Nice install! I envision a usb rechargeable water pump installed right over the water container on top of that little ledge. That way you don’t have to move it to use it except to refill. Kudos! Safe travels!
I love how you build the bed attached to the floor....and it's removable...Very clever idea.... It's very nice seeing that you have a supportive family... Are you going to just live as a urban boondocker or are you planning to do traveling and work camping??? I REALLY like how your build cam out...Good job. Happy travels?
Thanks Alvara! Since I drove up to Alaska, It's a little too cold to live in it during the winter so I got an apartment. I will definitely be working and traveling some more!
nice the best sitting bench I seen had a drawer that pulled out the back about 4 foot long with cooler looking fridge underneath that was accessible from the inside or the outside and at the very end between the big drawers runners had a shelf on runners that pulled out of it with a hole cut out for a collapsible sink so the stove went on top refrigerator directly under and you could pull that shelf out at the very end even further to wash dishes had a cooktop you could move around so if it was raining you could cook inside it's pretty amazing how ingenious people are in their builds your build is very nice as well have a great day
What a great job you did! Your family is the family I wish I had. I will enjoy following your journey. Two suggestions...olive oil in a ziploc bag just in case and a bike water bottle clip can mount somewhere and keep your fire extinguisher closer at hand. Wish you great fun on your adventure.
Thank you so much Carol! Yes, I am very lucky to have a supportive family, could not have done it with out them. Great call on the bag for the Olive oil. Nothing worse than spilled oil. and another great idea with the fire extinguisher.
You did a fantastic job on the build out! Love the use of space. Really cool that your family supported your endeavor. I took away some great ideas for when I’m ready to get my van going. Godspeed and happy travels!
jesserosenstein I have a Transit Connect too. I extended the shelf that’s over the front windshield back of the door posts. You can remove the grab handles on the sides and use those screws to anchor the side of the shelf. Awesome amount of wasted space over the front seats.
Nice conversion. I spotted a Goal Zero power pack... handy for charging devices and making 110 V power. Next step is to add a solar panel for recharging. Nice use of space inside.
great point. I think at one point I was thinking I may put some hooks in it for hanging.I was also concerned about insulation. But I think something thinner would have been fine
Interesting. I supposed if you're going to be in some really cold climates, then extra thick layer would improve insulation. I hadn't thought of hanging anything from my ceiling, because I'm worried about headroom. As I've been designing the interior of my Connect, I'm realizing that I don't have nearly as much space as I thought.
love the map on the ceiling. is the fridge powered? i always see these builds with a board platform for the bed. totally doesn't look comfortable to me. i have a metal platform under my bed in the house with the queen size being two singles. wondering if one single would fit in a transit. you can still put storage underneath and have a more comfy bed with springs.
Thank you! the fridge is powered by 12v which hooks up to either the solar battery or the car when it's running. To be honest, I didnt use it a whole lot, i just filled it with ice and sometimes turned in on to slow the melting. But its not really an amazing fridge so i mostly ate vegetarian/things that wouldnt parish. The bed was completely comfortable, i had that mattress and then a memory foam pad on top. to this day most comfortable bed i've ever slept on. Springs i suppose would work, but I wanted something that I could strip down with out the mattress and still have a wooden bench. Never thought about springs. You could definitely do a single bed, but it's going to take up most of your space. Since i knew it was just going to be me for the most part, i sacrificed a wider bed for more room to "live" in the back
Thank you! The ground clearance is nothing special, I'm not sure the exact measurement (maybe 10"?) I didn't seem to have any issues, but without 4WD I wasn't exactly taking it too off road
I also have a 2010 Ford Transit Connect conversion. The 2010 to 2014 models have actually more cargo space than any other mini Sprinter van. Except for the Mercedes metris.
Have you built out your Transit? I'd love to see it. It's so spacious, it looks like the Metris looks bigger but has less height. And for the price of the Transit... it's hard to beat
@@jrose987 I had it done by others. I don't have those skills. Less cabinets than yours, but similar layout. I also had the passenger seat reversed for a recliner. Unfortunately they don't make swivel seats for that model.
I knew swivel wasn't an option. Never heard of reversing it to make it your recliner. How did that work? Have any pics or vids? Also how does that work with the light blocking curtain which I assume you have separating the cab from the living space?
I am looking at buying a Transit Connect to do exactly the same build over the next few months in the UK. My only challenge is where do I put my bike? Won't be able to keep it outside as it will get robbed in the UK, need to figure out a good system! Thanks for the tips - gonna open up the rear door card like you did
This is a tricky one, I have put my bike in before, but it would be tough living inside with the bike. I'd recommend just getting it onto the roof with one and securing it with one of those uncuttable bolts
what is the maximum height snd dimensions of an object that you can fit on the shelf over the cab? Any pictures on how you made and attached that shelf?
