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How I spent my summer vacation, and lessons learned

10K views 25 replies 8 participants last post by  EL34xyz 
#1 · (Edited)
9 weeks total in van, over 7000 miles: TX to OR/WA. Mild, hurried, unfinished conversion to toyhauler/camper van.

MPG: Calculated 16.26 factoring tire size (larger than stock), approx 16.1mpg on trip up, nearly 18 on trip back, 15.35 short trips, slow (and fast) hilly driving "local" while up in PAC NW. I don't think this is as good as I used to get in GMC savanna 5.0 v8. The "local" driving would vary, but I seem to recall getting 18-19 on highway with the GMC. Of course, I got in that range on trip back in Transit, so maybe trip up the engine was just too new.

SOLAR: Somewhat under-sized solar did surprisingly well: 160W panel, PWM controller, and single 105Ah 12v battery. Only twice did controller indicate battery down to "mid-level" otherwise, always in the "green." Of course, the load was light, a fridge, a roof vent, and some LED's. Both times it got into the "yellow" had supplementary 1-amp fan running most the night. Weather was warm at times, and 1 of those times, I had parked in heavy shade all afternoon. If I could do it all over, I would have a larger battery, or dual 6v totaling 200Ah. MPPT might have helped a little, but i doubt much, since always was recharged fully (?) by early afternoon or even late morning; likewise don't think solar panel is grossly undersigned.

ROOF-VENT: Maxxair-air toward the front. Probably should have mounted at the very back. The back end of a Transit has no air circulation, and with front windows cracked open (I have mesh screens over the front door windows), and roof vent on, the "living room" could be quite comfortable, while the bedroom was like an oven. So additional fans will be required or an openable rear side-window installed. This was my #1 complaint.

SHOWER: I have the State Parks, Core of Eng parks etc scoped for showers, so was usually able to keep clean with coin-op showers. Also had solar shower, which admittedly was less luxurious; so some sort of hot shower is on my wish list...though will probably have to be outdoor (out the back doors??). I guess propane-fired, though also considering something like the Road Shower (permanently mounted solar & pressurizable) as alternative. I guess a sink with running water wouldn't hurt either.

COOKING: Had a basic propane-bottle based single-burner stove, which works well enough, though if I end up with permanent propane, I assume I would tie a cooktop into it.

TOILET: Bought a Walmart (Reliance?) foldable portable toilet, and had to use it only one morning. That was probably worth the cost right there, but luckily I was in a very isolated spot, and not trying to use it inside the van. Still, kinda weird to "make like a bear in the woods," sitting in the open air, on a plastic folding toilet. OK, I know, TMI. I'm sure if I had had a female traveling companion this would have been the most-complained-about aspect of the trip. All that said, it worked surprisingly well. Set-up was a non-issue, but using a pair of pliers to re-collapse it made a world of difference. There are plastic "locks" that do a good job of stabilizing the foldable legs, but without pliers to get the locks to release, I doubt I could have re-folded them. My guess is using it inside the van wouldn't be that bad, and odors would evaporate within a few minutes. The double doodie bags or whatever their called work fine. At least this one time.

INTERIOR LIGHTING; Need a dimmer for the factory LED lights, and some additional ones in better locations. I wonder if a dimmer reduces amperage draw, or just bleeds off the power before t gets to the LED's? Dimmer lights would be better much of the time, but less power usage could only help with such a marginal solar setup. Factory LED's are not all that low-draw. The good news, is I disconnected them from the slider, and they run off the house battery. Actually, I wired in a switch so the living room LED's can work off either the house battery or the factory open-door switching...or be completely off.

TIRES: With the 225/75r16 Michelin LTX tires, highway driving was fairly relaxed (MUCH quieter than Cooper Discoverer AT's or probably ANY AT tire). Factory Hankooks are probably just as quiet Luckily, had no muddy or otherwise slick conditions to deal with. Added a bit more ground clearance compared to stock. Off-road, I did not think the 1-wheel-drive Transit was the equal of my old GMC (which was also 1-wheel-drive). That said, I'm not in the right tax bracket to afford a conversion to 4WD. Probably not to convert to LSD either, though if you can get it, I would at least opt for that, and MIGHT put that on my wish list....if I can find a bargain LSD upgrade. If I win the lottery, not sure if I would convert the Transit, or get a 4WD Sprinter. But I would have to buy a ticket first.

HIGHWAY STABILITY: Stability in crosswinds was abysmal. Absolutely scared the cr*p out of me a few times, and required way more attention than my previous van (not a high roof). Anyone used to driving Hwy 84 along the Columbia River in the summer knows what conditions can be like, and they are not friendly to the high-roof Transit. I will probably put a rear swaybar on my wish list, but keep hoping someone comes out with a 245/70x16 Load E HIGHWAY tread (or hybrid a bit quieter than the Discoverers). I don't see how people are getting away with 245/75's, and if you go to the "Alternate Tire" thread, there's plenty of discussion about that; I appreciate Vulf's honesty about his and his picture of clearance. I might mix the Michelins in the front with 245/70 Discoverers in the rear, which are probably close enough in diameter to not screw up the TCS or Stability control...I hope. Again, I would probably have punched my eardrums out to avoid hearing the loud tread noise from ANY AT tire in front...right under your ears, for 4000+ miles but maybe I'm being a wus'. I remember my parents used to say I'd go deaf listening to loud music all the time, but wonder if today's kids are doing the same with their AT tires...or maybe they're already deaf. That said, I better add a come-along to my wish list.

