What Is A Ford Transit Connect Camper?

In the last several years, the popularity of van life has exploded.

And for good reason! Van life is an amazing way to affordably and conveniently travel the country.

But with all the vans out there, it’s hard to know which camper van is the best. One of our favorites is the Ford Transit Connect Camper.

Keep reading to find out what makes this van so great.

What is a Ford Transit Connect Camper? 

The Ford Transit Connect camper is a smaller version of the popular Ford Transit. Its boxy shape makes it super easy to outfit the interior to build the camper van of your dreams.

And because it is small, it gets awesome gas mileage and is easy to drive. Plus, you’ll be able to park it just about anywhere. Stealth camping here we come!

There are two options for the Ford Transit Connect Camper.

You can get a short wheelbase (104.8 inches) or a longer wheelbase (120.6 inches) depending on your preference. Then, when it comes time to building out your van, you have tons of options!

Building a Ford Transit Connect Camper: DIY or Buy a Kit

If you are a handy person, you might decide to design and build your own Ford Transit Connect Camper. But even if you aren’t so handy, you can still have the camper van of your dreams.

If you go the DIY route, you can do basically anything. And like we mentioned before, the square shape of the cargo portion makes woodworking a breeze. You don’t have to be a professional carpenter to get great results.

But if you want to have a professional design, you can actually buy a kit customized for the Ford Transit Connect Camper.

A kit will typically include a bed setup, storage cabinets, wall and ceiling paneling, vent fan, electrical system, and lighting. You don’t have to do any cutting, measure, sanding, or staining. Just order the kit, install it, and you’re ready to hit the road in style.

If you opt for a kit or a DIY van build, you can also add on extras. This might include roof racks, exterior storage solutions, sink, portable toilet, insulation, solar capabilities, and more. You can even put an awning on these puppies.

Check out these awesome DIY camper van builds from 2020.

Why Are These Vans so Popular for Van Life?

People love the Ford Transit Connect Camper. It is an awesome way to travel in style and luxury but at a slightly lower price tag than some camper vans.

This van is also amazing for stealth camping, so you don’t have to constantly be paying for a campground.

And since it is small and compact, you can drive and park it anywhere. With most RVs, you’ll need a tow vehicle for your daily adventures. But with the Ford Transit Connect, everything is built into one vehicle.

Awesome Ford Transit Connect Camper Conversions

To help inspire you, we’ve rounded up some of the coolest Ford Transit Connect Campers out there. You’ll be more than ready to hit the road with a van like these.

Custom Tiny Camper Van With Hidden Shower

This awesome camper van has everything you need. The owner decked out the interior with overhead and low storage. He also has other awesome storage solutions up his sleeve. Spices in mason jars that attach to the ceiling? Pure genius!

A solid wood countertop makes you forget you’re even in a van. The bed packs up during the day to act as a couch. But once you fold everything out, there is plenty of sleeping room. Dual-purpose furniture is a must in a Ford Transit Connect because they are smaller than some other vans.

And the added mosquito netting is a nice touch. You can enjoy the outside without the mosquitos enjoying you.

The coolest part of this van is the amazing outdoor shower. If you picture yourself taking freezing cold showers using a shower bag, think again. Van lifers have got it figured out. In fact, this Ford Transit Connect Camper gives you a hot shower just outside the van.

This van cost about $2000 to build out and took around a year to complete. We were pretty shocked at how nice his van looks for that price tag! It took longer to build since the owner was only working on it on the weekends while going to school. If you’re ready to start van life, you could easily hit the road much sooner.

Compact Ford Transit Connect Camper Van With All The Necessities

This is another awesome Ford Transit Connect Camper that is built out for life on the road. The van has an open counter area for cooking and eating with TONS of storage built-in. We also love the sink cutout, which doubles to give you more space or work as a cutting board.

They installed some darkening shades in the front to block out the driving area and give some extra privacy. That way you can sleep in peace.

Speaking of the bed, there is tons of storage space underneath it. Enough to fit skis, snowboards, and even an awning. The bed uses slats to pull out for sleeping. The slats then slide back into place to turn the bed into a couch during the day.

Awesome Stealth Ford Transit Connect Camper Van

Next up is an amazing Ford Transit Connect Camper that is perfect for stealth camping. This van is seriously the coolest. We might be just a little jealous as we write this.

The first thing you’ll notice is that all the cushions are professionally upholstered. You can definitely see the craftsmanship of a professional job. We think it is worth the extra money for the amazing finish it gives this van.

There is a slide-out portable toilet that fits under the seating area when not in use. This is definitely a great addition. One of the biggest hassles of van life is the bathroom situation. Having a toilet right inside the van takes that hassle out of the picture.

The couch also slides out to turn almost the whole back into a bed. Plenty of room for a couple with this design.

The kitchen has some beautiful countertops with an additional slide-out for eating or working. And the drawer handles are totally amazing. The handles appear to be absent at first. But you can push a button that pops out and lets you pull out the drawers.

Their kitchen sink (which is HUGE) is positioned so you can pull the sink faucet out. You can then use this faucet as an outdoor shower. Say what?! You might have to see it to believe it. This Ford Transit Connect Camper also has two seven-gallon tanks that they can heat overnight if needed. They’ve also got a solar set up perfect for off-grid living.

This van is awesome, to say the least!

Fully Loaded Ford Transit Connect Camper Van

Last but not least is a Ford Transit Connect Camper that is fully decked out. It has a classic, sleek look of black and grey with wood cabinetry.

Many of the cabinets don’t have any exterior hardware. They flip or slide open to maximize space. There is tons of hidden storage in the main living area with leather straps to hold things in place as needed. In the back of the van is even more hidden storage for the electrical system.

This Ford Camper has a huge cooler, but it is tucked underneath the counter so you won’t even know it is there. Additional pull-outs give you even more counter or work space. There is also a simple hand pump faucet with a small sink.

The bed/couch doesn’t appear to extend out. So, this van likely only sleeps one. But you could probably pretty easily install a slide-out system if you’re a couple. There is even a built-in litter box spot for a van life cat.

Ford Transit Van Life is Pretty Sweet

Van life is sweet. Watching these videos just reminded us of that once again.

If you’re looking for the perfect small camper van, the Ford Transit Connect Camper is hands down the way to go. If you think it seems too small, just check out the above videos.

With some clever design, you can fit everything you need and then some into this amazing camper van. 

Discover the Best Free Camping Across the USA

To be honest with you, we hate paying for camping. There are so many free campsites in America (with complete privacy).

You should give it a try!

As a matter of fact, these free campsites are yours. Every time you pay federal taxes, you’re contributing to these lands.

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