Gidget’s side profile with the new 245/75-R16 Tires.

Below you can see what Gidget looked like with the stock tires. Gidget is a QuadVan 4×4 and has about a 2″ inch body lift so her stance is a little different than a stock cargo van. The stock tires are crap, with no traction in snow or sand, we patiently waited for them to rack up enough miles to warrant replacing them. At 21,500 miles the tires had a tread depth of 5/32″ to 6/32″ and were getting close to their safe operating lifespan.

Gidget’s side profile with stock 235/65-R16 tires.

Stock 235/65-R16 tires on the driver’s side front wheel.

Below is what she looks like with the new 245/75-R16 tires. An increased tire diameter of 2.5″ results in a 1.25″ increase in ground clearance. Doesn’t she look good!

Testing out the new tires on a little dirt.

New 245/75-R16 Falken Wildpeak A/T3W driver’s side front tire before modifying the pinch weld or the air dam. We probably should have washed our sweet hub caps before taking the picture .

Here is a side by side size comparison of the old tire and the new tire.

Side by side comparison of our old tire size versus the new tire size. Tire on the left is the stock 235/65-R16 and the tire on the right is the 245/75-R16 size. Graphic from tiresize.com.

We went with the larger 245/75-R16 size as it’s the biggest tire that will fit on the Transit with minimal modification. The passenger side front wheel just slightly rubs the pinch weld when turning right. And when turning slightly left it hits the front bumper air dam.

With 245/75-R16 tires the passenger side front wheel just slightly rubs when turning right.

To make more room for the larger tires we took an angle grinder with a metal cutting wheel and removed about 1.5″ of the pinch weld from the back of the wheel well. We removed about 1″ from the plastic air dam at the front of the wheel well.

Parts of the pinch weld and plastic bumper we cut off to make room for the larger tires.

After cutting out some of the material we filed the sharp edges and put several coats of paint on it.

Before trimming the pinch weld the tire would rub in this position. Now we have about 1.5″ of clearance.

Before and after of the pinch weld.

It’s hard to tell but we took about 1″ off of the front bumper air dam.

No modification is required to fit 245/75-R16 in the back wheel wells.

Back wheel well with 245/75-R16 tires.

It was important for us to have a full size spare tire so we bought 5 245/75-R16 tires knowing that it wouldn’t fit in the spare tire spot under the van without some work. Turns out, if you deflate the tire to 25 PSI you can get the spare to clear the rear differential just barely. It won’t go all the way up into the proper spot but you can get it high enough.

This requires you carry an air compressor in case you actually need to use the spare.

Even though the spare is lower than stock it is still higher than the rear differential and the shock mounts.

Ratchet strap keeps the tire from hitting the rear differential and provides stability. Strap is attached to holes on the hitch assembly.

The tire just clears the rear differential. There’s about 0.75″ of clearance, hopefully that’s enough.

Another shot showing the ground clearance. Spare tire is the least of our worries. Replacing those shock mounts might be our next project.

We went with Falken Wildpeak A/T3W tires as the reviews are really good for the type of driving we do and are considerably cheaper than the BFGoodrich All-Terrain T/A KO2s. If you decide to increase the tire size like we did, keep in mind that your speedometer and odometer will be off and you’ll need to carry an air compressor with you from now on.

Once we do some significant off-road driving we will update this blog post. So far their on-road performance is great. We can’t even tell we are driving with rugged all-terrain tires.

Parts

• SPDT 12V Relay – $14
• In-Line Fuse Holder – $7
• Pigtail connector 3U2Z-14S411-JBA – $45
• Various Crimp Terminal Connectors – $17
• Electrical Tape – $8

Instructions

Most vehicles come with some type of engine on signal, I believe on the Sprinter it’s the D+ signal. The Ford Transit also comes with an engine on signal called the Vehicle Interface Connector, or C33-E, but it’s not a positive signal nor is controlled by the upfitter switches.

Vehicle Interface Connector C33-E

The Vehicle Interface Connector is available on all Transit models and provides the following signals: left turn, right turn, engine run, vehicle speed, switch illumination, and ignition. It is located under the driver’s seat near the front of the seat pedestal closer to the center console area. You must take off the front seat to get to the connector.

The Vehicle Interface Connector C33-E provides 6 signals.

Pin 3 on C33-E becomes an active ground when the engine is on but it will only sink a max of 250 mA. The signal is not active when the key is in Off (position 0), Accessories (position 1), Run but Engine Off (position 2), or Crank (position 3). But with the use of a normally open relay you can get a positive engine on signal that is controlled via an upfitter switch.

