New Member

[drwatt]

Retired living in Illinois and Florida.  Recently purchased a 2019 Transit Connect converted camper van.  TV/DVD, Microwave, Refrigerator, Butane table top cook, Solar, Roof Mounted Fan, Sink, Foldout 43X72 bed, 2,000 kilowatt inverter, Ceramic Heater, LED interior lighting, Fully automatic TV antenna, Limo-tinted one-way windows.  Front privacy curtain & front window shades (windshield, driver and passenger door) . 120 Volt shore power hookup. Mid-Cabin overhead airplane type storage containers from roof, Trailer tow package (2000lb tow capacity).  Screens for windows. 

 

Looking forward to hitting the road and welcome to any Transit connect tips.  Never owned a Ford before.

 

DrWatt

[Fifty150]

Very nice.  Did you buy the van with the conversion package?  Or did you do all of the installation work yourself?

[drwatt]

I bought it converted.  I am a disabled Viet Nam Vet with Parkinson's Disease.  I cannot do that type of work anymore.

[s5pitfire]

Thats amazing! Probably cost a pretty penny for them to convert. May I ask how much you paid?

 

I knew people convert these cargo vans but didn't know so much could be installed/fit into a TC. Limo tint sounds nice, even for a non-conversion. I'm guessing there's no way to have a small air conditioning unit for the summer, it reaches over 105* here in OK... A rooftop fan would only alleviate some of the heat?

Edited November 11, 2019 by s5pitfire
Typo

[windguy]

@drwatt - Welcome to the forum and congrats on your new TC. The conversion looks wonderful. So many amenities. You're going to enjoy traveling with that rig.

Looking forward to hearing about your adventures.

 

Happy Veteran's Day - Thank you for your service and best of luck with your PD.

 

Link below to an older post.

 

 

 

Edited November 11, 2019 by windguy

[Double Nickels]

5 hours ago, s5pitfire said:

Limo tint sounds nice, even for a non-conversion. I'm guessing there's no way to have a small air conditioning unit for the summer, it reaches over 105* here in OK... A rooftop fan would only alleviate some of the heat?

Limo tint is great.  Makes a huge difference.  OEM AC is loud, but seems to work.  There are rooftop AC units. It all depends on what you want to do.  I think that while you are camping, a roof fan is sufficient for airflow.

[Fifty150]

If you are sitting in your van, doors closed, windows up, watching TV, cold drinks in the fridge, food warming up in the microwave, rooftop air conditioning on,  engine running to power it all -  is that really camping?  

 

Or just another homeless guy living out of a car?

 

 

[ertzog]

looks comfy.

 

what is on the roof? TV antenna and extra AC?

 

does it have multiple batteries tucked somewhere?  ... that microwave looks like it sucks lots of juice.

 

is your connect a one-off conversion, or is somebody selling these?

[Fifty150]

You can find custom coach builders all over.  Some shops build every vehicle to order. Some shops sell the vehicle with the build.  Some shops build your vehicle.   Look for shops that pimp your ride, or RV builders.  You are only limited by your budget.  Your van could be on a TV show, or built by a TV star.

[Big Soul]

On 11/11/2019 at 7:02 PM, Fifty150 said:

If you are sitting in your van, doors closed, windows up, watching TV, cold drinks in the fridge, food warming up in the microwave, rooftop air conditioning on,  engine running to power it all -  is that really camping?  

 

Or just another homeless guy living out of a car?

 

 

Man Cave? On location......and that location is wherever the heck you want to be at that moment in time. That kind of homelessness by choice is not so bad. I do understand your point. I do need some wilderness refreshment.......how about opening the large barn doors that our transit connects have......does that count? Seriously that's why I love the TC so much. The van is so small that when I open all of the doors, side, back, etc. there isn't any van left..... just wide open wilderness...... but with a roof for shade.

[sKiZo]

You mentioned having some health issues. Same here, and tenting like in the bad old days just ain't gonna happen. Even the old pop up is difficult at best to set up, and couple times I tried it, that was pretty much the end of the day for me. That said, I can open up a door or two and setting up for an overnite or weekend is relatively easy. Or it should be once I'm done fiddle fartin' around with it and just git er done ... ;-}

 

 

PS ... I envy your pro layout, but plan here is to also leave the thing wheelchair accessible. Ain't getting any younger ...

[G B L]

On 11/11/2019 at 7:02 PM, Fifty150 said:

Or just another homeless guy living out of a car?

