Bill Jackson

Great, I have nothing but praise for the pirellis I put on my 2012 TC 6 months ago. Best thing I ever did from a handling and ride comfort perspective. They just feel right.

Great work. I have a 2012 the slam changes the look of the van entirely. I like that you have air suspension so that you can still carry a load when you need to. Thanks for showing this one off. I look forward to more pics when the new paint is on.

Don this is the best, practical, affordable advice I have received to date. I don't have anything connected to the main battery that starts the engine. I just run a battery charger every once in a while to get back to full capacity on the camper battery. The twin 6 volt in series advice is a real help to me. Thanks for the guidance - as you say it is really 10 amps on 12 volts. This particular ice maker kicks out ice every 7 minutes, I run it about 14 minutes unless I need a couple pounds of ice. However, unique to portable ice machines, as soon as the basket is full the entire machine shuts off entirely - no fan, no refrigeration, nothing. Then when the ice melts below the top, the machines turns back on to refill the basket. A majority of the time it draws zero amps while ice is being stored. It's not for everyone but it has worked out well for me. Thanks again for the sage advice.

That's the key --- easy to remove and then set up at will --- looks like you aren't playing around with this conversion. Great work! I need to get into mine and reconfigure a little bit. I have added a side +- quick tent to be put at one of the side doors. Thanks for sharing what you have done... it is inspiring.

1. MPG - I can afford to drive TC Gen 1 as a daily driver and still do my camping or hauling furniture, lumber etc. 2. Very easy to maneuver and park. Drives and handles more like a car than a truck. 3. Doors on both sides of van and rear doors that will fold all the way up against the side of the van. I can load anything with ease with the low load floor and wide open access. 4. Drivers seats are study, comfortable and infinitely adjustable like a professional vehicle. I can drive several hundreds of miles without needing to stop for cramped legs, arms, back. 5. This van has a forum where conversion, maintenance, ?racing?, mods, tech and mechanical issues are active discussion topics with some smart/innovative solutions. I've had more fun with this little van than any other vehicle I have owned and it still saves me $ every day I get in it and turn the key.

Great find. Mine is Blue and Silver - former port security vehicle. Prices are all over the place. The truck dealer I bought mine from said if it had been plain white it would have cost three grand more than what I paid for it because construction/business people like to blend in. A blue one with low miles is a real find. Enjoy. As far as camper conversions go I just put a portable ice maker in mine. Used 12v Car battery + 750/1500 watt inverter. The ice maker only pulls 120watts @ 1.5 amps. Just about the same as a cell phone charger. Now I have refrigeration when I need it - ice in 1 gallon freezer bags placed into my cooler - and I also have ice for my road drinks, usually Gatorade from the dollar store. I feed the icemaker cheap bottled water and drain it at the end of the day if I'm not doing an overnighter. Took me a lot of head scratching to turn down the mini-fridge thing and go with this setup. Would like to hear comments opinions regarding this direction.

No, how about just outside of St. Louis. But all is well, just be sure of those camping around you and take care of one another. Otherwise you may want to be part of the guns for gifts program. No, seriously once I'm asleep and non-observant of any activity around me I'd rather be inside a van than just out in the open blindly trusting that the whole world is full of good, good, really good people.

And a lot more secure given the abundance of crazy people who have no problem with violence to get what they want for today. If I push the passenger seat all the way forward I can get 7 feet of sleeping length out of my Gen 1 van.

Great to see this topic added We all have at times done the quick camp thing....lots of fun without breaking the bank. As a matter of fact probably just as much fun as the $$$$$ conversions when you get to your favorite camping/swimming/fishing spot. Kudos. As conversion progresses I break down to quick camp mode every time l get the opportunity for a trip and the next phase of my convert is not quite complete.

The flames thing kinda scares me, most of the vehicles I own last well into the 200 thousand mile mark. Some day the flames may be real when my old standby decides to lay down for good. I want to be able to see for sure if it's on fire or not.

More encouragement from the other side of the pond. Here's the link https://passionford.com/forum/restorations-rebuilds-and-projects/379586-transit-connect-rs-my-project-so-far.html#&gid=1&pid=1 This guy has more money than I do but hey.......that's what we look at for entertainment; what would I do if I had more money than...... Notice the tail wing on top......my child like dreamer heart says that thing actually works. I'll probably never find out...but that's what dreams are made of. Just stirrrrrrrring the pot.

Perfect suggestion especially for a van. Having a known secured space that would take a good amount of time for someone to discover and then have the tools to get into is a great advantage these days. Thank again to Fifty150 for the sage advice.

Wow, what do I say. When I drive the newer vehicles I like the backup camera but.....I don't yet trust the backup camera. But with no windows and no view it helps me get in the ballpark.....I get out of the van only once or maybe twice now to check distance. I might still be old school.

This looks awesome. The Gen1 TC has a much smaller footwell but I am going to use this info and make what I can of the space. I was disappointed after all the work to remove the cover over the footwell....is that all? But space is space and tools or even batteries or removable water tanks would fit really well in that space. Thanks for the informative post.

That's what I call a modular build where everything can be removed...haha. It works better then building in a full kitchen/bedroom/bathroom with furniture all in a 6X4 space and then wondering why you never use the van.

Great van and nice start on the conversion. Looking forward to more pictures as you progress. I have spent a long time head scratching in my conversion process trying to keep as much open floor space as possible. Have finally come to a conclusion on the layout. I'd be interested in your discoveries along that line as you work through it. Keep it going and enjoy the journey.

You might have to be a 60's child to understand this. I want my van to look good, I want a little performance. But since I have gray hair, if I want to urban camp …. i.e. take a nap in the back ... I need just enough room to do that without bringing along the 30 ft moving truck. It really is a niche market.

I do hear what Herb is saying, I just know my reality. Stipes and tires, etc. are feel good things. Real speed would get me killed. I just know the difference and have tested my limitations before.....lucky to be alive.

I'll take the 5.0 RX. My wife would likely collect the life insurance shortly thereafter.

Wow, I'm old school thinking Audi QuattroVan by Ford.

Wait a minute.....I found another link for dreamers like me https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4USQiChd9jI Maybe I'll keep the tires.....they make me feel good.

But wait a minute what about the autoblog pictures. https://www.autoblog.com/2008/04/15/can-a-transit-connect-be-sporty/ Please don't tell me it aint true. I've spent the past year waiting for one of these to pass me on the highway.......my dreams are gone..... I'll be trading in my Pirelli P4 plus' for contis or coopers. My life is over.

How did you get the raised roof done? It looks really good.

I have tried everything and I still haven't figured it out. If you put a charger or cell phone in that sandwich pocket they will both slide around while making an awful lot of noise. Conveniently? when you reach for it - whatever is in there - will slide around in circles while you grab at it and try to drive at the same time. I'm backing the sandwich holder theory. I really think Ford tried to steal a design idea from the 1980's Hondas - they just got it wrong in the translation.