Table of Contents
Current pictures of van and conversion.
Video Tour of Van and Build (Complete, 20 Minutes)
Video demonstrating functionality of locking differential.
Basic Van Features
Van Modifications
Overland & Capability Upgrades
Appliances
Electrical
Safety
Maintenance History
Included Gear
FAQ
CarFax Report
User Manuals
Pictures
Van Basics and Numbers to Know:
2018 Ford Transit 250, Medium Roof, Long Wheelbase 148″
3.7l v6 Engine (275 HP, 260 lb ft. torque)
6-Speed Transmission (with PRS and manual shift modes)
Traction Control, ABS, SRS (Airbags front and side curtain)
Power Locks and Windows
Keyless entry
Factory Reverse Camera
Factory weight: 4,981
After Build Weight (CAT scale): 6,640
Current Mileage: 51,400
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Van Modifications
Aftermarket Forward and Reverse Cameras
Curt trailer hitch and 4-flat wiring harness
Pioneer 7″ touchscreen stereo w/ CarPlay
Rockville 400w Powered Subwoofer
Aftermarket Rostra Cruise Control Kit
Uniden Bearcat SSB CB Radio with tuned Firestik antenna
Motion Windows Slider in Sliding Door
Passenger Side Swivel Seat
Lagun Swivel Table Mount
A118C Dash Camera
MaxLiner Cab Floor Liner
Autoventshade Rain Deflectors
All Windows Tinted
Custom Relay Panel for Aftermarket Equipment
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Overland & Capability Upgrades
YukonGear Electric Locking Differential
– G2 Axle Differential Cover w/ drain and LubeLocker gasket
VanCompass Terrain 2.5″ Suspension Lift
VanCompass High Clearance Shock Mounts (rear)
VanCompass Tuned Fox Shocks (rear)
VanCompass Hoodline Light Pod Mounts
– 3″ Spotlights
Aluminess Front Brush Guard / Light Mount
– 32″ curved LED light bar
Aluminess Rear Door Spare Tire Carrier / Ladder combo
Aluminess Rear Door Box Mount
– Aluminum toolbox for equipment storage.
– Recovery Tracks
BFGoodrich KO2 tires (inc. spare) LT255/70R16 – adds 1″ ground clearance
RhinoRack Roof Rack (3 Crossbars)
– RhinoRack Sunseeker Awning (manual deploy)
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Appliances
6 LED Puck Ceiling Lights with Dimmer Switch
MaxxAir Deluxe 7500K Vent Fan
5kW Diesel Heater
– with Ray Jones’ Afterburner Wifi/Bluetooth Thermostat Unit
12v Dometic CC-40 Refrigerator / Freezer (single zone)
2-burner FlameKing propane stove
– 5lb Propane Tank with 2–Stage Regulator
22″ LED TV
– with Chromecast
Bar Sink with 12 Gallons Freshwater Storage and 12v Water Pump
Verizon JetPack Hotspot
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Conversion Electrical
200ah BattleBorn Lithium Iron Phosphate batteries (10 year warranty, installed 2020)
200w Solar with MPPT charger
30a Sterling Power DC-to-DC charger (charges batteries while engine is running)
700w Renogy Pure Sine Wave Inverter
Wilson 4G-M Cellular Booster with Trucker Antenna
Under-mounted “shore power” passthrough
Electrical System Diagram:
Safety
Smoke Alarm (battery)
Carbon Monoxide Alarm (battery)
Propane Alarm (hard-wired)
Fire Extinguisher (in electrical compartment)
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Included Gear
30 Foot 3″ Recovery Strap rated to 30,000 pounds + D-Shackles
12v Shower / Water Pump (plugs in rear acc. port)
Viair 88P Air Compressor
TPMS Reset Tool
Jumper Cables
Tire Chains / Tensioners
Hatchet and Shovel
8.5″ Aluminum Telescoping Ladder
Various leftovers from build (extra flooring, paint, oil, etc.)
