medium height Transit standing room

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Hybrid-000

Eat to Live Do Not Live to Eat
Joined
Jun 27, 2022
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Location
AZ
I am 5-ft 9". Will the medium height Transit allow me to stand up without bumping my head?

Do you think the LWB is essential to get enough space for 2 people (no pets)?

Can a gradual build-out be done in stages?


dBBB
 
I am 5-ft 9". Will the medium height Transit allow me to stand up without bumping my head?

The mid-roof is 6' (72") inside, so it depends on the thickness of your floor/ceiling build. Might be worth spending more on higher-R insulation for those (if desired) to get the same results with less thickness.


comparison of van interior dimensions
 
Ford lists the height of the mid roof cargo at 72" and the passenger at 67.6". I am 5'9" and can stand straight up in a cargo van with the bare metal floor. My head touches the ceiling in the passenger van, which has a finished floor and ceiling. So if you're doing a build out using the cargo van and want to be able to stand upright, take into consideration the thickness of the materials used. Be advised, the mid roof comes in 130" and 148" wheelbase, but the extended length 22' requires the high roof.

Adequate space is a function of layout, not van length. The desired amenities (eg. bathroom, seating, countertop), what you want to store (ie. will it fit in seat, overhead, "garage"), and bed (longitudinal or transverse). In Europe, there are factory built RVs built on vans as short as 18' long, the equivalent of the Promaster 118".

You will not know what works best for you until you gain experience. Rather than do a gradual build out, I suggest doing a simple, quick, cheap buildout so that you can learn what your needs and wants are. Every system (electrical, plumbing, storage, seating, bed) can be done in a simple way. Do further iterations, based on the pain points that develop as you travel.

For example, I knew that I wanted running water. My first plumbing system consisted of a 7 gal water container with a plastic hose connected to a battery powered water dispenser faucet. It was simple, quick (~10 minutes to build) and cheap (less than $50). It worked great, I used this for over a year. But I recently decided I wanted hot water. My plumbing system became more complex and expensive, now includes an electric faucet, separate water pump, and a lot more electrical power.
 
I built out a Transit 250 medium roof, LWB, but not extended length. I put some 1/2" closed cell foam in between the ribs on the floor and then sheets of 3/8" closed cell foam, 3/8" marine grade plywood and sheet vinyl for flooring. I was being conscious of insulation value vs minimum thickness.
For the ceiling I used rolls of thinsulate for the main open areas between ribs, some foil backed thinner insulation over the ribs, with 1/4" plywood strips over the ribs with some extra to screw in the cedar tongue and groove I used as ceiling material.

I am 5"10" tall. I can walk around in the interior without feeling cramped by the ceiling height, I'm usually looking down at things I'm engaged with, but when I stand fully erect I realized my head is pressing against, maybe even compressing a bit the materials in the ceiling. It's comfortable for me, with nothing to spare. I am glad I took some time to explore materials and methods to get minimal thickness with maximum r value.

With solar panels covering most of the roof, suspended about 6" above the roof on a rack, there is a bit of a shade effect, even parked in direct sun. I installed one fantastic fan up front, and a Maxx fan in the rear. With both of those going and a 12V plug in fan I've been comfortable in some pretty high temps. I haven't experienced cold temps yet to report on that.

I think you definitely want the LWB for two people. All of the extended length vans are LWB (148") but not all LWB are extended length. I like boondocking and the extended length looks like it would bottom out in a lot of situations off road or on rough roads. The LWB is quite manueverable but does have a longer turning radius and is a bit more to deal with than most vehicles. I'm mostly aware of this in parking lots but it just means a few more back and forth to get the position you want in tight spaces, quite doable.
 
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