10 comments

1. I just can’t see anything special about a build with that much money behind it. Let’s start a..”What did the rich people do with their money today?” blog.
   Sorry, just don’t see the purpose, not like they are roughing it.

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   1. I know, right?

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2. I wonder the cost of driving this around . Do they have bikes too?. I would not have that much money for su h a big van. It’s certainly nice. You’d still have to work hard at that.

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3. Seems as if the builders avoided all the expensive mistakes, like not insulating water tanks and stuff. Could use a lot more solar and ability to run AC on battery power at least for short periods, but it does have a rear SHOWER, but 20 gallons of water goes really fast. I like the bunk bed idea, and the extra seats for families or two couples.

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4. It is compact for sure, with lots of useful necessities, but does not feel like there is any room for people, pets, or anything comfortable or personal. One weekend, if there were plenty to do outside, will fill the bill for me, but nothing long term. Maybe great for a techy who does not mind sitting on a chair staring at the screen, or a traveling salesman who wants to bring his family. Just does not have a welcome ambiance about it. It is like a super great invention that no one needs. There may be someone out there who totally disagrees, and would love to have it and be willing to pay for it. Perhaps so.

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5. Nice and concise, but my gosh, the price!! You’re not going to tell me that taking out a few seats and adding two tiny cabinets with not so expensive sink and cooktop and small frig is going to up the price that much! The average cost of a Ford Transit van is $35,000. Maybe. . .and I mean maybe. . .$2000 worth of camping stuff was added, but for the price to skyrocket to $114,000? Is it still the 4th of July? That’s a pretty steep rocket.

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   1. I understand the sticker shock but some things to understand is this is in Canada, there’s more than just a currency difference and they pay quite a bit more for vehicles there than in the states (typically $5-$6K more, and that’s base price before adding optional extras and possible other fees), it’s an actual conversion with a builder that does custom conversions and this was built out to handle 4 seasons in Canada where it can get pretty cold in some parts and that’s not easy to do with a van…

      So, while the price is steep, it’s a lot more than just a van stuffed with camping gear and was done in a country with generally higher costs by a custom builder who is going to charge more than a standard model Class B van from a factory…

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6. In that case, I concede. Thank you, James.

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   1. Nothing to concede, just putting it into perspective. Definitely fair to call out the price, there’s just reasons for it in this specific case but it could very well be unjustified in other cases… Dealing with other countries can just make those considerations a bit more complicated than we may be used to, like it would also cost a few thousand to have it shipped from Canada to somewhere in the states…

      So having it done more locally, in the states, and especially in a warmer climate zone, means it could be done for a lot less and that’s something always good to know too for people shopping around for options…

      One of the reasons I always push for understanding of costs is not to make people just accept costs but rather because that also lets people figure out cheaper ways to do it rather than just look at a high price and give up… There’s almost always options and different ways of doing it once people have the knowledge to make those choices to take control of what it will cost them but also understand what it will actually take to get what they want and be able to eliminate everything they don’t from the process…

      For example, the Hydronic heating system is very nice but it also cost over $3K to purchase and can put you over $4K to have it installed to heat the interior, the plumbing, the tanks, and provide hot water as an all in one system that can also run off the vehicle fuel tank for really extended run times and easy refueling. But is something that can be overkill if you’re not going to be dealing with extreme climate zones.

      If you’re only dealing with maybe a few hours of freezing temperatures at a time, then just heat tape and a more basic furnace can suffice or just an emergency heater if you are in a mostly warm all the time climate zone… There are many costs that don’t have to apply equally to everyone to meet their needs…

      Your builds have been great examples of this as well and should inspire many people to think what can be possible rather than focus on the barriers…

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7. I think if I were going to spend that much I would have to force myself to learn how to drive a RV or a bus. But it is so much easier to drive a van

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