This document details the functional and technical requirements for the mobile home van build.
- Type: Cargo van. Purchased a 2019 Ford Transit 148" WB High Roof (Non-Extended) (VIN: 1FTYR2CM2KKA07624) to allow for standing headroom and ample vertical space.
- Sourcing: Second-hand market (e.g., Facebook Marketplace).
- Cabin Separation: The driving cabin MUST be physically separated from the living space, accessible via a sliding door (custom 22x64" made from scrap material, glued, hollow core filled with spray foam). The bulkhead wall separating the front and back is framed with 2x2s, with 1/2" plywood on both sides (plywood nailed to the floor, screwed into the 2x2 frame). The door uses a 24" slide (reduced from 28").
- Construction Materials: Traditional wood framing. 23/32" OSB subfloor (to be cut using the saved original carpet as a template) with TrafficMaster vinyl plank flooring. 1x2 furring strips bolted to the ribs with plus-nuts, paneled with 1/4" Birch Plywood.
- Sleeping: Fixed platform bed at the rear built with a wooden post-and-ledger frame. Vertical 2x4 legs rest on the subfloor and are anchored to the wall furring strips to transfer the load. Horizontal 2x4 ledgers and cross-beams support the 23/32" cabinet-grade plywood surface (drilled with moisture ventilation holes). The platform height is set at 34" to 36" off the metal floor to balance garage clearance with headroom.
- Mattress Layout: A "Modified East-West" orientation. An RV Short Queen (60"x75") memory foam mattress will have a section cut off the bottom, allowing it to wedge perfectly left-to-right (sideways) within the van's ~69" interior width, drastically maximizing the kitchen floor space.
- Garage: The massive area beneath the bed housing the vertically-mounted Victron inverter, water tanks, and high-performance AI computing equipment.
- Kitchen: Custom wooden galley featuring a sink with a 12V diaphragm pump & accumulator, a 4.5 Cu Ft mini fridge, and an electric induction cooktop powered by the inverter.
- Water Storage: 16-gallon fresh water tank and 16-gallon grey water tank mounted inside the vehicle for 1-week autonomy. Spoliaccio external water inlet port.
- Sanitation: OGO Composting Toilet on a slide-out mechanism. No indoor shower.
- Insulation: ROCKWOOL Safe 'n' Sound stone wool in the wall/ceiling cavities for superior fire resistance and moisture control. 0.5" XPS rigid foam boards for the floor.
- Sound Dampening: Frienda Automotive Deadening Mat applied to metal panels to eliminate road vibration.
- Ventilation: Maxxair MaxxFan Deluxe (Smoke) roof vent fan, enabling all-weather ventilation. Placement: Above the kitchen galley to optimize exhaust for cooking and create a front-to-back cross breeze.
- Heating (Space): Espar Airtronic AM2 B4L 12V heater tapped directly into the Transit's factory gasoline tank.
- Experimental Concept: Using the 16-gallon clean water tank as a thermal buffer to store heat (e.g., from daytime solar/engine heat) and pull heat from it to warm the space at night.
- Heating (Water): Electrolux 1.5 Gallon mini-tank electric water heater (120V) under the sink.
- System Voltage: Dual-rail architecture. A main 24VDC battery bank (3x 100Ah LiTime LiFePO4 for 7.6 kWh total capacity) to handle the Victron Phoenix 3000W 120V standalone inverter and high-draw loads.
- Power Distribution: Custom Surface-Mount DIN Rail Enclosure housing individual DC miniature circuit breakers for all 12V appliances and standard DIN AC Breakers for 120V circuits.
- Solar & Alternator: 880W Solar managed by a Victron SmartSolar MPPT 100/50. Alternator charging via a Victron Orion-Tr Smart 12/24-15A DC-DC charger.
- Shore Charging Integration: J1772 electric vehicle inlet port controlled by a Fast&Quiet AVC2 module. The AVC2 actuates a 40A AC Contactor only after a successful EVSE handshake. The power then feeds into a Mean Well NPB-1200-24 universal charger, natively accepting 120V or 240V public charging.
- AI Core: GEEKOM Mini IT12 host system (running Home Assistant) paired with an ASUS ROG XG Mobile eGPU for heavy AI object detection (Frigate NVR) and local inference.
- Sensor Suite: Distributed ESP32 nodes running ESPHome.
- Telemetry Node: MCP2515 CAN Bus module reading OBD-II engine data and a NEO-8M GPS module for location tracking.
- Environment Node: JSN-SR04T ultrasonic sensors for fluid tanks, BME280/DHT22 for climate tracking, and PIR/Magnetic sensors for security.
- Perimeter Security: 5x PoE (Power over Ethernet) IP Cameras routing to Frigate NVR for 360-degree AI object detection around the van.
- Autonomous Auto-Start: A Fortin EVO-ALL immobilizer bypass module connected to an ESP32 relay, allowing the AI agent to automatically remote start the van's engine to recharge the batteries during critical low-power scenarios.
- Budget Management: Maintain a strict total build budget of under $10,000 (excluding the base vehicle) by prioritizing cost-effective material sourcing.
- Luxury Aesthetic: Emphasize a premium feel through strategic ambient lighting, smart material selection (like the Birch plywood and TrafficMaster vinyl), and high-quality custom carpentry to maximize perceived value without breaking the budget.