2013 ford transit connect or "our minimalist camper"

[lqhikers]

roof vent info

Flagster;

yes i had to cut roof easy job but you do have to make
plugs to fill channels in roof,they are about 1" deep,made then out of birch then
used sealant water tight.

on the transit they put in a full head liner even though it is a "'work van" has about
3/4" thickness so works great as insulation,did not have to add any!

Les,lqhikers.

 

[Gcraft]

This is so my new favorite build!

I totally love these vans and am so excited to see one here, especially such a nice one.

Im so close to trading in my VW Golf for one of these. It would be used as a DD and weekend get away van.

Would the 4speed work for lots of city driving? and the bi monthly long freeway drive.

 

[lqhikers]

ford transit thoughts

spent another couple of days at the beach in the "minimalist".
drove from desert to oceanside,then down coast stopping at beaches to do a little
body surfing.
the transit does a great job trans shifts good,fits in tight parking spots makes a great
dressing room after surfing!(also for a little nap)i'm getting older.

believe it or not it was raining in san diego and somewhat chilly,so we spent the afternoon watching the waves,
since i modified the passenger seat to turn around we were able to both set in van and read,snack,watch waves.

below picture shoes how extra chair fits and passenger seat turns to face rear(had to make custom bracket)

total milage is now at 1500 and this trip,300 miles we got 27 mpg! loving it even more!

Les,lqhikers

 

[haven]

Nissan dealers are starting to receive the NV200, a vehicle similar to the Transit Connect. The NV200 also has potential as a mini-camper.

The NV200 is 2 inches longer in the cargo area, but the Ford is taller, so it has more cubic feet of storage. The Transit Connect also has more ground clearance, and more cargo capacity (by 100 lb). The Ford has a 4 speed automatic transmission, the NV200 has a CVT. The Ford has 11 ft-lb less torque, but gets 2 mpg more on the highway (27 mpg, according to EPA). And there's a Ford dealer in locations all over USA and Canada. Nissan, not so many outside urban areas.

I bet you could sell a lot of those custom seat brackets to other Transit Connect owners!

 

[lqhikers]

response to Haven!

i will not even explain how i made bracket or show a picture up close.
living in the "nanny" state and now country i do not think you could ever get
insurance to cover the liability factor.

no this is for personal use and will even remove when ever it goes (if ever)
to dealer for service/repairs.the passenger seat has side air bag etc that has to be
disconnected to turn around if you are not versed on operation you could be in for a surprise!:Wow1:

Les,lqhikers

 

[coachmen96]

here is what I did to my transit, it is all modular and comes out after each trip.
Thanks

 

[lqhikers]

dual purpose transit,nice!

coachman96.

nice to see another transit.
do you use it as a d.d.?

i see you have the same receiver hitch i have.

was your wiring for trailer a pain to install?

mine took 3 times as long as installing receiver.

i also have a small trailer we are planning on using on longer trips
how much did your mpg drop pulling it?

by the way nice color choice!

Les,lqhikers

 

[WMDunkin]

looking great!! Makes me rethink a lot about a next vehicle choice.

 

[coachmen96]

Yes drive everyday,
trailer wiring no problem really but yes longer than hitch.
mpg dropped only 2-3 I think, Im still getting 25-26 with the trailer, but the trailer is very light, never weighed it but I think under 1000lb fully loaded.
Only kids bikes, firewood, chairs, other stuff,

Thanks for the questions,
Travis

 

[lqhikers]

more transit build.

of course had to have kitchen area!

we store water in five gallon jug then transfer to manual
gravity feed gallon container over sink,simple fool proof!

sink drains into plastic jug mounted under counter area.

for 1 pot meals or mainly for coffee 1 burner stove fits in a hole
in counter to be stable,most cooking is to be done out side on regular camp stove.

counter top that stove goes into then can be removed to gain access for port-potty.

thats it for now.

Les,lqhikers

 

[MANUCHAO]

That's awesome.... !!!

 

[TheJosh]

Very awesome build! I

 

[ersatzknarf]

Hi Les,

Can't believe I just found this thread now...

GREAT STUFF ! ! !

Thank you for posting.

Really love this sort of minimalist approach.

Please can you tell us about the sink ?
I have been looking around and it's hard to find really small ones.

BTW, here's a link to a forum thread all about small campers like yours : http://www.furgovw.org/index.php?topic=174565.0

Enjoy :sombrero:

of course had to have kitchen area!


http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=173447&d=1374085071

 

[lqhikers]

Frank,

the sink was easy just swiped a stainless steel mixing bowl from our kitchen.

drilled a hole bottom was flat and used a rv drain fitting.

i could not find a small sink only bar type sink at home depot etc.

simple works fine ( a sink does not do much so no need to spend much $ on it!)

Les,lqhikers

 

[ersatzknarf]

Hi Les,

A mixing bowl ! Perfect. That's even better than trying to use a steam tray pan. Thanks

Agreed ! ! ! I couldn't see spending that kind of money on a bar sink for a simple camper...

I like this little drain : http://www.itc-marine.com/product/pivottm-flip-drain-assembly

http://www.overtons.com/modperl/pro...TC_Pivot_90_Flip_Drain&aID=601I7&merchID=4006

Oh, BTW, what is the material used for the sleeping platform base and counter top, please ?