The dream starts here and now. In a tragic twist of fate, I must forego the Path of the Van and return to the tedium of that loathsome word known as society; no more lukewarm showers at Planet Fitness, no more aimless late-night drives for a place to rest my greasy head, and most unfortunately, no more pee jugs. Therefore, the Dream Machine must be passed on. Such is the way of VanLife.
The Dream Machine has taken me everywhere from the chilled tundras of the Midwest up to the towering buttes of West Texas and New Mexico and down into the iconic canyonlands of Arizona and Southern Utah, and it’s ready for much more. This 2015 Ford Transit clocks in just past 180,000 miles but with a major caveat: it has a complete new engine. After the old one bit the dust unexpectedly, I decided to get a reman engine installed along with a variety of other new parts and pieces; and with that installation comes a four-year warranty on any maintenance done in regards to those replacements. On top of the work done beneath the hood, within the past year alone, I’ve put on new tires, brakes, rotors, and a battery.
The interior is as stated and shown. It contains a pump-operated sink with both a 6 gallon clean water tank and a 6 gallon gray water tank. There are several cabinets with space for all sorts of storage along with plenty of room beneath the mattress platform. The mattress platform doubles as a table and can contain almost up to a king size bedspread. There are six interior LED lights and two outlets. An Air Maxx fan is present in the ceiling and can provide ample air circulation and cooling. I recently applied a couple coats of mahogany wood stain to the inside to give it more of a rustic outdoors feel, and behind the wood panels are 2 inches of mold resistant insulation.
As a disclaimer, there is still some further maintenance that needs to be done. The most imperative is the replacement of the old catalytic converters. This will need to be finished within the next few months; the van still drives okay for now but it’s just a bit noisier. The power steering system is also out as the belt broke, but the van can still be driven, albeit with a bit more difficulty. There is an oil leak as well; however, it is not dire and can be remedied with semi-frequent oil top offs. For disclosure, I did get a overall inspection report back in August so I have that available as well.
“You’re gonna live in a van down by the river (and you will like it)” -Matt Foley, VanLife Messiah
