Possibly starting a Transit build from scratch

[InterBlog]

Our existing Airstream Interstate is now *eighteen* years old (!!), and as long-time DIYers, my husband and I are on the fence as to which way to proceed on a replacement, with our research just beginning. We love our Interstate but:

(a) It’s so old now that system failures and breakdowns seem to be unavoidable no matter how much preemptive work we do, and

(b) More importantly, we have reached the conclusion that we must have AWD or 4WD going forward. It has always been dicey for me to get our rig down the old logging road that leads to the off-grid property I have in the Canadian wilderness, which is our primary vacation destination. We had to cancel our most recent trip because abnormally-heavy rains meant that none of our neighbors were able to get back there without 4WD. I only have so many travel years left in my life by this time, and I cannot be canceling trips because conditions outstrip my van’s ability to handle them.

If we go the route of building, right now we are envisioning a high-roof Transit 3500 AWD with the upgraded suspension package, either long or EXT (undecided in view of the clearance issue).

Alternatively, it is possible that we snag someone else’s good-quality build or build-in-progress because I am open to anything at this point as long as there are no dealbreakers.

A few weeks ago I came across a half-DIY-built Transit on Facebook Marketplace that the owner was selling due to an overseas job transfer. I would have bought that rig in a heartbeat except it did not have OEM AWD, and after an exhaustive discussion with Ernie at Quigley Motor Company, I concluded that a 4WD retrofit was not within reach - not for a van that had already undergone significant aftermarket DIY mods.

So my purpose with this thread is to ask you guys for any words of wisdom that you might have as we scratch our heads and begin this transition. In the past several years, I have not kept up with all of the manufacturers, the new off-the-lot options, pros and cons of various approaches, etc. What would y’all do if you were me? My husband and I do have all the DIY skills needed to pull off a whole build, plus we now have a dedicated separate van garage to potentially build it in, but what we still do NOT have yet is TIME. We are both still working - we are not retired with abundant free time - so a whole-build is not necessarily our default pathway, as much as we would love to take it on. I am not prepared to go out and spend absurd amounts of $$$$$ on something like a new ARV build, but I am open to a lot of other creative possibilities if an appropriate alternate pathway reveals itself.

Thoughts??

Thanks!

 

[@Michael]

Seems like there are lots of 'adventure van' builders out there, most of which don't fully build out the tough stuff - black & grey tanks, wet baths, hot water, etc.

If you can live without that stuff, some or those builders have high quality AWD Transit builds at reasonable prices.

 

[GeorgeRad]

I went through my build in 2013 and here are important points which can lead to success:

• Clear view of the final product, this is usually missing among DIY community where thinking about next step starts at the finish of the previous step, this type of sequential design often leads to half-finished vans. With your experience it shouldn’t be a problem.
• DIY camper van’s product development phases are all in one, it is prototype and final product in one embodiment. Good designs on paper are decent substitutes for actual prototypes.
• First step in a build should be insulation, wiring and plumbing. A well design conduits layout will facilitate future upgrades.
• Consider subcontracting some systems which are not your forte or cost/time ratio would to be to your advantage. For example, I designed all cabinetry and sourced fabrication, cutting, machining, anchor mounts of practically all 80/20 profiles from the factory and sourced CNCed HDPE filler/finish sheets, which resulted in putting it together was like a LEGO like exercise. 2D/3D design skills are necessary. Grey water/fresh water tanks were custom made.
• After a complete design I calculated preliminary weights of all subsystems and weight distribution. I bought a 400 scale to keep up with actual weights during building.
• Maintain good documentation through your build and think about maintenance and troubleshooting during the design phase. I had a water leak behind the galley a few years ago and removal of the galley was a half an hour exercise. Galley was bolted to the floor; all electrical wiring has connectors and plumbing has quick connectors. I designed galley’s frame strong enough that bolting to the floor only was OK.

Would I do it again, today perhaps not, there are more products on the market than in 2012/13 and prices became more reasonable. We wanted an old style Westfalia VW like layout with a toilet, none were available except insanely priced or low quality from custom shops. Spending $300K for a camper van was senseless. We paid $50k for the passenger Sprinter van and over $20k for materials.

I would suggest to search DIY and 80/20 on the Sprinter forum, I think it is the best site for DIY folks, I know this from a friend who is involved with all vans. There is one fellow from Boise (I think) which has a well-designed four seasons van using 1” 80/20 and HDPE on the Sprinter.

 

[InterBlog]

Seems like there are lots of 'adventure van' builders out there, most of which don't fully build out the tough stuff - black & grey tanks, wet baths, hot water, etc.

If you can live without that stuff, some or those builders have high quality AWD Transit builds at reasonable prices.

Could you provide a couple of examples of such builders?

I would be willing to retrofit plumbing on the right van. Plumbing is relatively easy.

I am not so much interested in style or bling - what’s important is functionality. In fact, I have asked my husband if there might be any way for us to simply shift the Airstream upfit elements plus some of our own DIY upfits from our old van to a new one, because I love the components that Airstream installed - they have a lot of life left in them. Certainly the body shapes are different (T1N Sprinter vs. Transit) but there might be a way to frame and adapt most of that stuff, which would dramatically reduce our work if we went full DIY.

However, even if that could be done, I have not run the numbers yet. If we gut the Airstream, it won’t be worth much. We would save on the corresponding materials for a new one, but I don’t know if the totality of the numbers would end up making sense.

 

[GeorgeRad]

This is a nice converion I mentioned earlier - Boardhead build thread

 

[InterBlog]

BTW, there are deals to be had if one can be in the right place at the right time. This (below) is why I called Quigley and asked if there was ANY way they could possibly retrofit 4WD onto that thing, but they said no. It was heartbreaking to see that van sold at a loss (mind you, it was significantly upfit - full insulation, all electrical, and interior surfaces finishes all done, and done well). The seller *gave* that van away, but ugh, it just could not be made right for our needs.