards
Full-size spare tire and jack
Jumper cables
Socket wrench/ driver set
Spare fuses and electrical connectors
Lots of camping gear
