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**For Video Tour copy/paste link below:
https://youtu.be/EpqPHaQsNnI
LOCATION: I am posting this in Portland but I am selling the van from Bend.
==STORY
From conception to completion, and two and a half years in the making, Zen Van is the product of one detail-obsessed artist, (with occasional help from his friends), a vision for a road-home as cozy as can be, and a nomadic journey that did not disappoint.
I called this van home for the duration of its build, from rainy Seattle to sunny Southern California to the majestic mountains of Southern Oregon, I have slowly refined and implemented my vision for this craft…and I’d like to think I’ve taken a little bit (or a lot of bit!) of magic from everywhere I’ve cut a board or painted an edge or connected a fitting.
This van brought me serendipitously to a 160 acre sprawl in Southern Oregon- where I completed the build- that was formerly a Buddhist monastery where monks would spend years in silent retreat. (Replete with a 30 foot Buddha statue in the woods!) This property is now transitioning to a Taoist retreat center for which I decided to stay and support some of the infrastructure building while completing the van, often collecting useable remnants of materials from the retreat center to utilize for my van build. As such, the burgeoning story of this magical place also found its way into the cabinet doors and edge trimming of Zen Van. But what I was most excited about was where I was able to weave into Zen Van a little bit of the good juju those Buddhist monks spent decades cultivating.
One day as I was preparing to start work on the bench seat (and in the planning stages for the design and materials I would use), I was asked if I had any use for this old dining table that had been in one of the dwelling units. I was immediately captivated by the rich texture and deep, smooth grooves of the table’s eating surface, and the story this old relic had to tell. I didn’t want it to get thrown away, so I gave it a second life in the van! Zen Van’s bench back is made from the reclaimed slats of this very well-loved dining table that I imagine the Buddhist monks must have used for many, many years based on the deep, smooth and uneven wear patterns. Now every cup of tea, every meal mindfully eaten at this table for decades has become a part of my story and a that of whoever inhabits this van next!
97k miles is adolescence for a diesel engine, and Zen Van has so many more stories to tell. I’ve just gotten her warmed up for you.
== VAN SPECS
⚙️ UNDER THE HOOD
⦿ 3.0L EcoDiesel I4 ECO-DIESEL TURBO. (diesel engines run on average 3-5x longer than gas engines if you didn't already know, that was news to me. :)
✓ MILEAGE: 98k
✓ VIN: 3C6TRVDDXFE511803
✓ CONDITION: EXCELLENT
🚐 BODY
-Rust-Free. Ram is the only cargo van manufacturer that uses galvanized metal for their chassis and body, which- unlike typical metal- does not rust.
🔧 MAINTENANCE
(Dealer Maintained)
⦿ New breaks within the last 3k miles. (80%)
⦿ New tires within the last 3k miles. (85%)
⦿ New K&N air filter (will last 50k miles)
⦿ New fuel system in the last 1.5k miles (Fuel Pump, Injector Pump, Control Unit)
✅ COMFORT
⦿ Backup camera and rear parking sensors (very nice to have when driving a big van around town!)
⦿ Bluetooth stereo and USB connect
⦿ Cruise control
⦿ Tow package
⛽️ PERFORMANCE
⦿ Great fuel efficiency! 26-29 MPG. ProMaster eco-diesel turbo is best in it’s class!
== BUILDOUT
🪵 MATERIALS
• Baltic Birch 3/4” plywood (cabinetry)
• Bamboo (door inlays, trim, cabinet interior)
• Reclaimed Cedar plank (doors)
• Douglas Fir (ceiling, structural)
☃️ 5-LAYER INSULATION
I put a great deal of thought and research into my insulation strategy and materials in Zen Van for warmth, sound and safety. One of the biggest hazards in van life, in my opinion, is the potential for mold growth inside the walls. The three major factors contributing to this potentiality are materials used, air flow, and ventilation/heating. Ask me how to manage all this!
1: Sound Barrier (Kilmat 80 mil butyl automotive sound deadener)
2: poly-iso foam board (floor, walls, ceiling and doors) sealed with spray foam. (These materials are not as natural as I’d like, but they are the best balance of performance with mold/mildew resistance.)
3: sheep's wool (floor, walls, ceiling and doors)
4: Reflectix radiant heat retention liner with air gap (walls and ceiling)
5: thermal and sound insulating underlayment
in floor (the majority of heat is lost through the floor and ceiling, having an added layer of insulation beneath your feet for both sound and warmth is always a good idea).
🍱 STRUCTURE
Abundance of STORAGE intuitively built in. When you’re living or traveling in such a small space, every inch counts!
◦ Large dual overhead cabinets over bed with sliding doors.
◦ Extra spacious closet with light and sock/underwear drawer.
◦ Spacious kitchen cabinets with shelving for short and tall items
◦ 3 drawers for utensils, 1 shallow and 2 deep.
