The Lorax Tour

It’s DONE! After 18 months and a lot of interesting design challenges and cursing, every last little feature has been completed. My last van build post was in May. I stopped posting to focus on the build. I do plan on adding more posts, but wanted to get this tour post up.

The Lorax equipment list

Check out the walkthrough video first. Spec list is below.

Built on a new 2019 Ford Transit Cargo Van. 

Off-road package

  • QuadVan four-wheel-drive conversion with F150 transfer case and front driveshafts, Detroit Trutrac front and rear limited slip differentials, 2 inch lift, locking hubs for on-the-fly engagement of four-wheel-drive

  • Bilstein B6 performance shocks on the front, Fox Shocks and Van Compass helper springs on the rear

  • Van Compass front receiver hitch and winch mount

  • Smitty Bilt 15.5k winch with synthetic line and remote control

  • BFGoodrich KO2 245/16 off-road tires

  • Shortened rear shock mounts for improved clearance

  • Van Compass intercooler skid plate

  • QuadVan transmission skid plate

  • Diode Dynamics lightbar

  • Onboard Viair 400P air compressor

  • HiLift jack with Life-mate attachment

  • MaxTraxx recovery pads

  • 50’ synthetic line, 2x tree saver straps, line recoil dampener, snatch block, 3x bow shackles

Lighting system

  • Exterior porch light, rear light, and driver side light

  • Upper and lower LED strip lighting with premium diffusers, fully dimmable

  • Gooseneck adjustable task lighting at the passenger seat, bench seat, and both sides of the bed

  • Living room LED puck light

Galley

  • High-capacity 147L Victrifrigo stainless steel refrigerator with external compressor for enhanced efficiency and greater space, true freezer compartment to keep even ice cream solid

  • Dometic three burner stainless steel propane stove and oven.  Unusual to find an over in a vehicle of this size.

  • 14” stainless sink with Moen pulldown faucet

  • Stowable stainless steel backsplash

  • Stainless steel heatshield over stove

  • Built-in spice rack for rattle free storage

  • Ample storage including three large shallow drawers, two small utensil drawers, two deep drawers, and two overhead cabinets

  • Stainless steel countertop for durable and easy maintenance

  • Additional food prep surfaces using two tables and the stainless steel bath cabinet countertop

  • Microwave concealed in overhead cabinet

  • 5.9 gallon propane tank for months of cooking and hot water between refills 

Heating, ventilation, and cooling

  • Full insulation using Thinsulate and Dynamat for a quiet and insulated ride

  • No exposed metal surfaces, thermal barriers between all metal and the interior

  • Maxxair deluxe fan with programmable controls, temperature sensing, and remote control

  • Cruise N Comfort DC air conditioner with digital thermostat, which will run all night on batteries without a generator

  • Webasto cabin heater with programmable thermostat, runs off of the vehicle fuel tank

  • Sliding windows on each side of the bed for cooling airflow while sleeping in hot climates

  • Additional sliding windows over galley and on sliding door

  • 6” x 6” floor vent at rear of vehicle for airflow when all windows are closed, such as in stormy or unsecure conditions.  Vent is controlled with a level in the bed area.

  • Van paint is Ford’s Arctic White, which is 30% more efficient at reflecting sun than any other color

  • Magnetic awnings for rear windows to allow windows to be opened in the rain

  • Insulated, blackout window covers for all windows

  • Insulated sleeping curtain for efficient cooling in the sleeping area at night

Bathroom

  • Natures Head composting toilet. No black water tank, 3 to 6 weeks between cleanouts. Odor and trouble-free.

  • Stainless steel shower pan with FRP walls, sit down shower, easy cleaning and maintenance

  • Infinite recycling of hot water for long hot showers.

  • Sit down shower frees up interior space over a full standup bathroom

Bedroom

  • Nearly queen-size bed at 57” x 76”

  • Three layer latex mattress with Sunbrella cover

  • Ample headroom for two people to sit up in bed

  • Dual reading lights, USB and AC outlets

  • Bathroom accessible at night with the removal of a cushion

  • Overhead TV mount

  • High strength tie down points and safety harness allow for safer bed use while underway.  Still not as safe as 3 point harness with airbags, but if sleeping while underway is necessary, safety is improved.

  • Bed can be used during the day for napping by sleeping left/right instead of front/back. Helpful when someone is sick or wants to nap while keeping the rest of the van usable for cooking, working and lounging. A privacy curtain can darken the space as well.

Living room

  • Two-person bench seat with lap belts

  • Colorful, durable Sunbrella upholstery

  • Both driver and passenger seats swivel to create a four-person living space

  • 4’ x 5’ open floor space, great for dancing or just moving around while cooking.

