Retired engineer builds transforming, off-grid, stealth campervan
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- čas přidán 31. 07. 2024
- With two years and $20,000, retired winery engineer Dave Orton turned a Ford Transit into a completely off-grid van home that sleeps two, sits four, and includes a toilet, kitchen, and indoor shower.
Adding 80/20 aluminum extrusions to a stripped-down transit van, Orton built up a kitchen unit with two fold-out tables (one indoor, one outdoor) and a bedroom/living room where all furniture can be removed to haul cargo. The toilet room converts into a shower.
Orton designed an electrical system that provides adequate power without needing shore power or a generator to keep the house battery charged.
www.ortontransit.info/
On *faircompanies: faircompanies.com/videos/reti... - Jak na to + styl
Do not live full time in the van. We have a nice house on 5 acres. Van is for traveling. Video was taken on the property.
Find it interesting that most of the negative comments are about the multipurpose shower enclosure. When you want a short van that can be parked in a normal city parking place then you have to make some compromises. That eliminates a normal shower. Hard to call what I built a shower but you can use it to get clean in an odd way. Much better than staying dirty but certainly not like a shower at home. Many concerned about the electrical on the side walls in the shower. Water simply does not get that high on the walls. The reason for washing hair when on knees and using a full flow (not spray) nozzle are to control the overspray. Almost no water gets out of the shower and onto the towel I place in front of the shower. Not for everyone but it works well for us.
Compromise & multifunction are the operative words. It is a very functional storage closet for 1425 minutes each day and a functional but not so comfortable shower for 10 minutes per day and a convenient toilet for 5 minutes a day. When you are sweaty and dirty and feeling gross, a not so comfortable 10 minute shower insures many hours of comfortable existence until you get dirty/sweaty/gross again. If you are squeamish and/or a germaphobe the system is not for you...actually camping in a van is not for you. Your limiting sensitivities buy you all sorts of inconveniences like driving 30 minutes or an hour or ??? to find a land based toilet or shower where who knows who last sat on it or bathed in it and what did they leave behind that has now been transferred to you?...now that's gross. So remember to bring your cleaning kit to sanitize that public toilet and shower before you use it and enjoy the drive back to your campsite.
Pat, I think you have a brilliant set up.
Extremely impressive build! Those that comment negatively do not understand the purpose or the genius that went into this creation. I have wanting to do something like this for creating a mobile office/work shop. Having the ability to use it also for multi-day excursions would be a serendipitous extension.
Thank you for sharing this!
I agree, maybe not for everyone..... In my opinion, it would be way easier to simply heat up a pot of warm. Use a washcloth and some soap. This is how I get clean on road trips and camping.
Great build! I enjoyed the tour.
Pat. You're gonna get negative comments even if you built it out of solid gold. What you've done here is pretty much the definition of genius. Great build.
I am the current owner of Dave's former 2008 144 Sprinter.
I felt some initial reluctance when I committed to purchasing a home-built van, but that reluctance was rapidly put to rest when I realized how many years of his life Dave put in to designing as much function in to a limited space as possible.
Through disassembly and reverse engineering of nearly every major part of the van to make upgrades, I have continued to be impressed by Dave's pragmatic decisions and his straightforward construction methods. The elegant simplicity of his design choices make servicing the major components and making modifications painless. I have improved all the areas Dave was not personally happy with, and I look forward to continuing to enjoy it for years to come.
I am very grateful you took the time to meet with Dave and tell a bit of his story. Thank you.
If you need any of the Cad drawings or other information just use the web site (ortontransit.info) email. I assume you got the large amount of files for the build. Be glad to help.
Your a good guy and you did a great job on +he van thanks for sharing your baby.
You've done a fantastic job Dave! 👍 You thought of everything. Hope to see more...
Sir, you obviously bought something ready to go anywhere...... Starting from scratch is sometimes a bit daunting.......I wish you many many years of fun .
Do you live in IF? I swear I've seen this van before lol
Finally a build which is not about just the heavy wood decorations and fancy design but practicallity. Thanks for the video, This vechicle is about camping, not insta photoshoot.
I have to say, I love listening to people who know what they're talking about, and who speak concisely. Thank you so much for this. It gives me a lot of great ideas.