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Videos
Complete Tour and Walkthrough
Locking Differential in Action
Misc. Videos
Articles of Note
This blog post outlines the wiring of the dual forward/reverse camera system. https://brokensolenoid.com/2020/05/13/connecting-two-cameras-to-the-reverse-camera-input-of-an-aftermarket-head-unit/
This article details each component of the conversion’s electrical system, as well as providing a wiring diagram to show how everything is connected. https://brokensolenoid.com/2020/03/23/the-anatomy-of-my-camper-van-electrical-system/
Maintenance History
8,500 Miles: oil and filter changed, switched to Mobil-1 5W20 Full Synthetic
10,949 Miles: larger tires installed, all mileage readings from now on are 7.23% lower than actual.
13,492 Miles: oil and filter changed (actual mileage now 13,676)
18,823 Miles: oil and filter changed (actual mileage now 19,392)
26,829 Miles: oil and filter changed. new rear tires (one had puncture, other moved to spare)
28,145 Miles: Yukon Gear E-Locker installed @ Bones Custom (12/31/19)
28,768 Miles: Aluminess Rear Racks Installed
30,476 Miles: oil, filter, and engine air filter changed (Jan 2020, actual mileage 31,887)
32,988 Miles: Replaced plastic coolant overflow tank (sweating from plastic seam)
33,243 Miles: A mouse chewed evap purge valve wires, removed damaged section and soldered replacements in place, cleared check engine light.
38,666 Miles: (March 2020). Oil and filter changed. Installed cabin air filter, new wiper blades.
38,922 Miles: Installed G2 Hammer differential cover, lubelocker gasket, and 3 quarts of redline 75w85 synthetic gear oil.45
45,482 Miles: Installed Aluminess light bar mount / brush guard to replace Steelcraft brush guard. Oil and filter changed. (actual mileage now 47,979)
46,000 Miles – Estimated. Parking lot incident. Body shop replaced driver side rear door. Installed new Aluminess tire carrier/ladder and box mount.
47,281 Miles – Rear brakes rebuilt. Replacement calipers, severe-duty pads, rotors, and hub shaft seals. Adjusted parking brake tension. Expensive job due to having to remove axle shaft. $1000 @ Les Schwab. Front brakes @ 6mm, should be good for another 20k.
48,673 Miles – installed RainX Latitude wiper blades, replaced engine air fiter, replaced cabin air filter. Replaced TrashaRoo.
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I’m willing to work with whatever financing you have secured. The title is with Ford Finance, with whom I have roughly $20,000 financed as a regular vehicle loan. I have the paperwork onhand so that we can either pay this off or you can apply to assume the remaining principal if you’d prefer to finance that amount as a standard auto loan and do cash or other for the remainder.
The van is titled as a passenger vehicle. I am insured via Progressive with “additional equipment coverage”. My schedule is wide open for viewing, mechanic inspection, appraisal, etc. I am willing to deliver the van to you, within reason, at no additional charge. WA DOL told me that the van can be titled as a motorhome, but need to have the title in hand to do so.
The van will be delivered to the buyer with installed new tires of their choosing, or a credit for the amount of new BFG KO2s (~$1000). My intention was to have new KO2s installed, but they are currently on nationwide backorder until November. If you prefer another brand, I’m happy to pay and have them installed prior to delivery. You could also consider moving to larger wheels/tires for additional ground clearance. The tires on it now are at 40-60% tread, with two being worse for the wear due to Arizona trails.
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You will receive two keyfobs and two keys for the aluminum toolbox. I’m also working on adding manuals and diagrams to this page for all of the components.
FAQ
When was the van purchased / converted?
I bought the van brand new from Mullinax Ford in Olympia, WA in December 2018. I worked on converting it weekends until May 2019, and spent July-September 2020 giving it a facelift and actually completing it.
What kind of gas mileage do you get?