  • Two Lagun mount bamboo hardwood tables, large and small, for dining or working. Both tables have extra mounting plates to adjust from seated to standing height

  • Built in laptop rack with nearby charging ports

  • Large sliding windows for enjoyable passenger experience while driving or hanging out

Premium Audio system

  • Pioneer AVH 4500 touchscreen stereo with support for wireless Apple CarPlay, backup camera, vehicle gauges

  • 500 W Alpine amplifier

  • JL Audio 10 inch subwoofer

  • Morel component speakers in the driving compartment

  • Rear facing Morel speaker for premium listening experience in the living room

  • Auxiliary input supports audio playback from laptops, TVs

  • SD card supports playback of lossless WMA or AFLAC files for home audio quality

  • Audio is powered by the coach batteries for extended use while parked 

Alarm and remote start

  • Viper alarm system with remote start, 4 2way key fobs

  • Proximity sensor

  • Tilt sensor

  • Shock sensor

  • Remote vehicle location, door lock, voltage monitoring via the Viper phone app 

Storage

  • More storage than any other van this size with these features.

  • 10 feet of overhead cabinets on the driver side

  • 6 feet of overhead cabinets on the passenger side

  • Large overhead cabinet over the cab

  • Two large drawers under the bench seat

  • Three large drawers under the oven

  • Huge amount of storage in the garage area which currently accommodates one full-size mountain bike, one folding bike, two-person kayak with paddles and lifejackets, two sets of backpacking gear, tools, off-road recovery gear, snorkeling gear, six person tent, picnic table, two lawn chairs, and two burner propane stove 

Electrical system

  • 600 amp hours of LifeBlue lithium iron phosphate batteries.  Bluetooth enabled BMS for detailed information on battery health. 

  • Battery heater with thermostat for charging in freezing conditions.

  • 560 W of rooftop solar, with Victron MPPT charge controller.   Extension cord for 2 100W external flexible solar panels.

  • Heavy duty 250 amp alternator for rapid recharge of the large battery bank

  • Central DC control panel for easy management of all DC loads.  Behind the hinged control panel are fuses for all loads.

  • Victron Multiplus 3000 W inverter/charger

  • Victron BMV 712 battery monitor

  • Victron BP100 to monitor and shut off DC loads when batteries are low

  • SeeLevel tank monitor – shows levels for propane, fresh, and grey water tanks.

  • Eight AC outlets in the garage area, underneath the vehicle by the sliding door, on both sides of the bed, microwave cabinet, kitchen cabinet, galley countertop, and the electronics cabinet. The galley and bath AC outlets are GFCI.

  • 5 DC and USB outlets on either side of the bed, galley countertop, electronics cabinet, and underneath the vehicle by the sliding door. USB outlets are “smart”, and a full 2.4 A per port.

  • Conduit runs for most areas of vehicle for easy maintenance and upgrades.  Two rooftop junction boxes. 

Plumbing system

  • 40 gallons fresh water for extended stays in remote areas

  • 2 stage filtration system down to .5 microns

  • 3gpm Shurflo pump with tank for smooth water flow and limited pump cycling

  • Excel on demand tankless ventless propane hot water heater.  Up to 38 hours of instant hot water on the 5.9 gallon propane tank while consuming no energy on standby.

  • 15 gallon grey water tank. Dump handle is by galley window for convenient dumping while inside or outside of the vehicle.

  • All plumbing other than grey water tank is located inside the vehicle for cold weather camping.  Grey water tank is heated in winter.

  • Fresh water fill options using onboard pump:

    • Pure pressured city water, no filter necessary

    • Dirty pressured water, run through filter first

    • Pure bottled water, no filter necessary

    • Dirty water from lakes, streams, etc, run through filter first

Internet and wi-fi

  • Electronics cabinet for central installation of vehicle connectivity solutions

  • Pepwave Max Transit Duo Neo router.  Same system used by trains and buses.  Creates an in-vehicle wi-fi network for all devices to connect to.  Connects to both Verizon and ATT networks  via MiMo antennas using unlimited data plans for throughput and redundancy. 

  • Cradlepoint 9 in 1 rooftop antenna. Maximizes existing cellular and wifi signal reception.

  • WeBoost Drive Reach cellular booster with the OTR truckers antenna on a fold down mount for marginal cellular conditions. 

Safety and maintenance

  • Audiovox rear view mirror – replaces the stock Ford mirror with a rear view camera display that is always on

  • CO2 and propane sensors in 2 locations, wired to DC system

  • Nearly seamless, durable vinyl floor with 2” rim to prevent spills and leaks from penetrating into the subfloor

  • Bed and bench seat fabricated out of steel, through bolted through floor and into walls with grade 8 hardware and large backing plates

  • Water tank through bolted through floor with large 3/16” steel backing plates and grade 8 hardware

  • Galley through bolted through floor

  • Battery bank through bolted through floor

  • All holes and cuts in sheet metal painted prior to assembly

  • Undercoating and sealant applied under vehicle to all through floor assemblies

  • All wiring and connectors are marine grade, loomed, placed in conduit and otherwise secured against chafing and corrosion.

  • All wiring is sized according to ABYC standards for load

  • All circuits, both AC and DC are fused or breakered

  • Ford OEM holes in roof have been treated for leak resistance