![Jake's Rig](https://cdn.slatesource.com/2/1/4/2142e2cb-8623-4c14-8b20-dea178f3d9e5.webp)

# Jake's Rig

- [Made in Slatesource](https://slatesource.com/@steph/jake-s-rig)
- By [Steph](https://slatesource.com/@steph)
- Travel & Exploration
- Created on May 30, 2026

![Profile image](https://slatesource-media.s3.amazonaws.com/a/c/e/aceae46f-a476-434d-a823-3984e3db752d.webp?X-Amz-Algorithm=AWS4-HMAC-SHA256&X-Amz-Date=20261013T073153Z&X-Amz-SignedHeaders=host&X-Amz-Credential=AKIA6PWPI77XKVCG2MNW%2F20261013%2Fus-east-1%2Fs3%2Faws4_request&X-Amz-Expires=21600&X-Amz-Signature=bb1f61451dd7c744c428895eb09d9ffd93e5066841a7555ec805ae1bacae9d96)

# Jake Mercer

Full-time van lifer since March 2022. Converted a 2019 Ford Transit High Roof myself.

Portland, OR

Miles Driven

41,200

Nights in the Van

820

Days Off-Grid

614

Countries

2

Solar Output (Wh/day avg)

1,840

Total Build Cost

$14,650

**$14,650** Build Cost

**820** Nights in the Van

![Travel photo 1](https://cdn.slatesource.com/2/5/a/25a879ad-eb05-473e-9d65-7d5a8c656c5d.webp)

![Travel photo 2](https://cdn.slatesource.com/2/0/1/201f2c0c-242c-48ed-8b99-75679cf56dbf.webp)

The Build

80%

400W Renogy Monocrystalline Solar (2x 200W panels)

Victron SmartSolar MPPT 100/30 Charge Controller

200Ah LiFePO4 Battery Bank (Battleborn)

Victron MultiPlus 12/1200 Inverter/Charger

Dometic CFX3 45 Compressor Fridge

Webasto Air Top 2000 STC Diesel Heater

15-gallon fresh water tank + Shurflo 2.8 GPM pump

Composite cork flooring (DIY install)

Thinsulate SM600L full van insulation

Custom bed frame (8020 aluminum extrusion)

Maxxair 00-07000K roof fan

Shore power inlet + 30A hookup

External shower setup (in progress)

Second 200Ah battery for 400Ah total

Roof rack + awning (Fiamma F45s)

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%

> 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.
>
> — Steph · 1st of October 2026

Follow the build

[

Instagram@jakesrig



](https://instagram.com/jakesrig)[

YouTube@jakesrig



](https://youtube.com/@jakesrig)[

jakesrig.substack.com



](https://jakesrig.substack.com)

Jake Mercer — collabs & build questions

jake@jakesrig.com