The Bug: June 2022
The campervan bug hit us in summer 2022. We needed a second vehicle, something for camping, something practical. RV, trailer, something. But we live in the city, and trailers are a pain to store. Then I did the math: a cargo van converted to a campervan was way cheaper than a trailer-and-truck combo. Plus, it could park on our driveway. All in.
That’s when the adventure started. Unfortunately, I showed up to the party a little late.
COVID Changed Everything
COVID had sent vehicle costs through the roof. Campervans had become a massive trend. What I’d thought would be a cheap second vehicle? That idea went out the window.
But I was hooked. And so began three years of searching for the exact van I wanted.
The Non-Negotiables
We have two young daughters. A family of four. So safety wasn’t a box to check, it was the starting point.
What I fixated on: Ford Transit Crew Van (not cargo, not passenger, crew), side airbags in the second row, all-wheel drive, EcoBoost engine, high roof, extended length.
The crew van was critical. Regular cargo vans have reduced structural integrity on the sliding door side. Passenger vans have airbags going all the way to the back, creating massive build problems. The crew van? Two rows with airbags, buildable cargo space behind. Perfect on paper.
The Supply Problem
Ford stopped building the Crew Van in 2023. You couldn’t even order one in 2022. In three years of searching, I found exactly three. Three vans, three years.
The Ones That Got Away
The Halifax 2023. Crew van, exactly what I wanted, rear AC included. The guy wanted way too much. We talked for almost a year. He wouldn’t come down. When I finally bought my van and told him what I paid, he immediately lowered his price. Timing is everything.
The Manitoba Transit. This one still hurts. 2023, heavy duty, long body, high roof, standard engine, excellent shape. Would have kicked off this whole process years earlier. I regret not buying it.
The Montreal Sprinter. Nearly new, expensive rack and ladder, insulation, solar already installed. 20,000 km. I caught it the morning it listed. I was on a ski hill, trying to arrange flights. Within an hour, a local buyer showed up. Gone.
The Fluke
I was hours away from buying a 2023 Sprinter when, by complete coincidence, I went on Kijiji. A 2022 Ford Transit Crew Van, exactly what I’d been hunting for three years, had just listed. One province away. 8-10 hours from me.
I called immediately. There was someone from Ontario wanting to fly out. But I was ready to go. He gave me first shot.
What We Bought
2022 Ford Transit T250. High roof, long body. Crew van with second-row airbags. All-wheel drive. EcoBoost engine. 70,000 km.
Not perfect. There’s rust. The previous owner started a conversion. The floor has to go (hydronic heating plans). But after three years of searching, this Transit showed up at the exact right moment.
Now we’re building.