Canadian couple who moved into a DIY Sprinter Van Home Feb 2018 with the mission of building a life we didn't need a vacation from. Raynor is a automotive and marine mechanic by trade, that founded Ray Outfitted in late 2018 with encouragement from the van community. Madison manages the business operations.
In 2020 Ray Outfitted, with the support of an investor, built a custom work shop designed to support the van and RV community. Located in Central Ontario off the Trans Canada highway the shop has everything needed to complete new builds, upgrades and repairs. Ray Outfitted specializes in off grid electrical work, including upgrades to RVs that eliminate their dependence to shore power and campgrounds. Prior to the shop, Raynor and Madison traveled with Ray's tools in their van home, going to build locations coast to coast in Canada.
I didn't realize this was a 5 year old video. I recently purchased a 23 Travato and noticed at low speed the MaxxAir has a small squeak that goes away at higher speeds after owning it for 6 months. Now I know how to approach this. Thanks.
When we started filming this demo project - we didn't expect things to be so bad. We knew we had electrical and plumbing issues made worse by lack of access. We didn't expect the volume of water damage or the lack of structure. This was a heart breaking project.
Happy to see new videos from you guys!!!! Wow! This looks like it's gonna be a doozy. I hope the owners look into legal action against the 'upfitters'.
Great series! This highlights what a few builders including me preaches online. We see alot of faults made. Or selfbuilders just copy techniques but failing to understand and make huge mistakes. This summer I rented a vanlife surfer "off-grid" ford transit for a week. It was rented through an official rental website. First I thought lets make a van tour/ review. But i was so badly made. Unsafe propane system, loose bottle ni ventilation. Electric system didn't had the correct fuses and wires. 12 and 220volt had the same wires. Battery not fixed (230A AGM so 70kg) Layout was terrible and the interior badly made. But Instagram perfect looks. So I decided not to make the video because I couldn't find much positive points. I didn't want to wreck his dream. I pointed out the issues to him and said that he needed to redo his electric system. He reacted a bit that he didn't care. I said to him I won't leave a review because it won't be positive. And I will never rent it again. Maybe I should have made that video.... Maybe Im just to picky as an overlander expedition truck builder. When a guy came to value my 1965 Unimog he was impressed by the systems I have build. He liked my choice for Victron. And he liked my ebersparcher diesel heater from 1999 over a Chinese diesel heater. And no propane but a induction cooktop! Vanlife tours get millions of views because people can dream away on that content. And they see circulation showers, lifting beds, max air fans etc etc. But a video about the reality of van builds get 1000 views..... Keep up the good work!!
Scary to think of the renters of that van and the unknown risks they are taking...Hopefully the owner looked into your feedback more after the fact. Safety is worth investing in. Can't help but cringe every time we see a "pro builder" putting a wood stove a foot away from a propane stove... Sexy van tours are fun. We know this video series isn't sexy but hope it helps a few avoid financial and/or physical harm.
You point it right. What a clutter of electrics. Al the extra costs they now have could been invested in the first build being done at higher standard.
I feel for the owners of this vehicle - how heartbreaking! All upfitters are not the same - who knew? This is a refreshing look at what can go wrong. At least the owners are now in the hands of true professionals. Nicely presented.
I wouldn’t say I enjoyed watching these videos. They are informative and heart breaking 😢. I’m glad Ray Outfitters is on the job now! Hopefully the owner will get a great van back !
This is why I like the vans already used on the market for commercial that have a metal solid wall between the back cargo area & right behind the 2 front seats to protect the driver &/or passenger in an accident. I wish I lived up there, I’m in the U.S., you all do very good work it looks like. Do you all know anyone in the U.S.???
Hello Ray i watch your video abut fixing Chrome van i am interest to bring my van to you take look at and fix it. Is there better way to contact you e-mail or text. Thank you
Not only do i feel sorry for the van owners, but you should also get a hold of the builder. If they wont promise to change their building process, you NEED to inform the public who it is so they dont purchase these death traps!!
From what we have seen, there are many van builders using household grade building methods. We have dealt with vans from more than one company that have some of these oversights. Our understanding is the company behind this upfit has stopped marketing their services.
Don't know the regulation with your officials. Here we have no construction check besides the fact furniture needs to be fixed. And a weight check. Thing is many rig up a simple build and than rebuild it with to heavy materials. And not properly secured. And mass is a killer when on the loose.
Thanks again for putting this series out, I know it's given me a lot to think about and hope it's given new perspective to others as well. Edit: to the owners of this van, mission accomplished. The other half and I have been looking at online listings for partial builds and used personal builds. This series has opened my eyes to a lot. Now I look at those listings and wonder if someone is just trying to flip their own bad experience on someone else. I ask myself how safe or solid those builds are. We're already planning to have any rig we're seriously considering professionally inspected, but even then if the inspector is not specifically a van builder there's a LOT they might miss or not be aware of. You absolutely HAVE done the best you can to ensure that what has happened to you does not happen to this couple as well. Thank you.
I’ve built out my van with the help of my son. It’s a simple built and we have ensured safety was always our main concern. There are no nails and everything is bolted to the frame. My heart go out to this family and I know you guys will give them an excellent van built!
Your compassion and empathy for your clients is truly heartwarming. It's a rare quality, and I'm so happy to be able to call you friends. As a recipient of your warmth and caring, I speak from experience in saying that if anyone is truly looking for a quality company, this is the place to go. Will you be filming the rebuild of this van? I personally would love to see those.
Ray Outfitted is a class act. Thank you and thanks to your client for this eye opening series. As I begin my semi build my eyes have been opened. I'll be doing everything myself with a view to safety and accessibility. Seriously, a big fat THANK YOU!!!
Excellent information! Thank you🙂I’m glad these folks found you guys to get their build done right. You guys have a great reputation down here in the USA👌🏼
I can’t imagine how the owners felt but I know after watching you guys work on chromes van, they’ll be very well pleased once you guys have finished it. Ya can’t put a price on peace of mind.
Thank you so much for this series! I have held off for 2 and 1/2 years as far as building out my van. Have been keeping it simple. I had a friend/sculptor elevate a bed. His experience is massive stone and metal that has to be secured so I knew he would secure the bed well for me. Everything else is in bins and held in with bungees when I drive. I wanted to be sure I loved this nomadic lifestyle before investing in anything else. This series helps me with my research and what I eventually want for myself, which is a safe and secure home on wheels. When the time comes for me, I hope it works out that the universe puts us together. I love how much you care about not only your projects but the people you are working with ♥️💝
I had to replace the ceiling on our 2017 roadtrek because of water intrusion at the fan prior to us purchasing. I opted not to use cedar planks because of the potential projectiles. We used thin plywood screwed into wood attached with screws and plus nuts to the cross beams of the ceiling. I was a little disappointed that the upper cabinets were secured by Roadtrek with rivnuts rather than plus nuts, that discovery was made when one of the rivnuts pulled loose when we were loosening the rear upper cabinets. Needless to say it was replaced with a plus nut. After watching this video I feel vindicated in my choice of materials and attachments. My thought was every screw that I put in was making us safer in the event of an accident.
Raynor, I don't believe there is anything you can't fix!!! My fan didn't squeak, but one time it did stop working completely and a red light stayed on. I eventually figured out that I had to completely shut off power to it and let it reset. It's been great since then, and now I know how to fix it if it DOES squeak!
