Leaderboard

A couple of months ago, we bought a TC LWB wagon to replace an aging SUV. We test drove just about everything on the market and by a twist of fate, found a perfect TC wagon for sale, used. After much research, we discovered this post that became the inspiration for our build. Here are the requirements for our conversion: We must be able to use it for sleeping and storing all of our gear for various adventures. The bed platform needs to be easy to remove and store. The second-row seats need to remain usable while traveling. The second- and third-row seats can optionally be removed for additional storage space. The sleeping platform needs to be stable enough to be free-standing without anchoring to the van. Here are the photos of the current build: Straight-on rear view with the platform expanded, curtain rod in place, and side window coverings up. Close-up of the side window coverings. They're made with reflectix cut to fit in the windows, then covered on one side with a blackout curtain so they don't reflect through the window if hit by a light. We wanted to be able to stealth anywhere in a "sleep emergency" while traveling. The cab curtain is just a curved shower rod with blackout curtains hanging from it. There's a little bit of a gap at the top that allows in some daylight so you can tell when the sun has come up for the day. The cabin curtain covers enough space that you can't see into the sleeping compartment when walking by the van (unless you bend over or squat-walk past). This photo has the back doors open so any light from behind would be visible in the windshield. The cardboard box resting on the quarter panel contains the window deflectors that haven't been installed yet. This is the best shot of the curtain rod installation that I have. It just stays up on the A posts with a little help from the seatbelt adjustments (as a precaution so the rod doesn't fall on our heads while sleeping). Unlike the inspiration post, I didn't like the idea of supporting the weight of the fore-portion of the sleeping platform on the headrests of the front seats, so it's supported by two legs on the side and one on the center of the front. They're held in place with 1/4" hex bolts into T-nuts on the platform. There's a little bit of shaping and modification to be done on the legs still, but they work pretty well as-is. A majority of the weight is supported by the leg on the front of the platform, the side legs are primarily for stability and to help it stay in place. Here's a close-up of the leg assembly. The platform uses the same slotting mechanism to remain stationary and tight against the rear of the platform. This is what the platform looks like when it's removed and slid on top of the rear platform. The front leg works as a way to prevent it from sliding forward in the event of an accident if the second-row seats are folded down for some extra cargo space. Here's the rear view of the front platform resting on the top of the rear platform. You can also see the easy-up canopy and the curtain rod (on top of the canopy) on the left. On the right are the window coverings. This photo was taken inside the van just before tearing down the platform. It's pretty dark inside on a sunny day. (Continued in the next)

Here are some action shots: Here's the rear or our campsite on our shake-down trip last weekend. You can see that the easy-up fits over the top of the wagon. It also has attachable sides to give us a bit of standing privacy behind the van for things like changing, but they also work as a wind-break for cooking on windy days. This is how the van looks from the front, doors open, in full camping mode. I'll also post some photos of the platforms folded and stored; it's raining today, so they're safely stored in a dry place. The side legs of the rear platform fold under the platform (they're on piano hinges) so it can be sored relatively flat next to the front platform, legs removed. The front platform can also double as a table if the campsite doesn't have one. Currently, we're using sawhorses to support it, but I'd like to build some legs that use the same T-nut and bolt combination that the platform supports use. The next steps: Some minor modifications to the sleeping platform to increase stability. Specifically, a leg that goes the length of the front of the rear platform to help provide some stability to the side legs. Removing the third-row seats permanently. Installing an auxiliary battery, battery isolator, and Maxxair fan in the rear of the van for ventilation. Hope you enjoyed the post! I'm happy to answer whatever questions you may have!

Phase 4: Windows, Insulation, and Vent Fan: The day I cut huge holes in my brand new car. So, this album brings you up to date on where I'm at as of last night. I spend almost the entire weekend installing 3 windows, a Fantastic Fan, and insulating body panels. We've got a trip coming up in October, so the goal was to make it a little more "livable" for the trip. Without windows in the back of the van, it got pretty stuffy in there with two of us. The windows and vent are from Vintage Technologies that sells parts for teardrop trailers. Cutting into the van was a little scary, but once everything was all put back together it was well worth the trouble. The windows make a huge difference! Since I had to make panels to help mount the windows, we also started insulating the ceiling and panels. It's one layer of self-adhesive duct insulation which a lot of people use as a cheaper alternative to Dynamat, and then a layer of Reflectix where space allowed. The next step is to start doing finish work and making things look neat. Phase 4 Photos The point of no return. The lines look a little sketchy in this shot, it took a couple tries with one of the corner to perfectly match the template. Holes Cut! The blue tape made marking the cuts much easier and kept the paint from getting scratched. Windows In Interior window shot. The windows open and have screens in them. Hole cut for side window. I didn't realize until I started cutting that the panels on the side are plastic rather than metal. Window #3 in! The angle of the body panels give a weird optical illusion in this shot. The window is flat against the van. I swear! Battens glued to the ceiling Frost King duct insulation on the ceiling Step 1: Self-adhesive duct insulation Step 2: A layer of Reflectix, glued in place Step 3: Wooden Panel Ceiling vent framed in. The Reflectix is glued in, the tape is just there to keep it in place as the glue dried. Ceiling vent installed with bead-board Hard at work installing Reflectix Bonus "Work Shop" Shot. This is where I've done all of the work so Far. Also, Jake the Dog. Put back together! Ceiling vent. Not crazy protrusive!

Phase 3: Upholstery and Doors Here's the third album of progress on the Transit Connect Camper. It might not look like much, but the functional refinements make a huge difference! The photo included in this post is a couple buddies having some cold drinks under the awning after a mountain bike ride. I took the van to Kentucky for it's maiden voyage in June and the trip went really well. The only piece that was super annoying was having to lift the seat in the back to access the large storage area under the "couch". I didn't expect for it to be as big of a deal as it was. I added a couple doors to make accessing the storage area easier. The bed was one of the best parts of the van, it's just barely narrower than a full bed and is full length. The Ikea mattress proved to be much more comfy than I had expected! The cooking drawer also proved to be as functional as I could have hoped. Having the 7 gallons of water in the van was great, since hiking in 90 degree weather left me dusty and thirsty. I also added the ARB awning, which is probably my favorite piece of the build so far especially since I'm a ginger and have trouble being out in the sun. Phase 3 Photos Here's a photo with the "couch" without the doors on the bench. In order to access the storage area you had to lift up the seat. During my first multi-day trip with the van, I found that this was way more of a pain than I had expected it to be, especially when having to do things like change or cook where you have to enter the storage area many times in a row. Also, even with the current set up, we can still fit two bikes inside the van without putting them on the cushions. I added 3 doors to give easier access. Cutting huge holes in the bench was a little nerve-racking, but it is so much better than constantly lifting the bench top. The cabinets are sized so that our folding chairs and table can fit in the back portion of the cabinet. Now we'll be able to slide them in and out of the back door. The bed folded down. The entire back of the van becomes the bed, which is about 2 inches narrower than a full size bed and full length. This is before adding the cabinet doors, which will allow access to the under-bed storage that wasn't possible before when the bed was folded down. Bonus cooking set-up photo.