Take 1:
"Baby" 2016 Ford Transit Connect XL
"Baby"
As I'd mentioned above, Vandora Tribus is actually my third attempt at a van conversion. My first was a 2016 Ford Transit Connect XL cargo van. The Transit was great! And in retrospect, I wish I'd hung on to it. But alas there are pros and cons to everything.
On the plus side, the Transit Connect was easy to drive and got fantastic gas milage (around 30 mpg on the highway). The rear cargo area was flat (roughly 4 X 7) and the unfinished interior walls made attaching things ridiculously easy. The Transit Connect also had a 12 volt power outlet near the tailgate which occasionally came in handy. Although I couldn't stand in the vehicle, a 25" X 75" X 17" REI cot gave me plenty of space for "under the bed" storage and the ability to sit up fully in the back of the van. The Transit also fit in my garage and served as my daily driver - a huge bonus when it comes to choosing a vehicle.
On the down side however, the rear windows were fixed, and the interior lights came on automatically if a door, or the lift gate, was open. Try as I might, I found no way to turn them off. Poor ventilation was really the Connect's greatest downfall. Unable to leave a door or rear window open at night, there was simply no way to control the temperature or humidity in the back of the vehicle. Opening the front windows helped, but a privacy curtain and the presence of the seats kept the airflow to a minimum.
Ultimately, the decision to sell the Transit Connect came down to the choice of making permanent changes to the vehicle - such as insulating and installing a fantastic fan vs. selling it unaltered and buying a finished conversion. At the time, I was using the Transit frequently, mostly for weekend adventures, but at 2AM on an insanely cold night, alone on the beach at Assateague National Seashore, I decided to sell. I needed a van with climate control!
"Baby" and my travel and hiking companion, Pax
Take 2:
"Tat" RAM Promaster 1500
Tat was build out by the amazingly talented Michael Williams. Mike is the owner of Bridge Bound Campers in Fayetteville, WVA. ( https://bridgeboundcampers.com/ ) Tat was his first complete build under the Bridge Bound Camper name. Built as a demo for marketing and advertising purposes, Michael's attention to detail was first rate! There wasn't much I didn't love about this design, layout, or build!
"Tat"
Though Tat's interior was nearly flawless, I found the Promaster itself exhausting to drive. As a relatively small-framed single female, the cockpit of the Promaster was simply too large for me to operate comfortably. The van also blew around on the road, making steering an active rather than passive process. After 4 or 5 hours, I found myself longing for a relief driver! The height of the Promaster also scared me. (Roughly 10 feet including the solar panels and Fantastic fan.) Driving on Parkways (and a few back roads in NH), I was always concerned about encountering a low bridge, covered bridge, tunnel or overpass. And the gas mileage, (14-17 mpg), goes without saying.
I attempted two major trips in the Promaster, and both times came home early. Once because my dog (and constant travel companion) kept getting carsick. Pax slept under the bed, and as a result was unable to see out the windows. The space also proved to be hot and muggy. He quickly came to hate the van, refusing to get in and vomiting once he did. After about a week, I took him home, and set out again. Unfortunately, my second adventure was also short lived. Between the van blowing all over the road, getting lost in the mountains, encountering a bear, and not having the "protection" of a German Shepherd at my side, I felt anxious... REALLY anxious.
Had I given the Promaster more time, perhaps I could have worked through my anxiety and panic attacks. But as luck would have it, I was contacted on Facebook by someone interested in buying the van. Needless to say, I jumped at the opportunity to get out.
Take 3:
Vandora Tribus: 2020 Chrysler Pacifica Touring
Though I just brought her home, I'm super excited about Vandora! The Pacifica offers all the bells and whistles of passenger car. (Assisted cruise control, lane keeping assist, built in navigation, Apple and Google sync. heated seats, a back up camera, as well as two USB and a 12 volt charging port, etc.) The cockpit is small and luxurious. It gets far better gas mileage (28 mph hgwy) than the Promaster, and clearly has a much lower profile.
The presence of power operated rear windows and a dual sunroofs, will correct the air flow problem of the Transit connect. Surprisingly, the Pacifica is also about 2 feet longer than the Connect in terms of usable interior floorspace. The Chrysler "Stow and Go" seats also offer a huge advantage in not having to remove and store the 2nd and 3rd row seats. That said, the back is NOT level, even with the seats removed. (There is about a 5 or 6 inch rise from front to back.) They can however, be configured in a any number of ways, and can also be removed completely for even more storage space below the floor.
While I do not intent to permanently alter the Pacifica, I am hoping to install a 25 X 72" bed (potentially expandable for two) with storage, and small kitchen area. I'm also hoping to obtain a rooftop storage box, hitch mount bike rack, and a rear tent / awning / bug screen.
I already have a Yetti Goal Zero 400, but will likely purchase a solar panel at some point in time. I also suspect, that adding a fridge will quickly become priority.
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