The house batteries are only charged by the vehicle electrical system when the engine is on and the upfitter switch is on.

To connect to the Vehicle Interface Connector C33-E I purchased a mating pigtail connector part number 3U2Z-14S411-JBA. Pin 3, engine on, coming out of the pigtail connector is then connected to pin 85 on the relay. Pins 86 and 30 on the relay are connected to an upfitter switch via a inline fuse. The output of the relay, pin 87, is now a positive engine on signal that can now be controlled via an upfitter switch and will always be off if the engine is off.

In a future blog article I will show how we are using this new signal to control the charging of our house electrical system.

Cover of the fifth edition of Rova Magazine

Not everyone who converts a camper van is required to ditch their 9-5s and take to the open road. There are many ways to RV and our story is just one of many. Check out the magazine at your local Barnes and Noble or subscribe to not miss an issue.

Gidget featured in ROVA magazine during a trip to Joshua Tree.

Gidget buried by snow in Mammoth Lakes, CA during the winter of 2017.

Gidget At The Beach

For reference, Gidget is a 2016 350 HD SRW Transit HR Van 148″ with the following options:

• 3.5L EcoBoost® V6 Engine
• 3.31 Limited Slip Axle
• QuadVan 4×4
• SYNC 3
• Pewter power 10 way seats
• Reverse, parking alert
• Lane keeping alert
• Dual batteries
• Trailer tow package
• PATS
• Anti-Theft
• Upfitter switches
• Running Board
• Privacy Glass

Here are the weights:

Manufactured Curb Weight: 5,226 LBS

QuadVan 4×4 Conversion: 594 LBS

Conversion Weight: 2,160 LBS

Total Weight After Conversion: 7,980 LBS

Our conversion weight of 2,160 LBS includes the weight of the water tank completely full and the van packed with all our stuff but not us humans. With both of us in the van we add another 320 LBS to the payload. With a payload of roughly 2,500 pounds we are below the 4,120 LBS specified by Ford.

Based on these calculations we could have went with the 250 version of the Transit and still had plenty of payload capacity.

For the type of adventuring we do, always on the move seeing sights, we don’t tend to set up camp in anyone spot for very long. And if we do park it for a few days, a quick deploying awning isn’t crucial.

At about $140, our DIY awning can be deployed in about 15 minutes and cost significantly less than the Fiamma option.

Parts:

• 2 to 4 Nite Ize Figure 9 Rope Tightener – Large: $16
• 100 feet of Paracord: $10.50
• Rubber Mallet with Tent Peg Remover: $5
• Tent Stakes for firm ground: $10
• Tent Stakes for sandy or loose ground: $27
• 4 carabiners: $10
• 10′ x 12′ Heavy Duty Tarp: $17
• 2 Tent Poles: $31
• 4 hose clamps if attaching to a tubular roof rack
• 4 D rings if attaching to a tubular roof rack
• Scrap pieces of rubber to protect roof rack

Instructions:

A carabiner is used to attached the tarp via a grommet to the roof rack (Aluminess). On the roof rack 4 hose clamps and small D rings, picked up from Home Depot, are used to make an attachment point for the carabiner.

By using carabiners we can quickly connect the tarp to the rack.

The tarp is attached to the roof rack with a carabiner.

From the underside of the tarp you can see the 4 connections points between the tarp and roof rack.

The other side of the tarp is help up by 2 adjustable tent poles.

Completed Awning

The tent poles are anchored to the ground using paracord guy lines, rope tensioners, and stakes. We have found that 1 guy line per pole is good enough if the wind gust never go over 10 MPH. If we’re in a windier location we will use multiple guy lines per pole. This technique means our DIY awning can withstand much higher winds than the Fiamma F45S awning. Worst that will happen is our $20 tarp will need replaced.

It’s not shown in the pictures, but we also carry stakes for loose ground like beach sand.

Cheap steel stakes will work for firm ground.

We use a rope tightener instead of knots as it’s much quicker and easier to disassemble.

A DIY awning like this is simple and can be deployed in about 10 to 15 minutes with practice. It’s affordable so if it ever breaks or needs replacing it’s not a big deal.

We may still get the Fiamma 45 S but for now we are happy with our DIY awning.

For a similar DIY awning write up check out our friends The Vanna Project. Their install covers more of the slider door opening.

When the awning is fully deployed it produces a lot of shade. But that only works for half the day or so. When the sun angle changes the awning will produces less and less shade.