BASIC FLOORPLAN: Sorry, my set-up is unworthy of pictures. But, the basic set up is a full-width platform in the rear, approx 80" lengthwise (frt-to-rear), approx 34" off the floor, and a 22" deep countertop on the driver's side between the bed and the driver's seat. That leaves a small 4'x4' or maybe 4.5'x4.5' "living room" that the slider opens up to. Windsurfboards and a bike get tucked under the bed, accessible from the rear doors. The boards infringe on the under-counter space as they are long, and the fridge is at the forward edge of the countertop, but they barely infringe on the living room. The passenger seat is permanently reversed to face into the living room, though a swivel is on my wishlist. A stepping stool helps me get into and out of the high bed, but in a HR van, I still have plenty of headroom in the bed. I will build a short "bench seat" which will allow for 2 people to face each other (one in bench seat, the other in the reversed passenger seat, and allow for entry/exit to the high bed. There is the early stages of a "closet" along the drivers side of the bed, which still leaves enough room for a XL double-size bed or a slightly narrow queen (with corners lopped off against the passenger-side body panels. The rear window indentation adds something like 4" of width each side although it is not for the full 80" length. My wish list is for a double XL mattress, with a separate cushion to fill in the space between the double mattress and body within the "window" indentation. Together they would be ~ 58" wide in the widow indent. This is one benefit of having the bed so high...the window indentations add alot of width...76" total, if I'm not mistaken. The closet takes away 18" on the drivers side, but will be most all the non-toy storage capacity (well, some undercounter). Many people could sleep sideways if their bed is fully in the indentations, and didn't have this closet. I also hope to have cabinets above the countertop someday, covering up the black electrical wire channels everyone wants to remove, but few have.

FLOOR (covering): my van came with a texured rubber floor mat with the jute (?) backing. I filled in the metal floor corrugations with 1/4 x 1.5 vinyl strips from Lowe's( or possibly Home Depot??). Big mistake keeping the rubber. The texture fills up with dirt, and you will never get it completely cleaned out without a power washer. What a PITA that is going to be to take out the fridge and a few other things to replace the floor with some "smooth" cleanable linoleum or laminate. I haven't researched that at all because when I read about other people doing it I skipped over those posts. Now I wish I hadn't. I'll leave the rubber in the "garage," under the bed, maybe under the back of the fridge and counter, but the living room needs new flooring.

INSULATION? Well, don't do what I did. Waaayy too labor -intensive, but if you must know: a layer of thinsulate against the outer body skin, and 1-2 layers of foam board (R-Max) toward interior, cut into a thousand tiny pieces to fit in between all the complex body bracing. OK, maybe only 100 pieces...certainly more than 50. Then some 5mm or 1/8' plywood inside that. THere's more thickness to the walls than 1 layer of thinsulate and the R-Max, but not sure if I want a bunch of cubby-holes or 5-6" of insulation...or some of each.

RUNNING BOARD / SIDESTEP: A "running board" under the sliding side door is a must IMHO. The factory one is narrow, but also provide more ground clearance than any aftermarket one I've seen. My suggestion is to contact someone who sells/installs the aftermarket ones, and see if they have a factory take-off. Installation still requires some futzing, because if you don't have the factory runnng board, Fords doesn't provide the studs or bolts it mounts to, and I certainly had a hellava time figuring out how to mount some bolts from the backside/inside. If you go to Cargovan.com, then to the Transit page, there is a video of him removing the factory boards, and replacing with the aftermarket. You'll see what your missing if you don't have factory boards. That said, maybe you prefer the aftermarket...but, there was this day I had to pull a GMC conversion van which had become high-centered off the rocks, and the running boards were pretty screwed up by that. I think on the trip, I scraped my running board once, so certainly would not want a lower one.

HEAT; Well, if I do the propane, and if I win the lottery (which I may need before I get the propane), I would also consider a Propex heater. Of course, if I had a diesel, I would opt for an Espar / Webasto approach. I'm still bouncing around all the heater / water heater / propane / shower options. I'm not trying to troll Orton on this, but will look into his electric blanket. Regarding many of his wonderful ideas, I don't have his skills nor budget....but I would still like heat, water heater, shower, etc some way, somehow. Of these, heat is last on the list...but, hey, i live in Texas. More useful would be a coach A/C, but that means generator or shore power, and I want boondockable, and no generator (in my van, nor in my neighbor's).

WINDOW SHADES: Reflectix cut into window-sized pieces makes great privacy shades, though my velcro-attachments kept failing. That's fixable. For the windshield, those 2-piece, hoop-type twisting shades fit perfectly in their super-jumbo size. magic-shade? Is that what they are called? The good news is I wouldn't even try to fold them like a taco each time, I just left them "unfolded" and slid them into the space behind the countertop and the driver's side van wall. Future improvements to my galley will ruin that, so I may have to figure out how to fold / collapse them with muscle-memory instead of old-guy-brain memory and logic. All that said, the magic shades provide no R-value, so refectix or some $80 custom insulated shade would probably be better.