"You keep asking questions and you keep on reading and some of he things start making sense to you" Man, that statement is so profound and useful in my own growth...Bravo sir...Bravo.
Dave is a mainstay of the Sprinter forum (even though he is now a Transit owner) and has contributed tons of ideas and help to others. A top notch dude, even if your needs are different than his.
That forum is where?
Cool
he's on the transit forum too! many thanks dave...
where can we meet him
I've watched a bunch of these videos. This is the best stealth camper I've ever seen.
I agree, love the aluminum framing work and not having cabinet doors all over.
You can still see fan and solar panels clearly
I agree
I was going to say the same thing!
Him being an ex engineer, that's what I expected
"You keep asking questions, and you keep reading, and finally some of those things start making sense to you"
Life advice by Dave Orton
once i saw retired engineer i knew it would be good
exactly! can't imagine a world without engineers!
@@Osiwan960 I deal with them daily at work. Sending us designs that don't work. Why? They've never even seen the equipment we work on. So I usually end up sending them changes to their work which pisses them off cause they are smarter than us in their eyes. Then when they find out us high school educated guys are getting paid more than them they really hate us. I love it!
@@freighter109ha4 LoL....obviously, there are azzholes in every field...but yeah it takes a whole team to make a machine work, engineers may have good ideas but it takes someone great with their hands/materials to make it a reality. my hat's off to you sir!
@@freighter109ha4 And yet, when we need somebody to build a bridge we don't go to guys with high school education. You sound like a typical smartass.
@@corb5654 Sure ya do. They're the ones out there building the damn bridge. They're the ones out there building things. Not the other way around. At least in every job I've ever worked that is how things went.
Dave is a legend. I have had the pleasure of meeting Dave on several occasions and he is one that loves to share his time and abilities with others. His first van helped inspire my current one. Great video.
In a tribute to life seeming to always go full circle... I own Dave's 2008 Sprinter now, and I watch your videos to help make modifications and changes to it :)
AND he has a PBR if the fridge!
@@ChadLowers Nice! Richard appeared to have done some nice modifications to it as well.
@@Madmun357 - PBR in the fridge? Yes. Someone should send him a case of Blue Moon.
@@logmeindangit Ha, ha, ha! I agree. Blue Moon is the best. But then I am part Belgian!
You can tell he has the experience, background and took a ton of time to think this thing through. Great ideas in his build! All the way down to the electrical. I love that he points out the issue most ppl overlook. In a multi battery setup, you MUST have the same batteries across the board and you NEED a charge controller to balance the batteries. OR at least run a disconnect to charge the batteries separately. It can get quite costly if this is not done right.
I’ve seen literally hundreds of builds and this by far is the most sensible design that’s clearly thinking out of the box. Wow!! Thank you for sharing and much respect!
Thank you for finding this man and showcasing his stealth van its simply stunnning and amazing. He is a genius. I want one.
This guy is really smart, and he was brave enough to make some unconventional, but very practical move. Like the stove. Or the curtain system. The multi function ideas. Great guy :)
Like put the Electrics in the shower. Not very smart if you ask me.
Incredible conversion!! This is the most carefully planned and executed conversion I have ever seen. Great job, Dave!
"engineer" a key word for a great build! There's no youtube vanlife BS in this build - is as practical as it can be :)
Is a retired structural engineer with a degree in architecture I can assure you that you don’t have to sacrifice aesthetics for function.
@@GOLDVIOLINbowofdeath hey im 18 no education looking into vanlife myself and i agree to a extent depending on what your doing
i think it applies to other aspects of life not everything practical has to be ugly sometimes beauty comes from a perfect design that was built from practicality
Great and thought out non technical ideas in use. I love everything about this van. Mine is very similar. The thing most people don't get is that, when you're out, you're staying young. I love keeping it basic. It makes it nice to come home.
Terrific ideas! I love how differently, this gentleman innovates his van. Thank you, Kirsten!
@valleywoodworker whatever that's supposed to mean..?..... We're all not you.
I watched this video 6 months ago and revisited it again today. It’s just as fresh and informative as the first time.
My own life of living in my unconverted work van for the last 6 months has been an education in itself and the reason for rewatching this video was to draw inspiration for converting my new van (when it’s finally delivered). Having watched so many videos and read article after article, this modular approach is about as close to how I will be when building my interior.
