We did similar in 2020 for our DIY camper build, but AWD, mid-height/length, and a lot more high end options than you. One major change is we used the Costco program, which lets you ignore the MSRP. Instead, we used the dealer’s invoice price for model and all options. Then you get $500 reduction below invoice (as part of Costco) and all applicable dealer incentives on top of that. No negotiation. We didn’t even go to dealership until our van arrived. I tell everyone, always use the Costco program. We also got the rotating seats option and the highest-end cargo floor, which is great! Also, getting 6 speakers (vs zero) cost only $25, and they sound acceptable. Back when we bought during Covid, it would have cost us over $45k for a used van with less options and RWD. Our loaded new AWD came to $52k. Keep in mind, we splurged on options. All windows with darkest tint, highest end stereo, lane keeping, follow distance, tow package with brake controller, folding mirrors, Ecoboost, limited slip, dual AGM batteries, higher GVWR T2500, etc., etc. This is our third camper van, but first DIY. We had a VW Westphalia from 1988-1998 and a VW Eurovan Winnabego from 2003-2013. So we know what we want - hence the DIY project. We will use this one until we are too old to drive. When we first got it, we threw a foam mattress on the floor and started using it right away. I’m building it very slowly and am about half done at the moment. People always ask me when I will finish. My answer is “Never - it’s a process of slow, continuous improvement, done to my standards.” People who know me understand how OCD my standards are. Anyway, enjoy your van, and thanks for sharing!
Thanks, Mika! This was our first video and in retrospect, I wish I would have given you even more helpful details! I’m going to make another video soon of the registration process because that has been full of confusing/interesting twists and turns. Thanks again for the comment!
Nice deal, but for those looking in 2023, good luck with that. Ford dealers here in Minneapolis / St. Paul are putting $8k-15k “market adjustments” on top of the inflated MSRPs.
Thanks for the kind comment! We definitely will give a breakdown of all costs. I’m doing my best to keep track of every penny spent… and it’s already a bit more than I had budgeted for, but it’ll work out in the end! Thanks again!
Amazing that you were able to find a new Transit. Dealerships in my area haven’t had even one Transit on the lots for many months and don’t anticipate getting them in anytime soon. Supposedly a supply chain issue with the transmissions.
Congratulations!! Sure you have some regrets, but you did the right thing by just doing it. The 2023 models increased in price about $6000. I know because I have a 2023 on order and I will be waiting probably 9 months. Not ordering the Sync 4 might have saved you months. I've read so many stories of 2022 orders being "balanced out" (canceled) because Ford did not have certain parts on hand to build them. Can't wait to watch your progress!
First off, THANK YOU! Thank you for the encouraging comments and thanks for the info for us and others. That’s super helpful. Geez…., $6000 more?! I guess we may have luckily made some good decisions. I’m really hoping yours comes sooner than 9 months. Let’s cross our fingers that the supply chain starts to flow! Looking forward to staying connected @KF :)
I am so glad you got a great deal on a brand new van. I was trying to buy mine from the ford dealers her in Penssylvania / New Jersey and all were quoting me about $65-$75k for them. Way too expensive. I ended up buying a used 2019 for the same price you paid. But my used had no tailpipe, busted spare rim with slashed spare tire, 128 holes drilled into the floor (after taking out the plywood OSB from last owner) and just a bunch of other things the sharks did not inform me of. I could not pay the dealerships here to order me a van.
Great vid, I ordered. 2023 7-4-2022 it’s currently on a train to Los Angeles it will arrive 10-29-2022-11-4-2022. Seems like the delivery time is getting better.
This is really good news! Are you getting an extended length, high roof? I’m subscribing to your channel to follow your journey! Learning how to build this has been such a fun and challenging experience. I’m stoked for you :)
I ordered a connect xlt lwb cargo...they said its going to be 4-6 months, though...gives me plenty of time to find a conversion place...congrats to both of you!
That’s awesome! Let’s stay connected. Our conversion may be done the same time as yours, lol. It takes longer than I expected. Thanks for the comment and sub!
Nice! You're doing it! Look forward to your decisions/build. Thx for sharing that Ford builds to a custom order only. Didn't know that. Why hi roof vs. mid roof? Still in the research mode myself.
