[kenryan]

After two years of waiting, I have finally received my 2022 Transit with a 12 foot Unicell body. This will be my fourth camper build, having built my first around 1990. The previous three were built on 4WD flatbed trucks. This will be my first "van conversion" and the first with an actual water system. This will be my build thread.

Planned Uses

1. Travel up and down the Alaska Highway in the cold winter months.
2. Full time for one to three months at a time in the Lower 48.
3. Shorter Alaska camping trips in the summer.
4. Emergency power generation system.
5. Emergency year round shelter in the event of a major disaster.

Platform

2022 Ford Transit 156" T-350 SRW cutaway, Ecoboost AWD, with a 12 foot Unicell fiberglass body. 9500 lb. gross, 6478 6341 lb. empty.

Design Principles

1. Use quality materials and equipment, and endeavor to put them together competently.
2. Leave enough unused space so that it doesn't feel like a cluttered storage closet.
3. Install systems for comfort, while balancing complexity with reliability and serviceability.

Layout Considerations

1. Always available bed
2. Always available dinette
3. Wet shower with composting toilet
4. Extra bunk when needed

 

[kenryan]

Solar

First project was to install the two 400 watt solar panels, since they were taking up my whole work table. I added some 1x1 by 1/8 inch 6061 angles under them and made the feet out of 2x2 by 1/8 inch 6061. There is also a support in the center, so each panel is supported in six places. End result seems very secure. I was particularly happy with the wiring. On my previous projects I made my own "glands" but this one that I bought commercially is really neat and tidy.

 

[Tcaschy021]

Super cool build ideas. Question, How "usable" is the passthrough from the cab? Compared to the actual outside door, it looks small and low?!?

 

[kenryan]

Thanks @Tcaschy021 the pass through door is very usable. I'm no spring chicken, so I was a little concerned that it might not be user friendly, but now that I have it I am happy to say I don't have any trouble at all going from front to back. Obviously I have to stoop, but it's easy. And the landing area for your feet is plenty big. Unicell has an option for a full height door, but when I ordered it was only available on their longer bodies.

 

[CaptainUnderpants]

Going to be fun watching this build. Looks easier to built if you start with a square box to begin with, that's smart. 800 watts of solar fits without issue, that's awesome. And you can probably have enough width to sleep sideways?

I am curious if Volumetrically this is about the same as a cargo extended. All of the room without the length. Like I said, looking forward to seeing how you put it all together. Congrats.

 

[kenryan]

Going to be fun watching this build. Looks much easier to built out if you start with a square box to begin with. 800 watts of solar fits without issue. And you can probably have enough width to sleep sideways?

Yes, those 90 degree angles are going to be a lot more user friendly. Sideways sleeping for sure. Even with two and a half inches of insulation in each wall, there should still be about 81 inches of width. I can also incorporate floor cabinets that are 24 inches deep, and still have a nice wide space between them (about 33 inches). I could have fit another solar panel, but 800 watts is a good number for me.

 

[CaptainUnderpants]

Yes, 800 watts is excellent, more than enough. I hesitate to mention this because I really like the cleanliness of the solar panel installation, but is there enough air gap between the panels and the roof. Certainly if the van is moving it wouldn't matter.

I did however install my own 10kw system on my home, several years ago. On the specs for similar panels it suggested that the gap between the roof and the panel should be something like 4+ inches. Pretty sure this was from a performance standpoint. Cooler panels produce more electricity. Plus a little extra gap may aid in simply keeping the van cool. Like I said great install, very sleek and clean, just curious if your panel specs called out for a bigger gap? Then again if if it just for efficiency, who cares, you have more than enough power and aerodynamically your install is the bomb.

 

[kenryan]

... is there enough air gap between the panels and the roof ...

I guess we'll find out. There is 1.25 inches of free air under the panel frames (2.25 under the panel surface) and that seems good to me. Also, I prefer to avoid extreme heat. In the hot summer months, I am in Alaska.

 

[CaptainUnderpants]

I am in Alaska.

Haha, Never mind...

 

[kenryan]

I am curious if Volumetrically this is about the same as a cargo extended. All of the room without the length.

Behind the bulkhead it's 12 feet long by 7 feet 2 inches wide by about 6 feet 8 inches tall (before insulation). Not sure how that compares with an extended length van. The 156 inch wheelbase shortens the rear overhang. I have a pretty good lip going up into my driveway and I was pleased to see that it cleared with a couple of inches to spare.

 

[Rolf]

This will make a very nice camper, lots of storage in over cab area
looking forward to Follow your build

 

[Janus9]

It's less length, but definitely wider (and probably more volume), and extra width changes the whole layout game.

Have fun building it.

(following)

 

[Rolf]

Did you buy direct from Ford and then have it go to Box outfitter?

 

[kenryan]

Did you buy direct from Ford and then have it go to Box outfitter?

I bought the cutaway from Paul Bowers at Van Bortel Ford in East Rochester, NY. They had it shipped directly to Unicell which is located in Buffalo, NY. When it was done, Unicell delivered it to Van Bortel for customer pickup.

 

[Tcaschy021]

Any plans for windows?

 

[kenryan]

This will make a very nice camper, lots of storage in over cab area
looking forward to Follow your build

Yes, this is another thing that I wasn't sure how it would be (I have never seen a Unicell in the wild). Turns out, it is great. Very sturdy and as you say, quite a bit of volume. My plan, now that I have seen it, is to extend the bulkhead wall to the ceiling (insulating it, of course) and putting in a large access door. That will turn the cab over space into uninsulated storage. Perfect for my -40 sleeping bag, winter parka, bunny boots, and all the other survival gear that you want to carry when traveling the Alaska Highway in the winter.

 

[kenryan]

Any plans for windows?

Yes, I already bought 4 Arctic Tern windows, but it is looking like I might only be using three of them. The side door is further aft that I thought, and there is a lot of aluminum structure around the door to support the hinges. The end result is that I don't have room in that spot for the smallest Arctic Tern window that I had planned for. I am considering trading it in for a different version that would fit in the door.

Incidentally, none of my previous three campers had any windows at all. It's not that I don't like windows; I just don't like the negative baggage that they come with. If you start looking, you will begin to notice that many campers, much of the time, have their windows blocked out. There are times when you want it dark inside, and there are times when you don't want anyone looking in. Windows are also a place for condensation and frost for form. Living in Alaska, cold is an issue, and in the summer, the sun never sets. So in the end, I decided that windows just weren't worth the trouble they bring, at least not for me.

But the first time I saw an Arctic Tern window, I knew that my next camper would have at least one window. With their built in screen, built in blackout shade, and double pane construction, they pretty much solve all of the reasons that I never had windows in my other campers.

 

[Rolf]

Those are some nice heavy duty industrial doors, gives it a nice look

 

[kenryan]

Those are some nice heavy duty industrial doors, gives it a nice look

Yes, the doors are totally skookum! That was another unknown as I waited. I wanted to adapt the rear door to accept a small Midea U-shaped air conditioner, and was hoping it would be sturdy enough for that application. I am happy to say that I think the door is up to the task. I will only deploy the air conditioner when I am spending time in hot weather, which isn't all that often. Other times, I will either leave it home, or store it in the under bunk garage space.

 

[coolcamp]

What are your plans for the rear door?