Stealth is vitally important to me, as is allowing the use as a work van.
I’d like to thank you for the video and pass on my admiration to Dave for revealing his thought process, his calmness and his honesty, which is all too overlooked in this modern world.
I have never seen a better van conversion than this one. This guy is a genius! Well done indeed!
I like it too. He has really done the work to figure it out.
Thank you Kirsten! Your channel is one of the most addictive and satisfying to watch. When your videos end, I keep wishing there was more. Best!
Me too. More More ha ha
wish she would make vids more often lol or point us to similar youtube channels
Y'all can always go back to the beginning. She's got hundreds of videos!
@@ryefry I know I started with her First documentary about the Tiny House People. I so like the way she does her videos.
Wise old mans teaching is blowing away younglings!
You can tell he put a awful lot of thought into every detail and it shows. He did an incredible job.
@valleywoodworker ......Sir, you are obviously some expert on building other people's weekend getaway vehicle's........That being said, I don't believe that you actually converted and own your own self-made campervan.
@valleywoodworker Not really, it was a labor of love for him, and those are the things he wanted it to be, to have. It covers aboout all the bases, with versatility and simplicity of use, while making the most of the limited space.
When I first saw this was going to be 30 minutes I thought I would be hitting the forward button to get to good content but this is possibly the richest van video I have ever seen!
His designs are brilliant. So many innovations that are ideal for stealth parking. I also loved the adaptable interior framing. Thoroughly enjoyed this tour.
If they’re brilliant then he should be taking out patents
I'm amazed! I've seen quite a few of these campervan conversions and this guy's ideas are so fresh. I also love his perspective - that he came into this with "his eyes open" not needing to do things like other people had done.
Impressive design. I'm an engineer and in the middle of building my adventure camper conversion van. This guy had lots of great ideas that made re-think some of my strategy, especially the stuff that he learned from his earlier build.
Kirsten, great channel. I have seen several of your videos. Always of high caliber. Now a subscriber.
Lovely build Sir - I am an ex Royal Air Force aircraft engineer and i am on my third camper build. My last 2 attempts were 'usable' but not nice! So now for my last build (Im geting too old for this now) I bought a lovely base vehicle a VW Transporter high roof and it will be built to aircraft standards and luxury. I will be living in it as I will soon be homeless and I have nowhere to park up to complete the build after that, I will lose the use of the driveway I have been using and my rented room. So i shall be living in it an building AROUND myself. Im fitting solar systems and utilising every INCH of space under the van and inside. I will have a small shower/toilet in back. I already have 2 business jet seats I am fitting into aircraft seat track. Lets face it these are built to survive an air crash so stronger than bus seats!👍👏👏👏
My 20th time watching this. I've seen a lot in 4 years and this is still the gold standard for camping or stealth van lifing. Thanks for sharing Kirsten and Pat!
Brilliant van build! So many simple and clever ideas... thanks for sharing Dave!
Hanging the black-out curtain further back in the van made a lot of sense. It draws less attention and you really only need a small nook to sleep in.
Installing an industrial caged door to the cockpit would completely cover the cargo area, and make it look like an industrial cargo van
@@04dram04 I have always thought that was what I would do also, but this particular van does not really look industrial to me. It might even draw more attention to it. I think it would have complicated the build unnecessarily. It looks like a passenger van. Maybe I am wrong. I still like the idea of those caged doors, though.
One thing I do wonder about: what about the issue of human breath steaming up the windows from the inside?
@@IHateCZcamsHandles615 You can tell from the inlet and outlet how the air flows. Virtually none of their breath will find its way into the cab.
This build is a MASTERPIECE!! The world needs more people like Dave Orton! Absolutely brilliant ... and a lovely guy too. The perfect build for me. Great video. Thank you Dave.
It's far from a masterpiece, the shower is one of the worst implementations I've seen on a van build.
@@flybeep1661 in particular, electrical appliances in the shower cabin that are not even tight - a few drops and this may be the last bath. Poor performance, inaccurate and anyhow.
@@flybeep1661 Actually the shower and shelving are excellent ideas. Since he has the long hose, he should just turn around and use the sink to wash his hair in. I often wash my hair in the sink.
This is the most logical person I have ever seen. Everything is placed logically.
