The Jacquot Adventure Van
Ford Transit 148 High Roof
A Ford Transit 148 built for two seasons and one family. Winter starts in the Stanley basin zero-degree mornings, altitude that tests everything, wet gear that needs somewhere to dry. Summer follows the Idaho NICA calendar dusty race lots, early mornings, three bikes stored inside overnight. This van isn't a showpiece. It's the place four people return to when the day is done warm enough at zero, dry enough after a race, simple enough that the interior never becomes a gear pile. Front-to-back sleeping with a real aisle so nobody climbs over anybody in the dark. DOT-approved seating for highway miles with the kids. A Webasto heater that adjusts at altitude because Stanley doesn't care what the brochure says. Insulation and sound deadening that make a metal box feel like a cabin when it's parked in a quiet pull-off at two in the morning. One van. Two seasons. Built to be lived in, not looked at.
The base for everything. Comprehensive insulation and butyl sound deadening turn the Transit shell into a quiet, warm space. Bamboo ceiling panels, toast tweed walls, and a Canyonlands Pendleton center strip give the interior its character. The Comvolt 4200 Pro handles all power management. The Pareto 11-track floor system with black Gerfloor is the backbone for every seat, bed, and bike mount configuration.
DOT-approved Freedman foldaway bench system mounted to the Pareto tracks. Folds against the driver-side wall when not in use. Moveable and removable highway-legal seating for four, then out of the way when the van becomes a living space at the trailhead.
200 watts of rigid solar on the roof rack feeding the Comvolt system below. Keeps lights, heat controls, USB, and the fan running off-grid through a full weekend at a NICA venue or a multi-day Stanley camp without plugging in.
A German-made 2KW fuel-burning heater under the passenger seat base altitude-adjusting for Stanley’s basin. Controlled by thermostat, fueled from your tank. Takes the van from low 40s to comfortable in minutes and holds it there all night at zero.
Out-the-back heated shower. All plumbing to a sink, rear wash-down system, water heater, grey and fresh water tanks. Stainless steel shower hose and mixer valve at the rear passenger side. Fill port easily accessible on rear of wheel-well enclosure.
Front-to-back queen on a three-panel aluminum platform with a HEST Dually custom mattress. Fold-down cot with its own mattress for the kids. A clear aisle from the bed to the slider door so nobody climbs over anybody at 2 a.m. in Stanley cold. Bed panel is easily removable. Wheel-well enclosures with solid removable lids capture dead space for organized storage.
Low-profile Strata sherpa-style rack for the 148 high roof. Carries the solar panel and leaves room for a ski box, gear bags, or additional storage up top.