She’s beauty… She’s grace… She’s a 2022 Ford Transit.
This will be our home for two months as we drive around the West. It’s got just about everything you could need. Like a tiny fridge…
— A tiny fridge inside the van
a tiny sink…
— A tiny sink inside the van
a bed…
— The bed inside the van
storage for gear…
— Storage space for gear
an outdoor “shower”…
— The van's outdoor shower
two extra seats so we can bring friends along…
— Two extra seats for passengers
and an awning!
— The van's awning extended
Some questions that you might be asking are…
Q: Where did you find this thing?
On a website called vanlifetrader.com, which is basically eBay for camper vans.
Q: Who are you buying it from?
The sellers were a family in Vermont. They bought the van new and converted it into a camper themselves.
After using it for 4 years, they decided to upgrade to a bigger van because their kids are getting big and they need some more room.
Q: Does it have electricity?
A: Yes, there’s a battery bank in the back that is equivalent to about 8 car batteries.
The battery bank gets charged in three different ways:
- There are solar panels on the roof of the van.
- The van can be plugged into an outlet at a house or campground (this is called “Shore Power”).
- The engine automatically charges the batteries when the vehicle is moving via the vehicle’s alternator.
The battery bank powers all of the outlets, fans, water pumps, etc.
Q: What will you do for water?
A: There’s a 40 gallon fresh water tank that we’ll fill up from any freshwater source (e.g., a garden hose).
The water tank feeds the sink and the outdoor “shower”. There’s a small hot water heater for warm outdoor showers.
The sink also has a small secondary faucet that produces filtered drinking water.
Q: How will you cook food?
A: We have a propane two-burner cooktop, a Jetboil, and a set of camping cookware.
Q: Does it have air conditioning and heat?
A: Yes, there’s two forms of air conditioning on the roof of the van.
One is an air conditioning unit that blows cold air. The other is just a ventilation fan.
For heat, there’s a small heater that uses fuel from the gas tank to produce heat. Because it’s a fuel burning heater, it’s important to keep a CO alarm in the van in case the heater’s exhaust tube gets blocked.
There is also the normal vehicle A/C system up front.
Q: Does it have internet?
A: Yes. We’ll be mounting a Starlink on the roof. We should have internet as long as we have a clear view of the sky.
Q: Does it have a toilet?
A: Yes, there’s a Nature’s Head composting toilet onboard.
Q: Are you guys crazy?
A: Maybe!