FarOutVan: Ford Transit 2016 DIY campervan conversion for MTB & splitboarding

[atoine]

Just an update on our Water System:

1- We traded our Mr Heater BOSS for an Eccotemp L5 on-demand hot shower system. (nothing wrong with the Mr Heater, we found that : a) we don't need our hot shower to be portable. b) we don't need the extra 7 gallons water jug because finding water turned out to be fairly easy (the Mr Heater must be used with its own pump, while the Eccotemp can be integrated to an existing pressurized system). c) Having to connect water and propane each time to the Mr Heater is irritating.)
2- We replaced the vinyl tubing for PEX tubing. (nothing wrong with the vinyl, this is just how we think we should have done it and what we recommend)

Annnnnnd:
3- We completely re-thought and re-wrote our Water System Guide.
4- We created a new Water System Diagram.
5- We created a new Water System Tutorial.

It's all here: http://faroutride.com/water-system

 

[atoine]

Fresh from the oven: "TENTH AND ELEVENTH MONTHS ON THE ROAD". A quick pictures/videos recap of the last two months (June/July).

http://faroutride.com/tenth-eleventh-month/

Thanks for reading!
Isabelle and Antoine

 

[Captn-See-Had]

Way to get out there and live it Isabelle and Antoine! I'm impressed by how robust your website has become, nice work.

 

[atoine]

Way to get out there and live it Isabelle and Antoine! I'm impressed by how robust your website has become, nice work.

Thanks! We try to keep the website fresh and updated!

 

[atoine]

This is a huge and overdue update! Indeed, the Propane System of our van has seen a few upgrades since we first built it and initially published the article...

First of all, we replaced our backup heat source from a Mr. Heater Buddy to a Propex HS2000. Then we changed our hot shower system from a Mr. Heater BOSS to an Eccotemp L5.

Second of all, we have completely revamped our Propane System article in a similar fashion than for our Electrical System and Water System (theory, diagram, our system):

https://faroutride.com/propane-system/

Cheers!

 

[atoine]

Summer is almost over and mornings are getting colder here on the coast of Oregon. We recently fired-up our heaters as a pre-winter check and that made us wonder: Both Webasto and Propex are solid options, but which one is the best?

As you know we have installed both in our van, and here is what we think about them:

https://faroutride.com/webasto-vs-propex

 

[Len.Barron]

Great detail on the heaters! It will be next year before I get to this but it's nice to be armed with real world info!

 

[atoine]

Great detail on the heaters! It will be next year before I get to this but it's nice to be armed with real world info!

And we'll let you know if anything happens with the heaters during 2018/2019 winter! We're constantly learning! When firing-up the Propex a few weeks ago, it wouldn't start and I thought it was broken... it took a while to realize my propane regulator was off and pressure was lower than 11 WC. I adjusted the regulator back to 11WC and now it's working like a charm

 

[North]

Just wanted to mention that I must've opened your propane section 10-20 times when building my own locker this spring. Thanks for the excellent documentation. Update looks great (and greatly simplified).

 

[atoine]

Thanks for letting me know ?
Not many people go with propane, glad it's helping a few fellow!

 

[atoine]

Sooooo, we finally installed a SOLENOID VALVE to our propane system.

We initially did not to install one; we thought we would close the tank manually every time we hit the road... nope, we honestly NEVER close the tank (except on ferries and tunnels)! We've said if before: every repetitive task should be made as simple as possible or it gets irritating (or gets ignored...). :|

We also had an "incident" where we accidentally opened a stove burner and walked away from the van. Fortunately, the funky propane smell raised suspicion and we came back to double-check... that totally saved the day (and our van)!

So we finally went ahead and installed a solenoid valve. It's a "normally closed" solenoid valve and it has to be energized (12V) to open (and to remain open). It's controlled with a push-button switch that illuminate when ON, so it's an effective reminder that the propane is open. The switch is located near the stove/oven, so it's not irritating to use.

We detailed all the installation here:

https://faroutride.com/propane-system/#13-_Solenoid_Shut_Off_Valve_Installation

Cheers!

 

[atoine]

Here's our budget for 2018:

 

[atoine]

For the last two years we improvised repair stands out of picnic tables, Adirondack chairs, bike racks, and other unrelated objects definitely not suited for the job. A repair stand is not absolutely necessary, but it makes mechanical sessions much more efficient and enjoyable! After holding back on this upgrade for the last two years, the time has come

https://faroutride.com/repair-stand/

 

[atoine]

EPIC POST ALERT!

Two years of #vanlife condensed into one article! If there's only one article you should read on our blog, it's this one... Hope you enjoy!

faroutride.com/two-years-vanlife

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Table Of Content:
1- Life Before Vanlife
2- Two Years In Numbers
3- Tales From The Road
4- Top 3 Mountain Biking & Skiing Destinations
5- Things We Wished We Knew
6- Van Build: What We Would Change If We Had To Start Over
7- Introspection: Have We Changed?
8 - Vanlife And Relationship
9 - Make Money On The Road
10 - Vanlife Cooking
11 - What's Next?
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[RVflyfish]

Man I love what you guys have made here. Kudos for living the life you love. You're my heroes!