The van, aka. The White Whale (II), is a 2016 Ford Transit, extended high top, V6. It was purchased used from a dealership and an independent, certified RV tech was hired to transform it from an empty tin can into a living space. E and myself didn’t have the time, the workspace, the equipment, or the skills to do the project ourselves safely. So while we had to contend with the cost of labour, it’s nice to know the van won’t spontaneously combust.
Photos of the conversion / construction.
Photos of the finished, and furnished interior.
Quick van stats:
- spray foam insulated walls and ceiling
- rigid foam panel insulated floor
- roof mounted solar panel powering 2 deep cycle gel batteries
- emergency toilet
- stainless steel sink
- 2 burner propane stove
- propane powered fridge and freezer
- propane heater
- 2 ceiling fans
- fold-up table behind the passenger seat
- 30L under slung propane tank
- wall mounted electrical heater
- LED lights
- carbon monoxide alarm and smoke detector
- storage for work equipment
There is no shower so fresh water for cooking, cleaning, drinking, and sometimes bathing (but not all 4 at once) is stored in containers. The sink drains directly to the outside. We can plug in to “shore power” to run the electrical heater and doing so will cause the fridge to automatically switch to electrical power. The solar panel can charge cellphones, laptops, and cameras, but we also have chargers that connect to the van’s cigarette lighters. We use free wifi or tether the internet with our phones and between the two of us we get 14 gigs of data.
This is our 2nd van. We used to own a used 2005 Dodge Sprinter extended high top (diesel, V5, Mercedes engine) but made the change in April 2017, so you may see photos of a Sprinter in previous posts but it’s still us. Depending on driving conditions that van got 16-20 miles to the gallon. Sigh.
