- 27 minutes ago
A normal-looking Ford E250 work van hides a surprisingly clever camper conversion, and Acorn proves how much can fit inside a low-top Econoline E-Series build. Patrick Botticelli tours the 2011 custom camper van with Patchworks and walks through the smart layout, from the flip-up window and MaxxAir fan to the open garage space, swivel seat, and modular storage.
The standout idea is flexibility: the kitchen comes off the door and can be moved outside on a log, picnic table, or the ground, then locked back in with French cleats for travel. Inside, the build uses lightweight outdoor vinyl, scratch-resistant waterproof flooring, a big sink, drawers, a composting toilet space, and a couch that turns into a bed. The buyer can still choose the final systems, including solar, water tanks, and a diesel heater, making it a custom van build for different travel styles.
It is a stealth camper van, a couple’s camper, and a compact road-trip rig all in one, with enough room to lounge, cook, work, and store gear without wasting space. The low roof also means easier parking, city use, and a more discreet look than a high-top Sprinter.
Perfect for viewers searching for camper van tour, Ford E250 conversion, Econoline campervan, stealth van build, low-top van life, and modular camper layout. It also fits searches for van build inspiration, custom camper van ideas, and practical small-space travel setups for weekend trips or full-time nomad life.
The standout idea is flexibility: the kitchen comes off the door and can be moved outside on a log, picnic table, or the ground, then locked back in with French cleats for travel. Inside, the build uses lightweight outdoor vinyl, scratch-resistant waterproof flooring, a big sink, drawers, a composting toilet space, and a couch that turns into a bed. The buyer can still choose the final systems, including solar, water tanks, and a diesel heater, making it a custom van build for different travel styles.
It is a stealth camper van, a couple’s camper, and a compact road-trip rig all in one, with enough room to lounge, cook, work, and store gear without wasting space. The low roof also means easier parking, city use, and a more discreet look than a high-top Sprinter.
Perfect for viewers searching for camper van tour, Ford E250 conversion, Econoline campervan, stealth van build, low-top van life, and modular camper layout. It also fits searches for van build inspiration, custom camper van ideas, and practical small-space travel setups for weekend trips or full-time nomad life.
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TravelTranscript
00:00This is Patrick of New Jersey's Outdoor Adventures YouTube channel.
00:03Very happy to have Patrick with Patchworks back on the show.
00:06Today, he's going to give us a tour of this Ford E250 custom camper van.
00:11I love all his creativity.
00:13This is a couple's camper, and it's really cool inside and out.
00:17So join us.
00:18Hey there, Patrick. It's good to see you.
00:20I always appreciate being on the channel.
00:22This is my latest build. Like you said, it's an E250, and I've named it Acorn.
00:25I'll give you a look around.
00:26It might be different than what you've seen before, so it's exciting.
00:29And we can get into it.
00:31It's one of the newer models I've done myself.
00:33I usually stick with T1N Sprinter vans, which don't come this new.
00:36This one does. It does have a bit of a crash.
00:39Somebody had a mishap. It wasn't me.
00:42It's non-structural. It looks like that.
00:44When you're going down dirt roads having fun, you'll care a little bit less.
00:47We've got a little window in there. This is cool.
00:49You'll see from the inside it flips up this way.
00:51So when it's raining, you can still have it open, which is important in a small space.
00:54There's a roof rack, and there's another bar.
00:57Something special with this is whoever buys it can pick the systems they want to put.
01:01So eventually there will be solar panels and roof decks and stuff like that up there.
01:04There's a max air fan.
01:07Obviously, those are great.
01:09Back doors.
01:10I'll show you the garage because it's not too complicated, so we'll get that over with.
01:14It's big. It's open. It's accessible.
01:17Sometimes you have garages that are too deep, and it's hard to get stuff.
01:20That's not something I wanted to do here.
01:22It's very open, clean. You can put stuff there.
01:24All your gear.
01:25Extra pockets where you can make them.
01:27Hook things on there. Bungee cords.
01:30And then the electrical system will go there.
01:31That's not much to look at.
01:32I went on a little trip and needed something, but that gives us light for now.
01:36And then, of course, you can see the bed from back there.
01:38It does more.
01:39But when you're camped in beautiful places, you can open the doors, enjoy the breeze, and the views.
