![Jake's Rig](https://cdn.slatesource.com/1/0/b/10bef949-a665-4542-960e-43ae44d48325.webp)

# Jake's Rig

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

![Profile image](https://slatesource-media.s3.amazonaws.com/f/0/1/f01437d7-3eeb-451e-af1a-3fe522eaa3d1.webp?X-Amz-Algorithm=AWS4-HMAC-SHA256&X-Amz-Date=20260613T025753Z&X-Amz-SignedHeaders=host&X-Amz-Credential=AKIA6PWPI77XKVCG2MNW%2F20260613%2Fus-east-1%2Fs3%2Faws4_request&X-Amz-Expires=21600&X-Amz-Signature=09ea6f5830d9af0d4a9bea09c2416bf208015ee0fa8c15ea54d2040668680e09)

# 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

LOADING COORDINATES...

![Travel photo 1](https://cdn.slatesource.com/5/0/d/50d957ed-22d2-4ecb-9ddc-2d62b14de93c.webp)

![Travel photo 2](https://cdn.slatesource.com/6/8/e/68e33da1-1243-4909-b6ca-65d306718df2.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 · 11th of June 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