Competition aftermarket support

Flagster

Flagster

Active member
Thinking about trading the 4x4 sprinter for a 2wd gas transit and wondering if the DIY buildout support is as good for the transit. We used mostly RB components for our DIY build and I am wondering if there are other options for the ford vans. Mainly thinking wall panels, platform beds, etc...don't mind doing a lot myself but would rather save time.
Thanks
Matt
 
surlyoldbill

surlyoldbill

Well-known member
It seems like there are a lot of bolt-on parts for WORK vans, but not too much for home-made RVs. I think because people doing this are all over the place regarding layout and what they need/want. That said, a couple companies are making plastic form fitting wall panels that are better than the factory cargo van panels, but they're pricey. There are LOTS of things available on the European market, where these vans have existed for much longer. Some people have found really cool stuff for sale there and had it shipped over.

There is a guy, Hein, who is on the Transit forum and sells stuff on Ebay, that makes adapters to fit 14x14 vents to the curved top of Transits, 3M thinsulate designed for automotive use, retrofit switches for the dash, and various adapters and things. I think he has a CNC machine and maybe an injection molder and does this as a business. His stuff is pretty good; the roof adapters are really helpful.

I've been contemplating making ready-to-assemble cabinets for Transits, because a lot of the DIYers seem to lack skills and/or tools to make things that will fit to a curved wall like in the Transit.

Bed platforms are so easy that I don't think anyone is making them specifically for any van. The RB stuff is the way to go for a modular, multi-use van.
 
Flagster

Flagster

Active member
Thanks surlyoldbill!
This is my impression of the aftermarket environment currently. While the RB stuff was a bit pricey it kept our "modular/simple" build to a total of 3 weeks time. I would rather be travelling than "building".
 
surlyoldbill

surlyoldbill

Well-known member
It depends on how "nice" you want it. You can always just throw an Ikea sofa bed in the back and a few Stanley garage cabinets and be traveling within the hour. I like the RB stuff, and it's cheap compared to the SAME or similar stuff offered by RV parts companies. I've looked high and low for a source to buy just the roll-over hinge mechanism so I could build my own; no luck.

For the Transit, the lower 32-33" of wall in the back are flat. If you just use off-the-shelf base cabinets and no overheads, anything will work. The space between the outer skin and the inner skin is THICK, it's really easy to insulate without having to add paneling. As a short term solution mainly for noise when I was driving my empty van back from MO to CA, I bought a bunch of polyfill bed pillows at Ikea for $1.50 each and stuffed them into the walls. That short term solution has become a long term solution. I have full windows, so I didn't have to worry about covering that area. The ceiling can be problematic, because the medium roof in the cargo version is JUST tall enough for me to walk around in and not worry about hitting my head (I'm 5-10). The passenger version has a raised floor so they can run vents and stuff in it, so you lose 2.5" in that. But back to the roof; in the medium height I didn't want to reduce height by attaching to the bottom of the ceiling ribs, so I built between them, which still allowed me to have a bit over an inch of insulation. For me, it's mainly about noise, because I don't like to camp in really cold weather.
 
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