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

[Jsweezy]

I'm definitely one that falls in that category, sorry about that!

I loved reading your update after a month of what is working and what isnt, a lot of the times I think we all think some things sound great when in reality they may not be.

Also, your going way too fast on that bike in the video, both my wife and I were stressing out just watching ha ha!

 

[stormlover]

Being an avid mtn biker I've been following along on your mtbr thread. Give a holler if you need any beta on camping or rides around Flagstaff and Sedona.

 

[luthj]

Reading your blog post regarding showers. Been there, Done that.

It is not very difficult to get an interior shower rigged up. It need not be complicated, large, or permanent. Our build (I think its in my thread?) has a shower that deploys in the central standing area by the sliding door. A removable "rod" bent into a rectangle is attached to the ceiling. A curtain then hooks to the rod. A hot water heater drain pan goes below. Clip the shower curtain to the pan, and run a hose out the door or into a bucket in the slider step area.

The shower can get water from a quick disconnect mounted to a cabinet. Since you have a sink, you can get a fitting to attach a hose to the sink, and use the sinks mixing valve to set the temperature. Run the hose over the top of the rod, and use a carabiner to clip it.

Some details on our shower here

https://sprinter-source.com/forum/showthread.php?p=482599&postcount=336

 

[atoine]

Reading your blog post regarding showers. Been there, Done that.

It is not very difficult to get an interior shower rigged up. It need not be complicated, large, or permanent. Our build (I think its in my thread?) has a shower that deploys in the central standing area by the sliding door. A removable "rod" bent into a rectangle is attached to the ceiling. A curtain then hooks to the rod. A hot water heater drain pan goes below. Clip the shower curtain to the pan, and run a hose out the door or into a bucket in the slider step area.

The shower can get water from a quick disconnect mounted to a cabinet. Since you have a sink, you can get a fitting to attach a hose to the sink, and use the sinks mixing valve to set the temperature. Run the hose over the top of the rod, and use a carabiner to clip it.

Some details on our shower here

https://sprinter-source.com/forum/showthread.php?p=482599&postcount=336

Just checked your post, it is very VERY similar to what we plan to do! In fact, I have the exact same hot water drain pan in the van, with shower curtain already sewed, and some PEX tubing that will act as the shower curtain rod. We just need to figure how we will attach the PEX to the ceiling (around the fan, exactly like you). We're using a Mr Heater BOSS as instant propane hot shower.

Good job!

 

[atoine]

Budget is probably the biggest contributor of the "GO/NO-GO" decision for a trip like ours. A few years ago, we had to make guesstimates about our foreseen travel expenses. We wish we had a baseline to start with... So, in hope of helping future travelers, here are our actual expenses for the month of September 2017!


http://faroutride.com/vanlife-actual-cost/

 

[atoine]

Insulated Window Covers

While curtains work for houses, we think insulated window covers are a better option for campervans...
They are lightproof (for shade & privacy) and insulated (to keep us cool in summer, warm in winter).
We're obsessed with functionality and with the rare earth magnets all around the edges, they just "snap" to the van metal window contour. Easy breazy!

On a hot and sunny summer day, the covers will prevent a green house effect; it makes a HUGE difference!
On cold days (winter, but also in fall/spring at night), they also make a big difference; we sometimes remove them to get better cell phone signal and it doesn't take long before it gets uncomfortably cold.


Here is our write-up:
http://faroutride.com/insulated-window-covers/

Cheers!

 

[Deleted member 9101]

While curtains work for houses, we think insulated window covers are a better option for campervans...
They are lightproof (for shade & privacy) and insulated (to keep us cool in summer, warm in winter).
We're obsessed with functionality and with the rare earth magnets all around the edges, they just "snap" to the van metal window contour. Easy breazy!

On a hot and sunny summer day, the covers will prevent a green house effect; it makes a HUGE difference!
On cold days (winter, but also in fall/spring at night), they also make a big difference; we sometimes remove them to get better cell phone signal and it doesn't take long before it gets uncomfortably cold.


Here is our write-up:
http://faroutride.com/insulated-window-covers/

Cheers!

When I drove a truck for a living I used a similar product, it made a world of difference.

 

[atoine]

Floor Vent

We are adding a second floor vent to cool down our bedroom (and the whole van too)! It’s similar to the fridge vent except that we added a gate, an inline fan and a duct to route the air above the bed.

http://faroutride.com/floor-vent/

We're almost done with our van conversion articles! Greetings from Moab!

antoine

 

[atoine]

We took some time in Salt Lake City to perform this small upgrade: an on board mountain bike tire inflator. Why "mountain bike"? Because we tapped into our Air Lift system and it has some limitations (such as air compressor low volume displacement and max 100 PSI); make sure to read the intro of the article to fully be aware of the limitations.

Half of the Faroutcrew thinks this is a useless upgrade (she's right in a way), the other half LOVE this upgrade (Hey I'm the one who pump the tires)!

Anyway, here's the write-up:
http://faroutride.com/tire-inflator/

Cheers!

 

[atoine]

Garage

This, my dudes, is the very last entry of our Build Journal! Yay! Well not exactly, as there will be some add-ons and improvements along the road, but we'll take care of that later.

In this article we present you our final garage layout and how we achieved to fit SO MUCH stuff in it!

http://faroutride.com/garage/

Thanks for reading! See you on the road!

P.S. Join us on Facebook and Instagram to get updates about our trip!

 

[atoine]

Hi!
We're still alive In fact, we couldn't be better! Our second month was exactly like I imagined our trip: lot's of mountain biking, epic landscapes, nice weather, slow pace and not too much driving.


Here is a write-up about our second month (including a Van Report...):

http://faroutride.com/second-month

Cheers

 

[atoine]

This month we learned how to get stuck in sand (and how to get back on the road), we improved the design of our overhead cabinet and we tested for you the best-bench-with-a-view-ever.

New for this month: we're introducing our "Favorite Trails"!

http://faroutride.com/third-month/

Cheers!

 

[stormlover]

Nice run down Flying Monkey! Your going to like the H trails in Sedona when you get there. But conditions are dry, dry, dry so things are a bit blown out. Bring some rain with you please.

Unfortunately, dispersed camping is hard to find in Sedona but this is a helpful thread. The google link is broken but lots of good info. http://forums.mtbr.com/arizona/camping-areas-sedona-743500.html

 

[atoine]

Nice run down Flying Monkey! Your going to like the H trails in Sedona when you get there. But conditions are dry, dry, dry so things are a bit blown out. Bring some rain with you please.

Unfortunately, dispersed camping is hard to find in Sedona but this is a helpful thread. The google link is broken but lots of good info. http://forums.mtbr.com/arizona/camping-areas-sedona-743500.html

YES, thanks for the head's up!
I'll look into it!

 

[tmo2460]

I'm glad this thread popped back to the top because I've been wanting to tell you guys I really appreciate all the work you put into documenting your build and your travels. Its really nice to have some info about what you ended up using for what and how its working out for you on the road.

I'm still in the build phase myself and your site has been incredibly helpful for planning my own build.

Keep it up!