HEADLIGHTS: Low-beam headlights need improvement, big time, but I am morally obligated to not do something illegal on this. I hope you feel the same. There is an absolute epidemic of poorly-aimed bluish or bright-white headlights on lifted truck and the like which blinded me repeatedly sitting high in my Transit. I can't image what it must be like in a normal car. Sorry guys, but I REALLY wish the police would crack down on this. Its unsafe. This one time my "government should do something about this" reaction in me outweighs the libertarian in me.

STEREO: I don't know about your stereo, but my 4-speaker with CD SUX!!! Shame on Ford. I have no idea what the implications would be, but if I were ordering a new Transit instead of buying off a lot, I would get a radio delete. I wouldn't trust whoever designed this with $5, let alone an expensive factory upgrade...which this supposedly is with 4 speakers and the CD. Anyway, I will probably start with new speakers, and hope a hi-level-in amp (fed from speaker wires instead of "line-in") will sound sufficient...unless someone knows if the factory unit has line-outs???

This could go on and on. The TOW-HAUL feature was absolutely AWESOME!!! I did a lot of slow hill-climbing / descending, paved and gravel. The Tow Haul resets the shift points, and makes the engine / transmission much more responsive than when it is shut off. Of course I would only turn it on when in those conditions, as I'm sure it hurts fuel economy, but once I discovered what it does, I can't imagine a Transit without it....though I will probably never tow anything. Doesn't upshift too early & downshifts much more readily when needed uphill, and downhill, helps with engine braking to control speed.
 
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#2 · (Edited)
SOLAR: My Sprinter had a 205 watt panel with MPPT controller. That worked well.

SHOWER: Mine is inside but is used for multiple things. Portapotti, waste basket, two removable shelves and towel rods at the top.

TIRES: Cooper has a 245/70/16 E rated tire that should? fit in the spare tire holder.

http://us.coopertire.com/Tires/Light-Truck/DISCOVERER-A-T3.aspx

STABILITY: Hopefully my added rear bar will help.

FLOORPLAN: I have 72 3/4" - 74" at 32" above the steel floor. Do like the stove located at the sliding door so steam and smells go up out the open door.

INSULATION: Closed cell flexible foam works well in the deep cavities.

RUNNING BOARD: I use a $12 foldable RV step.

HEAT: Since I was named: I use a $100 DC heating pad. For shower water a $100 RV 120 volt AC propane heater conversion kit in an open tank. Does require 120 volt AC from my vehicle powered inverter for the water heater. Takes 1/2 hr to get 6 gallons of 90 degree water.

WINDOW SHADES: Make new Reflectix slider and rear window covers with tabs to fit in the slot between the window and the steel frame. See 5th item on link:

http://www.ortontransit.info/otherpage3.php

STEREO: I have same radio in it is bad.

TOW HAUL: Agree. One of the best features of the van and I seldom tow. Use it all the time.

Thanks for the report.
 
#7 ·
HEAT: Since I was named: I use a $100 DC heating pad. For shower water a $100 RV 120 volt AC propane heater conversion kit in an open tank. Does require 120 volt AC from my vehicle powered inverter for the water heater. Takes 1/2 hr to get 6 gallons of 90 degree water..


What kind of tank are you using for your hot water? I'm planning on doing the same thing and I'm trying to figure out how to mount the heater rod.
 
#3 · (Edited)
Hi Orton. Heh, i'm still editing, and you've already responded. :)

You've been an inspiration, though I don't always follow your advice...for better of for worse. You and Skagitstan

You guys are one reason I'm not going to flash pictures of my rag-tag conversion.

And Hein, and Morey, and, and....(and good grief, I couldn't believe the effort Irontent on the Sprinter site is going through). I am not worthy.

But, think about the opening sentence: 9 weeks living in this thing. I can't wait to get on the road again to somewhere nice. It won't be a 4000 mile round trip to OR / WA soon, but hope to go there again someday.
 
#13 ·
But you've used it some, haven't you? Or was that the Sprinter?

Sometimes, before going to bed, I would look at all the unfinished work inside (I'm 10% done with interior finishing, maybe less) and just sigh at how much work remains.
 
#5 · (Edited)
Mine is a 148 inch,3.7,mid roof. Mostly used for going out of town.

I've got a marine toilet in there in the corner and it's fine.
The factory Vanco tires are fine. Most of the time it's stored i have Harbor Freight wheel covers on the tires. They say they are UV proof, I doubt it.
Highway stability is fine and I've got a rear sway bar installed. By me.
Will be installing running board Warehouse hundred inch and 39 inch sizes. She needs them. I would rather not put them on.
Bought the heat shields for the only three windows in the front of the van. It's a cargo. Also have lund,avs tape on wind deflectors. Would rather have in Channel WeatherTech deflectors. Don't know how much the weathertechs wood drag with the power windows which I did not want. Did not want those power locks either.
Headlights are fine at night. I don't like driving at night. But sooner or later I will put silver stars in it. They are not illegal. They do not blind anybody on coming any more than Factory searchlights do.
Factory CD and radio are fine, for us.
We used the e-van and this transit for traveling. The extent of our new conversion is the partition curtain behind the seats, a marine toilet and an elevated platform bed. Two nights Max at Walmart and then a motel or friends home.

