One of my main goals with the design and layout of the camper was to maximize both comfort and convenience. There are enough challenges with living on the road already, so I felt strongly that the living situation inside the van shouldn’t add to them wherever possible.

Practically speaking, this meant things like:

• Easy to clean surfaces
• Easy access to all storage containers
• Removable carpet/rug for quick shake-out cleaning
• Switches within arms reach of the main seating/living position
• Use of magnets for holding utensils and even at charge port for wireless devices
• Quick disconnect water jugs that aren’t too heavy while full
• Easy access to propane locker for main-valve shut-off
• A low maintenance battery-electric system
• A fixed bed that is nice to sleep in
• Multiple entrance/exit points
• Indoor cooking capability

While keeping costs low was certainly a motivator, it wasn’t the priority. Instead, getting it right the first time was prioritized. Even so, there were more than a few places I could’ve saved money such as with the wiring, on some hardware, repeated trips to Lowes and Home Depot, and paying for shipping for follow-on orders from the same places all come to mind. That said, in order to maximize the use of limited space, much of the camper furniture was designed specifically to fit certain appliances/parts and so those associated costs couldn’t be avoided.

This camper conversion hits the financial mark somewhere between a “No-Build” used mini-van and an “Instagram” full-sized Sprinter camper conversion.

For solo travelers, I think this platform is the perfect compromise between the two. There’s no getting around it though, this is still a camper conversion that doesn’t take short-cuts and has an associated parts & materials cost similar to a Sprinter, just on a smaller scale.

Where the savings really come into play vs larger vans, besides “in-sourcing” labor costs on the conversion, are with long-term overall lower-cost ownership with respect to maintenance, fuel economy, and insurance, especially if this van replaces your daily driver.

This goal was already partially met by virtue of using the Transit Connect as the conversion vehicle (see RELIABILITY page). Low cost maintenance is one of the areas the Connect excels at, especially in comparison to the larger Sprinter-type vans who often pay a premium in maintenance costs from increased drivetrain and suspension wear due to higher weight, complications from compliance emissions systems, and/or complexity from power-adders such as a turbocharger.

As for maintenance specific to the camper conversion, there are just a few considerations:

• Refilling water-level of lead-acid batteries every few months or so when fluid level drops
• Cleaning MAXXAIR fan motor of brushed motor debris when it starts making noise, ~2/year
• Refilling propane or water containers as needed
• General housekeeping and clean-up (paper towels are your friend)

The stock 2014+ Ford Transit Connect handles better than it has a right to.

I distinctly remember thinking that after taking the van through its paces on some twisty mountain roads. While the suspension is stiff, especially unloaded, the center of gravity weight of the van is remarkably low (especially without windows), and the result is it feels very planted/stable even at speed. Couple that with fairly good power delivery and the Connect is actually fun to drive.

As a driving enthusiast, I was unwilling to design anything into the conversion that would compromise the van’s driving fun-factor. Respecting this goal, the conversion furniture needed to be fairly lightweight, very secure, and the heavier components needed to be kept both low in the cargo space and forward. I can say with confidence that these goals were met, and I have had no concerns cornering at speed with a full conversion payload.

One of the first impressions you might get while taking an empty cargo van for a spin is something along the lines of “this sounds like a noisy, tin-can piece of crap!“

Luckily, just about any good amount of conventional camper conversion materials will put a damper on the ambient cabin noise levels, but my intention was to do better. I wanted to achieve something near luxury-class vehicle ambient noise levels at highway speeds. This meant a strategic application of sound deadening material and mass-loaded vinyl, as well as the careful elimination through design of any all and potential squeaks or rattles that could result from the installed camper furniture and interior parts.

Designing redundancy and thus resilience into the camper conversion meant protecting against the possibility of being compromised or greatly inconvenienced due to a failed component/part, especially while away from civilization.

This goal was achieved by having:

• 2 ways to charge house batteries from the van alternator and solar panels
• 2 ways to cook indoors & outdoors from the 10 lb propane bottle or 1 lb disposables
• 2 main water storage containers
• 2 (back)packs doubling as regular interior storage on hooks as well as day packs
• A foam pad underneath the air mattress in case of unscheduled deflation (it happened)
• Retaining easy access to both the stock vehicle jack and full-size spare

It’s admittedly a little odd to maintain a goal of minimal permanent modification to the structure of the van after putting a 14″ square hole in the roof for the ventilation fan, but there it is.

Limiting permanent modification was achieved by using existing threaded holes in the van’s chassis, installing cross nuts into existing holes, and prolific use of 1/4-20 woodserts.

The result was that every piece of camper furniture, save for the kitchenette, can be removed from the van by unbolting 6 bolts or less. This includes the floor and wall panels. The kitchenette comes out with with 10 bolts.

Best of all, all of the furniture can be unbolted and removed in under 15 minutes to regain full transportation utility if/when required.