Pickup day

On June 6th I drove to Phil Long’s commercial vehicle lot in Lakewood, signed more paper than I’ve signed for anything except a house, and drove home in an empty metal box.

A 2026 Ford Transit, 148-inch wheelbase, high roof, all-wheel drive, in a color Ford calls Wild Green. If you’re wondering whether the whole brand is named after the paint: yes. The van picked the palette.

What did it cost? The sticker price stays between me and the lender.

What I’m starting with

An empty shell. No windows in the back, no insulation, factory floor, work-van wiring. The photos make it look bigger than it feels once you’re standing inside it holding a tape measure.

The rough roadmap

Twelve stages, roughly in this order: demo, rust and prep, framing, insulation, electrical, solar, water, walls and ceiling, kitchen, bed and storage, exterior, roadworthy. I made badges for them. That’s a different post.

One thing I’m doing differently from most build channels: I don’t own a shop. My workshop is a makerspace membership: CNC router, laser cutters, 3D printers, and people who know more than me for less than most people’s streaming subscriptions. That’s also a different post.

Next: everyone asks why not a Sprinter.