Espar Heater

In the Pacific Northwest, we need a heater to keep the van warm and cozy, especially in the spring and fall.  I purchased a kit that had most of the parts I needed.  The transit van gas tank is already set up to support this type of setup, and all I needed was an additional $20 part.  For the installation, I had to drop the gas tank (empty it first, please) a little, which sounds harder than it was.  This heater works great and keeps the van nice and warm, and uses very little gas.

MAXx Fan

I wanted a van for ventilation, and there were 2 options at the time.  I chose a MAXxFan because it had a built-in rain hood, which was important to us living in the Pacific Northwest. Installation was a scary moment because I was cutting a hole in the roof of the van, which meant there was no going back..

Artic Tern Windows

The van had no windows on either side.  After reviewing the options, I decided to go with the Artic Tern windows primarily because they have built-in bug screens and blackout shades. I cut holes in the van to install them, which is a nerve-racking process; I installed three windows.  One above the bed, one in the passenger sliding door, and one more just behind the driver. Another advantage of these windows is that they allow for an open window for ventilation while being mostly blacked out.

Insulation

I had a bare-bones van, and one of the first steps was to insulate it.  Many DIY van converters recommended sound-deadening mats, so I installed the Amazon Basics Car Sound Deadening Mat. The next step was insulation; I watched many videos, and I decided on Thinsulate and some foam board around the windows.

You can see how I created frames around the windows, which were needed to support the Artic Windows Installs.

The Floor

For the floor, I decided to use a subfloor from a company called AVC RIG.  Their system includes: three (3) floor panels that key (slide) into the ribs of the van’s factory built rigged floor, three (3) trim pieces that finish the edging of the floor. The floor system is CNC cut using a 1-1/2” In-house-built SIPS panel with 1/2” grooves routed out of the insulated foam that keys into the floor of your van. On top of the subfloor system, I installed engineered hardwood that provides water proofing.  The kit also includes three custom metal parts for the edges, including the part for the step. It does a great job of making the floor installation look professional.

Custom Cabinetry

Being a woodworker, I built custom cabinetry for the van using primarily prefinished birch plywood.  On the driver’s side of the van is a full-height section of cabinets that contains the toilet drawer, refrigerator, waste bins, coat closet, a few miscellaneous cupboards, and the electrical fuse box

Swivel Seats (Driver and Passenger)

The van did not come with swivel seats.  While I think I could have bought swivel seats from Ford or a 3rd party vendor, I found a more economical option from a company called Scopema. They have a low-profile kit and have done an excellent job at fit, form, and function.

This allowed us to create a living room area just behind the cab area.

Lagun Tables

To accommodate working and playing in the van, we can swivel both chairs around to create a living area. We installed Lagun tables (2) in front of both swivel seats.  On the Driver’s side, we also installed a fold-away bench seat. This allows us to sit across from each other while eating or playing cards.  Both tables are removable and have a spot to tuck them away while driving

Platform Bed with Electronic Lift

One of the advantages of a Transit is that there is over 6’ of width inside the van.  This means you can put a short queen mattress across the van.  I created a platform bed using 80/20 aluminum material and added an electrical lift feature for the head section.  We can raise and lower the head section about 18 inches electrically, making it a very nice spot to stretch out, read, and lounge. We have a mount for a tablet above the foot of the bed so we can watch downloaded videos.

The Kitchen

We decided not to use propane in the van and instead rely upon electricity for cooking.  We carry an induction cook-plate for general cooking (stored in the top drawer) and a Ninja Combination pressure cooker, air fryer, and baking oven for large meals (stored in the bottom drawer).  The Ninja device allows us to cook almost anything that can’t be cooked on a skillet. We made our Thanksgiving meal in the van one year and often bake fresh cakes and breads.

The sink has hot and cold filtered water. The faucet has a quick release, so it can be removed, and changed into a shower head or a flexible hose if desired.

Refrigerator / Freezer

We installed an Indel Webasto Freeline 115 Elegance RV AC/DC Electric Refrigerator / Freezer.  This model was a nice comprise between size and electrical current requirements.  It has a small freezer, which supports my ice cream habit.

It runs on 12V DC and provides 4.1 cubic feet of space. We find this is more than big enough to support a week or more of food.

Built-in Waste / Recycle Bins

I found a small waste and recycle bin on pull-out tracks, which allows us to provide built-in waste containers. Nice to be able to throw trash away and not have to look at the trash bags tied to the seats.

Coat Rack

We wanted a place to put our coats and jackets, so I built a small cabinet to store them. It has just enough room for about 6 coats. It is nice not to have to hang you coats over the back of chairs or pile them up somewhere.

Overhead Cabinets

I built out multiple overhead cabinets for storing clothes, toiletries, food, plates, etc..

They have hydraulic gas lifts so that the covers will stay open and a latch to hold them closed.

Storage Crates

There is never enough storage, so I built shelfs with 80/20 aluminum. There are 2 layers, and each layer can hold 3 plastic foldable crates. The structure depth is designed such that the crates are held in place while driving but can be easily removed when you need something.

We use them mainly as a pantry for dry goods, drinks, and canned goods. The nice thing is that we can take the bins in the house to load them up for a trip or unload them after a trip. We also typically use one of them as a dirty clothes hamper with the ability to take it out when we want to clean clothes.

Upholstered Piers and Panels

We decided to cover as much of the exposed metal (that would not be covered by cabinetry) as possible with Landau Foam and Upholstery Fabric.  These exposed metal areas can transfer a lot of heat or cold into the van, so we wanted to cover as much as we could. Using a lot of contact spray glue, and stretching and pulling later, I have something that looks factory finished and nicer than exposed metal.

It really gives the van a more cozy feel.

weBoost and hotspot

We like to boondock in national forest lands.  So, cell reception is often a problem. We installed a weboost and a hotspot to allow us to work from the road and stay connected with our family. A weboost is a cellular signal booster; it often turns a 1-bar cell signal strength into 3 bars.  At one bar, the data link is often very slow, but at three bars, it is much faster.