Hey at least you have a car!!

[drwatt]

On 11/11/2019 at 9:26 AM, s5pitfire said:

Thats amazing! Probably cost a pretty penny for them to convert. May I ask how much you paid?

 

I knew people convert these cargo vans but didn't know so much could be installed/fit into a TC. Limo tint sounds nice, even for a non-conversion. I'm guessing there's no way to have a small air conditioning unit for the summer, it reaches over 105* here in OK... A rooftop fan would only alleviate some of the heat?

 

Sorry it took so long to answer.

Cost is dependent on what features you get. The XLT Wagon MSRP was over $33K.  With all the add ons the total price would be in the low $40K.  ( under $45K)If you are not in blistering hot temps, you can use Ford Pass to start the engine from your phone.  You can set that to run 15 minutes and then shut off.  Set your vehicle to blow cold air through the ducts into the rear compartment.   When the temps are more moderate, I have screens for all the windows that operate.  Set the fan to exhaust air and the interior quickly cools down.  The HVAC ducts is the reason to use the wagon instead of the work van.

[drwatt]

On 11/11/2019 at 10:49 AM, windguy said:

@drwatt - Welcome to the forum and congrats on your new TC. The conversion looks wonderful. So many amenities. You're going to enjoy traveling with that rig.

Looking forward to hearing about your adventures.

 

Happy Veteran's Day - Thank you for your service and best of luck with your PD.

 

Link below to an older post.

 

 

 

@ windguyI took a 6 day 5 night trip.  Started by going to Homestead, FL for the NASCAR Championship race.  Stayed overnight in the stadium parking lot one night and the RV section another night.  Went to Miami Beach, South Beach to enjoy the teenie Bikeenies..  Then I traveled up North to Ormond Beach and stayed for two nights in Tomoka State Park.

Edited January 26, 2020 by drwatt

[drwatt]

On 11/11/2019 at 7:02 PM, Fifty150 said:

If you are sitting in your van, doors closed, windows up, watching TV, cold drinks in the fridge, food warming up in the microwave, rooftop air conditioning on,  engine running to power it all -  is that really camping?  

 

Or just another homeless guy living out of a car?

 

 

@Fifty 150 Let's see.  If you are sitting in your vehicle with the air on, the multi-speaker stereo blasting, driving an automatic, on cruise control,with the LCDs playing a movie etc., are you really driving?  Or just another guy taking refuge from the wife.

 

 Sorry but I am 74 years old and can no longer do tent camping.  What is the more likely scenario is I'm sitting around a campfire in a forested area watching the moon and the stars while enjoying a cold brew after I grilled a great steak over the campfire.  Then when I can't stay awake anymore from all the fresh air, I crawl into my bed and watch the 10 PM news and fall asleep only to be wakened 6 hours later by the chirping birds.  Can anyone else vision that?

Edited January 26, 2020 by drwatt

[sKiZo]

Brings to mind the question - anyone retrofit a cargo  van with the AC duct work from a passenger type? Doesn't seem like it'd be all that difficult. That said, I'm surprised the stock AC does as well as it does, with the help of a MaxxFan mounted towards the back of the roof.

4 hours ago, drwatt said:

Sorry but I am 74 years old and can no longer do tent camping.  What is the more likely scenario is I'm sitting around a campfire in a forested area watching the moon and the stars while enjoying a cold brew after I grilled a great steak over the campfire.  Then when I can't stay awake anymore from all the fresh air, I crawl into my bed and watch the 10 PM news and fall asleep only to be wakened 6 hours later by the chirping birds.  Can anyone else vision that?

 

My kind of camping, eh. I set up in a "primitive" section and have an inverter for some low watt AC stuff I can run thru an inverter. Van is small enough none of the tent types have ever complained ... at least till I open up my tiny little 4x8 trailer anyway ... it's WAY bigger on the inside! <G>

 

 

PS - lost a leg and couldn't drive the Ranger stick shift anymore, which is why I went with the TC in the first place. I've already go a convertible bed and kitchen set up in the TC (I posted up a pic of that "in progress" earlier in the thread), but have been mulling over converting the back bedroom of the tent trailer into a foyer and attaching the thing to the side door. Stay tuned!

 

Edited January 26, 2020 by sKiZo

[G B L]

Sounds like you have a good plan, Too bad about the leg, I have made several hand clutch Levers for different people with Knee issues.  The long term solution is the Automatic that you have chosen.

camp on how ever you get on the road is better than staying at home.