Hi Michelle! Thanks for the comment! I am 6 feet tall, so the high roof allows me to stand up inside. By the time the floor and ceiling are installed (hopefully this week 💪🏾🥳) we’ll have about 6 feet 3 inches of standing room inside the van.
i've been waiting for 5 months so far. i'm wondering how much longer it'll be for it to be shipped. i'm not even ordering ladder racks and shelving until it's actually here.
They gave us an order number that we used to track the progress on Ford’s website. Ford gave us a rough estimate of the production timeline. Were you able to get a tracking number like that? Honestly, it didn’t help much, but at least gave us a piece of mind for roughly what stage we were in. Also, our dealership sales person was able to contact Ford and confirm that timeline schedule. We ordered some building materials and products in advance and waited on others. Because you’re right, who knows when it will actually arrive. I had to store some materials for a month or two, which was inconvenient. Good luck and keep us posted on your delivery date!!
Whoa really?!?! Things have gotten way out hand. I’m so sorry, Jason! I know the RV package was a bit more expensive than what we got, but that seems extreme :( What are you gonna do?
@@conandal Yea, Ford increased $13K from the previous year on the base and options I selected. I now know that if I order this van from Ford, I must pay the total price, MSRP. I may look around from dealers. However, I want to have dual alternators, AWD, and EcoBoost. I want a Cinderella toilet (dry burnt toilet), full-size fridge, AC (ten hours), no LP, and no generator. It needs 10KAh with 48v batteries to make it happen.
@@jasonlucas2328 1st - Bummer about Ford increases cost by THAT much. I’m really sorry man. 2nd - Your van plan sounds awesome! Have you checked out Velit for AC? It’s a new company. We don’t know much about it but I’m interested. We have 600ah of battery and 700 watts on the roof. We’re doing a video of the roof set up soon! Thanks for the comment, Jason :)
@@conandal Thank you for sharing Velit A/C info. The A/C is fantastic for RVs. I plan to live in the van full-time but am determined to have an everyday life, gourmet, fine wine, and not to worry about finding a site to dump. I'll buy an Instant Pot Crisp Pro pressure cooker with an air fryer. It's the only pressure cooker inner pot with a flat bottom and silicone handles. Furthermore, the inner pot can be used as a regular pot on an induction cooktop. I'll purchase the largest size because I can easily put racks in the pot for steaming, air frying, and sous vide cooking. So, I plan to buy an extra inner pot that can be interchanged on the induction cooktop and sous vide air fryer.
OMG. Man, I’m sorry to hear that. I bet you’re losing steam, but don’t let it get you down. It’ll be here soon and you’ll get reinvigorated and the building will begin! (And then you’ll lose steam again when the build becomes overwhelming! Haha). I need to remind myself often that this is a long process/journey. Thanks for the comment and good luck!
@@conandal tryin to stay positive, payin down dept while I don’t have a van payment and collecting things I will need when I see amazing deals. Got a pile ready to go into build now. Thanks for responding.
I'm in a similar situ as John. Which is why I watched the vid, which was great BTW (ignore any negative comments). Like John, I ordered in late 21', by mid 22' we formally 'rolled the order over' into a 23'. We're using the largest commercial dealership in New England area, but the communication is less than appropriate for a purchase of this magnitude. Either the dealership or Ford seems to be out-of-touch with the non-commercial buyer. For example, had we not visited the dealership, on a whim btw, we wouldn't have known to 'roll the order over' into the newer model year....and after speaking with them there is no indication that they would have called us to inquire. I'm trying NOT to have a bad outlook/view of Ford, but that's getting tougher by the day... Time to contact the dealership and make sure our order hasn't been 'balanced out'. Anyhow, looking forward to seeing your build-out.
@@mitchkaminski2512 Hi, Mitch! Thanks for your comment and thanks for being a part of our build :) However, man I’m so sorry about your ordering situation! Like whoa?! That’s negligent on their behalf. Waiting as long as we did was demoralizing and zapped our motivation a bit (a lot actually), but I promise you when your beauty arrives it’ll reinvigorate you! It does sound the dealership is dropping the ball though. Although, Ford should have a tracking number for you that you can see the fabrication process in resale time. Have they issued your VIN yet? Let me know, I’m curious. I’m really sorry again.
@@stickyamor You don’t have to be there physically to order. We did it over the phone. The dealer sent us a an order form/contract to sign so he could place the order with Ford. Then we paid the deposit with a credit card over the phone. Then, Ford started updating us on the production process via email. Sending us updates every few weeks.
