:PROFILE [image:https://slatesource-media.s3.amazonaws.com/9/d/4/9d4a3b3a-c09a-4701-9fc7-a803ba6a22d4.webp?X-Amz-Algorithm=AWS4-HMAC-SHA256&X-Amz-Date=20260531T194907Z&X-Amz-SignedHeaders=host&X-Amz-Credential=AKIA6PWPI77XK45ZPAOM%2F20260531%2Fus-east-1%2Fs3%2Faws4_request&X-Amz-Expires=21600&X-Amz-Signature=fd0518d0b211fe1ac477471567bbffa48319922c5032c010c201ff39701986e7]
Jake Mercer
Portland, OR
Full-time van lifer since March 2022. Converted a 2019 Ford Transit High Roof myself. 

:STATS

:COUNTER.half
$14,650 Build Cost
|
:COUNTER.half
820 Nights in the Van

:MAP
45.5231,-122.6765,Portland OR
44.8397,-124.5601,Cape Perpetua OR [FOOT]
41.2132,-124.0046,Crescent City CA
37.8651,-122.4794,San Francisco CA
35.2828,-120.6596,San Luis Obispo CA
34.0195,-116.1669,Joshua Tree CA
34.8697,-111.7609,Sedona AZ
31.8676,-116.596,Ensenada MX [PLANE]
36.1699,-115.1398,Las Vegas NV
40.7608,-111.891,Salt Lake City UT

:GALLERY [displaystyle:travel]

:CHECKLIST
The Build
[x] 400W Renogy Monocrystalline Solar (2x 200W panels)
[x] Victron SmartSolar MPPT 100/30 Charge Controller
[x] 200Ah LiFePO4 Battery Bank (Battleborn)
[x] Victron MultiPlus 12/1200 Inverter/Charger
[x] Dometic CFX3 45 Compressor Fridge
[x] Webasto Air Top 2000 STC Diesel Heater
[x] 15-gallon fresh water tank + Shurflo 2.8 GPM pump
[x] Composite cork flooring (DIY install)
[x] Thinsulate SM600L full van insulation
[x] Custom bed frame (8020 aluminum extrusion)
[x] Maxxair 00-07000K roof fan
[x] Shore power inlet + 30A hookup
[ ] External shower setup (in progress)
[ ] Second 200Ah battery for 400Ah total
[ ] Roof rack + awning (Fiamma F45s)

:NOTE
Solar Setup — Full Breakdown

Running 400W of Renogy mono panels wired in parallel on the roof. Parallel keeps voltage low (12V system) and handles partial shading better than series — learned that the hard way with my first config.

Charge controller is the Victron SmartSolar MPPT 100/30. Worth every penny over a PWM. On a good Southwest day I'm pulling 90–100A peak into the batteries, averaging 1,840Wh/day over the full year.

Battery bank is 200Ah of Battleborn LiFePO4. I can actually use 95%

:QUOTE [quotetype:personal, subtitle:DM from @desertdrifter · March 2024]
Your build post made me quit my job and buy a Transit. I'm 6 months in and it's the best decision I've ever made. Thank you for showing the real costs and the real mistakes — every other build post made it look too easy.


:SOCIALS
Follow the build
https://instagram.com/jakesrig
https://youtube.com/@jakesrig
https://jakesrig.substack.com

:CONTACT
Jake Mercer — collabs & build questions
jake@jakesrig.com