Vincent Van-Go is a cargo van that was redesigned for camping, but its open design means it’s still useful as a cargo van. I’m selling this because I’m outfitting a Promaster that will be more comfortable for us now that we are retired.
This minivan is light and agile so you can easily navigate cities and find parking spots while on great adventures. It’s roomy cargo area means you can bring a lot of gear along. It’s easy on the gas compared to bigger vans and it’s pretty comfortable to drive on long trips.
Specifically, this is the Ford Transit Connect Cargo Van XL Long Wheelbase (192 inches overall length). It is 73-inches in height. The exterior features 180-degree swing-out rear cargo doors (cargo van) and duel sliding side doors. The vehicle has a low step-in height which is really comfortable when camping. The mileage is 98,557.
The vehicle has most of the modern features including safety features such as Ford Co-Pilot360™ (pre-collision assist with automatic emergency braking), rear view camera, reverse sensing system, hill start assist, tire pressure monitoring system, dual front and side airbags, anti-lock brakes (ABS), and stability control.
Both the interior and exterior are clean with some minor scuffs here and there, but otherwise, it looks pretty new. See photos 1 through 9.
Service has been kept up. The transmission was recently replaced due to a small gasket leak that my service tech said would have been hard to notice. I was kicking myself for not having them check the transmission fluid levels more often.
The open design of the camper area was to ensure I had options for any situation. Instead of permanently mounting sinks and beds and fridges, I planned to treat the van as a tent on wheels and visit camp sites that already had good bathroom and shower. I enjoy the outdoors and campfires and like to cook at the picnic table. If my wife accompanies me, we sleep in a tent and rely on the van to store all of our stuff—and we can still sleep in it if necessary (rain, road fatigue, etc). Yes, two people can sleep in this layout assuming you like each other.
I’ve used a very lightweight aluminum cot that I could hook to the wall to get it out of the way without disassembling it. Another option would be to use a tall cot so you could store boxes underneath. These don’t come with the van.
The van has a lot of privacy since there are no windows. You can easily pull into a parking lot and hunker down in stealth mode. The rear door has a fan system consisting of dual super-quiet Noctua computer fans. They provide adequate air circulation for this vehicle size as long as you crack the front windows a little. I like having this on the rear door as opposed to a fan on the roof which can be noisy while driving, plus I didn’t have to cut a big hole in the roof. You can see the vent in Picture 9 and Picture 16.
The van includes three built-in pop up tables as shown in Picture 10 and Picture 16. The two on the rear doors are designed for cooking or preparing food. They are about standing height. The one on the inner side wall shown in Picture 18 is great for working at a computer or eating breakfast. I’m including a Cliq camping chair that is the perfect height for sitting at the table or elsewhere in the van—and it’s comfortable.
The van is well-insulated all over with Thinsulate (walls and doors). and Havelock wool (structural members), along with a layer of foamboard under the floor. This insulation combined with the fan and the windows covers help keep the temperature fairly regulated, although the shade of a tree is always best on hot sunny days.
The electrical system is powered by a GoalZero Yeti 1000X Lithium battery. The GoalZero Boulder 100 watt briefcase solar panel is also included. See Pictures 13, 14, and 15. The battery stores nicely on the floor behind the passenger seat. It can be charged from the vehicle’s 12v plug while driving or with the solar panel while camping.
There are two electrical plugs on the back door (see bottom of Picture 9). One is for shore power and it provides power to the 120v AC outlet shown in Picture 12. Once this outlet is powered, you can plug the Yeti battery into the 120v AC. Then you can lock the vehicle and take a hike while the battery charges. The second plug is meant to provide AC power from the Yeti battery to appliances outside the van if you are at a campsite that does not have hookups.
The battery powers four LED lights with built-in USB plugs, a dual super-quiet fan, and other optional accessories such as a cooler (not included). The LED lights have gooseneck mounts and are located near each door so they can be pointed either inside or outside. See Picture 17.
There are multiple cubby-holes in the sidewall cabinets for storing or stuffing a variety of things. Picture 19 shows the storage area under and behind the driver’s seat. There is about 14-inches of space under the floorboard for shoes or gear. The floor is padded and carpeted and there is a hidden safe under the carpet as shown in Pictures 20 and 21. This is a key or combination “SentrySafe” that is attached to the underbody by bolts inside the safe itself. Figure 21 is a little confusing. It shows the safe down in the well below the floorboard with the floor cutout removed.
The windshield and window shades are included. They are reflective and thermal in design to help control the temperature. These can be seen in Picture 3 and Picture 8. The roof is clean and has two roof racks as shown in Figure 22.