Ingenious. Inventive. Amazing. I absolutely love this. I love the practical functionality and how he improved on what he didn't like in his first build. Many things I haven't seen in other van conversions and many ideas to learn from. Refreshing. Thank you for sharing! God bless you :)
Wow! Dave did a fantastic job with his van. He put a lot of thought and TLC into everything. Very, very nice.
Wow, the bed on the wall that resting on the table for sleep is brilliant!
It is perfect, when you fold it to the side, unscrew the table and you have a lot of space to transport things.
The hole in the bottom for ventilation as well as the heating system is awesome.
And hanging the curtain far back into the van make it more stealth.
Absolutely nice ideas.
Floor ventilation is so obvious now that he said it! Air is cooler under there. Brilliant.
This gentleman had some great ideas. I really like the use of aluminum extrusions. Spendy, but very functional. The Thinsulate drapes - very nice!
Kirsten - this is why I like your channel so much. You explore so many great ideas that serve to spark other ideas, if one has an open mind and a little creative spirit. Your work is invaluable. Thank you SO much.
Wow! I have watched a ton of van conversion videos and this is one of the most interesting. I think his design is a bit overdone as is, but I can see anyone being able to take the best of his ideas (hidden plug, hidden tank fillup, hidden solar, the 8-/20 connectors) and incorporating them into a less labor intensive conversion. Meaning, you don't have to reinvent the van to take a shower or use the bathroom. This is going to become one of those videos everyone watches before they do their first (or next!) conversion.
I agree, Rachel. I took copious notes. If and when I get another rig, I am going to use some of his ideas. Hopefully my electrician brother and mechanical engineer son will be able to advise. I think it's genius to multiply shower uses! Haven't you ever looked at your bathtub and thought about building a bench seat over it? My dad designed and built towel storage over the one in the house I grew up in. It was minuscule bathroom for family of 6!
Very very nice. This is what intelligence, experience, and wisdom gets you. Simple, perfectly designed for a specific purpose, and neat and clean. Impressive build!
Dave has been a source of inspiration and knowledge for our own build. Thank you Dave and thank you Kirsten for the great video! It’s wonderful to see Dave giving a tour of his creation.
This is still the best van tour ive seen. The audio is amazing. The editing is damn good. On top of all that...this is probably the best van build ive seen. Great job Kirsten.
Awesome van... But OMG, what a BEAUTIFUL STORY! Dave is a really interesting, creative and focused dude. Beautifully captured! Well done Kirsten!
I really like a lot of his concepts.
The 80/20 slotted aluminum idea is great. It means he can play around with designs, like Lego, and change his layout if he's not happy with it.
Simply having a heated blanket for sleeping is another great idea, for most environments. I used to used one in an apartment to significantly reduce heating costs.
It's crazy how little tolerance, or spacing, he has between his head and that upper shelving, but it works so well!
Like a little Lego.
@@williamstewart7399 like a life sized Lego!
There should not be a need for a heated sleeping pad if you use the proper camping accessories: insulated sleeping pad underneath and properly selected sleeping bag.
The design of this van conversion is brilliant. It is by far my favorite. Thank you for sharing this wonderful build!
That is one of the best conversions I've seen. Love the lower vent, the framework, the bed/table ...fabulous
The flipping panels for the bed is a great idea:-)
I was given the same set up about three years ago. I still use it today. It works really well for me as I often go off fishing by myself so I only need one small bed but need storage space for the fishing tackle.. I also use the heating pad set up..... Works for me.
Yeah, he said he didn't think anyone else did that. But I've seen it done by others, too. : )
@@nojnoj3069 - so, the heating pad setup - 120VAC, or 12VDC? And does it cover the area of a sleeping bag?
@@logmeindangit , I imagine it's only necessary at the foot area. If my feet are warm, I'm usually able to sleep if it's still cold in the room.
As soon as he said "Navy shower" I knew he was an alright guy!!!
Vs. "navel" shower? Well it wasn't a "waist" of time. Okay I'm all no half wet. Great video
As soon as I saw the pabst blue ribbon in the fridge 😆
I have watched what seems like 100's of van conversion videos and van walkthroughs and van how-to's and I was getting very jaded by the experience. There are a lot of very pretty, "5 star" vans, out there. But to me most don't appear to be designed with function and practicality in mind. This video came like a breath of fresh air. This combination of stealth and practicality is exactly what I had in mind for my own build and I have taken on board many of your ideas. Thank you. BTW I am in Australia, retired and also have an engineering background and want a van for travel not as a home.