Oh wow! Did you get all-wheel drive? We sort of regret not getting all-wheel, but we we’re worried the lead time would be a lot longer. We wanted the van asap.
Shit.... that's basically a bare bones cheap van. My build which I ordered a week ago was a little over $70k. Obviously this is 2 years later from yours plus mines is pretty loaded up T350hd SRW AWD.
Haha, my eyes betray me. But honestly, a police officer pulled me over for going too slow the other day and he thought the same thing. Until he saw my license photo. Then he said “I guess you always look like that”. Haha, and I do! I forget the total with taxes. We didn’t pay state sales tax because I’m from Oregon, which doesn’t have state sales tax. But we paid a local county tax, which was roughly 1.2% and a .05% tax for not buying in Oregon (as a local). It was roughly $600 - $700 in taxes. I hope this helps! Thanks for the comments, likes, and subscribes. We really appreciate it more than you know!
(480)-630-2827. This is the number to Auto Nation Ford in Scottsdale. It sounds like prices have changed since last year, but they just sent me an email advertisement talking about their prices and lead times. It’s worth giving them a call. My sales guy was named “James”. I hope this helps! Good luck!
We did similar in 2020 for our DIY camper build, but AWD, mid-height/length, and a lot more high end options than you. One major change is we used the Costco program, which lets you ignore the MSRP. Instead, we used the dealer’s invoice price for model and all options. Then you get $500 reduction below invoice (as part of Costco) and all applicable dealer incentives on top of that. No negotiation. We didn’t even go to dealership until our van arrived. I tell everyone, always use the Costco program. We also got the rotating seats option and the highest-end cargo floor, which is great! Also, getting 6 speakers (vs zero) cost only $25, and they sound acceptable. Back when we bought during Covid, it would have cost us over $45k for a used van with less options and RWD. Our loaded new AWD came to $52k. Keep in mind, we splurged on options. All windows with darkest tint, highest end stereo, lane keeping, follow distance, tow package with brake controller, folding mirrors, Ecoboost, limited slip, dual AGM batteries, higher GVWR T2500, etc., etc. This is our third camper van, but first DIY. We had a VW Westphalia from 1988-1998 and a VW Eurovan Winnabego from 2003-2013. So we know what we want - hence the DIY project. We will use this one until we are too old to drive. When we first got it, we threw a foam mattress on the floor and started using it right away. I’m building it very slowly and am about half done at the moment. People always ask me when I will finish. My answer is “Never - it’s a process of slow, continuous improvement, done to my standards.” People who know me understand how OCD my standards are. Anyway, enjoy your van, and thanks for sharing!
Finally, someone talks about pricing and the buying experience. Yay.
Thanks, Mika! This was our first video and in retrospect, I wish I would have given you even more helpful details! I’m going to make another video soon of the registration process because that has been full of confusing/interesting twists and turns. Thanks again for the comment!
Nice deal, but for those looking in 2023, good luck with that. Ford dealers here in Minneapolis / St. Paul are putting $8k-15k “market adjustments” on top of the inflated MSRPs.
That's heart breaking. I can't believe how much these prices are increasing!
Great educative video about the cost of van life! Hope you will do something similar with the van conversion costs
Thanks for the kind comment! We definitely will give a breakdown of all costs. I’m doing my best to keep track of every penny spent… and it’s already a bit more than I had budgeted for, but it’ll work out in the end! Thanks again!
Amazing that you were able to find a new Transit. Dealerships in my area haven’t had even one Transit on the lots for many months and don’t anticipate getting them in anytime soon. Supposedly a supply chain issue with the transmissions.
Oh gosh really?! What a bummer. We ordered ours through a dealership, and they placed the order to Ford. Are you able to even place an order?
Congratulations!! Sure you have some regrets, but you did the right thing by just doing it. The 2023 models increased in price about $6000. I know because I have a 2023 on order and I will be waiting probably 9 months. Not ordering the Sync 4 might have saved you months. I've read so many stories of 2022 orders being "balanced out" (canceled) because Ford did not have certain parts on hand to build them. Can't wait to watch your progress!
First off, THANK YOU! Thank you for the encouraging comments and thanks for the info for us and others. That’s super helpful. Geez…., $6000 more?! I guess we may have luckily made some good decisions. I’m really hoping yours comes sooner than 9 months. Let’s cross our fingers that the supply chain starts to flow! Looking forward to staying connected @KF :)
Ugh I'm liking at Chevy Expresses, the price increase was similar.
