High-value Vandoit build (link provided for information about Vandoit and their builds), offer likely to be accepted on Monday, so act fast if you want this van
Meet Dev Hayvan! That’s Turkish for “behemoth” because my last car was a zippy little hatchback with tight handling on curves and it took some adjusting to get used to driving this big boy! For two years I’ve mixed van life with house sitting and pet sitting (and you’re welcome to see my pet sitting profile re. trustworthiness), and am now settled into a tiny house. This is a comfortable and spacious van for full-time van life or travel, great in state parks, more or less invisible on city streets, and set up to be as safe as I could make it for a solo traveler on the road. I’ve kept thick padding on the floors for extra insulation, so the floor panels are in great shape!
Vandoit’s clever modular upfits hold their value better than average, and their customer service is the best, along with the Vandoit Facebook group full of useful documents. I always maintain the mechanicals on my vehicles as if they are Lamborghinis. I’ve driven it carefully to protect the engine and transmission and followed the regular service schedule at a Ford dealership since I’ve owned it. It aced its all-vehicle inspection May 2023. It also aced its all-vehicle inspection at a 5-star RV service center May 2023.
Installed by VanDoIt:
o Rooftop Dometic AC
o MaxxFan Deluxe
o In-Dash Audio Pioneer AVH-1400NEX works with Apple Carplay
o Lithium ion system
o 8-foot Easy-Up Thule manual awning, Shore Power Hookup/cord and adaptor
o 300 Amp Hour Battery Bank
o 3 in 1 – 2000 Watt Inverter Charger Control
o 170 watt solar panel and controller
o Gray wood grain Marine Grade Poly Based Flooring plus black floor inserts
o Full mattress platform (can be folded to single, can add another platform)
o Double seat that can be added to make the van seat 4
o Skeleton grid
o Electronics cabinet
o Espar Airtronic B4 furnace
o 30-inch hanging cabinet
o Ceiling and floor insulation
o Dometic CFX28 fridge/freezer, ceiling can lighting
o Rear & passenger side bright overhead lights (safety!)
o Roof rails
o Swivel passenger seat
o BF Goodrich KO2 All Terrain Tires with plenty of tread left
o Standard 3.7-L Ti-VCT V6 engine
o Cruise control
o 6-speed automatic transmission
o ~11.7 overall mpg combining highway and town (I live out in the country and go into town on errands)
The lithium ion system charges as you drive, and it plugs into most outlets with the included cord. I’ve added an adaptor which I’ll include with purchase out of love of this van and wanting it to stay healthy. When parked without being plugged in, and without using the AC, but with the fridge plugged in and charging electronics, boiling water a time or two, and using a HotLogic to reheat food, it uses about 20-25% of a full charge in 24 hours. The rooftop AC uses the lithium ion battery up quickly when not plugged in, but you can always turn on the van to blast some cold air if you’re parked away from an electrical outlet. I’ve personally found the insulation to be sufficient with my insulated window covers to stay cool most of the time with the MaxxAir fan and the windows open with bug screens in, but I haven’t been in Florida or the like in the summer, just the Carolinas. The furnace sips gas from the tank and is toasty.
Added by me: Lowe’s base cabinet painted apple red on the front with lock, with half a drawer shimmed so it won’t fall out, enough to hold flatware and smaller tools and such
Large Ruvati sink and sprayer faucet installed and plumbed to the cold water system.
3 clean water jerry cans (1 connected to the water system and 2 backups for fresh water)
1 grey-water jerry can used under the sink.
Metal screened window inserts
Insulated window covers in various fabrics (the goal was to have it feel like walking into one of my Big Mama’s quilts with different fabrics on all sides)
4 Blackvue security cameras for 360 degree coverage (the one in front falls off the windshield every 2-3 months as shown in photo — maybe you can figure out how to stop that from happening)
Suitcase toilet and some spare toilet powders — those things really do work to kill the smells!
You can also have the narrow Ikea twin mattress and memory foam topper if you want it, and the pulley system I rigged to pull that mattress up and flush against the wall of the van: voila! Desk, or kitchen counter, work counter, or crafting space!
Minor body work for early small side scrape (I got a D- in high school geometry nearly 50 years ago and changing from hatchback to Very Tall Van did me in a time or two) done at top body shop in town. I also replaced the cover of the Dometic rooftop AC May 2023 after scraping its corner (yes, I want you to have the best used Vandoit I can provide). Bumper recently replaced after using the wrong ball mount from U-Haul and getting stuck on a gravel road and trying to… er… ah… back up? with the trailer, and discovering I’m one of those people who will never back a boat straight down the ramp and into the lake (see above re. the D- in geometry) but would land it somewhere in the woods up on the shore, lol. All of these were at low speed or no speed and work was done at five-star shops. All body work records provided. Carfax report provided.
Happy to answer questions and hoping this is the vehicle for someone else ready to enjoy van life! Hot tip: 25-year RV financing from a local credit union can bump those monthly payments way down.
