THE BASICS
Falkor (You're right, not technically a dog but this van is our luck dragon)
2017 Ford Transit 250, 266.1", High Roof
178,000 miles
2 front passenger seats
$17,000
2017 Ford Transit 250, 266.1", High Roof
178,000 miles
2 front passenger seats
$17,000
Purpose
For our van build we had a few different things to consider:
HEIGHT: Nick is about 6'5" so we needed be sure we had enough room to build up the floor, cover the ceiling, and still have room for him to stand upright. Being a tall guy he's already forced to hunch enough; in the winter or consecutive days of bad weather, we wanted him to be comfortable. This meant the Transit was the only option we could go after. The only one with a high enough roof!
LENGTH: When it comes to the bed, Nick's height presented a similar problem. Because there is no van option out there where sleeping side to side fits a 6' 5" person, we didn't want to loose all our interior space by having to run the bed length-wise down the van. Therefore, we sought out the extended body.
DOGS: We also needed to make sure there was room for our dogs, one of them being a 90lb shepherd, so we knew we needed enough open floor space to to fit her flop.
AMENITIES: We knew we would be spending A LOT of time in the van very soon after purchasing it and still haven't ruled out going full time, so we approached it from an 'everyday living' perspective.
RUNNING: Jessi and I had been dreaming up places to run for the last couple years, so this was finally a way to make it happen. It had to efficiently accommodate lots of gear and in tight quarters - stinky clothes.
HEIGHT: Nick is about 6'5" so we needed be sure we had enough room to build up the floor, cover the ceiling, and still have room for him to stand upright. Being a tall guy he's already forced to hunch enough; in the winter or consecutive days of bad weather, we wanted him to be comfortable. This meant the Transit was the only option we could go after. The only one with a high enough roof!
LENGTH: When it comes to the bed, Nick's height presented a similar problem. Because there is no van option out there where sleeping side to side fits a 6' 5" person, we didn't want to loose all our interior space by having to run the bed length-wise down the van. Therefore, we sought out the extended body.
DOGS: We also needed to make sure there was room for our dogs, one of them being a 90lb shepherd, so we knew we needed enough open floor space to to fit her flop.
AMENITIES: We knew we would be spending A LOT of time in the van very soon after purchasing it and still haven't ruled out going full time, so we approached it from an 'everyday living' perspective.
RUNNING: Jessi and I had been dreaming up places to run for the last couple years, so this was finally a way to make it happen. It had to efficiently accommodate lots of gear and in tight quarters - stinky clothes.
ELECTRICAL
Much like Jessi, I left this up to my other half. After years of studying electrical engineering, he was best equipped for the job. This is actually how he and Josh met freshman year of college, so we let them hash it out.
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System Highlights:
Solar panels: Newpowa 150 Watt Monocrystalline 150W 12V Solar Panel High Efficiency Mono Module Charge Controller: SmartSolar MPPT 100/50 Charge Controller Battery: Battle Born 100 Ah 12v LiFeO4 Deep Cycle Battery Battery Monitor: SIMARINE PICO Smart Marine and RV Battery Monitor + 300A Shunt + ST107 Tank Module (Panel-Mount, Black) Inverter: None B2B Charger: Renogy 60A DC to DC Battery Charger Shore Power: Samlex Solar SEC-1250UL SEC-UL Series 12V Battery Charger Fuse Block: Blue Sea Systems ST Blade Fuse Block - 12 Circuits with Negative Bus & Cover |
Our Electrical Needs:
Lights: Acegoo RV Boat Recessed Ceiling Light 4 Pack Super Slim LED Panel Light DC 12V 3W Full Aluminum Downlights, Warm White (Silver) Fridge: Vent: Maxx Air00-07500K MaxxFan Deluxe with Remote - Smoke Fans: Sirocco II Fan 12V /24V DC Water Pump: Shurflo Revolution Standard 12v Automatic Demand Pump Classic RV Pump 4008-101-E65 Other: While power draw is minimum, a small amount is also pulled for things like the propane solenoid, stove, toilet fan, and radio when in use. |
WATER
With the desire to do long stretches in the van, our design included a shower pretty early on. While we haven't built out an internal shower yet, we do plan to have one eventually. In the meantime, showering outside works perfectly fine as long as we're not in an urban environment, and it's not too cold out. We also set up our sink to go to gray or straight to ground. After some use, we highly recommend giving yourself the option.
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System Highlights:
Fresh Water Tank: Class A Customs | T-2500-SP | 25 Gallon RV Fresh and Gray Water Holding Tank Gray Water Tank: Reliance Products Aqua-Tainer 7 Gallon Rigid Water Container Pump: Shurflo Revolution Standard 12v Automatic Demand Pump Classic RV Pump 4008-101-E65 Accumulator: SHURflo 182-200 Pre-Pressurized Accumulator Tank,Black Monitor: KUS USA SSL Fuel & Water Level Sensor, 15'' |
Our Water Accessories:
Sink: Kraus KGD-410B 24 2/5 inch Dual Mount Single Bowl Black Onyx Granite Kitchen Sink Faucet: Kraus KPF-1610SSMB Bolden 18-Inch Commercial Kitchen Faucet with Dual Function Pull-Down Sprayhead in All-Brite Finish, Stainless Steel/Matte Black Drying Rack: Kraus KRM-11BL Multipurpose Over Sink Roll-Up Dish Drying Rack, 30 inch Exterior Shower: Dura Faucet DF-SA186-BK RV Exterior Quick Connect Spray Faucet with Multi Spray Nozzle Outdoor Shower Floor: Bambusi Luxury Bamboo Bath Mat18 x 24 Inches |
PROPANE |
Our decision to go with propane came from a desire to cook over open flame, partially due to my love for our cast iron and it's versatility of use on a gas stove and a camp fire and the hot water heater we picked out. However, there are some safety concerns to consider, which I'll get to in the build process.
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System Highlights:
Tank: Manchester Tank 6813 10 x 23 Horizontal 6.9 Gallon Capacity Safety Valve: Solenoid Lock Off Valve LPG Propane 12V Regulator: Marshall Excelsior (MEGR-295 Compact Integral Two-Stage Regulator) Gas Detector/Alarm: MTI INDUSTRIES 20441PWT 12V Propane/Gas Detector |
Our Propane Needs:
Stove: Furrion 20" RV 3-burner Gas Cooktop Water Heater: Camplux Pro 1.58 GPM Tankless Propane Water Heater Heater: Propex HS2211 Furnace |
It's important to note: The Camplux Pro Water Heater vents out all sides. It is meant to be used outside and should NOT be used in closed quarters. During the winter, we pop the sliding door open when using hot water at the sink, which is not very often or for very long, and open it completely in the summer, which is required for the outdoor shower anyway.
THE BED
The most complex stressful central component of this build. It's going to take some work to share what we learned....
