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The purpose of this web site is to document how the Transit conversion was built. The web site is organized into two sections. The vehicle and general information are in the HOME section. The details about how the conversion was constructed are located in the BUILD PAGES section.
The design objective was to build a stealth van that is comfortable for travel and can be parked in any normal parking place. Did not want the exterior appearance to show that people were sleeping inside. We park on city streets, at casino's, Ford dealers, near B & B's and near motels/hotels in addition to campsites. Did not want power plug, water inlet, funny graphics, gray water drain, bicycles hanging on back, awning, cab window covers or anything else that suggests that van is a camper. The only outward signs that the van is not a contractor's van are the roof vent and the solar panel. Solar panel was installed without a roof rack to minimize it's visibility. The electrical system is designed to provide adequate power without the need to use shore power or a generator to keep the house battery charged. Did not want a noisy heater to keep the interior warm at night.
Prior to the 2015 Transit build, I built a conversion in a 2008 Sprinter. Sold the Sprinter for multiple reasons. The Transit build is very similiar to the Sprinter build. The floor plan is the same because the layout worked very well in the Sprinter. There are over 100 changes/improvements in the Transit build compared to the Sprinter.
Another requirement was to make the van usable for multiple purposes. The four bed panels that make the bed platform are hinged so they can be lifted and stored vertically against the van walls. When panels are stored against the van walls they expose two bench seats and a table. Four people can sit at the table. The table is bolted to the floor with four bolts and can be removed by one person in less than ten minutes to allow van to be used to haul cargo. The bed platform is 54" wide when panels are down on top of the table. During the day the front person's bedding can be lifted up and placed on top of the back person's bedding. The two front hinged bed panels are then pivoted up and stored against the van walls. That exposes the front half of the table and the front half of the two bench seats to provide a place where two people can eat during the day.
The shower enclosure is also used for multiple purposes. When not used as a shower the space is used for storage and additional counter space. The bottom of the shower enclosure has a permanently mounted shower water tank that is also the pedestal for the porta potti to bring it up to the correct height. Next to the shower water tank is the SS drain pan. The rest of the items in the enclosure can be removed to allow space to be used as a shower.
Many parts of the conversion are different than a normal conversion. There are unusual solutions that I had not seen in other conversions. The design fits our requirements but may not be useful for someone else due to their different needs or climates. Hopefully some parts of the conversion design will be useful for others.