01:44Boom.
01:46Boom.
01:47Come back around to the front.
01:49Another little cubby hole with some nice little hooks.
01:51It's important to dry stuff.
01:52I often have wet socks.
01:53It's a good place for it.
01:55And then that's inside.
01:56The first thing you might notice is that the kitchen comes with the door.
01:59This is an idea I had for a while.
02:01It works well here.
02:02When you're in a low-top van, you're going to want to be cooking outside.
02:05And at camp, this is the way to do it.
02:07And a problem you could have is that it's too high.
02:09Right now, the ground's not even.
02:11Things aren't always perfect.
02:12So something you can do with this is pull it off, put it on the log, put it on the
02:16picnic bench,
02:16put it on the ground, wherever you want.
02:18And you can get it to cook.
02:20French cleats to put it back on there.
02:22If you're going down crazy roads, it locks in.
02:24There's also a little flip-up counter there to make it look nice.
02:28Boom.
02:28And a flip-up door.
02:30Instead of this opening like a door, it opens like a table.
02:34Boom.
02:34Leg pops down.
02:36This sits like this.
02:38You can put shade over here and you're cooking, enjoying life.
02:41Enjoying the good things that the universe has given us.
02:45We slide in here.
02:46I'll tell you a little bit more about it.
02:48This is a cool little stool.
02:50This is kind of important in a vehicle like this.
02:52You want to be able to move around.
02:53You don't want to be on your knees.
02:54Something that's rolly and has storage for your most used items is pretty good.
02:59I like this stool a lot.
03:00I'll probably get one for myself.
03:02The floor is really solid, life-proof.
03:05It's waterproof.
03:06It's scratch-resistant.
03:07All that good stuff.
03:08When you're adventuring, you make messes.
03:10Good floors are good for that.
03:12The swivel seat up front is always good.
03:15It opens up the space a lot.
03:16It pulls out with other features, so you can be sitting across from each other.
03:22This pulls out really far, so you get pretty darn close.
03:26Boom.
03:27If you want to be working while enjoying that view or that view, somebody else is over there
03:31working on that space.
03:32It's pretty versatile.
03:33That's something I want to do.
03:34It's a small space, and I like making small space work.
03:37So, this is my best attempt at that.
03:41Boom.
03:41There's also, in the front, there's a dash cam, which is nice.
03:45If you're doing and investing in something, you should have a dash cam.
03:48It looks forward and backwards.
03:50Other than that, it's not too crazy up there.
03:53Everything works.
03:53Power windows, power mirrors, all of that.
03:57Boom.
03:57And the stool stores right in there, which is honestly quite nice, because while you're
04:04sitting there, it gives you more armrest space.
04:07I leave my notebook there often, and then when you get to doing stuff, it pops out.
04:11It locks itself in.
04:12If it got strapped in or bolted in or something, it just wouldn't be usable because it wouldn't
04:17be quick.
04:17So, that was a quick way to do it.
04:19I can pull this in now.
04:21Kind of give you a full view of if you're in here by yourself, and you can see how this
04:27stool is versatile.
04:29When you're cooking, making food, pull out more counter, you can get to your sink, get
04:34to your stove.
04:35Let me show that more.
04:37If you need even more counter space, that kind of thing happens.
04:41It's nice.
04:42I like it.
04:43You're surrounded by counter space for such a small thing without a big piece of counter.
04:47It's good to have options that are quick and easy and one-handed.
04:51The rest of this is all just a bunch of drawers.
04:54I'm currently holding some of my stuff.
04:55They're nice.
04:56They're in line.
04:57They close.
04:58This one's big enough to fit bags of chips, which is always important.
05:02And then a closet up here that opens up.
05:05This is part of whoever buys it.
05:07They might want shelves.
05:08They might want to be able to hang stuff.
05:09They want my mirrors or baskets or a showcase or something else.
05:14Who knows?
05:14This is outdoor vinyl, which might seem strange, but it's super lightweight.
05:20It's super easy to clean.
05:22If they've got moisture or condensation or anything like that, it wouldn't soak into the wood and
05:27create mold or anything like that.
05:28It's a plastic and it's super easy to run stuff behind it.
05:31And it's also very thin.
