First of all, I'm happy with my Truck. It's still perfectly find for me right now. I'm just thinking out loud and planning for when I'll need to replace the truck (3-5 years?) And I had an "Ah Ha!" realization on an overnight trip I just did with Jacqui. I wrote more about that in this blog
Anyway, I recently found a Ford Transit based camper van I like, and unlike Vandoit vans; the Grit Overland camper doesn't have any deal breakers. Before this, the closest van I liked was Vandoit, but the Grit Overland are darn close to what I've imagined building myself. They're selling them now, so maybe I could get a used one in a few years https://gritoverland.com
A good youtube tour video they put out, around the 9:30 minute mark is the shower setup
https://youtu.be/CGrTe4BH_Ac?si=Wy4mrouAvo-CqDt2
Pro's of the Grit van
- It's based on a high roof Ford Transit, 148" wheelbase
- i like Fords and have experience working on my old F150 and current Ranger
- there are far more Ford dealers everywhere for easier service
- no complex diesel emissions control systems like the Sprinter vans
- yes diesels last longer, but DEF, diesel, servicing cost more. A new crate gas engine swap on a Ford would still cost less overall.
- taller and wider inside than a Sprinter
- All year round camping vs my truck GFC camper, cold days and super hot
- super well insulated
- 12 volt ac dometic unit, 6,000btu's, battery can run overnight
- timberline hydronic gasoline heater and hot water, siphons off tank
- Awesome electrical system
- top of the line Lithionics battery, 4kwhr or 8kwhr, heated too.
- Super easy to replace the battery or victron components if I buy used in a few years.
- 200 amp charging from 2nd alternator, ford controlled, simple & robust, easy to service at dealer. easily can recharge after running AC all day or overnight.
- 180 watt solar minimum, can be doubled for extra $
- Inside layout
- lengthwise bed, North/South, in the back, 6'6" long. I don't fit in side to side bed layouts
- bed folds up out of the way to access the under bed garage space from inside
- no dedicated bathroom, so more open space
- shower sets up in aisle behind front seats, way more room for my shoulders
- cassette toilet stores under sink, i love my joolca gottago and can use that.
- room to store bicycles under bed inside
- loads of sitting area, driver & passenger seats swivel, and bench seat options behind the driver seat with a Laguna table
- included window covers
- Exterior stuff that's standard
- awning
- roof maxxair fan
- dometic 12v ac unit
- 180 watts solar
- side steps
- Grit Overland installed upgrades I'd want (another $30-40k, worth it)
- better suspension
- bigger tires
- steel front bumper with winch
- rock rails
- off-roading hid lights
- rear door tire carrier (driver), storage box (passenger)
- side ladder and side pole for mounting my surfski on driver side above door, not on roof
- if that won't work, then the thule hullavators, mounted driver side.
- starlink dish mount and wiring
Before discovering the Grit vans and my recent epiphany, I've been considering a Vandoit van. The only other brand with a lengthwise or North/South bed arrangement. I know there are slightly bigger vans like the Winnebago Ekkos, but I want something small enough for running errands around town, and the Ekko is kind of big. I want something i can tow a small trailer with too
Back to the Vandoit vans, they also have a more spartan, open interior, but they use 80/20 which wastes a lot of space IMHO. Still, better than the land yacht look. I want something I don't have to clean very often
The bigger red flags with Vandoit is that they use Method marine based electronics instead of Victron and Lithionics. The Method battery chemistry is lithium ion, not LFP/lifepo4 (lithium iron phosphate). LFP batteries do so much better when cold, and LFP last longer, way more charge/recharge cycles than Lithium. The Method batteries don't even have built-in internal heating either, so once they get below freezing you can't even draw power from them to run the heater to warm them up. I'd have to hope the van's heater could do it, which is doubtful. It would be a nightmare up in the
frequently cold Northeast.
Vandoit can only pull 50amps off the alternator (vs 200amps), which isn't adequate for recharging a battery bank after running the AC overnight. Running AC all night will easily use 1,000 amp hours, so do the math on how long you'd have to drive to recharge. Grit = 5 hours, Vandoit = 20 hours. Solar is too slow. Not even sure the Vandoit AC unit is 12volt. Vandoit isn't as well insulated either. To run the Vandoit AC all night (assuming it could), you'd have to go to a campsite with electric power to recharge your batteries, or figure out how to use EV charging maybe. That's a hard pass for me.
And....they cost the same! No thanks.
Slightly closer though. Missouri (Vandoit), Grit Overland (made in Washington state).
Maybe in 2027, I'll do a shop tour at Grit Overland, if things go to plan and I do a cross country bike trip next year. I'll be flying out to Washington anyway. Jacqui can tag along for that if she wants.
