Stealthy, durable, fully self-contained camper van built by an engineer. It’s been used for full-time summer trips and remote work across 10 states and British Columbia. It parks on city streets, fits in a normal parking spot, and carries up to 4 bikes inside with wheels on.
I’ve also listed on FB, where you can find many more photos.
Power
410W roof solar plus a 220W deployable auxiliary panel
2.5kWh lithium battery bank
2500W pure sine wave inverter
60A DC-DC alternator charger and a 600W shore charger
Runs an induction cooktop, a fridge, laptops, and an electric blanket overnight
Water
17 gal fresh tank with an exterior locking fill
9 gal grey tank
2.5 gal electric water heater
Hot and cold kitchen sink with a filter
Outdoor hot shower at the rear doors
Living
C-Head composting toilet, vented, so no dump stations
Maxxair roof fan and an opening window over the bed
Insulated
Bed converts from single to double (75″ long)
Sit-up headroom and a remote-work desk setup
Large under-bed storage, closet, 4 kitchen drawers, cubbies, and a roof box
Extras
Starlink (optional)
Cell booster
Bluetooth radio
10,000 lb hitch
Leveling jacks
Induction cookware
Mechanical
5.4L V8, RWD, automatic, 210k miles, former State of California fleet vehicle
Always run on full synthetic oil, recently changed
New fuel filter, and the transmission and differential have been serviced
New shocks, an alignment, and good tires and brakes
Registration is current
Honest drawbacks
No house AC or propane heat (the air conditioning and the heater from the engine work)
Headliner is deteriorating
Driver sun visor is broken
Price includes the ladder, roof box, drinking water hose w/ filter, jack, extra 6gal water jug, and starlink.
For Sale: 2006 Ford E-350 Extended Camper Van
Self-built adventure van with off-grid solar, lithium batteries, running water, a composting toilet, and room for you and your bikes. Stealthy, durable, and ready to go.
The Van
- Vehicle: 2006 Ford E-350 Super Duty, extended length, white
- Engine: 5.4L V8 gasoline, automatic transmission, rear-wheel drive
- Mileage: about 210,000 miles
- Features: air conditioning, cruise control, manual windows and mirrors
- Stereo: Kenwood CD / radio / Bluetooth head unit with a microphone for hands-free calls
- Towing: CURT receiver hitch rated 10,000 lb gross trailer weight / 1,000 lb tongue weight
- Registration: California registration renewed and paid for 2026–2027
- Extras: roof box, ladder rack, telescoping ladder, hide-a-key
Mechanical Condition
It runs well. It has a fresh oil change, and I’ve always used full synthetic oil. The air filter was too clean to change about a month ago, so I’m including a new air filter and a 5-quart jug of full synthetic oil. I’ve replaced the fuel filter, had the transmission and differential serviced, put on new shocks, and had an alignment done. Tires, brakes, and shocks are all in good shape. A Haynes repair manual for Ford full-size vans comes with it.
The van off-roads well. Be careful, but it has the ground clearance of an F-250 pickup. Remember it is rear-wheel drive.
Electrical / Solar
- Roof solar: 410 W mounted on the ladder rack, feeding a BougeRV 40 A MPPT charge controller (Bluetooth app monitoring)
- Batteries: two Powerizer 12.8 V 100 Ah LiFePO4 lithium batteries (2,560 Wh total), each with Bluetooth state-of-charge monitoring
- Inverter: Wagan Pure Line 2000 pure sine wave inverter, 2,000 W continuous / 4,000 W surge. Three outlets, USB, and high-power output terminals
- Alternator charging: Renogy 60 A DC-DC charger charges the house batteries while the engine runs. A switch next to the radio turns it on and off. It’s set to 30 A max because the van still has the stock alternator
- Shore power: 600 W battery charger (Goal Zero Yeti X 600 W supply) for when hookups are available
- Auxiliary solar: two SunPower 110 W flexible panels (220 W). Deploy them while parked and plug into the auxiliary Zamp 30 A charge controller. The aux panels and controller connect with a regular extension cord
- 12 V DC system: fused distribution block powering the lights, fridge, fan, water pump, and outlets for laptops and USB devices
- Cell booster: SureCall 5-band booster (LTE, cellular, PCS, AWS) with a roof antenna. Powerful; about $300 new
- Internet: original Starlink kit.
Kitchen
- Cooktop: Suburban Elite Series single-burner induction cooktop. It’s great. An induction-ready pot and pan come with the van
- Sink: stainless sink with hot and cold water. The faucet sprayer pulls out and switches to a spray mode, which is good for rinsing sandy feet at the slider door
- Fridge: Costway 58-quart 12 V compressor fridge/freezer
- Storage: four kitchen drawers (I use two for food, one for junk, and one for dishes, pots, and pans) and a wall magnet for knives and spatulas
- Power note: the 2,000 W inverter can’t run the cooktop and the water heater at the same time.