The Instant Pot is numerous devices in 1. It can be used as a rice cooker, pressure cooker, slow cooker, steamer, sauté, yogurt maker, and food warmer. The mini size will make up to 6 cups (12 cups cooked) of rice at once, keep food warm for over 10 hours, and has a 24 hour delay start timer. Have I peaked your interest yet?

Instant Pot in the van kitchen. It takes up less space compared to the 2 burner camping stove.

Camp stove set up in our van kitchen. As you can see, it takes up a lot more counter space than the Instant Pot.

So what makes the Instant Pot my new favorite van cooking method? Well there are many reasons, but let’s start with ease of use. I have a stove top pressure cooker for our home that I used to love using, but it now basically a large hard boiled egg cooker. With a normal stove top pressure cooker, you need to constantly watch the cooker to make sure it is at your ideal pressure for what you are cooking. Which is a pain if your kitchen is in a cubby of your home away from say a seat and the TV. But with the Instant Pot, you just set the cooking method, set the timer, and just let it do its thing. No need to monitor the heat from a stove top or even turn the device off, when the timer finishes, it turns itself off. It will even keep food warm. In a van this is great, it means you can put everything in the cooker, then be outside enjoying the day, and come back into the van with dinner ready.

Clean up with the Instant Pot is a breeze. Instead of using numerous pots to make a dish, everything is cooked right inside the cooker. So that is one pot to clean up. And because of the way a pressure cooker cooks, you rarely have food stuck to the bottom of the pot.

The small 3 quart pot fits great inside the sink, making clean up a breeze.

The model I choose for the van was the Instant Pot Duo Mini 3 quart. The standard size is 6 qt and the large is a 8 qt. The reason I am telling you this, is because most recipes are designed for a 6 qt model, but I have only had to do slight adjustments since most of the recipes for the 6 qt don’t actually max out the pot. The mini size has successfully made enough for 1 meal and then leftovers, so 4 meals since I am cooking for 2. I have then used it to heat up the leftovers since we don’t have a microwave. Multifunction for the win!

I found this great blog post showing the difference between the 3 sizes. One of the things she did not mention was the reason the Mini Instant Pot takes longer to come up to pressure is because it is only 700 Watts compared with 1000 Watts for the 6 qt size and 1200 Watts for the 8 qt. Some people online have been complaining about this, but to me it is fine and to be expected. Spending an extra minute or 5 to get up to high pressure is no biggie in my book.

Size difference between the 3 qt, 6 qt, and 8 qt Instant Pots. Picture credit: MamaShire

We went on a week long trip over the holidays and I did not take out the propane stove top once. I cooked every meal in the Instant Pot. Now I didn’t cook every meal we ate since we were in urban areas and went out a few times, but we ate at least 1 meal a day in the van. I made chicken and rice, potato sausage soup, pasta bolognese, and okay I made chicken and rice twice, don’t judge. Water conservation in the van is always on my mind, and the Instant Pot is great at that. White rice cooks with a ratio of 1:1 instead of 2:1. Pasta cooked right in the pot, so 12 ounces of gluten free pasta only needed 1.5 cups of water and 1/2 cup of wine, instead of boiling a whole pot of water. Pressure cooking locks in steam/water/flavors/etc so nothing is lost during the cooking process which means less water.

When I bought the pressure cooker I also bought this book, The Instant Pot Electric Pressure Cooker Cookbook. There are no pictures which is always a bummer, but the book is super helpful. It has a wide range of dishes including labels to help you decide on timing of the recipes. Cooking with the pressure cooker is not always super quick, it does take about 10 minutes for the cooker to get to pressure, then cook time, then if the recipe requires slow release it can take another 10-20 minutes for that step. So labeling the time required is helpful for someone who is new to pressure cooking. I have seen numerous recipes online that say something like, “Only 5 minutes in the Instant Pot”, which is a lie. So don’t be fooled.

The Instant Pot Cookbook I purchased when I bought the mini Instant Pot.

For anyone who is wondering. We have a 2000 watt inverter, 400 amp hour battery bank, 270 watt solar panel, and can charge our batteries via the alternator while driving. We were up in the California bay in winter and had no issues running the Instant Pot with our set up.

Leave me questions or comments below if you need more help or advice.

Easily accessing surf related items from the back doors was an area that needed improvement so we added some mesh pockets to the back door.

Using panel removal tools we popped off the back driver side rear door. There are about 9 plastic push pins holding the panel to the door. If you go slow and work your way from the top to the bottom you can pop off the panel without damaging the push pins.

Rear driver door with plastic panel removed.

