Ford Transit 2016 DIY campervan conversion

[atoine]

So here we are, we just packed the van and left our home! It feels unreal!

We stopped by the scale and just published the weight summary of our build:

Weight Summary | FarOutRide



We are pleased with the conversion added weight, but shocked by the payload we're carrying! It was hard getting rid of things & food we had in the house, so we will have to downsize the van now hihi.

[atoine]

We celebrated our first day as full-timers by… doing some upgrade to the van! We upgraded the basic Ford factory radio with a Joying Android aftermarket Radio; it got WiFi, Bluetooth, USB port, SD card Port, 7″ 1024px touchscreen display, yadayadayadablingbling.

Oh we’re glad we went for it! The sound has improved and this thing is much more fun & entertaining to use! Having Google Map displayed on the 7” screen and yelling us driving directions has reduced the number of pilot/co-pilot fights, we must admit!

Here is the full installation write-up:
Radio Upgrade | FarOutRide




See you on the road!

[atoine]

We still have a backlog of conversion articles to write (insulated window covers, rear air-vent floor intake, "garage" final build-out, speakers upgrade); the last weeks were just INSANE, time flew by.

But today's article is pretty special, as it marks the very beginning of our journey on the road. Finally. Today September 1st, we leave everything behind and we just drive (far). Life's good!!


Today is Day 1 | FarOutRide

[BBQ]

Originally Posted by atoine

We still have a backlog of conversion articles to write (insulated window covers, rear air-vent floor intake, "garage" final build-out, speakers upgrade); the last weeks were just INSANE, time flew by.

But today's article is pretty special, as it marks the very beginning of our journey on the road. Finally. Today September 1st, we leave everything behind and we just drive (far). Life's good!!


Today is Day 1 | FarOutRide

+1

Yay !

Have a good journey.

Thanks for sharing.

[atoine]

Originally Posted by BBQ

+1

Yay !

Have a good journey.

Thanks, I think we will

[atoine]

We're on the road now and we've been carrying the speakers & thinsulate for too long... it's using too much of our precious living space, so we finally stopped at a Walmart parking in Ohio and did the job!

To make a long story short, we had the factory 2 speakers system and the sound is not that great... So we upgraded for JBL GT7-6C speakers system (6.5" speakers + tweeters) since they seems so popular and the reviews are great.
It's a really nice improvement! The sound is much deeper and clearer after the upgrade, it's really worth it. We also took this opportunity to add Thinsulate to our front doors because we'll hit the Rocky Mountains in a few days and winter is imminent...

Here is the full write-up:
Speakers Upgrade | FarOutRide





See you on the road!
Antoine

[atoine]

We LOVE riding our mountain bikes. It can only means two things:
1-We drink a lot of craft beer
2-We take a lot of showers.

Let's focus on the latest item: Exterior Shower | FarOutRide




Cheers!

[atoine]

Today marks our first month on the road! Time flies!

We made an article about our lessons learned, van report & some highlights:
First Month on the Road: Lessons Learned, Van Report & Tales from the Road. | FarOutRide



Cheers!

[Ron J. Moore]

I watched your building..and now the after-action report - you folks did a fantastic job in both arenas. We don't get to travel too far from home due to health, but really enjoy your trip and photos. You really made the right decision to go while I your young - go for it! Ron

[atoine]

Originally Posted by Ron J. Moore

I watched your building..and now the after-action report - you folks did a fantastic job in both arenas. We don't get to travel too far from home due to health, but really enjoy your trip and photos. You really made the right decision to go while I your young - go for it! Ron

Thanks for the kind word!

I got a tumor in my spinal tap a few years ago... hopefully, it was not cancerous. I was off work almost a year, so I got plenty of time to think...
If it wasn't of this "incident", i'm not sure I would have done it (the trip, at that age).

I don't know your story, but I wish you well. Thanks for the encouragement! We will do our best to keep doing crazy things, but smartly... we still need to provide for our old days!

Have a great day!
Antoine

[MsNomer]

Antoine, I saw your comments about the Webasto clogging. What kinds of altitude do you think caused the problem? We just installed ours this spring and probably haven't used it over 4,000 feet, but we know at some point we will need to do the adjustment.

Looking forward to your indoor shower. As serious hikers, we are facing the same dilemma.

[atoine]

Originally Posted by MsNomer

Antoine, I saw your comments about the Webasto clogging. What kinds of altitude do you think caused the problem? We just installed ours this spring and probably haven't used it over 4,000 feet, but we know at some point we will need to do the adjustment.

Looking forward to your indoor shower. As serious hikers, we are facing the same dilemma.

We were at sea level, so altitude was not the problem!!
It might have been that my exhaust was too close from my intake (I changed it since then).

I spoke with TechWebasto guys; they say the gasoline model is more prone to clogging than the diesel model. Even if you're at sea level, adjust it for high altitude to reduce the chance of carbon buildup! Also, the Webasto should run for NO LESS than 20-30 minutes each time. And at last, you should run it on HIGH for at least 20-30 minutes each month.

This is the info I gathered the last few weeks!

[atoine]

Budget is probably the biggest contributor of the "GO/NO-GO" decision for a trip like ours. A few years ago, we had to make guesstimates about our foreseen travel expenses. We wish we had a baseline to start with... So, in hope of helping future travelers, here are our actual expenses for the month of September 2017!


Vanlife Actual Cost | FarOutRide

[Phoebe3]

I always enjoy reading your posts - they are interesting as well as clever!

Thanks for sharing your costs. Sounds like you weren't too far off in your estimates - hope it continues to go well for you!

[atoine]

Originally Posted by Phoebe3

I always enjoy reading your posts - they are interesting as well as clever!

Thanks for sharing your costs. Sounds like you weren't too far off in your estimates - hope it continues to go well for you!

Thanks for the kind word!

The trip is getting better and better, we're adjusting to find a rhythm that works for both of us.

[atoine]

While curtains work for houses, we think insulated window covers are a better option for campervans...
They are lightproof (for shade & privacy) and insulated (to keep us cool in summer, warm in winter).
We're obsessed with functionality and with the rare earth magnets all around the edges, they just "snap" to the van metal window contour. Easy breazy!

On a hot and sunny summer day, the covers will prevent a green house effect; it makes a HUGE difference!
On cold days (winter, but also in fall/spring at night), they also make a big difference; we sometimes remove them to get better cell phone signal and it doesn't take long before it gets uncomfortably cold.


Here is our write-up:
Insulated Window Covers | FarOutRide



Cheers!

[atoine]

We are adding a second floor vent to cool down our bedroom (and the whole van too)! It’s similar to the fridge vent except that we added a gate, an inline fan and a duct to route the air above the bed.

Floor Vent | FarOutRide



We're almost done with our van conversion articles! Greetings from Moab!

antoine

[MsNomer]

No! No! You can't quit til you've done your interior shower!

[atoine]

Originally Posted by MsNomer

No! No! You can't quit til you've done your interior shower!

Awww, we keep forgetting about that! We don't look forward to use it, so we're not in a rush to build it! When winter shows up, it will be inevitable!

Wait for it!!!

[atoine]

We took some time in Salt Lake City to perform this small upgrade: an on board mountain bike tire inflator. Why "mountain bike"? Because we tapped into our Air Lift system and it has some limitations (such as air compressor low volume displacement and max 100 PSI); make sure to read the intro of the article to fully be aware of the limitations.

Half of the Faroutcrew thinks this is a useless upgrade (she's right in a way), the other half LOVE this upgrade (Hey I'm the one who pump the tires)!

Anyway, here's the write-up:
On Board Mountain Bike Tire Inflator | FarOutRide




Cheers!