Water / Plumbing
- Fresh water: permanently installed 17-gallon fresh water tank under the van, filled through a lockable door on the driver side toward the back
- Pump: Flojet 12 V water pump (1 gpm, 35 psi). The pump switch is on the kitchen counter
- Hot water: Eccotemp 2.5-gallon electric water heater for showers and dishes
- Plumbing: drinking-water-rated tank and PEX tubing, plus a GE under-sink filter on the cold line to the kitchen faucet
- Grey water: 9-gallon grey water tank catches the sink drain
- Tank monitor: I installed the monitor but the tanks are so small, it doesn’t work properly. The switch panel is still installed because it has the on/off switch for the water pump.
- Shower: I removed the speaker from one of the back doors and mounted the shower mixing valve there, with a handheld sprayer. You stand outside to shower. I have a curtain and spring clamps for privacy, but the best showers are the ones where you can see for miles
Toilet & Ventilation
- Toilet: Shorty C-Head composting toilet in the back. It works just fine. I installed a small 12 V fan in an exhaust hose that connects to the toilet housing and exits through the floor, so there are no smell or condensation problems. It’s easy to manage on the road, and you never have to stop at a dump station.
- Roof fan: MaxxAir Maxxfan with thermostat in the ceiling. It works great. The side window next to the bed opens. With the fan exhausting and the window open you get great airflow right over the bed
Living Space & Storage
- Bed: single bed in the normal setup, or expand it to a double and lose the aisle. The bed platform and the two tri-fold pads (both included) are 75″ long, which in my opinion is perfect for people up to 6’0″. You can sit up straight on the bed without hitting your head (up to a 6’ tall person).
- Bikes: bicycles fit inside with the wheels on, and there’s still room for one or two people to sleep. It can carry four bikes inside. With more than three, it’s hard to reach the toilet from inside, but you can walk around
- Storage: large underbed storage, a large slide-out drawer, two drawers over the bed and two large cubbies for clothes, blankets, and sleeping bags. Top shelf for sleeping bags and jackets
- Closet: holds a folding chair, folding table, Starlink, or a backpacking pack. Or it can hold the second trifold pad. Tool and supply storage underneath the closet.
- Cargo: many tie-down points for securing cargo. Plexiglass is mounted on the inside of some windows, which makes a good mounting surface and keeps cargo or a bike from breaking a window from the inside
- Floor & insulation: vinyl flooring and decent insulation throughout (details below)
- Build quality: very durably built. Not beautiful, but durable
About the Van
This van has been great. I bought it in 2020 with 140,000 miles. It was a State of California van and still had the seats in it. I’ve driven it around the western US for a few summer trips. I designed it so I could live in it with my bicycles and never pay for camping. I park on city/neighborhood streets. When it’s set up for one person, the bed is easy to level if the road is crooked, and I’m including the two jacks I use to level the van when I’m camping.
I’ve worked remotely from the van in some remote places. I set a folding chair in the aisle facing backward. A piece of plywood bridges the kitchen counter and the folded tri-fold pad to make a desk. I put my laptop, mouse, and a second monitor on it and get to work. I’m 6’0″ and can sit up straight in the chair.
Insulation & Staying Cool
I stuffed shredded denim insulation into every cavity I could reach, used insulating spray foam in the spaces too small to stuff, and stuck automotive insulation to the ceiling. The main challenge is staying cool in summer. I generally park in the sun so the solar and Starlink work. The solar panel partly shades the roof, and the insulated roof keeps most of the heat out. Reflective bubble covers bounce sun off the windows, and the white perforated vinyl on the outside of the windows helps a lot, because most of the sunlight bounces off before it gets in (light that gets inside turns into heat). With the exhaust fan running and the side window popped, it stays only a couple of degrees warmer inside than outside, even parked in direct sun. It still isn’t fun when it’s 100 degrees, but it’s doable sitting in front of the fan and having plenty of cold drinks from the fridge.
Honest Drawbacks
- No house air conditioner. You only have the dash A/C while the engine is running.
- No propane heater. I sometimes run a portable electric space heater for half an hour in the morning to warm up. Running it for a few hours would drain the batteries. An electric blanket runs easily all night and makes a huge difference.
- In summer I bring a portable plug-in fan and set it on the floor for airflow under the desk. My advice: head for the coast or high ground if you’ll be working in the van during the day in summer.
- I’ve taken it for snowboard trips, didn’t drain the plumbing and nothing broke or started to leak. It’s probably not good for the PEX tubing or water tanks to repeatedly freeze and thaw though.
- The headliner is deteriorating.
- The driver’s sun visor just broke.
Why I’m Selling
The spec on this van is as good as or better than many vans I see that cost over $100K. Those just have high roofs and nicer finishes. This one is stealthy and maneuverable. I can’t do my summer van trip this year or next, so I’d like someone to use it. I’ve been working in person more and I need a commuter car. I’m looking for a Hyundai Ionic 5 or F-150 Lighting. If you have one you want to trade, let’s talk about it.