We have the complete Factory tow package and sometimes tow a 6 by 10 V-nose enclosed with a race bike.

My only complaint with this van, and I know it's not the right thread, is that I cannot plug a battery tender into a 12 volt volt power point to keep the battery charged when it is in storage. It is a 1 battery from the factory system. I have asked where to hook up the terminals and have not gotten an answer on this forum . Ford immediately called me back and told me that the CPP was for 12 volts out, not in. That I should deal with the jump start position under the hood. We'll see what happens.


Suitcase

We had the Econoline for 15 years and sold it with 85000 miles on it. Wanted to buy a '14 from U-Haul, but when push came to shove, the U-Haul dealer raise the price to 25 Grand, up 5 grand. Started to taking a liking to the new Transit. It took me awhile, but we've had this since mid-july and love it. and for an extra $150 we got the Ingot silver. Can't beat that with a stick.
 
#10 ·
My only complaint with this van, and I know it's not the right thread, is that I cannot plug a battery tender into a 12 volt volt power point to keep the battery charged when it is in storage. It is a 1 battery from the factory system. I have asked where to hook up the terminals and have not gotten an answer on this forum . Ford immediately called me back and told me that the CPP was for 12 volts out, not in. That I should deal with the jump start position under the hood. We'll see what happens.
i see no reason why you could not hook the battery tender to the CCP, its a direct connection to the battery! i think the ford mechanics may have been confused about the type of battery charger you have and were worried about blowing the CCP 60 amp fuse/fuses if you used a regular battery charger with a boost setting to jump start the engine. a battery tender is just a trickle charger and the amperage output should be far bellow what the rated 60 amp amperage of the CCP fuses are! (1 or 2 amps)
 
#6 · (Edited)
TOILET: ... OK, I know, TMI. ...
No, thanks for detailing that! Going to the bathroom is the one thing EVERYONE has to deal with one way or the other, but few really seem to want to talk about!

I bought a Thetford Porta-Potti, haven't tried it out yet though...

INTERIOR LIGHTING; Need a dimmer for the factory LED lights, and some additional ones in better locations. I wonder if a dimmer reduces amperage draw, or just bleeds off the power before t gets to the LED's?
Depends on the dimmer. Cheap ones may be just a rheostat and burn off excess in a big resistor. Nice ones for LEDs are microprocessor-controlled PWM devices. They will greatly reduce the current required as you dim the lights.

I've bought a couple from SuperBrightLEDs.com. One is a tiny inline thing with pushbuttons:
https://www.superbrightleds.com/mor...lt-dc-single-color-led-mini-dimmer/1082/2573/

EDIT: Okay, I remember what I didn't like about this one now... It will remember the last setting you had it on if you switch power externally, that's fine. However you have to "cycle through" all the settings when adjusting it. Primarily when it's first turned on it's at FULL BRIGHT and then you dim it. It also has those annoying flashing / auto-dimming patterns that are useless for room lighting.

The one I'm going to use in my van (haven't gotten around to installing it yet) is this one:
https://www.superbrightleds.com/mor...and-dimmer-for-standard-wall-switch-box/1181/

Has an on-off switch and old-style slider for the dimmer so I can set the brightness FIRST and THEN switch the lights on/off at that level.

I'm also going to have red and white lights, for night vision. Just add a 2-way toggle switch to select red or white and have the dimmer feed both.

HIGHWAY STABILITY: Stability in crosswinds was abysmal. Absolutely scared the cr*p out of me a few times, and required way more attention than my previous van (not a high roof).
I've wondered about this. Whether I've just been lucky so far or I'm just used to LOUSY handling... :p It can be awfully windy in Oklahoma and I've driven my Transit in some of it but haven't felt it did too badly. Feels about like I remember the E150s I used to drive for work (early-2000s models). Haven't been in 45-50 MPH winds yet though, just gusty stuff around 25-35.


HEADLIGHTS: Low-beam headlights need improvement, big time, but I am morally obligated to not do something illegal on this. I hope you feel the same. There is an absolute epidemic of poorly-aimed bluish or bright-white headlights on lifted truck and the like which blinded me repeatedly sitting high in my Transit. I can't image what it must be like in a normal car.
Preach it, brother! :) I've started wondering if my eyes are just getting old or what - it's tough to drive at night anymore, I feel like I'm blinded by every third car on the road...

STEREO: I don't know about your stereo, but my 4-speaker with CD SUX!!!
I have the Sync 3 system with "six" speakers (think it's actually four with a couple little tweeters somewhere) and it's pretty lousy too. I have to have the volume pretty much cranked to hear it over the road noise when going down the highway. The fancy Sync 3 software randomly drops the bluetooth connection to my phone and I have go into the settings menu and turn bluetooth off/on to get it to reconnect. The screen will occasionally go into spasms - can't make up its mind whether it's day or night, apparently, switching between (on the nav screen) white or dark background at intervals.

