2019 Ford Transit DIY camper
Forest Queen Van
I started with an empty Transit, no real van-building experience, and a lot of bookmarked forums. This is the whole build: what worked, what I would do differently, what it cost, and how the pieces fit together. It came together in Colesville, MD; Bend, OR; Leesburg, VA; and Nashville, TN.
Start wherever
Different ways into the same rabbit hole.
If you want the story, read the journal. If you are trying to build something similar, start with the systems. If you just want to zoom in and see how things are bolted together, the photo library is probably the fastest path. The van was built in real chunks of life across Maryland, Oregon, Virginia, and Tennessee.
The useful stuff
The van only works because the systems work.
Electrical, water, heat, solar, propane, cabinets, and the 80/20 frame all depend on each other. The build map is my attempt to show the van the way I think about it: not as a pretty interior, but as a bunch of choices that had to fit in one small box.
Open the Map400Ah LiFePO4 battery bank with Victron MultiPlus 3000 inverter, solar charging, and comprehensive power distribution for off-grid living.
Fresh and gray water system with a 27-gallon tank, pump, accumulator, Bosch water heater tanks, Ruvati sink, and high-end Kohler faucet.
Four-season climate control with propane heating, air conditioning, ventilation fans, and complete Thinsulate insulation.
525W solar array with MPPT charge controller providing sustainable off-grid power generation.
A few big steps
Places where the build changed shape.
Framing
Building the interior framework using 80/20 extruded t-slot aluminum - strong, light, and infinitely modifiable.
Slats
Custom wooden ceiling slats with integrated lighting - the signature aesthetic element that draws constant compliments.
Electrical
400Ah LiFePO4 battery bank, Victron MultiPlus 3000 inverter, solar charging, and complete power distribution system.
Floor #2
A 10-layer floor system providing insulation, structure, and the foundation for modular 80/20 cabinetry.
Garden
A July 2024 photo update of the finished indoor skylight garden.
Look closely
The details are where the build really lives.
I took photos because the little details are the first things you forget. Bolt locations, wire runs, hose paths, panel seams, ugly middle steps, and the moments where the whole thing finally started to look like a van.
Browse 227 Photos
Credit where it is due
I learned this from other people.
FarOutRide helped with the broad van systems thinking. EXPLORIST.life helped me get serious about electrical. Orton Transit was a huge reference for the 80/20 and floor approach. I learned from builders who were generous with their notes, photos, and mistakes, so I am trying to be just as specific here.
For sale
This is the van I built.
If you are interested in buying it, I want the history to be right here with the listing. The good parts, the systems, the costs, and the photos are all part of the story.
