sweet pea

client: shelly & shelley

Ford Transit 2500 Med Roof AWD 130”

story:

Shelly and Shelley are a couple with a lot of energy! They’re avid mountain bikers, adventurers and all-around outdoors enthusiasts. You name it, they’ve probably done it!

We had been working with them on their Transit build for nearly a year, when we received some horrible news. Shelly called us from the hospital after having a heart attack and let us know he needed emergency surgery. His health status was in question, and he wasn’t sure what the future looked like.

Flash forward a two months, and Shelly arrives with his van, a big scar on his chest, and ready for us to build his “Sweet Pea” - a short body AWD Transit. You would have never known he was so close to death, and his new take on life inspired the team.

Sweet Pea is a unique build, as the “Shell(e)y’s” didn’t want a water system, and their priority was power capabilities and the ability to stay warm off grid in snowy Durango, CO.

We installed an Espar B4L cabin heater which ties directly into the fuel tank of the van, which heats the van quickly and without heavy draws on the electrical system.

A beautiful stainless Dometic fridge was installed, with a butcher block counter top above. A sofa/living area makes use of an additional counter top which slides out from under the bed.

For power, 300ah of Battleborn Lithium Batteries were installed in the garage, as well as a Victron Multiplus (with shore power), Victron SmartSolar controller, and a Victron Orion DC-DC charger.

The van was finished with custom window installation, and upholstery/backsplash tile chosen by the client. Sweet Pea was finished with red cedar paneling - a material known to hold heat well, as it’s the top choice in many sauna rooms.

We saw the Shell(e)y’s periodically during the construction of Sweet Pea, and were happy to hear Shelly is back on the mountain bike! He has plenty of adventures planned, and we are proud to be a part of it.