I am so glad you got a great deal on a brand new van. I was trying to buy mine from the ford dealers her in Penssylvania / New Jersey and all were quoting me about $65-$75k for them. Way too expensive. I ended up buying a used 2019 for the same price you paid. But my used had no tailpipe, busted spare rim with slashed spare tire, 128 holes drilled into the floor (after taking out the plywood OSB from last owner) and just a bunch of other things the sharks did not inform me of. I could not pay the dealerships here to order me a van.
Great vid, I ordered. 2023 7-4-2022 it’s currently on a train to Los Angeles it will arrive 10-29-2022-11-4-2022. Seems like the delivery time is getting better.
This is really good news! Are you getting an extended length, high roof? I’m subscribing to your channel to follow your journey! Learning how to build this has been such a fun and challenging experience. I’m stoked for you :)
I ordered a connect xlt lwb cargo...they said its going to be 4-6 months, though...gives me plenty of time to find a conversion place...congrats to both of you!
That’s awesome! Let’s stay connected. Our conversion may be done the same time as yours, lol. It takes longer than I expected. Thanks for the comment and sub!
Nice! You're doing it! Look forward to your decisions/build. Thx for sharing that Ford builds to a custom order only. Didn't know that. Why hi roof vs. mid roof? Still in the research mode myself.
Hi Michelle! Thanks for the comment! I am 6 feet tall, so the high roof allows me to stand up inside. By the time the floor and ceiling are installed (hopefully this week 💪🏾🥳) we’ll have about 6 feet 3 inches of standing room inside the van.
Great video, Great information!!!
Thank you for the kind comment! That makes our day. We’ll make more videos of our registration and titling process too.
Been trying to order a ford transit trail for months. My dealer keeps saying order banks are not open
Whoa really?! They just aren’t taking orders right now? That stinks :( Have you considered going to a different dealer? Or out of state like we did?
I have been waiting 15 months for my Transit with no indication if it will ever be built!
Wowww, from Ford???
i've been waiting for 5 months so far. i'm wondering how much longer it'll be for it to be shipped. i'm not even ordering ladder racks and shelving until it's actually here.
They gave us an order number that we used to track the progress on Ford’s website. Ford gave us a rough estimate of the production timeline. Were you able to get a tracking number like that? Honestly, it didn’t help much, but at least gave us a piece of mind for roughly what stage we were in. Also, our dealership sales person was able to contact Ford and confirm that timeline schedule. We ordered some building materials and products in advance and waited on others. Because you’re right, who knows when it will actually arrive. I had to store some materials for a month or two, which was inconvenient. Good luck and keep us posted on your delivery date!!
Great video
Thank You @cynthia pates! Let us know if you want to hear about anything else!
I just configured one 148WB high roof with an RV package on the Ford website. The MSRP was $69K. OMG!
Whoa really?!?! Things have gotten way out hand. I’m so sorry, Jason! I know the RV package was a bit more expensive than what we got, but that seems extreme :( What are you gonna do?
@@conandal Yea, Ford increased $13K from the previous year on the base and options I selected.
I now know that if I order this van from Ford, I must pay the total price, MSRP. I may look around from dealers. However, I want to have dual alternators, AWD, and EcoBoost. I want a Cinderella toilet (dry burnt toilet), full-size fridge, AC (ten hours), no LP, and no generator. It needs 10KAh with 48v batteries to make it happen.
@@jasonlucas2328 1st - Bummer about Ford increases cost by THAT much. I’m really sorry man. 2nd - Your van plan sounds awesome! Have you checked out Velit for AC? It’s a new company. We don’t know much about it but I’m interested. We have 600ah of battery and 700 watts on the roof. We’re doing a video of the roof set up soon! Thanks for the comment, Jason :)
@@conandal Thank you for sharing Velit A/C info. The A/C is fantastic for RVs. I plan to live in the van full-time but am determined to have an everyday life, gourmet, fine wine, and not to worry about finding a site to dump.
