Possibly starting a Transit build from scratch

[peteco]

Please describe what each of your 7 add-on screens monitor. Very interesting.

 

[InterBlog]

Please describe what each of your 7 add-on screens monitor. Very interesting.

Grimly, I recall that I incorporated most of them in response to specific failures that indicated a need for closer vehicle monitoring, as follows:

(1) Not visible in that crummy photo I posted above is a wireless aftermarket TPMS monitoring screen, given that the T1N Sprinter did not come with TPMS capacity. It’s solar-powered and sits on the dash above the steering wheel. I upgraded to Eurometric tires with TPMS after a freeway blow-out that almost cost me my van. To this day we still don’t know what caused the blow-out. Discount Tire stated that it was not due to physical damage such as puncture and we concurred after meticulously inspecting the tire ourselves. I had checked tire pressure manually hours before the blow-out so it wasn’t due to chronic low-pressure stress. But I figured that a TPMS would help me in the event of repeat performance. The head unit will start screaming if I begin to lose tire pressure.

(2) We incorporated a very old iPad to provide continuous OBD read-out of mechanical parameters after experiencing several years of intermittent turbo failure. It was the proverbial ghost in the machine that we eventually traced to a malfunctioning EGR valve, but that mode of failure is less common with those, as it’s more typically an “all or nothing” event, not back and forth at random times.

(3) We use a Garmin GPS as a standalone nav tool that is not dependent on cellular integration given that we travel in areas without cell signal. I love that thing because the screen quality is remarkable and because the simple voice commands work well and allow me to remain hands-free and eyes-free while driving (LOL my favorite voice command = “FIND CRACKER BARREL”). Once again, the T1N Sprinter did not come with any technology like that.

(4) Nevertheless, sometimes “regular” navigation is also a benefit (Apple, Waze, etc.) because a standalone GPS does not provide real-time traffic conditions. For that reason we retrofitted an Alpine head unit in the Sprinter’s old AM/FM single-DIN radio slot. The T1N dash was not large-screen-configurable so it’s one of those that pops out and rotates up. I don’t like it because the screen quality is too poor for me to read in many lighting conditions, but it was the best available compatible product on the market at the time we installed it.

(5) Correspondingly, I also needed full iPhone visibility, so we adapted a Ram mount on the A pillar so that I could see it at all times (I say “adapted” because a pair of powerful neodyms is needed to hold it in place). I run a small business and if one of my clients has an emergency, I need to see texts or incoming calls flashing on my screen.

(6) Several years ago, it looked like Owlcam might become the market leader in “smart” dashcams, so I invested in one of those (it was not cheap). But then the original company went bankrupt and I believe my account got deleted. Some other company bought the rights to the product but I haven’t done the investigation into whether my unit can be resurrected through a firmware update or whatever. I need to do that - it’s on my list - because it does not respond to voice commands any longer such as “OK PRESTO” which was the hands-free method of manually saving video segments.

(7) Last but not least, the old T1N Sprinter did not come with a backup camera or side cameras. My husband is a mechanical engineer and he built a system from the ground up, integrating it into the turn switch on the steering wheel so that the monitor will flip between cameras when the right or left signal is activated.

So there you have it, one **** of a lot of work to integrate the type of capacity that now mostly comes either standard or available as reasonable upgrades on vehicles that are 18 years younger than mine.

 

[peteco]

Grimly, I recall that I incorporated most of them in response to specific failures that indicated a need for closer vehicle monitoring, as follows:

(1) Not visible in that crummy photo I posted above is a wireless aftermarket TPMS monitoring screen, given that the T1N Sprinter did not come with TPMS capacity. It’s solar-powered and sits on the dash above the steering wheel. I upgraded to Eurometric tires with TPMS after a freeway blow-out that almost cost me my van. To this day we still don’t know what caused the blow-out. Discount Tire stated that it was not due to physical damage such as puncture and we concurred after meticulously inspecting the tire ourselves. I had checked tire pressure manually hours before the blow-out so it wasn’t due to chronic low-pressure stress. But I figured that a TPMS would help me in the event of repeat performance. The head unit will start screaming if I begin to lose tire pressure.

(2) We incorporated a very old iPad to provide continuous OBD read-out of mechanical parameters after experiencing several years of intermittent turbo failure. It was the proverbial ghost in the machine that we eventually traced to a malfunctioning EGR valve, but that mode of failure is less common with those, as it’s more typically an “all or nothing” event, not back and forth at random times.

(3) We use a Garmin GPS as a standalone nav tool that is not dependent on cellular integration given that we travel in areas without cell signal. I love that thing because the screen quality is remarkable and because the simple voice commands work well and allow me to remain hands-free and eyes-free while driving (LOL my favorite voice command = “FIND CRACKER BARREL”). Once again, the T1N Sprinter did not come with any technology like that.

(4) Nevertheless, sometimes “regular” navigation is also a benefit (Apple, Waze, etc.) because a standalone GPS does not provide real-time traffic conditions. For that reason we retrofitted an Alpine head unit in the Sprinter’s old AM/FM single-DIN radio slot. The T1N dash was not large-screen-configurable so it’s one of those that pops out and rotates up. I don’t like it because the screen quality is too poor for me to read in many lighting conditions, but it was the best available compatible product on the market at the time we installed it.