05:32In a space like this, you're being wooden, thickens it up.
05:35This is really good for that.
05:36The whole thing is spray foam insulated underneath, and the floor has a half inch of foam board
05:43insulation.
05:43So condensation is not a big thing, but you live in a van.
05:46These things happen.
05:46There is space behind here for your tall things.
05:50Right now, there's some reflectics for the front windows, but your broom and your bag and
05:54all of that kind of stuff can go back there.
05:56Fairy lights all around because everybody loves a vibe.
06:00And these lights are on a switch here, which took a while to find the right spot because
06:04you want to be able to get to it from the door and from the bed and from in the
06:07space.
06:08And this thing moves, but this is a good spot.
06:11Lights should dim.
06:13There's also a little reading light you can see through the tree here.
06:16Boop.
06:17And while we're over here, you can check out the medicine cabinet.
06:20A big sink for such a small van.
06:22I'm a big fan of big sinks.
06:24If you don't have a big sink, you're never going to use it.
06:26The faucet comes out.
06:28When that door is open, it goes outside so you can also spray.
06:31And this is currently running with a rinse kit system, which is tucked in under the bench
06:36here, which is kind of neat.
06:38It's an original system that doesn't have a power thing.
06:41That is a temporary gray water tank.
06:43Obviously, when they pick their tanks and their systems, we'll put something else in.
06:48On this side is permanent counter space, which is always nice.
06:52More drawers for whatever you need it for, I suppose.
06:57That one comes out too.
06:58This is holding all my camera gear.
07:00Patrick's in their cameras.
07:01And this is a big old slot that fits a Cuddy composting toilet.
07:04That's my favorite composting toilet life in a van.
07:07For me, it would be very different without it.
07:08So that space is there if somebody wants to add it.
07:11If not, it's good for shoes or bulk items or that kind of stuff.
07:15And to show off a thing, I held this piece of wood for a very long time.
07:19It might be hard to see in the light, but there's a couple gorillas in there, which I
07:23think is fun.
07:24You're living in life, having fun in the woods, and you spot that.
07:27I think it might make you smile.
07:29Boom.
07:30We got a table here that swivels out.
07:32I can slide back onto the couch here.
07:35And then, of course, this becomes an ottoman.
07:37And then you're big chilling.
07:39Somebody's big chilling over there.
07:40Someone's big chilling over here.
07:42It's all about big chilling.
07:45This is the little window from the inside.
07:47You can see how it opens up.
07:49Like I said, it's open in the rain, which is important to keep air moving.
07:54And it's also put in a place that doubles with its max air fan.
07:58So when you're sitting here in the main spot or taking a nap, the air is coming in and out
08:04and moving.
08:05It's farthest from the doors.
08:06It's strategic.
08:07It makes sense.
08:09It's a good fan.
08:10This goes around and just clicks in like that.
08:12Under here is a bunch of bulk storage.
08:14It's where the diesel heater will go if somebody wants it.
08:17Otherwise, you can make it into more drawers if that's better or whatever they need.
08:21Same with this corner.
08:22And then this corner is the fridge.
08:24You can pull the fridge all the way out so that if you're cooking, you don't have to
08:28crawl in and out.
08:29If you need stuff from the fridge, you can just put it by the door.
08:31When these cushions are cut in their final form, it'll just open here so you don't have
08:36to move the fridge at all, which I like for a small space.
08:39You don't want to put things where your feet are because your feet are already there.
08:41So this will open up.
08:42That'll come later when we reach that time.
08:45I showed this before, but you might not have been able to see it.
08:48Just another little drawer there, which has this.
08:51That pops in, which is good for just more counter space in general, but this also covers
08:57the sink if you don't need the sink and you need counter space.
09:00Boom.
09:01Little shelf up here to hold things.
09:03That's always good.
09:06Accents and that sort of things.
09:07And then the bed.
09:08I think it's important to always have a place to lay down.
09:11And in a couple's camper, two people have to be able to do that.
09:14So it gets bigger.
09:16But it's always there if you don't.
09:17And somebody could lay on the couch while somebody's lying up here.
09:19I've taken a good amount of naps on here.
09:21I was kind of surprised how well it worked.
09:23But this is rather simple.
