Welcome to my new toy, “Cloud 9”! I named it after its signature colors, Avalanche Gray (more like a cloudy blue to me) with the hood wrapped in “Storm Cloud Purple”.
I’ve always been enthralled with RVs since I was a kid… my grandparents had an RV and I always loved it. Fast forward to Covid quarantine and like a lot of people I finally pulled the trigger on an RV… a Coachmen Galleria that is also listed here on Outdoorsy.
I picked it because it fits my whole family (4 young kids) and has excellent luxurious fit and finish.
After a year or so with it, I still loved it but had learned a couple things. First, to my surprise, I really enjoyed driving it as a daily driver and my kids loved it too, however at 25 feet it’s just a bit too inconvenient to keep parking in strip malls and navigating school parking lots. Second, for my needs, I simply rarely used the middle five feet- the kitchen and bathroom.
After hundreds of hours of research and hands on experience with many other options, I finally hit upon VanDoIt and chose them over other modular builds like ModVans or AdventureWagon or custom builds.
What really nailed it for me is how far they take the idea of modularity. The standard 80/20 load bearing internal framework and clever module options sold me on it. Safety is important with for young kids so the fact that they build the railing inside the cabin while leaving the factory Transit Passenger amenities intact clinched it. It has all the factory side curtain airbags intact as well as the factory rear cabin a/c and heat ducting. It has forward facing three point seatbelts in all eight seats. And it is super modular. I can have all eight seats in (a three person bench, a two person bench and a jump seat) or only the front two. I can kit it out as a spacious rv for two on a long road trip or I can set it up for two adults and four kids to travel comfortably… adults sleeping on the Murphy bed, two kids on a Cabbunk in the front row and two more kids on mattresses on the floor in the back. I can string hammocks from the 80/20 if I prioritize easy and efficient sleeping setup.
My rig has a laveo dry flush toilet- I’ve tried all major options except a composting toilet and this is by far the best solution. I have an Evershower, a collapsible shower strap that can be used inside or outside the van, with a built in recirculating filter pump… fill it with 2.5 gallons of the hottest water you can stand then take as long a shower as you want, until it’s to cool for you, and you’ve only used those 2.5 gallons. Water capacity? Start with the minimum of one six gallon Jerry can each for fresh and gray water. Six gallons is light enough to still be easy to empty the gray water or fill the fresh as needed. Need more? Bring additional Jerry cans.
Heat is from an Espar heater fed from the main fuel (31 gallon extended) tank auxiliary fuel port. For cooling I rarely need more than the MaxxAir ceiling fan but I do have the high efficiency DC air conditioner. I have 460 Ah LiFePo batteries and 400w solar with a second alternator for charging at an additional 150A while the engine is running.
In case the mobile office bit caught your eye, yep VanDoIt built me a custom workstation that I think is now an available option. The rear five feet on the passenger side is an “ultimate mobile office” with two 34” monitors wall mounted on the 80/20 track. It’s carefully optimized that, yes you can just fit the Murphy bed above them if you are working and traveling. During the summer I often took road trips with the fam and worked in the van so I didn’t have to burn vacation days.
This baby is four season capable, with all wheel drive. Since there are no external water tanks there is nothing to freeze as long as the van interior never goes under 32 for too long. No propane means no problem, just staying warm all night with the espar heater tapping the van’s aux fuel port.
Other fun options:
- super bright LED light bars on all four sides, the front one I like to call “Zombie apocalypse turn the night into day”.
- WeBoost rv optimized cell booster.
- 4g vehicle WiFi hotspot
- 24” smart tv
- lots of storage space and good organization
- Dometic chest refrigerator/ freezer
- 12” ford touchscreen sync 4 with android auto and CarPlay
- no carpet, all durable and all weather rubber and vinyl
I drove this back from VanDoIt in Missouri by myself, 35 hours of driving in two and a half days and it was great… the seats are very comfortable and supportive and the ability to sleep like a baby for eight hours each night and stop for naps made it easy.
If you think this might be for you, feel free to ask any questions and ask me for ideas on how I can configure the van for you. If you are in the San Jose, ca area I am happy to give tours and show it off before you book.
