Ford Transit 2016 DIY campervan conversion

[gklugie]

Excellent work, and excellent photo-documentation.

May I ask what you do for a living? (seeking the origin of your skill sets)

[atoine]

Originally Posted by gklugie

Excellent work, and excellent photo-documentation.

May I ask what you do for a living? (seeking the origin of your skill sets)

Thanks for the kind word!

I'm a mechanical engineer. In other words, I had absolutely no acquired manual skills before that project (i work on a computer all day, mostly). But i'm good at researching topics i'm not familiar with, problem solving and paying attention to details; that sure helped a lot.

[Ron J. Moore]

We all know Hymer- Roadtrek looks at this Forum and other B sights....maybe they can take away some ideas to diversify their line-ups downstream. These two have made a Super B;

[GeorgeRa]

Very nice work and documentation, congratulation.

I have the same sink but I cheated, had the cutout done on the CNC router. Lack of a correct drawing or a template from the manufacturer took me a few hours to come up with the design which still required a small correction after the test run.

George.

[sharter]

Thanks for sharing your experience. I wish I had the time to do a custom build.

You currently list 420 hours invested -- if you were to re-do the build again, how much time do you think it would take, given that you now have the experience?

[atoine]

While we should have been worried about conversion details, we wandered how we would make excellent espresso and latte in our van (with minimal electrical power)... We made our homework and we're happy to share the results today!

Everything is hand-powered, except for the milk frothing that is made with the Aeroccino. We found the Aeroccino so simple to use and easy to clean, that we don't mind the 490W claimed power draw.

Making Espresso and Latte in our Van | FarOutRide



Cheers!

[nebulight]

You might want to get a finer screen for your composting toilet vent. You're going to get bugs in it with such an open screen.

[atoine]

We procrastinated for MONTHS about those foam blobs, but finally did something about it...

It is recommended NOT TO modify the Foam Blobs (because of the air bags), but we decided that covering them with fabric should be safe.
Will we die?
Probably.

Foam Blobs Makeover | FarOutRide



(here is an interesting discussion about removing the foam block: forum thread)

[Bruceper]

Originally Posted by atoine

Will we die?
Probably.

At least you're honest

[atoine]

We plan on living full time for a year or two in the van. For a minimum of comfort (and convenience), we really wanted a toilet and after reading about composting toilets, it seamed like the perfect solution for us!

It's honestly really easy to install and manage; there is no odor (that's right!) and no black water to deal with. Sweeeeet!

Here is the intallation article:
Composting Toilet Installation | FarOutRide



Cheers!

[atoine]

We knew but denied the fact that the fridge requires proper ventilation in order to be efficient... we can definitely feel the heat behind the fridge just by placing our hand!

A fridge is a a heat pump machine. It does not “create” cold; it extracts the heat from inside and releases it to the outside. Our Novakool R5810 fridge is designed to disperse the extracted heat via a series of coils in the back (in fact it’s the case for most refrigerators). The heat inside the fridge is transferred into the ambient air in the cabinet via these coils. If that heat is not evacuated from the cabinet, the coils cannot do their jobs of dispersing the heat. To compensate, the compressor will runs constantly and electrical consumption will increase (not to mention the the fridge lifespan is decreased!). The refrigerator is the most energy-using appliance in the van; let’s make things right and add some ventilation!

Of course, we were inspired by Orton's floor vent! Thanks Orton!

Fridge Floor Vent | FarOutRide




When all the doors of the van are closed and the Maxxfan is running, we can definitely feel a draft coming from the floor vent. Nice!

[atoine]

While the use of induction cooktops seems increasingly popular, we decided to stick with propane to minimize the demand on the electrical system (as winter already put a lot of pressure on it). This would also allows us to install an Atwood Range with an oven (we enjoy cooking a lot) and allows to use other portable appliances such as a propane shower (Mr Heater BOSS) and a backup heating source (Mr Heater Buddy). For convenience (easy to fill or swap), we went with a BBQ-style 20lbs propane tank that we store inside the van in a propane locker (sealed & vented through the floor) that we built (for safety sake). We have an adapter to use the 20lbs tank in lieu of the 1 pound camping propane bottles for portable appliances.

Here is the installation article:
Propane System | FarOutRide






Cheers!!

[BBQ]

.

I know at least one guy who installed an induction cooktop,
but removed it after a few months.

YMMV

[Davydd]

Originally Posted by BBQ

.

I know at least one guy who installed an induction cooktop,
but removed it after a few months.

YMMV

Most every Advanced RV is propaneless and induction cooktops are standard. I've not heard a negative word. Of course you have to have the electrical power and inverter to use them.

[mojoman]

He could never get the pilot light to stay lit.

[Phoebe3]

Good one!

[BBQ]

Originally Posted by BBQ

.

I know at least one guy who installed an induction cooktop,
but removed it after a few months.

YMMV

Originally Posted by Davydd

Most every Advanced RV is propaneless and induction cooktops are standard. I've not heard a negative word. Of course you have to have the electrical power and inverter to use them.

I should clarify,
I don't mean to imply that the induction cooktop is not a good appliance for the RV, nor do I want to give it a negative connotation by citing ONE observation.

The person removed induction cooktop because he could not get used to the "mode of operation", not because it did not work.

[Davydd]

Originally Posted by BBQ

I should clarify,
I don't mean to imply that the induction cooktop is not a good appliance for the RV, nor do I want to give it a negative connotation by citing ONE observation.

The person removed induction cooktop because he could not get used to the "mode of operation", not because it did not work.

You can check the FitRV.com video. Induction cooktops are way more efficient that gas and have a nearly infinite heat control like gas but unlike electric burners. The only detriment is you have to use magnetic (steel) so aluminum and copper are out. That's not special pots and pans as some people believe, that is just a limited choice. For instance, cast iron works. The other detriment is you need battery capacity, inverter to deliver 120VAC in a boondocking condition.That probably limits everyone except Advanced RV owners and Roadtrek Ecotrek owners for all the manufactured Bs.

We have a portable inductions cooktop so it doesn't clutter our countertop and we can cook outside. It is the final piece in eliminating a built in propane system as well. Just one more thing you don't have to worry about, fill or maintain. An induction cooktop cost less than replacing a propane gas regulator, a frequent maintenance item.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XmRy9s-41KY

[BBQ]

Originally Posted by Davydd

... An induction cooktop cost less than replacing a propane gas regulator

Good point.

[avanti]

I am in an interesting position wrt gas vs induction. My van is equipped with a conventional propane system. But, after my upgrades, I now also have plenty of battery, inverter and charging capacity as well. The only things that the gas system support are the cooktop and a genset that I am very close to pulling for lack of need. Assuming that I DO eventually remove the genset, I will need to decide whether to also pull the whole propane thing and convert to induction. I am still not sure, but I think we will pretty likely stick with the propane. It is a sunk cost, and with many years of experience across two rigs, we have found propane to be almost completely trouble-free (just don't use a junk regulator). Yes, we could save a bit of weight, but our rig has plenty of head room in that regard. When used only for cooking, our current tankful of propane will last approximately the rest of our lives. There just isn't much of an argument to switch, other than some kind of abstract "purity" argument. Maybe not everyone agrees that gas provides a better cooking experience, but we certainly find this to be the case. Plus, you can make toast with a gas cooktop, but not with induction.

If I were starting from scratch, it might be a closer call. It would be hard to justify the cost of an entire propane system just for cooking. Even then, I would seriously consider a gas cooktop fed by small propane cartridges.