I'm also still waiting for Ford to add CarPlay / Android Auto. Of course I've already been told since I have an iphone I'll have to also shell out more money to Ford for a hardware upgrade too... *sigh*
 
#9 ·
I just added this to the original post (skip below if you read OP after 11PM 10/8):

FLOOR (covering): my van came with a texured rubber floor mat with the jute (?) backing. I filled in the metal floor corrugations with 1/4 x 1.5 vinyl strips from Lowe's( or possibly Home Depot??). Big mistake keeping the rubber. The texture fills up with dirt, and you will never get it completely cleaned out without a power washer. What a PITA that is going to be to take out the fridge and a few other things to replace the floor with some "smooth" cleanable linoleum or laminate. I haven't researched that at all because when I read about other people doing it I skipped over those posts. Now I wish I hadn't. I'll leave the rubber in the "garage," under the bed, maybe under the back of the fridge and counter, but the living room needs new flooring.
 
#11 · (Edited)
9 weeks total in van, over 7000 miles: TX to OR/WA. Mild, hurried, unfinished conversion to toyhauler/camper van.

MPG: Calculated 16.26 factoring tire size (larger than stock), approx 16.1mpg on trip up, nearly 18 on trip back, 15.35 short trips, slow (and fast) hilly driving "local" while up in PAC NW. I don't think this is as good as I used to get in GMC savanna 5.0 v8. The "local" driving would vary, but I seem to recall getting 18-19 on highway with the GMC. Of course, I got in that range on trip back in Transit, so maybe trip up the engine was just too new.

SOLAR: Somewhat under-sized solar did surprisingly well: 160W panel, PWM controller, and single 105Ah 12v battery. Only twice did controller indicate battery down to "mid-level" otherwise, always in the "green." Of course, the load was light, a fridge, a roof vent, and some LED's. Both times it got into the "yellow" had supplementary 1-amp fan running most the night. Weather was warm at times, and 1 of those times, I had parked in heavy shade all afternoon. If I could do it all over, I would have a larger battery, or dual 6v totaling 200Ah. MPPT might have helped a little, but i doubt much, since always was recharged fully (?) by early afternoon or even late morning; likewise don't think solar panel is grossly undersigned.

ROOF-VENT: Maxxair-air toward the front. Probably should have mounted at the very back. The back end of a Transit has no air circulation, and with front windows cracked open, and roof vent on, the "living room" could be quite comfortable, while the bedroom was like an oven. So additional fans will be required or an openable rear side-window installed. This was my #1 complaint.

SHOWER: I have the State Parks, Core of Eng parks etc scoped for showers, so was usually able to keep clean with coin-op showers. Also had solar shower, which admittedly was less luxurious; so some sort of hot shower is on my wish list...though will probably have to be outdoor (out the back doors??). I guess propane-fired, though also considering something like the Road Shower (permanently mounted solar & pressurizable) as alternative. I guess a sink with running water wouldn't hurt either.

COOKING: Had a basic propane-bottle based single-burner stove, which works well enough, though if I end up with permanent propane, I assume I would tie a cooktop into it.

TOILET: Bought a Walmart (Reliance?) foldable portable toilet, and had to use it only one morning. That was probably worth the cost right there, but luckily I was in a very isolated spot, and not trying to use it inside the van. Still, kinda weird to "make like a bear in the woods," sitting in the open air, on a plastic folding toilet. OK, I know, TMI. I'm sure if I had had a female traveling companion this would have been the most-complained-about aspect of the trip. All that said, it worked surprisingly well. Set-up was a non-issue, but using a pair of pliers to re-collapse it made a world of difference. There are plastic "locks" that do a good job of stabilizing the foldable legs, but without pliers to get the locks to release, I doubt I could have re-folded them. My guess is using it inside the van wouldn't be that bad, and odors would evaporate within a few minutes. The double doodie bags or whatever their called work fine. At least this one time.

INTERIOR LIGHTING; Need a dimmer for the factory LED lights, and some additional ones in better locations. I wonder if a dimmer reduces amperage draw, or just bleeds off the power before t gets to the LED's? Dimmer lights would be better much of the time, but less power usage could only help with such a marginal solar setup. Factory LED's are not all that low-draw. The good news, is I disconnected them from the slider, and they run off the house battery. Actually, I wired in a switch so the living room LED's can work off either the house battery or the factory open-door switching...or be completely off.

TIRES: With the 225/75r16 Michelin LTX tires, highway driving was fairly relaxed (MUCH quieter than Cooper Discoverer AT's or probably ANY AT tire). Factory Hankooks are probably just as quiet Luckily, had no muddy or otherwise slick conditions to deal with. Added a bit more ground clearance compared to stock. Off-road, I did not think the 1-wheel-drive Transit was the equal of my old GMC (which was also 1-wheel-drive). That said, I'm not in the right tax bracket to afford a conversion to 4WD. Probably not to convert to LSD either, though if you can get it, I would at least opt for that, and MIGHT put that on my wish list....if I can find a bargain LSD upgrade. If I win the lottery, not sure if I would convert the Transit, or get a 4WD Sprinter. But I would have to buy a ticket first.

