Why these options?

 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) is how different Chevrolet and Ford are in the options. Most everything through Chevrolet is in packages - you can't just add this and that. It simplifies things a bit, but also means you are paying for things you probably wouldn't have added otherwise. Ford does have packages, but also allows you to add options individually, though some do require other options.

Back to the van build.

Options we picked and reasons -

• Color - Avalanche Gray - this was a compromise between not wanting white, but not wanting something dark that will heat up horribly. I had some concern that we'd like the color, it wasn't a color we saw out on the road, but after actually seeing the van, we really like the color. Hopefully it will be much cooler than a darker color.
• Seats - Dark gray cloth seats w/10 way power and heat - you can't get power seats AND swivel seats from the factory. We decided to go with the factory powered seats for two reasons - one, they'd be much harder to add aftermarket, and two, the Ford factory swivels require you to have the door open to swivel the seat. We'll add aftermarket swivels that will work with the wiring/motors of powered seats as well as swivel without having to open the door.
• Windows - We had two choices here - no windows (beyond cab) or non-opening windows on slider and rear doors. We went with the windows, though will probably cover them most of the time. The windows are good and bad - it's an easy way to add light, some visibility while in the van, and ventilation for open-able windows but they are also a weak spot in climate control, as well as a bit higher security risk.
• Virtual Rear View Mirror - Knowing the rear windows would probably be blocked/covered, we opted for this. Camera gives you a view of what's directly behind you, though doesn't really let you see what's coming up behind you (the side mirrors show this well enough). Jury is still out on how much I like this, but it is nice to be able to see what's directly behind the bumper without having to put the van in reverse.
• Front overhead shelf - this is above the driver/passenger seat and gives us some cubbies to store things within reach of cab area, also, the addition of this gives us something to build off of to create a larger shelf with a lot of storage space.
• Sync 4 - Includes Sirius radio, HD radio, navigation, intelligent adaptive cruise control (monitors distance between van and car in front and adjusts speed accordingly, resumes set speed when clear), 12" multifunction display, Android/Apple auto, voice controls, etc. This is also tied to some safety options we wanted.

Some of the more minor options we added with a ✔ for the ones we are happy we got -

• front wheel well liners ✔ (blocks some mud/debris from being thrown up into the engine and hopefully quietens some road noise - since we never drove without them, I can't comment on how much these help those things)
• 253 degree opening rear doors ✔ (doors swing back, parallel with the sides of the van, keeping them out of the way and less danger of wind grabbing them)
• B pillar assist handles ✔ (prob should have gone with D pillar assist handles also, though prob not necessary once we finish the build, it's nice to have something to grab when going in and out of the van, we'll probably find a way to keep the B pillar handles in the finished van)
• keyless entry pad ✔ (so we can leave keys in the van when in/on the water)
• dual batteries (no opinion yet, but have read numerous reports of phantom battery draws that can drain the battery, this should help and may also give us another source of power in the case that our main electrical system goes down)
• extended length running boards ✔ (it's a good step up without them and my knees have thanked me for these)
• cargo tie downs (D-rings) ✔ (we hope to utilize these for anchor points in our build as well as (dog) leash connection points)
• front fog lamps (no opinion yet, but expect these to be helpful when off main roads, we'll also be adding multiple other light sources for around the van)
• vehicle maintenance monitor (no opinion yet, but we wanted to be able to see as much as possible with what's going on with the van's systems)
• Aux heater prep pack (no opinion yet - but if we decide to create a coolant loop to heat water or the floor, this will make it easier)
• Aux fuel port extension (no opinion yet - purchased on the off chance we can find a gas (vs diesel) heater - this will make feeding off the gas tank easier)
• Miscellaneous - tray style floor mats, additional keys, 12V powerpoint, illuminated sun visors, dual note horn, engine block heater

Safety features we added -

• Blind spot assist
• Reverse sensing system
• Side sensing system

We've not had much opportunity to witness all of these safety features in action, but I know when I'm maneuvering the van close to things, it certainly let's me know which part of the van is getting close to hitting/touching something. There are also several standard safety systems including pre- and post-collision assist, side wind stabilization, lane assist, and forward collision warning.