Well done, all around. Never seen anyone use door wells as storage. The porthole window is overkill, imo. I also think you're carrying around too much stuff...but it's your gas.
I was shocked at how much I could shove in that door. The porthole was definitely more to add some personal touch and character to it, but it ended up being really useful while running the fan to give me some good circulation.
okay this is a great question, and I'm trying to remember what I did. I think we maybe measured where some of the screw holes were and then drilled through to them? I also remember that the roof is mostly held up by a little lip I put along the walls. That's what's doing most of the lifting
Hi! Great movie! Very helpful because my plan is to buy a Ford transit connect and convert it into a camper van and then go on the road 😄 Id like to ask you some questions. Could I dm you somewhere? Thanks :)
Yes that's true, it may be a bit lighter with metal. I just don't have any experience working with metal, plus I'm not sure the insolation would be as good.
@@bahamasking2063 I used 3/8 baltic birch plywood for most of my build out. I reinforced some sections where hinges or attachment points were with small strips of plywood. I also used 1X2s for my bed supports and joined them with gussets. strong enough for 2 people on the bed. glued most parts with some screws. used even thinner 1/4 inch plywood for cabinet shelves and the shelf above the cab. My 2012 Connect is pretty gutless on hills so I tried to keep the additional weight down as much as possible. well done Jesse, love the family team work.
Nice layout. Would go with a Lagun table tho, since it moves around to let you up past it, and would have mounted it so that it rotates into the shelving, much like your pull out version...
I am just doing my Dacia Dokker (same size as the Connect) with basically the same layout as yours and wonder if you have any negative discoveries since completion? Thanks for posting
Thank you! I didn't show it too well here I'm realizing, but I actually did put a small solar panel on top. I love it, super useful! The van worked out great, I really haven't run into a situation where I thought, "Wow, I wish I had done this differently."
I have a 50watt Goal Zero panel on the top that charges a 150wh Goal Zero battery. It's a nice little set up for solo travel/a small car, but I'd recommend going a little bigger
Sweet build! I'm really concerned for you if you get any water under your floor-frame though. The wood didn't look treated, which could be a disaster for mold and rot.
Thank you! You're totally right. I hadn't even thought about that. I rustoleumed the floor but obviously that doesn't protect the wood. I'm not sure how I would know with out ripping it up. Luckily everything is attached to the baseboard so I suppose I could check it if I took the cabinet out. Great thinking though, I appreciate it!
Hello Satan, I bought the car for around $8200 and I'd say i put about $2000 into it (including some of the more expensive pieces like the solar panel, battery, fan which was all around $600 total). I used a lot of recycled wood and my uncle had a lot of the tools/screws/bolts
@@jrose987 Thank you for the fast reply!! I'm quite excited to build my connect, I'm purchasing in March and outfitting it by May after graduation. This was a great video to follow along.
Thank you Nikolai! I'm a little under 6ft. Unless you want to go the sprinter route so you can stand up, I thought the head space was plenty. I just wanted to be able to sit up right on my bed and work at my desk. As far as I know this car has some of the best head space for it's size
thinking about building one of these out, do you have a gas hob and do you think it would be easy to do a full bulkhead wall without the bend for the seat? I'd probably do a sliding pocket door and do you have hanging clothes space? Like the idea of using the back door's dead space for hammocks, jumpers, etc. Do you have any current updates on the van or footage from your roadtrip?
I do have a little portable 2 burner stove, although i mostly use a single burner that attaches to a can of propane. I'm 5'11" and my front seat leans back pretty far into the back. Plus, as you can see i have to push the passenger seat up to lay out my whole bed. I don't think this car is big enough to have a wall separating the cab and the back. Hanging clothes would be tough too. I just got done living in it for 2.5 months again. It's pretty darn small. Great for when you're on the move but being in one place was hard
jesserosenstein do the driver and passenger seats move forward though? I’m 5’1”. So maybe it a wall would work? Do you wish that you had more room if you lived in it full time?
@@Anna-io5fs they do move forward quite a bit, and maybe at your height, they will be forward enough for a wall. A bit more space would be great. Also, some heating since i live in alaska :)
jesserosenstein that’s good to know! Thanks! How’s it in Alaska? I thought most have a bigger van for snowy weather but is it easier to drive in snow with all weather tires and wheel chains?