(5) Correspondingly, I also needed full iPhone visibility, so we adapted a Ram mount on the A pillar so that I could see it at all times (I say “adapted” because a pair of powerful neodyms is needed to hold it in place). I run a small business and if one of my clients has an emergency, I need to see texts or incoming calls flashing on my screen.

(6) Several years ago, it looked like Owlcam might become the market leader in “smart” dashcams, so I invested in one of those (it was not cheap). But then the original company went bankrupt and I believe my account got deleted. Some other company bought the rights to the product but I haven’t done the investigation into whether my unit can be resurrected through a firmware update or whatever. I need to do that - it’s on my list - because it does not respond to voice commands any longer such as “OK PRESTO” which was the hands-free method of manually saving video segments.

(7) Last but not least, the old T1N Sprinter did not come with a backup camera or side cameras. My husband is a mechanical engineer and he built a system from the ground up, integrating it into the turn switch on the steering wheel so that the monitor will flip between cameras when the right or left signal is activated.

So there you have it, one **** of a lot of work to integrate the type of capacity that now mostly comes either standard or available as reasonable upgrades on vehicles that are 18 years younger than mine.

Thanks. I have added some of those items to my 2006 Chevy Roadtrek. TPMS has given warning of a tire leak a few times. I would have had a tire failure without the warning.

 

[Steve Biegler]

If you are in the North East you can't do better than Ed Trayner at Interstate Custom Vans
Interstate Vans | Custom Van Builder

Here is our build he just completed last month
Ford Transit Land Yacht — Interstate Vans | Custom Van Builder

 

[jjrbus]

Years ago I did a bus conversion. It took way more time and money than I anticipated and I would never do it again. There are started but never finished bus conversions sitting all over the country rotting away. I am sure the same with vans is true. If I had to have a four wheel drive I would buy a decent class b van and convert it to 4 wheel drive. That said the bus was one of the best times I had in my life, met and became friends with some of the finest people on earth. I also learned many skills which I still use today.

 

[Steve Biegler]

We just took delivery in November of our fully custom 2024 Transit 350 HD Dually AWD. We chose Ed Trayner of Interstate Custom Vans to make our dream a reality. Here is our van on his website build gallery Ford Transit Land Yacht — Interstate Vans | Custom Van Builder

Here is our detailed build thread on the Ford Transit Forum
https://www.fordtransitusaforum.com...ring-van.104858/?post_id=1358769#post-1358769

 

[TravelingCOWs]

Love your van. What is the headroom at the kitchen and under the bed when raised?

 

[Steve Biegler]

Love your van. What is the headroom at the kitchen and under the bed when raised?

I am 5'10 and I have plenty of headroom in the kitchen area and about 3-4 inches when seated in the back under the bed when raised

 

[rw86]

Our existing Airstream Interstate is now *eighteen* years old (!!), and as long-time DIYers, my husband and I are on the fence as to which way to proceed on a replacement, with our research just beginning. We love our Interstate but:

(a) It’s so old now that system failures and breakdowns seem to be unavoidable no matter how much preemptive work we do, and

(b) More importantly, we have reached the conclusion that we must have AWD or 4WD going forward. It has always been dicey for me to get our rig down the old logging road that leads to the off-grid property I have in the Canadian wilderness, which is our primary vacation destination. We had to cancel our most recent trip because abnormally-heavy rains meant that none of our neighbors were able to get back there without 4WD. I only have so many travel years left in my life by this time, and I cannot be canceling trips because conditions outstrip my van’s ability to handle them.

If we go the route of building, right now we are envisioning a high-roof Transit 3500 AWD with the upgraded suspension package, either long or EXT (undecided in view of the clearance issue).

Alternatively, it is possible that we snag someone else’s good-quality build or build-in-progress because I am open to anything at this point as long as there are no dealbreakers.

A few weeks ago I came across a half-DIY-built Transit on Facebook Marketplace that the owner was selling due to an overseas job transfer. I would have bought that rig in a heartbeat except it did not have OEM AWD, and after an exhaustive discussion with Ernie at Quigley Motor Company, I concluded that a 4WD retrofit was not within reach - not for a van that had already undergone significant aftermarket DIY mods.

So my purpose with this thread is to ask you guys for any words of wisdom that you might have as we scratch our heads and begin this transition. In the past several years, I have not kept up with all of the manufacturers, the new off-the-lot options, pros and cons of various approaches, etc. What would y’all do if you were me? My husband and I do have all the DIY skills needed to pull off a whole build, plus we now have a dedicated separate van garage to potentially build it in, but what we still do NOT have yet is TIME. We are both still working - we are not retired with abundant free time - so a whole-build is not necessarily our default pathway, as much as we would love to take it on. I am not prepared to go out and spend absurd amounts of $$$$$ on something like a new ARV build, but I am open to a lot of other creative possibilities if an appropriate alternate pathway reveals itself.

Thoughts??

Thanks!

Good luck with your build! We love simple and went with the TNT Vans systems and love it! It all depends on what you're looking for. Another one we looked at is Lost Highway Customs--again, just depends on what you want, how much time and, of course, how deep into your pocket book you want to go! Have fun with the build!