◦ Cookware cupboard under stove.
◦ 2 deep drawers under bench for additional miscellaneous storage, pet supplies, office/computer gear, etc.
◦ Deep storage under bench seat for bedding or other bulky items.
◦ “Attic” storage accessible over van cabin.
◦ Internal access door to the “garage”
🍽️ KITCHEN:
⦿ Butcher block countertop with fold-up extension for added counter/prep space.
⦿ Stainless steel sink with inset cover and drying rack.
⦿ Kraus 18-inch commercial dual-function pull-down spray head (handy for doing the dishes or swiveling around to shower yourself off outside!)
⦿ Dometic 3-Burner propane stove and oven with turn-switch to ignite.
⦿ Recessed/built-in spice rack for tall and short spice containers.
❄️ Large chest-style FRIDGE & FREEZER easily accessible on a slide out which is unlocked through a step lever. I love that this unit affords a dedicated compartment for freezer and you can choose which one depending on whether you want more space for freezer or for fridge.
== PERFORMANCE & COMPONENTS
⦿ DUAL VENTED PANORAMIC WINDOW: CR Lawrence split pane vent window with screens.
⦿ FRIDGE AND FREEZER: Durable ICECO VL60- 60 liter dual zone fridge/freezer.
⦿ DOMETIC STOVE/OVEN: Dometic RV Range Propane Oven Cook-top with three burners, an oven, and turn-switch to ignite.
⦿ DIMMABLE OVERHEAD LIGHTING: Nothing makes a space cozier than being well lit. I chose warm, dimmable LED lighting to set the mood for any occasion.
⦿ VENT FAN: Maxx Air 00-07500K MaxxFan Deluxe with remote control and thermostat (bi-directional so it can exhaust air out or pull air in)
⦿ BED FAN: Built-in two-speed fan over the bed to keep the air moving on warm nights.
⦿ AC OUTLETS: GFCI protected AC outlet in the kitchen with a second dual-option USB port outlet under the table.
⦿ PHONE CHARGING: USB charging port built in at the back of the van for overnight phone charging while keeping it close.
⦿ NIGHT LIGHT: Cozy overhead reading lamp over bed for winding down in the evenings, or getting up in the middle of the night.
== UTILITIES
⦿ All utilities are under the sink and available from both inside and outside the van, with a utility door on the outside of the kitchen’s lower cabinetry for easy access to refill propane and empty gray water.
⦿ PROPANE-SAFE BOX with quick-access door: To refill the propane tank requires access from the outside of the van, but if you wish to turn the propane off between uses for added safety, I’ve built a quick access door which can be reached from the inside of the van. The system comes with one 5lb. propane tank but I built the box with an extra compartment to accommodate an additional tank if desired for longer trips.
⦿ 5.5 gallon removable GRAY WATER TANK: Heavy duty under-sink BPA free jerry can to collect gray water can be removed with ease, cleaned and reinstalled.
⦿ 21 gallon BPA FREE FRESH WATER TANK: Located in the “garage”, built into the wheel well box with a cutaway to easily check your water levels. Filled through an exterior, lockable water port.
⦿ SEAFLO 55-PSI self-priming water pump that won't surge...smooth water flow even at a trickle.
== HEALTH & SAFETY
✔ Professionally inspected electrical system
✔ Extensive research to building materials and mold management. All structural wood treated with mold resistant paint and all insulation materials used are mold and mildew resistant. As mentioned above.
✔ Thorough water leak check to the van shell itself, with mitigation where needed prior to build. Including resealing of all roof seams.
✔ Propane-safe box for propane storage which vents through a hole in the floor to the outside so in the event of a leak propane will vent out of the van (propane is heavier than air).
== ⚡️ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
I’ve designed this electrical system with a great deal of thoughtfulness for efficiency, ease of use, longevity, and ease of repair. 3-option charging system (solar, van battery, shore). You’ll never be without power.
⦿ Victron Multi-plus 2000 Watt inverter/charger (with shore power bypass)
⦿ 400 amp hours of lithium ion battery power. 2x Renogy 200ah Lithium Ion Smart Battery with Bluetooth
⦿ 40 amp DC/DC charger
⦿ 400W Sunpower Solar Panel on tiltable mount
⦿ 40 amp MPPT solar charge control
⦿ Battery Monitor built into kitchen cabinet
== EXTRAS
⦿ Prewired for Wobasto diesel heater
⦿ I will throw in a brand new pair of Reindeer Recovery Traction Tracks which are always good to have
UTILITY NOTE: I did not have need for a toilet or water heater during my time in the van, however because I knew I would be selling it I did build it so either of these things would be easy to install. Feel free to ask if this is important to you and you'd like more details on the options. I do have a portable toilet in the van I could pass along with it.
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campervan, camper van, van life, vanlife, motorhome, off-grid, off grid, digital nomad, nomad life, Ram, Promaster
