MADCTY BUILD JOURNAL / FOUR-SEASON CAMPER VAN
Building a Four-Season Ford Transit AWD Camper Van
One van. A lot of systems. And an approach built around understanding every decision before hiding it behind finished panels.
We’re converting a 2026 Ford Transit T350 AWD High Roof Extended into a capable camper van for Saskatchewan winters, long-distance travel and everyday adventure. This is the central guide to the build: the research, equipment decisions, actual installation work, compromises and lessons learned.
Read the latest published build journal → | Explore MADCTY videos →
The Build at a Glance
| Vehicle | 2026 Ford Transit T350 AWD, high-roof extended, gasoline EcoBoost |
|---|---|
| Energy storage | Two 48V Epoch batteries, approximately 10 kWh combined |
| Power architecture | Victron MultiPlus-II, Cerbo GX and Lynx distribution, with 48V primary and converted 12V/24V loads |
| Solar | Four 200W roof-mounted panels (800W total) |
| Heating & hot water | Rixen MCS7 gasoline hydronic system, radiant floor loops, fan coils and heat-exchanger plumbing |
| Cooling | Outequip Summit 2 48V rooftop air conditioner and low-profile ventilation fan |
| Water strategy | Interior fresh-water storage, hot water via hydronic heat exchanger, insulated/heated underbody gray-water arrangement |
| Build status | Active conversion. Some systems are installed and operating; others are still being commissioned or finished. |
Specifications reflect the documented build direction as of November 2026; installed, planned and still-to-be-tested details are identified in the articles below.
Explore the Systems
01 / Electrical, Batteries & Solar
The electrical system is built around 48V storage and the Victron ecosystem. Alternator charging, solar charging, shore power, inverter output, lower-voltage distribution and monitoring must work as one system. We’re documenting both the architecture and the installation lessons—not presenting an unverified wiring diagram as a universal recipe.
See the electrical system in the October build update →
02 / Heating & Hot Water
For the prairie winter use case, heating goes beyond warming cabin air. We wanted radiant-floor comfort, domestic hot water, fan-coil heat and the option to connect with the vehicle’s engine coolant system. That led to a gasoline hydronic installation with substantial custom integration.
Compare Transit heating approaches →
Why we chose the Rixen hydronic system →
03 / Insulation & Heated Subfloor
A four-season interior starts with the van envelope: metal ribs, cold door surfaces, insulation, ventilation, floor height and moisture control. The floor incorporates XPS insulation, 3/8-inch hydronic PEX loops, aluminum heat spreaders and marine plywood. The wall and ceiling approach evolved during installation; the articles explain the original research and actual choices.
Insulation, thermal bridges and condensation →
Heated subfloor materials and installation →
04 / Fresh Water, Hot Water & Gray Water
Designing plumbing for winter means thinking about freeze protection, pump access, drainage, storage location, showers and reliable hot water. Our plan combines an interior fresh-water tank with hydronic domestic hot water and a protected underbody gray-water system. The detailed guide distinguishes planned components from completed work.
Read the four-season water system guide →
05 / Roof, Cooling & Packaging
Roof-mounted solar, air conditioning, ventilation, satellite internet and external equipment all compete for finite roof space. Inside the van, batteries, plumbing, cabinetry and a north-south bed compete for service access, weight distribution and headroom. Those tradeoffs are part of the build, not just things to hide in the final reveal.
See the installation decisions and packaging challenges →
Start Here: Build Reading Path
- Why we’re building the MADCTY Transit — the project introduction.
- October 2026 progress update — the systems taking shape.
- Heated subfloor — an example of design decisions becoming installed work.
- Water system — how four-season requirements influence layout and component choices.
Learn the Systems Behind the Build
Electrical foundations
One outcome of documenting the build is From Zero to 48V: Van Electrical Foundations, a course for people who want to understand battery capacity, solar, alternator charging, inverters, monitoring and system documentation before they build or hire a builder.
Explore the From Zero to 48V course → | Read why we created it →
Van controls and lighting
Understand Your Van’s Controls and Lighting starts with what you want the van to do, then explains the choices behind scenes, physical switches, Cerbo GX controls, Node-RED, DMX and Art-Net. The free beginner course includes 37 lessons, guided practice and seven quizzes to help you understand the system and work through faults.
Explore the controls and lighting course → | Read why we created it →
Follow the Build
This is an ongoing build journal. New articles will be linked from this guide as the electrical system, plumbing, heating, interior and testing develop. The goal isn’t to pretend every choice was obvious from day one; it’s to show the reasoning, experiments, corrections and practical results along the way.
Read recent MADCTY articles → | Watch build and adventure videos →