@@Anna-io5fs Alaska is wonderful! Most do have bigger cars, or something with 4WD, but honestly with studded winter tires my car does just fine. It helps that I live in the city as well
so to get to the jack to change a tire you have to pull the whole bed and floor out. Or reach under the bed to the side of van to snake it out? how do you keep bins secure under bed when turning to the left.?
The jack for lowering the spare is actually very close to the back, so it's not hidden under the floorboard. I didn't think that one through, but got lucky by not covering it. The bins have so much in them that they don't slide around. I didnt put floor laminate on the way back under the bed so i guess they are slightly tilted back
Hi Humberto, can't wait to see what you come up with. I really was happy with my set up, I don't think I would change anything from a design aspect. From some of these comments, it seems like I could have insulated it better against moisture. but otherwise I'm happy (and happy to answer any questions you have that come up)
Hey Jake, I'm not living in it full time any more. It's not really well insulated and the Alaska winters are just too cold. I think it was the perfect size for one person to live in while I was driving up and constantly on the move. Now that I'm working full time and in a place where the weather is so extreme, I wouldn't want to live in it full time. Although I may move back in during the summer! Really such a great and fuel efficient car for one person to live in though (although i did meet a couple who lived in a ford transit connect)
The stove i have is a coleman two burner that I kept behind the passenger seat under the bed and set up on the slide out table in the back, and I had a little portable toilet that sat at the feet of the passengers seat. And yes! The solar hooks up to a small GoalZero Battery! Thanks for watching :)
fist of all I LOVE IT!!!!!!!!!! and that is the exact design I want to do, funny how our brains thought the same way. Do you have insulation in the walls?
thank you!!! Definitely go for it (and improve upon it). So I do have a little bit of insulation behind the wood panneling and behind the desk, but honestly there's so much metal wall/window exposed that it doesn't do a whole lot
Thank you Stephen! It's not a hightop, but what I like about this car is it still has a good amount of head space. I know the newer transit connects are more like minivans and don't have quite as much clearance.
@@jrose987 Is there anyway to remove most of the console between the seats to get from the front seat to the cabin? I know the parking brake is there, but what about the other things?
@@ttwillow9073 Theres really just the brake and a small plastic piece which has a a couple cup holders. Even if you managed to get that plastic console out, it wouldn't clear up much room. The good thing is you can easily climb over it to get into the front. But this van is not like an econoline van which has a flat floor throughout. the driver and passenger seat sits low in the car
@@jrose987 Thanks so much. That is what I thought. Bummer for me. I really like the MPG and how compact these are but I need the space between the seats.
I’m looking at the newer ford connect cargo vans. They come in regular and extended length. Regular is 104.8” and the extended is 120.6”. I’m curious, what’s the length of your Ford transit connect? Thanx
The newer ones definitely have a smaller, more mini-van type of look. I believe mine is 180.7" in length. So in the back, behind the seat, the platform is 4' wide and 6' long
Where did you track down your roof leak to? I've had one off and on for a few years and I can never seem to pin point it. Fellow MD Native here and my little 2012 has been up to Acadia, Badlands, Zion, Grand Canyon and more. Got to love a little pregnant roller skate. Your conversion looks awesome.
Hey! wow your van has seen some great places. the leak was coming in through the back tail light on the roof, if i remember correctly the seal was kinda worn down
I'll have to double check, but I used T shaped metal brackets. There were some screw holes already up there if you remove the roof lining, so I just fastened into those. Hope that helps!
jrose987 Thanks for your response! I think you did a great job maximizing the space of the Connect without making it feel cramped or cluttered. I have less than a month to convert mine but hope to have the same homeyness and functionality. Are there any things you would do differently? Cheers!
That is so exciting, if you can take any videos or photos, please share! I have seen people do a setup where the back is mostly bed, and you can transition it during the day to be more spacious. But I don't need much to sleep on so I opted for something I didn't have to transform. I really can't think of too much that I would change. Some more insulation would have been nice, but in a car with so many windows i'm not sure it would have mattered. Also, if you can have some sort of awning/cover to extend out when your door is open, that would be nice. I think i may add one. Because otherwise, you're kinda trapped inside if it's raining. Please let me know if I can help in any other way!
So tell me (us) how did the trip from Baltimore to Alaska go? Did you have any issues pop up while you were out and about? Did your camper van take care of you like you had hoped?
The trip was wonderful. 2 months on the road, feeling completely free. No car problems at all and I spent almost every night in my van or in a tent! Much more than I ever could have hoped for.
@@jrose987 I was checking my sanity thinking I could use one as a camper or to pull a teardrop trailer and it seemed like the low liftover made it good for dogs.
