Van Gogh · Ford Transit 148

The Story

Van Gogh is one of our favourite Transits to look back on. The lower cabinets run dark and moody, the uppers are white, and hardwood countertops tie the two together, so the whole interior reads more like a small cabin than a vehicle. A Lagun table swings out for rainy-day card games, the bench seating doubles as storage, and Broad Arrow windows with bug screens keep the air moving without letting anything in. If you have spent a July evening anywhere in Saskatchewan, you know that last part is not optional.

The systems package is what lets this van sit still for days at a time. A 400Ah bank of Pylontech heated lithium batteries feeds a Victron MultiPlus 3000W inverter, with 335W of solar on the roof and DC-DC alternator charging topping things up on driving days. A Victron Cerbo touchscreen puts the whole system on one display, so checking your power state takes about as long as checking the time. Hot water comes from an Isotherm Spa water heater drawing on a 35 gallon fresh tank, heat from a Webasto gasoline air heater, and an off-grid air conditioner covers the other end of the thermometer.

The part most people never notice is underneath. Van Gogh runs a Van Compass rear 5 leaf mini spring pack with Falcon 3.3 SP2 fast adjust rear shocks and SumoSprings, a suspension package that stays composed on washboard gravel that would have a stock Transit rattling the dishes out of the galley. Up top, a Flatline Vanco roof rack carries the solar and a Fiamma awning rolls out at camp. None of it photographs well, but you feel the difference on every rough road between here and wherever you are headed.