We then took an over the door shoe organizer and cut off 2 rows of the mesh pockets. You might be able to fit 3 rows, but then some of the mesh pockets would hang low and might interfere with closing the door depending on the organizers you purchased.

The organizer is attached to the plastic panel using #6-32 x 3/8″ machine bolts, washers, and nuts. A total of 9 bolts are holding the mesh organizer: 3 at the top, 3 in the middle, and 3 at the bottom.

Nine bolts hold the mesh pockets to the plastic panel.

The length of the bolts plus the washer is just short enough to not interfere with attaching the panel back to the van door.

Completed additional rear door storage.

We’re using the door storage to hold small surf related things such as sunscreen, wax, and fins. So far it is working out pretty good but before we do the same treatment to the passenger door we are going to make sure this solution holds up.

New storage filled up with miscellaneous surf gear.

Now, we don’t live in the van full time (yet), but I (Tricia) like to have it fully stocked with all of my skin care needs. The whole point of the van was to not have to “pack” to go on weekend getaways or weeklong trips. You can argue, why is your skincare routine any different when staying in a van? Well there are some additional things when staying in a van that you need to worry about. The number 1 item being water. Our van only has a 10 gallon water tank which goes FAST (the average American uses about 17 gallons per shower). So my skin care routine typically revolves around keeping my water consumption down. Here is how I do it, plus some other additional items I keep in my beauty bin.

(Disclaimer – All Amazon links are affiliate links and all Beautycounter links go to my consultant website. If you already have a consultant, please shop through them, if not I would be happy to have personal discussions with anyone who has additional questions regarding the products.)

1. Clarisonic face brush and Beautycounter Charcoal Bar – I can literally see everyone rolling there eyes at me on the first item. Isn’t a Clarisonic brush a luxury? But hear me out. I am prone to horrible acne. Ever since I was a kid, I easily break out. Van adventures for us usually mean lots of sun, surf, hiking, etc, which all involve lots of sunscreen. The most efficient way for me to get sunscreen, dirt, and oils out of my pores is with one of these face brushes. You just get it wet, work up a lather with the charcoal bar, and the brush does all of the work. Then splash a little water on your face and you are done. It’s the best way to get a deep down cleaning without a lot of water.
2. Dr. Bronners Peppermint Castile Soap – (This is in the yellow soap holder at the top right.) I love Dr. Bronner’s Peppermint soap when we are using our outdoor shower and when doing a wash cloth bath inside the van. I really don’t like the smell of baby wipes, not sure what it is about the fragrance, but to me they usually smell really fake. So instead I do a wash cloth wipe down using this soap when I can’t shower outside. It leaves me with a clean tingling feeling. If it is cold outside, I use my electric tea kettle to warm up some water and I feel almost as clean as if I took a full shower.
3. Beautycounter Cleansing Balm – If you have never used a cleansing balm, what are you waiting for? This cleanser is AMAZING. What makes it amazing is you can slather it on, then just use a washcloth (or when I am in the van, a paper towel) and wipe it off. A damp warm wash cloth helps it take the day away a little better, but it is not necessary. I use this stuff when we are in the desert or mountains skiing. It wipes the dirt and oil off from the day and then leaves your skin super soft. Perfect to super dry climates. This stuff also works wonders as lip balm, a hydrating night mask, makeup remover, and a chafe cream.
4. Tooth Builder Toothpaste – This toothpaste is actually fragrance free and has a very limited ingredients list. So when we do have to dump the grey water in the bushes and not down a drain, it makes me feel a little bit better.
5. Beautycounter Eye Cream – I am over 30, I need eye cream, this one seems to keep the wrinkles at bay, basically end of discussion.
6. Beautycounter Cream Exfoliator – I don’t always wash my face in the morning when we are in the van, but this is what I use when I do. It is a really gentle exfoliator that use jojoba beads instead of plastic micro-beads that are bad for the environment.
7. Ursa Major Face Wipes – These are the ultimate lazy, no water, face cleanser. I try not to use them that much, since they are over a dollar a wipe, but they work really great and have a lovely scent. They also come in real handy on backpacking trips since they are so lightweight.
8. Off Deep Woods bug wipes – I hate bug spray, especially if I can’t shower before bed, but sometimes you have to put it on. I like these wipes, because I can put some loose fitting clothes on and then apply only where needed. Like the face wipes, they are really handy to have in the van for backpacking trips.
9. Softy Sanitizing Wipes – Apparently these are no where to be found, so they must be out of business. I really liked them because they had no scent. But I will probably buy these when I run out. Having sanitizing hand wipes are a necessity in the van. I use them after going to the bathroom, after touching meat, etc since I don’t want to transfer germs in such a small space.
10. Beautycounter Sunscreen – There are 2 types of sunscreen I use regularly in the van. The first one is in stick form that I use on my face while surfing. It stays on for long surf sessions and I haven’t burned while using it, even while in Indonesia surfing for several hours a day. The second is a cream that is a great non nano zinc sunscreen that doesn’t turn you pasty white.
11. Radiance Serum – This is my 30 year old plus beauty skinsavor. This product got rid of several sun spots on my face, I am a Florida baby. My mom took us to the beach almost daily when I was a child. Obviously I love her for my love of the ocean, but when I hit 30 I noticed lots of sunspots showing up. This keeps them at bay and makes my skin glow. This is a luxury item, but I feel it is a necessary one.
12. Schmidt’s Deodorant – I used to make my own deodorant, but this one uses roughly the same ingredients and is way more convenient. Pretty sure it is cheaper at Sprout’s, but if you don’t have one near you, amazon is obviously your friend.
13. Beautycounter Volume & Shape Shampoo and Conditioner – When we are surfing a lot, I tend to not actually shampoo my hair. For one, my hair is thick and it takes a lot of water to rinse shampoo out of my hair. Two, sea water tends to dry out my hair, so I don’t really feel the need to shampoo that much. Most of the time, I just use a small amount of conditioner and rinse with as little water as possible, or leave the conditioner in and put my hair in a ponytail. Using this lightweight formula also helps if we aren’t surfing and I can go a few days with my hair looking decent.
14. Lush Dry Shampoo – This dry shampoo is amazing. It really works. But I would recommend using it outside of the van, since I haven’t figured out a way to use it without getting powder everywhere. Dry shampoo tip, use it at night before going to bed. You wake up with wonderful hair.
15. Mack’s Ear Plugs – These aren’t a beauty product, but they help you get some beauty sleep! These are the best ear plugs we have tried. They are like a putty and you can mold them to your ears. These are the only plugs that I can use and not wake up in the middle of the night with my ears killing me. They are great for urban camping or when you are at a campground. Do yourself a favor and get these for a good night’s sleep.
16. Beautycounter Face Oils – I LOVE face oils. People are afraid to put oil on their face, but I am hear to tell you, they are one of the best moisturizers you can use. Face oils mimic your own face oil, and the right combination can do everything from reduce wrinkles to brighten skin tone. These bottles are the mini travel sizes from a holiday set. I keep all 3 in the van for different weathers we could encounter. Dry, desert climate – #2. Humid, hot, beach climate – #3. Skin looking dull – #1.

