Building Bumble

  We've watched a TON of YouTube van build videos since we've started this plan - maybe all of them. There are some really well done van build video series out there and I'd be happy to share some of these with anyone who is interested. One thing to note on these van build blogs and videos - they all show the build out, but mostly not what happens or how it's held up a few thousand miles down the road. There is no real "code" to build these vans out like you'll find for houses, though some do try to adhere to American Boat and Yacht Council (ABYC) codes for building out electrical systems. Beyond (and even including) that, everything is an argument - which van, which insulation, what brands to use, how to build your floor - your ceiling - your bed...with what seems like a lot of "because I saw someone else do it". Another thing we see often is people trying to build their van out like you would a house. We are trying to keep in mind that th...

  Time to get started turning this thing from a metal box to a home on wheels! Unfortunately, the first thing we thought we'd do to start the build has been bumped down the list a few spots. Mostly because of the weather (we need warmer temps for adhesives and such to set and cure) but there's probably a bit of a "nerve" factor that's in there too. The first thing we planned to do was install a fan and two bunk windows. Which means cutting holes in our van. In our brand new van. In our not cheap, brand new van. It's too bad it's too cold for some of the adhesives to cure. Luckily, we have lots of other things to do. We decided to knock an easy one out to get started - adding swivel seats to our driver and passenger seats. As mentioned in our order details, we opted for power seats, which removed the option for factory swivels. We weren't heartbroken over this though, as the Ford swivels mean having to open the door to swivel the seats. This s...

  I don't know how many people know this about me, but I LOVE options. I like to know my options and I like to keep them open. Which is the subject of a bit of ridicule from people over the years. I wouldn't say I have a fear of commitment. Some might. But I don't. Not really. I mean. No. Yeah, I can commit to that. Having said that, there are a LOT of options on a cargo van. Who knew? Somewhat unrelated side note: Last summer, coming back from Hilton Head, we totaled our Chevy Colorado. I won't bore you with the whole story, contrary to my reputation. As it was, we were ok, the truck was not, and having a sister like Anna (and brother in law like Matt, and ...in-law-inlaws? like the Hovekamps) is never something to take for granted. End result, we are not only buying a van during the worst time in our lives to buy a new vehicle, but we are also buying ANOTHER vehicle to replace our Colorado. What's interesting though (and the point to this side note)...

  We've had a lot of people who are interested in what we're going to do with this van and have wanted to know more and watch it progress. I've also benefitted greatly from reading other blogs and watching video series dedicated to van conversions. And while I do have an extroverted side, Covid empowered my inner introvert to previously unseen levels of power, which means doing something like a video series has been taken off the table. Also, good videos take an insane amount of time and effort. So, blog it is. Because this will also be a tool to help us remember* what we've done and why, and hopefully help us think through how each step affects the next steps, I'm sure there will be parts of this that won't interest a lot of people. To be honest, I'm not sure many people will care about most of it, but I'm finding it helpful so far. Some of the details will be geared towards the kind of thing I looked for when we were just starting to plan our bui...

  We flew out to Kansas City, MO to pick up our van at the end of January. We ordered our van through a dealer that's just a few miles from the Transit plant. We had multiple reasons for doing this, one of which revolved around Ed Bowers and the history he and the dealership have of getting a high number of allocations regarding Transit vans. Between Ed, Rusty, Kayla, and Roscoe at Crossley, we couldn't have asked for a better experience. I'd 100% do it again despite having to fly out and drive the van back. After the quickest vehicle purchase we've ever made (aside from the 13-14 month wait, of course), we got the rundown of every button and feature of the van and headed back east. We could have had the van shipped or driven to us, but that's not typically how we roll. First impression - this thing is H U G E - but oddly easy to drive. Well, not for the first hour or two - this thing is a cargo van, and built to be loaded up - with no weight, we could really ...

We had no idea how many options we'd have to wade through to build out what we wanted in our van. We ordered a Build Order Buyer (BOB) book from Ed, and once BOB arrived, we studied pages and pages of details, options, packages, tiers of add-ons that required (or voided) other add-ons, etc. As a base, we decided on an AWD, Eco-Boost, T-350 Transit Cargo Van with Extended Length and High Roof. This gave us the largest hauling and interior space we could get without going to dual rear wheels. Our reasoning - AWD - we plan on getting out and off paved roads from time to time and want the traction. Ford doesn't offer 4 wheel drive on the Transit. 3.5L EcoBoost V6 - this was a bit of a gamble, as I know there are people who swear by it and others who swear at it. We wanted a little extra oomph when on the highways, merging, and in the mountains. We'll have to update later if this was a good choice. T-350 allows us 9500lb GVWR (weight of the van and what we add) and hea...