Dave, your build is brilliant. You said it took you 2 or 3 years of your life. I see it as 2 or 3 years of fun. Most people don't get how much joy you can get from making something special for yourself. Enjoy your new toy.
Thanks it is great that you find people who are doing different adaptation in vehicle use. As with this young man setting up the shower in side. The way he allowed for being able to still use the van for moving things. Hiding his solar still on the top but not as easily seen. The info about the battery charging. Everyone has a little of there own take on what works for them. Like he said see what works for you and use it.
80 years old but still active.
@@patorton7045 That was my Nana she kept going until she passed. My Mom and Dad kept going until mom passed. My Dad drove back east from AZ to NY and stopped to visit along the way. I have a first Grand baby so I slowed down to babysit. lol I think we should all keep going as much as our health allows and maybe a little more. Oh I forgot to say Good for You keep Going.
Compact living. Shows us how much space one really needs. He
has everything in this van. Shower,
toilet, bed and kitchen. Very ingenious. Thanks for this Kirsten.
Kirsten! Thank you,, thank you for every thing you are doing! You are an extraordinary artist! Please never stop what you are doing! Thank you,
Mr. Orton you did a great job. I love how the bed is made. Great idea. Thank you for showing your Van.
The creativity & applied know-how of this amazing man is absolutely incredible. Bravo !
watch her other video's as well - she interjects only as required and she always interviews interesting people and things - this guy is intelligent and interesting - excellent video
😎👍 Absolutely love the video! This guy has obviously made a lot of mistakes/modifications along the way and is kind enough to share his craft with us. The extruded aluminum is a wonderful idea and can be modified for your personal need.
Bravo, sir - nice work!
Thanks for sharing. The presenter/builder/owner has very good vision of how to use items more efficiency and effectively. LOVE it.
This man's design is very impressive - you can really tell that he's thought about everything. As others have said, it's quite sad that there are laws against sleeping in your car. Good on him for getting a nice way around that and being able to stay comfortable. Genius!
Beautiful part of the country! Great ideas: my favorite was the simplest, which was the floor vent. What a great idea to cool the inside down quickly!
Fellow engineer. Not ever likely to own a camper van but massively impressed by the practical thinking and the development engineering from Sprinter to Transit.
Well done; wish you a long life to enjoy it all.
This is the best van build I've ever seen, amazing job Dave!
YES! I often theorized about having such a floor vent, and here is a guy who did it! I love this RV van, it would be perfect for me. GREAT JOB!
Thanks guys great job on the van real professional work .definitely a reference guide for me .well taught out super stealth in and out .
Awesome Van build. Thanks for the share. I’m 2yrs into my own stealth build. Many great ideas in this clip. I particularly liked the natural floor vent.
This is one of the best thought-out conversions I've seen. I am about to retire and will move into a self-built van fulltime then.
I was entertaining the same cupboard idea without the doors, just with clear boxes (and lids) to see what's inside.
The aluminum rails make for a neat system, as do the stainless components.
Considering the stealth idea to be the foremost motivation - the result is exceptional.
Very nice, Dave (and well explained)!
Best regards from Germany.
This is one of the best van conversion videos I've ever seen. Anyone thinking about a van build should watch this video and copy some of these ideas. Brilliant engineering and really well done on the camera work, audio and editing. High five.
Great planning, forethought and build.😊. Thanks for sharing.😊
i dont have a van or live in a vehicle and likely never will. But I certainly did enjoy seeing a man able to apply a lifetime of experiences and his God-given wits to a full spread of problems and turn them into something amazing. Well done, sir. Enjoy!
Lots of good thoughts and designs put into this build! This is by far the best one.
The framework building tips are awesome. Thank you! Understanding how those pieces fit together will really help many make custom builds instead of paying alot of these new startups 100k for something that should only cost 10k
Hi, would you know, how he attached the 80/20 to the floor? The video shows the polyiso, than fiberglass and gymmat. The 80/20 should not be screwed onto the floor?
