2019 Ford Transit f-250 Camper Van Life Conversion High-Roof – open to trade

I’m in St Louis if you want to see this van in person.

On this build, I have maximized creature comforts and minimized maintenance efforts.
With the glamorous photos of vans, you may see on Instagram, it’s not apparent how difficult van life can become. That is, if you have small solar panels that don’t produce enough electricity to run the AC during the summer and your van turns into a hotbox… conversely, if you’re unable to keep it warm during the winter and you have to layer up inside.
I have upgraded this van’s systems to have total climate control all year round. And I live in St. Louis, where it gets really hot during the summer and very cold during the winter!
Everything in this vehicle runs off of both solar power and the batteries recharge while you’re driving. I have lived full-time in it for over a year, and everything has been thoroughly tested and proven to work great.
I’ve done construction and plumbing since I was a teenager. That is to say, I knew what I was doing when I built this, and there’s nothing haphazard about its construction. It’s an excellent, heavily-insulated build with plenty of drawers and cubbies to maximize the available space.
Some of the van’s other features include:
– A shower with hot water and a pause button to save on water.
– A nature’s head toilet with the added benefit of a self-emptying pee tank.
– Press a button to empty the gray water tank into a storm drain.
– Lots of freezer and fridge space.
– An excellent entertainment system! It’s the one that I would have in my house.
– A filtered water spigot.
– A countertop Vita-Mix blender.
– An induction stovetop.
– Dimming lights.
– Electrical system controlled with an app on your phone.
– 4 seatbelted seats in the back.
– And more

The van is a 2019 Ford Transit, 250 high-roof with 40,000 miles. I bought it new in December 2019, and I just replaced the brakes at the end of November 2022. I also had the Ford dealership ensure everything was in tip-top shape in early December 2022. They replaced a few sensors, and it’s all good as new.

My investment in the van:
Van cost $40,598.00 – vehicle depreciation of 16% (depreciation calculated with CarEdge)
Material cost $31,500
Hours of labor 1152 at $40hr = $46,080 (I make $60hr doing construction work)
Total = $111,503

Open to Trade
If you have a vehicle, that would be a good work truck, van, etc. If you want to trade, I will reduce the price based on your vehicle’s Kelley blue book value.

Feel free to make an offer. I want to find the right buyer for my van, and we can find a great deal for both of us.

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# Electrical System
– 2x Renogy 450 Watts 12/24 Volts Monocrystalline High-Efficiency Module solar panels for a total of 900 Watts of solar!
– Victron Energy, BlueSolar, MPPT solar charge controller. It makes sure to use energy effectively.
– 5x Battle Born lithium batteries for a total of 500 amp hours of battery power. Battle Born batteries are dummy-proof and last a long time.
– Victron Energy, MultiPlus, Inverter, which runs things like the blender, TV, and microwave with standard household power. And it allows you to charge the batteries with shore power at the appropriate amperage for the circuit you’re plugged into.
– All of these can be monitored and controlled with the VictronConnect app on your phone using Bluetooth.
– Lithium Battery Isolation Manager. This allows the Battle-born batteries to charge while you are driving. And it has the added benefit of being able to jumpstart your engine battery by pressing a button next to the OBD2 port.
– 50 foot 30 amp cord for shore power along with surge, protector, and plug adapter. (Van side plug is underneath the van behind the right back tire)
– Champion 2500-Watt Dual Fuel Portable Inverter Generator, Ultralight. I live in St. Louis, and I only need to use the generator during the summer when there is a heat wave and when I need to run the AC at night and during the day.

# Water System
– 30-gallon freshwater tank
– 50-foot drinking water hose with filter and quick connect.
– 23-gallon gray water tank.
– Motorized Ball Valve- 1″ Stainless Steel. This allows you to release the gray water tank by hitting a switch on the control panel. It drains out on the right side of the van and is set up to drain into a storm drain if you pull up next to one.
– Bosch Electric Mini-Tank Water Heater Tronic 3000 T 4-Gallon.
– SEAFLO Water Diaphragm Self Priming Pump. It’s quiet and positioned under the fresh water tank, so you must listen to hear it.
– SEAFLO Accumulator Tank Water Pump Flow Control Internal Bladder. This helps the pump to turn off and on less frequently.
– Nature’s head composting toilet. I got tired of emptying the pee tank, so I installed an auto-triggering bell siphon that drains the pee tank into the gray water tank when it gets full.

# Heating, Cooling & Ventilation
– Eberspacher Airtronic Heater (Gasoline) 12V. It runs off the gas tank and is the most efficient heater possible. It also shuts off at a quarter tank, so you can’t run out of gas 🙂
– MaxxFan Deluxe with Remote paired with the vent fan in the bathroom or the ventilation window on the side door creates excellent airflow that is easily adjusted.
– RecPro RV Air Conditioner with Heat Pump for Heating or Cooling (with remote). This air conditioning unit has an eco-friendly mode which allows me to run it for about 6 hours a day in the summer just from the power I get from solar. I don’t use it for heating to save electricity during the winter when there’s less sunlight.

# Entertainment Center
– Kanto YU4 Powered Speakers with Bluetooth. These have a great sound! You can connect to them directly with Bluetooth or through the Apple TV.
– LG UHD 27-Inch Computer Monitor with 3840 x 2160 Pixels. It works great as a high-resolution TV.
– Apple TV 4K with 32GB Storage (2nd Generation). It comes with a chargeable remote.
– Nintendo Switch with Super Mario Bros and Mario Kart (plays on TV when set in console).
– weBoost Drive Reach OTR – Cell Phone Signal Booster. This does a great job, and it gets you a signal almost anywhere. I’ve been able to stream movies with it while camping out in the middle of nowhere.
– Also, in the front of the van, I have Bluetooth set up for the front speakers to use when driving.

# Appliances
– ARB 10801472 Portable Fridge Freezer 50 Quarts Series 2, Bluetooth Transmitter and APP for remote use. It’s efficient and has a smaller upper container that doesn’t get as cold for refrigerated items.
– Smad Refrigerator, 12V DC or 110V AC, 1.7 cubic feet.
– 0.9 Cu. Ft 900-Watt Microwave Oven, Stainless Steel
– K&H Single Burner Built-in Induction Electric Stove Top Sensor Touch Ceramic Cooktop 120V 1800W.
– Vita-mix blender with an industrial vita mix motor built-in to the countertop.

# Control Panel
– Listed in order from left to right.
– Freshwater tank, level gauge.
– Gray water tank, water level gauge.
– Gray water tank, release valve switch.
– Water pump switch.
– Main light switch with a dimmer (The main light has a second switch by the sliding door).
– Bathroom light switch.