I'll buy an Instant Pot Crisp Pro pressure cooker with an air fryer. It's the only pressure cooker inner pot with a flat bottom and silicone handles. Furthermore, the inner pot can be used as a regular pot on an induction cooktop. I'll purchase the largest size because I can easily put racks in the pot for steaming, air frying, and sous vide cooking. So, I plan to buy an extra inner pot that can be interchanged on the induction cooktop and sous vide air fryer.
Wish I went there, I’m still waiting for my van ordered it in October 2021 and it’s now September 1 2022. 😢
OMG. Man, I’m sorry to hear that. I bet you’re losing steam, but don’t let it get you down. It’ll be here soon and you’ll get reinvigorated and the building will begin! (And then you’ll lose steam again when the build becomes overwhelming! Haha). I need to remind myself often that this is a long process/journey. Thanks for the comment and good luck!
@@conandal tryin to stay positive, payin down dept while I don’t have a van payment and collecting things I will need when I see amazing deals. Got a pile ready to go into build now. Thanks for responding.
I'm in a similar situ as John. Which is why I watched the vid, which was great BTW (ignore any negative comments). Like John, I ordered in late 21', by mid 22' we formally 'rolled the order over' into a 23'. We're using the largest commercial dealership in New England area, but the communication is less than appropriate for a purchase of this magnitude. Either the dealership or Ford seems to be out-of-touch with the non-commercial buyer. For example, had we not visited the dealership, on a whim btw, we wouldn't have known to 'roll the order over' into the newer model year....and after speaking with them there is no indication that they would have called us to inquire. I'm trying NOT to have a bad outlook/view of Ford, but that's getting tougher by the day... Time to contact the dealership and make sure our order hasn't been 'balanced out'. Anyhow, looking forward to seeing your build-out.
@@mitchkaminski2512 Hi, Mitch! Thanks for your comment and thanks for being a part of our build :) However, man I’m so sorry about your ordering situation! Like whoa?! That’s negligent on their behalf. Waiting as long as we did was demoralizing and zapped our motivation a bit (a lot actually), but I promise you when your beauty arrives it’ll reinvigorate you! It does sound the dealership is dropping the ball though. Although, Ford should have a tracking number for you that you can see the fabrication process in resale time. Have they issued your VIN yet? Let me know, I’m curious. I’m really sorry again.
How do u find out which dealership has a good lead time. If u ask them, do u think they will b truthful because they want your business?
that dealer sounds awesome. could you provide their information? Im from california would love to order from them
Hi! The dealer was AutoNation in Scottsdale, AZ. Nice guys and I got a good deal compared to 13 other dealers I contacted around the country.
Thanks for your information
@@stickyamor My pleasure! Thanks for watching!
@@conandal Do you have to be "physically there" to order , put the deposit and sign the paper? or you can do it on phone? look forward your rig
@@stickyamor You don’t have to be there physically to order. We did it over the phone. The dealer sent us a an order form/contract to sign so he could place the order with Ford. Then we paid the deposit with a credit card over the phone. Then, Ford started updating us on the production process via email. Sending us updates every few weeks.
My config on a 23 is $73,520.
Oh wow! Did you get all-wheel drive? We sort of regret not getting all-wheel, but we we’re worried the lead time would be a lot longer. We wanted the van asap.
Shit.... that's basically a bare bones cheap van. My build which I ordered a week ago was a little over $70k. Obviously this is 2 years later from yours plus mines is pretty loaded up T350hd SRW AWD.
Dude looks stoned .. like me ..
So total w taxes ?
Haha, my eyes betray me. But honestly, a police officer pulled me over for going too slow the other day and he thought the same thing. Until he saw my license photo. Then he said “I guess you always look like that”. Haha, and I do!
I forget the total with taxes. We didn’t pay state sales tax because I’m from Oregon, which doesn’t have state sales tax. But we paid a local county tax, which was roughly 1.2% and a .05% tax for not buying in Oregon (as a local). It was roughly $600 - $700 in taxes.
I hope this helps! Thanks for the comments, likes, and subscribes. We really appreciate it more than you know!
Are you stoned ? 😂 ❤
No, but I guess people think that a lot ☺️🤙🏽❤️
Hello, do you have a phone number for a sales person?
(480)-630-2827. This is the number to Auto Nation Ford in Scottsdale. It sounds like prices have changed since last year, but they just sent me an email advertisement talking about their prices and lead times. It’s worth giving them a call. My sales guy was named “James”. I hope this helps! Good luck!
dislike for the clickbait thumbnail. Be better than this.