I have seen a fair share of van builds but the halfbed-upfold Idea I think actually is new/yours! And I really do like it, awesome use of space. Also, having an option to have one person sleeping in bed, 2nd sitting at the table is really nice... good work! (I am an engineer myself so I might not be objective ;-))
Michael Seemann The double side rack idea is old. Boats have used it for decades & I’ve seen it in other diy vans.
Brilliant piece of engineering. I'm amazed by the functionality of this build and by the awesome speaker Dave is. No bullshit, straight to the point. Also, the electrical system is pure genius. Congratulations.
Thanks. Hopefully the video and web site will be helpful to others.
Dave and Pat, you are amazing in what you have achieved. Thank you Kirsten!
He wasted not one word great speaker.
Exactly not like other youtuber's who believe they need to be funny or spend so much unneeded dialog on spewing B.S. I need the Baby not the labor! No stupid music.
I have 100 other videos to watch! I'll watch your content if you stop spewing bullshit! Otherwise you will become irrelevant quickly.
@@johnwayne2103 Does your name refer to the great American icon?
Very clever sir.
He is an engineer....that's how they roll.
that comes with age and maturity
This is amazingly complex and simple at the same time. Great build!
I really like the system you devised with the flip down wall for the bed to table area conversion. Thank you for sharing the information about the aluminum extrusion material.
About two minutes in he shows a swivel seat he built. Which is crazy in itself.... Then re-tracts and says he should have bought one already made. A true pragmatic engineer. We need more humans like him! Thanks for being awesome Dave.
love this guys energy, and thought process.
I thought he said he was using "AV 20" lol; actually, it's 80/20 T-slot aluminum bars, that have channels used to connect other bars and parts. This is so helpful to know. I'm modifying an old travel trailer for use as my man-cave; now that I'm aware of this product, my project has become easier. Kristen, thanks for all your posts. I look forward to each video.
Great to see such an open minded and pragmatic approach. Fantastic result and also a gentleman.
Can tell this guy is an engineer. Attention to detail and ideas is the best I've ever seen.
Nice build! Some great tips! Definitely some different and smart ideas for stealth camping. Only thing I don't care for is shower set up. To each his own. 😉Thanks for the interview.😊
The folding/expanding bed/table is so clever!!
Hat off to you. Any neg raving is from those who want but don't, yet your the one who's out there enjoying the outdoors and living life. Well done, love it. :)
This is the best, most intelligent DIY large van conversion I have ever seen. In a word, "elegant."
The bed system is fantastic!
And the floor vent as well...super idea!
I use a similar electrical system as he does...except the battery is on constant...and auto-recharged whenever solar or shore is connected.
I also use a lot of 12VDC appliances so I do not lose efficiency by having to invert the power to 120VAC first.
Great design ideas. Very innovative. I gotta learn more about that 80/20 extruded aluminum. Really versatile stuff.
This man is a legend! He has so much knowledge in this field and some great Ideas too! Truly amazing job with the Van Build! :)
The most enjoyable 30 minutes of watching CZcams videos. Thanks a million everyone..
Finally a video that isn't an AirB&B! And what a great project, this guy knows what he is talking about.
It's a living example of the old software engineering adage 'Plan to throw one away'. Build a Sprinter van; it's gonna suck; THEN you can build an awesome Transit van.
Starting my first Sprinter and counting on making mistakes.
Great video! I have been van camping in unmodified vans for a few years. I have been contemplating doing a van like yours. You have given me some great ideas.!
What a fantastic build hats off to the guy no space is wasted and just how he likes it
that's an amazing van design, thanks for all the detailing and information!! really intelligent design, thanks!!!
That was my opinion too. I actually have the same set up for the shower/toilet/stash place/everything else. I also have the same bed set up.
We need more this kind of mind and brain in our society.👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
Thanks Pat for the additional info on the centrifugal pump
Ive gotten rid of the noisy diaphragm pump and installed a nice and quiet centrifugal pump. So much better!
Great build, I picked up a multitude of great ideas :) Thanks for the share !!!!
great job with the van, it's good to see fresh ideas
Very well thought out design. Great job, sir
This Van "Creation" is exactly the thing i've been looking for from hundreds of videos......NICE to Finally get the Info !
One of the smartest most efficient and also economical builds out there. 👌🏼