HIGHWAY STABILITY: Stability in crosswinds was abysmal. Absolutely scared the cr*p out of me a few times, and required way more attention than my previous van (not a high roof). Anyone used to driving Hwy 84 along the Columbia River in the summer knows what conditions can be like, and they are not friendly to the high-roof Transit. I will probably put a rear swaybar on my wish list, but keep hoping someone comes out with a 245/70x16 Load E HIGHWAY tread (or hybrid a bit quieter than the Discoverers). I don't see how people are getting away with 245/75's, and if you go to the "Alternate Tire" thread, there's plenty of discussion about that; I appreciate Vulf's honesty about his and his picture of clearance. I might mix the Michelins in the front with 245/70 Discoverers in the rear, which are probably close enough in diameter to not screw up the TCS or Stability control...I hope. Again, I would probably have punched my eardrums out to avoid hearing the loud tread noise from ANY AT tire in front...right under your ears, for 4000+ miles but maybe I'm being a wus'. I remember my parents used to say I'd go deaf listening to loud music all the time, but wonder if today's kids are doing the same with their AT tires...or maybe they're already deaf. That said, I better add a come-along to my wish list.

BASIC FLOORPLAN: Sorry, my set-up is unworthy of pictures. But, the basic set up is a full-width platform in the rear, approx 80" lengthwise (frt-to-rear), approx 34" off the floor, and a 22" deep countertop on the driver's side between the bed and the driver's seat. That leaves a small 4'x4' or maybe 4.5'x4.5' "living room" that the slider opens up to. Windsurfboards and a bike get tucked under the bed, accessible from the rear doors. The boards infringe on the under-counter space as they are long, and the fridge is at the forward edge of the countertop, but they barely infringe on the living room. The passenger seat is permanently reversed to face into the living room, though a swivel is on my wishlist. A stepping stool helps me get into and out of the high bed, but in a HR van, I still have plenty of headroom in the bed. I will build a short "bench seat" which will allow for 2 people to face each other (one in bench seat, the other in the reversed passenger seat, and allow for entry/exit to the high bed. There is the early stages of a "closet" along the drivers side of the bed, which still leaves enough room for a XL double-size bed or a slightly narrow queen (with corners lopped off against the passenger-side body panels. The rear window indentation adds something like 4" of width each side although it is not for the full 80" length. My wish list is for a double XL mattress, with a separate cushion to fill in the space between the double mattress and body within the "window" indentation. Together they would be ~ 58" wide in the widow indent. This is one benefit of having the bed so high...the window indentations add alot of width...76" total, if I'm not mistaken. The closet takes away 18" on the drivers side, but will be most all the non-toy storage capacity (well, some undercounter). Many people could sleep sideways if their bed is fully in the indentations, and didn't have this closet. I also hope to have cabinets above the countertop someday, covering up the black electrical wire channels everyone wants to remove, but few have.

FLOOR (covering): my van came with a texured rubber floor mat with the jute (?) backing. I filled in the metal floor corrugations with 1/4 x 1.5 vinyl strips from Lowe's( or possibly Home Depot??). Big mistake keeping the rubber. The texture fills up with dirt, and you will never get it completely cleaned out without a power washer. What a PITA that is going to be to take out the fridge and a few other things to replace the floor with some "smooth" cleanable linoleum or laminate. I haven't researched that at all because when I read about other people doing it I skipped over those posts. Now I wish I hadn't. I'll leave the rubber in the "garage," under the bed, maybe under the back of the fridge and counter, but the living room needs new flooring.

INSULATION? Well, don't do what I did. Waaayy too labor -intensive, but if you must know: a layer of thinsulate against the outer body skin, and 1-2 layers of foam board (R-Max) toward interior, cut into a thousand tiny pieces to fit in between all the complex body bracing. OK, maybe only 100 pieces...certainly more than 50. Then some 5mm or 1/8' plywood inside that. THere's more thickness to the walls than 1 layer of thinsulate and the R-Max, but not sure if I want a bunch of cubby-holes or 5-6" of insulation...or some of each.

RUNNING BOARD / SIDESTEP: A "running board" under the sliding side door is a must IMHO. The factory one is narrow, but also provide more ground clearance than any aftermarket one I've seen. My suggestion is to contact someone who sells/installs the aftermarket ones, and see if they have a factory take-off. Installation still requires some futzing, because if you don't have the factory runnng board, Fords doesn't provide the studs or bolts it mounts to, and I certainly had a hellava time figuring out how to mount some bolts from the backside/inside. If you go to Cargovan.com, then to the Transit page, there is a video of him removing the factory boards, and replacing with the aftermarket. You'll see what your missing if you don't have factory boards. That said, maybe you prefer the aftermarket...but, there was this day I had to pull a GMC conversion van which had become high-centered off the rocks, and the running boards were pretty screwed up by that. I think on the trip, I scraped my running board once, so certainly would not want a lower one.

HEAT; Well, if I do the propane, and if I win the lottery (which I may need before I get the propane), I would also consider a Propex heater. Of course, if I had a diesel, I would opt for an Espar / Webasto approach. I'm still bouncing around all the heater / water heater / propane / shower options. I'm not trying to troll Orton on this, but will look into his electric blanket. Regarding many of his wonderful ideas, I don't have his skills nor budget....but I would still like heat, water heater, shower, etc some way, somehow. Of these, heat is last on the list...but, hey, i live in Texas. More useful would be a coach A/C, but that means generator or shore power, and I want boondockable, and no generator (in my van, nor in my neighbor's).