It varies greatly on load, terrain, on/off-road, etc. My average across 26 recorded fill-ups, loaded with gear and tools, was 13.6mpg. I have seen 16+ a handful of times. Loaded with gear and towing a trailer approaching the GCWR, I saw 10.1mpg. I generally just count on 13.5-14mpg.
What about a bathroom or shower?
The bench seat storage space was built to fit a compact cassette toilet, but this van was designed to be in the woods. As such, I went the bucket w/ seat lid and specifically designed waste bags route for emergencies. This also fits in the bench storage space. For showering, included is a 12v showerhead/water pump unit and a privacy tent. I have photos of this setup on Instagram.
What about insulation?
The van was built with kil-mat for sound deadening, then polyiso boards and spray foam for large spaces. I filled the upper cavities and doors with Black Mountain sheep’s wool insulation. In combination with the vent fan/window and heater, I stayed comfortable in temperatures as low as -2F. See the next question about the flooring thickness.
Why did you choose a medium roof van, and is it tall enough for me?
I wanted a van that could go down trails. My friend’s high roof Transit has trouble with low hanging trees and such, where I can sneak by. The flooring insulation is 1/2″ polyiso, kilz-sealed utility plywood, and thin vinyl planks. This is to maximize headroom. Barefoot @ 5’10”, I have to tilt my head slightly. I would still choose the medium roof if I had to do it again.
Why is the stated mileage higher than the odometer shows?
The van came with 28″ tires and I installed 30″ tires. There is no way to adjust the speedo/odo on the Transits (yet). As a result, every mile since 10,949 has actually been 1.0723 miles as the new tires are 7.23% taller. I include this information and the actual mileage in the maintenance logs above.
Is the locking differential as good as four wheel drive?
Yes and no. I would prefer my setup to a Quigley 4×4 conversion with open differentials, but a 4×4 with locking differentials would be more capable. The Quigley would have 1/2″ lower ride height and cost a small fortune more than my rig. I built a rig with good balance betweenon price and ability. The locker was critical in driving trails and steep gravelly inclines for my open-ended overlanding trip in the southwest this year. With an open differential, if one wheel is stuck and spinning and the other is on solid ground, only the stuck wheel will spin. The locking differential forces both wheels to spin equally. There is a video above demonstrating this. The biggest benefit is the ability to slowly climb over / up obstacles, rather than having to hit them with speed and hope for the best.
Are there any unfinished areas? What about curtains?
The ceiling above the slider door could use refinement. The inside of the cabinetry could be finished better. The small propane tank could be placed into an air-tight box vented out of the existing hole in that cabinet (I mention this in my walkthrough video). I chose not to install curtains as there are so many choices in both material and mounts, I felt it’d be best left up to the buyer.
Can I tow with this van?
Sure, and I have pulled a trailer on occasion. Here are the numbers you’ll want to know.
GVWR: 9,000 Pounds
GAWR: Front – 4,130 Pounds | Rear – 5,515 Pounds
GCWR: 10,800 Pounds
Tire Load Rating (KO2s): 3,085 ea @ 80psi
Transit Max Towing Capacity: 5,400 Pounds
Hitch Capacity: 6,000 Pounds
Hitch Max Tongue Weight: 600 Pounds
Electrical Connector: 4-Pin Flat
Do you have a CarFax report?
Of course. Note: I backed into a truck in a parking lot and had the driver side rear door and tire carrier replaced, this only shows as “service” on the CarFax report. Wanted to mention this, in the interest of full disclosure.
User Manuals
Vendors to Know
Front and rear racks: Aluminess
Lift Kit, Suspension, Shock Mounts: VanCompass
Separator Wall / Fabric: @SierraVans and PerfectFit.com
Lift Install, Tires, Service: Automotive Outfitters @ Portland
Differential Work: Bones Custom 4×4 in Oregon City, Oregon
Sliding Door Window: Motion Windows / Peninsula Glass @ Vancouver, WA
Roof Rack / Awning: RhinoRack
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