09:25This cushion in its final form will come up to fill the space.
09:29This piece of wood pulls out.
09:32That cushion goes back.
09:37Boom.
09:38It's more simple when you're not on camera.
09:41Boom.
09:41That's there.
09:42This cushion will go up and it becomes decently close to a full-size bed.
09:46It's 54 inches wide, which is as wide as a full-size bed.
09:50But it's only six foot long, which is good for a lot of people, but not for everybody.
09:55Boom.
09:55A smaller couple would definitely be fitting better there.
10:00It pops up rather easily, which is a good thing.
10:03If things take too long, you're never going to do them.
10:06And that's that.
10:07I showed you under there.
10:09This is a really cool build.
10:11I love the fact that it's a low-top Econoline van.
10:14Yes.
10:15So it's very stealth.
10:17I mean, if someone really wants to be stealth.
10:19I like the fact that it has these bars on the windows.
10:22I agree, yeah.
10:23If someone wants to do a smash and grab, it's going to be much harder to grab your stuff.
10:27Yeah, a deterrent.
10:27Yeah.
10:28And it's a 2011 E250.
10:30And how many miles?
10:32It's got 150,000 miles.
10:34I'm the second owner.
10:35I have the full stack of paperwork for its maintenance.
10:38It's a really solid grab.
10:39I only like to build on good chassis.
10:42And it's a good one.
10:43And you can parallel park this in the city if you want.
10:45It's probably only 18 and a half feet, 19 feet long.
10:48Very short, very low.
10:49You can fit in parking garages and that kind of stuff.
10:52As a high topper, I can never do that.
10:54So that's nice with this.
10:55What's nice about it, it's fairly affordable.
10:58And someone could buy it from you and then finish it out with extra systems if they want it, right?
11:04So right now, does it come with the jacker?
11:06Or is that just something you put in it so we could power it off?
11:07It's something I put in there.
11:09If you wanted it, I'd throw you a bone.
11:11But the idea is that different people have different needs.
11:15Some people might want to use it for a weekender.
11:17Some people might want to go full-time.
11:19They might want to have different capabilities.
11:20So it doesn't make sense for me to put a power system in there that works for somebody but not
11:24somebody else.
11:25So whoever wants to get it, they can pick how big they want to go, how many panels.
11:28And the same with the water tanks and the diesel heaters and all the little touches of storage.
11:33It's just, it fits them better.
11:34When you're living in a small space, I've made this flow as much as I can manage.
11:39It takes a long time to sit in here and build it slow and figure out what I really want
11:43to do so it works.
11:45I've spent a lot of years on the road and I can kind of figure that out.
11:48But I get to so many points where it's like, I know what would be best for me, but I
11:52don't know what this next person is going to want.
11:54So then I leave it.
11:55And then they can choose and then it works better for everybody.
11:58And you're very engaged in the nomadic and the van life lifestyle.
12:02For sure.
12:03These four plans that you come up with are based on the way you use it and people you know
12:08use it.
12:09So not having a dedicated bathroom or dedicated shower area or a bed that takes up the whole floor plan
12:16is smart because, you know, you might have a group of people hanging out in here for the day.
12:20So having the seat I'm sitting in and that whole bent seat across the back is really nice.
12:26It's a lot of seating.
12:27Because it looks like the floor plan is quite a lot.
12:28I mean, it looks like you're way back there on camera.
12:30And then the fact that if it is a solo traveler, all they need is a single bed.
12:35Yeah.
12:35But, you know, if you want to slide it out and make it into a double, you do have that
12:39option.
12:39Yep.
12:40Absolutely.
12:41I'll put a link in the description so our viewers can click over to your ads or they can check
12:45it out.
12:45If it's not sold beforehand.
12:47You know, it always happens to us.
12:48We film these videos and you're like, oh, you already sold it.
12:53But, you know, a lot of people see Patrick on the videos and they reach out and they'll get their
12:57own custom build done.
12:59For sure.
12:59Yeah.
12:59If you're interested, this is what I do.
13:02Hit me up and we can make something happen.
13:03I like to do the different things.
13:06Awesome.
13:07This is Patrick with New Jersey's Outdoor Adventures YouTube channel.
13:09Thanks for joining us.
13:11Bye.