WINDOW SHADES: Reflectix cut into window-sized pieces makes great privacy shades, though my velcro-attachments kept failing. That's fixable. For the windshield, those 2-piece, hoop-type twisting shades fit perfectly in their super-jumbo size. magic-shade? Is that what they are called? The good news is I wouldn't even try to fold them like a taco each time, I just left them "unfolded" and slid them into the space behind the countertop and the driver's side van wall. Future improvements to my galley will ruin that, so I may have to figure out how to fold / collapse them with muscle-memory instead of old-guy-brain memory and logic. All that said, the magic shades provide no R-value, so refectix or some $80 custom insulated shade would probably be better.

HEADLIGHTS: Low-beam headlights need improvement, big time, but I am morally obligated to not do something illegal on this. I hope you feel the same. There is an absolute epidemic of poorly-aimed bluish or bright-white headlights on lifted truck and the like which blinded me repeatedly sitting high in my Transit. I can't image what it must be like in a normal car. Sorry guys, but I REALLY wish the police would crack down on this. Its unsafe. This one time my "government should do something about this" reaction in me outweighs the libertarian in me.

STEREO: I don't know about your stereo, but my 4-speaker with CD SUX!!! Shame on Ford. I have no idea what the implications would be, but if I were ordering a new Transit instead of buying off a lot, I would get a radio delete. I wouldn't trust whoever designed this with $5, let alone an expensive factory upgrade...which this supposedly is with 4 speakers and the CD. Anyway, I will probably start with new speakers, and hope a hi-level-in amp (fed from speaker wires instead of "line-in") will sound sufficient...unless someone knows if the factory unit has line-outs???

This could go on and on. The TOW-HAUL feature was absolutely AWESOME!!! I did a lot of slow hill-climbing / descending, paved and gravel. The Tow Haul resets the shift points, and makes the engine / transmission much more responsive than when it is shut off. Of course I would only turn it on when in those conditions, as I'm sure it hurts fuel economy, but once I discovered what it does, I can't imagine a Transit without it....though I will probably never tow anything. Doesn't upshift too early & downshifts much more readily when needed uphill, and downhill, helps with engine braking to control speed.
Let me comment / clarify, so i and others can learn from my adventures.

SOLAR: 160 watt panel was cool, but battery should be bigger. Trying to figure if i have room for 2 6v 200Ah batteries in series, Also, i would love to tie vehicle electrics into the solar/coach circuits. Will look into VSR device for tie-in. But folks, it seems many posters go for overkill. Of course, i have no TV, coffeemaker, electric heater or sleeping bag., so what do I know. Will also look into Orton's approach, though I already think it would be cost-prohibitive.

INSULATION: looking thru Morey's blog, his approach is probably more sane than mine, but i see the appeal of Thinsulate and RMax ( polyiso with reflective). But it really adds labor effort.
Hence simplicity of thinsulate-only makes sense.

ROOF VENT: if you plan on sleeping in back in the summer, put your Maxxair-air (or whatever) vent at the very back, or put a rear opening window in (IMPORTANT). Then again, if you're cooking further forward, that might backfire. I frequently cooked after dark, so had slider closed. Didn't want to attract a gazillion insects. I have mesh screens over the front door windows.

SHOWER, COOKING, HEAT, WATER: still debating if possible to forego a built~in propane system. Diesel engine would have changed this decision, but it is what it is...I have gasoline. Wish i could have an inside shower in a pinch. Has anyone installed a tankless hot shower in rear door area?

LIGHTING: thanks Random Joe, will look into dimmer options you suggested. Let me know if your slider dimmer works with factory LED's. or is that not what you meant??

TOILET: $30 Walmart option good enough for now...well, bags are additional $2.33 each in a 6 pack.

HIGHWAY STABILITY / TIRES: I should tone this down. That said, big gusts are big scary. Yes, van is more active than older "low-roof" Savana, but tight steering helps keep things in check, but I believe higher load rear tires (3100lbs vs my 2680 lb 225/75 Michelins, and rear sway bar are needed improvements.. But, I am all ears to hear other suggestions. Advice: slow down during potential windy situations; like 60mph.

FLOOR:I'll now start the process of educating myself on flooring options. I just want something sweepable, durable, and nicer-looking.

STEREO; speakers first, and may try to relocate rear speakers, since factory rears are kinda hidden behind /under my bed.
 
#12 ·
LIGHTING: thanks Random Joe, will look into dimmer options you suggested. Let me know if your slider dimmer works with factory LED's. or is that not what you meant??
I didn't get the factory LEDs, I could buy LEDs from Superbright a lot cheaper. They should work fine with it though as a PWM controller actually drives the lights at full voltage just in little bursts. The dimmer you set them the shorter those bursts. It's the normal way to dim LEDs.