Now you know my secrets for being a 30 something, sometimes van dweller. Any questions or comments, add them below. Also let me and others know your favorite products in the comments below. How to deal with day to day “normal” issues are some of the most common questions I get, so the more comments we get on this post, the better.

When we installed the folding bench seat, we were left with a large gap between the bed and the seat. This created the perfect opportunity to turn the bed parallel in the van to give us more sleeping room. Third time’s a charm, right?

The bed in the original perpendicular orientation.

After installing the folding seat we realized there was a large gap between the seat and the bed.

We removed the mattress and plywood. We had to cut new pieces of plywood for the platform in order to extend the bed.

The bed/plywood now goes all the way to the slider door opening, right behind to the folding seat.

The rear corners of the platform now follow the corners of the van.

Parallel layout compared to the original perpendicular layout.

This picture is showing off the finished bed as well as the rest of build.

So we added a Freeman Handi-Flip folding bench seat. Now Gidget has a total of 4 seats with seat belts.

We had help with the install to make sure it was safe. If you decide to install an aftermarket seat we strongly encourage you have it done professionally.

Spec sheet for the Handi-Flip bench seat.

We added some steel plates to the undercarriage of the van to provide extra reinforcement to the area the seat was to be mounted.

First we made cardboard templates.

A drill press was used to put holes in for the bolts.

Steel plates before being painted. We used thick 304L steel we picked up from a local metal supply store.

This picture was taken from underneath the van looking up through the drilled holes. After drilling holes, we sanded and painted the edges black. The steel plates fit exactly within this rectangle without much clearance.

Inside before seat was set into place and bolted.

When the seat is in the closed position it takes up 11″ by 36″ of floor space.

When the seat is in the open position it takes up 24″ by 36″ of floor space.

The van floor cross members dictated where the seat could be installed. This resulted in a 12″ gap between the seat and the bed. In the next blog post we will show what we did about it.

After installing the folding seat we realized there was a large gap between the seat and the bed.