I have some 6" square "panel" lights to put in the van, I have one in my work van (NV200) and it illuminates the whole van very nicely with an even light. (That's why I haven't put the dimmer in yet, I need to get the ceiling in first then mount these lights to it.) Only downside is they don't come in red so I will either put red theater gels inside of a pair (a bit tricky to get 100% as some light also escapes through the white plastic housing) or just go with red LED strips to get my night-vision lighting.
 
#21 · (Edited)
Yeah, I'm all over the place on this.

Advantage propane: cook, heat, and hot water solutions
Disadvantage: 2nd fuel source, 2nd tank, 3 separate solutions ( I think): cooktop, heater, separate water heater (tankless??) not sure if heat & hot water can be combined economically.

Advantage gasoline: heat, maybe hot water solutions; single source fuel...maybe, except for cooking though 1 lb bottles are workable for my cooking needs.

Disadvantage: possibly heater is more expensive up front, pretty sure gasoline hydronic would be expensive, and has different purpose than I do (warm engine vs hot shower) still need cooking solution (propane?)

Thinking outside the box: DYI pressurized solar shower like Road Shower, except lower profile and less expensive; cheap heat, even use the cooking burner(s) in a pinch, otherwise, do without (or use electric blanket like Orton), alcohol cooking??; really outside the box: if you are going to carry 2 fuels, maybe diesel for the heat, hydronic, and even cooking.

Like I said, I'm all over the map on this. Kind of leaning toward propane tank, cooktop, tankless propane shower, Propex. $Kaching$ Also real estate is an issue. I think tank & Propex can go outside underneath, but not sure where to put the tankless water heater.

*** I lost > 100 cu ft to the toys in the garage.***
 
#22 ·
Can be simple.

Heating: A 12 volt DC heating pad. Not an electric blanket. Let van get cold at night and stay warm with the heating pad. No noise and less refrigerator cycling. Very stealth. In morning use remote start to the engine to warm the van. Vehicle powered inverter also runs the rear 750 watt electric heater. Will also experiment with insulated curtains to partition off the sleeping area in an attempt to retain some of the body and heating pad heat in a smaller volume.

Cooking: Portable two burner 17,000 btu propane camp stove. Use inside, outside on a fold down table out the slider opening or on picnic table. Also have one burner butane stove. 600 watt microwave that runs off 1000 watt house inverter. Counter space is more important than a built in stove. Stove located on counter inside at slider door so steam and smells can exit an open slider door.

Shower water: Unpressurized fabricated SS tank with a 600 watt 120 volt AC heating element with a thermostat set to the water temperature you want. All the water in the tank is the correct temperature so no plumbing or hot/cold mixing required. Get water to 90 degrees in about 30 minutes powered by vehicle powered inverter. Option is to use excess solar power to heat the water. Get water out of the tank with a cylindrical 12 volt DC submersible pump that discharges to a garden hose and nozzle.

Sink water: Fresh water tank inside van with outlet plumbed to a small quiet solar centrifugal pump located at back of slider step below the tank. Pump started/stopped with a switch. Pump outlet to the sink faucet or to a ball valve in step. Ball valve used to drain the tank or provide pressurized water to a hose.

Drains: Sink drain through a 1" rubber hose to the bottom of the grey water tank located under the floor. 1" hose shower drain tees into the sink drain hose. Tank has a tee inlet at bottom of tank. Sink and shower drain enter the tee and the other side of tee is the 1" ball valve tank drain. No traps required because hose fills with water on first use to provide a "trap". To winterize drain the tank.

Just some thoughts about ways that have worked for me. We all have different requirements so they may not be appropriate for you.
 
#26 ·
Thanks for all the awesome info
Just throwing out some of my ideas

Shower:
I use one of the portable on demand tankless propane water heaters outside at my house for washing my dogs.
they are light weight, small and just hang on a hook wherever you need them
I am thinking this could be used outside the RV in private areas.
You would need to use a 12 volt pump to supply the water.
I think you can use them on a small bottle tank with a converter?
They are under $90 at amazon


INTERIOR LIGHTING:
I use 12 volt LED tape lights that have a silicon dome over the LEDs.
The dimmer for these is pulse width modulation and so, it's not like a resistor that burns off excess voltage with heat
You can cut the roll every 3 leds onto any length you want
Amazon hase these in 16 foot rolls for cheap

Floor:
On my floor, I first sprayed undercoating to combat spills/moisture/rust under the flooring
Then I installed Bituthene 3000 rubber as a sound deadener
Then the factory rubber mat went on top of that
I went to Lowes and got some of the cheap office carpet
It's $3.?? a running foot x 6 feet wide and I used the factory rubber mat to cut the shape
So for around $30, I have carpet that I can just toss and replace for cheap

Heat:
I bought a Mister heater that I can use in my shop or in the van.
Have to see how that works out, but I ran into a couple that were camping in a van and they loved it
I got the one bottle 9000 btu model and a valve that lets me refill the small bottles from my big tanks

Stereo:
I have the AM/Fm radio with a input jack for other devices
It does not sound bad. I was surprised
But then again, I am not going to set up a sub woofer and 6 speaker system like I have in my Subaru

When I am stopped, I would use a blue tooth device that plays from my phone
You can move them around to where ever you are including outside
I have heard some of these small devices that sound pretty good
Ear buds work great for just laying in the bunk or walking around
 
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