Nelson, New Zealand
Purpose-built for New Zealand
A 2012 Ford Transit with 91,000km on it, certified self-contained, and set up to be lived in through winter. My fourth build, and the best one yet.
91,000km
On a 2012
480W / 200Ah
Solar and lithium
5kW diesel
Heat off the main tank
Aug 2028
Self-contained to
Turnkey
Drive away and go
The build
My fourth van, and the best one yet
This one has been my home and my office on the road. Everything in it was chosen to work in real conditions, and it happens to look good while doing it.
I have built four of these now and lived in them for years. Each one taught me something, and all of it went into this build. It is made for cold nights, long drives, and the remote places where there is no power and everything on board has to just work.
Only 91,000km on a 2012, NZ new and built in Germany, which is barely run in for a Transit. Certified self-contained with a green certificate good until August 2028, and a WoF to 18 November 2026. I am 5'11" and I stand up in it with room to spare.
What is in it
Built to sit out in the cold with nothing plugged in
Power, heat, water and cooking that all work when there is no campground, no hookup, and no shop for an hour in either direction.
Power and off-grid
- 480W of rooftop solar
- 200Ah LiFePO4 house battery with a Bluetooth BMS, so state of charge is on your phone
- DC to DC charger, so driving tops the battery up on cloudy days. You are never waiting for sun
- Around 1800W at 230V through the inverter, which runs the induction hob or the kettle
- EPEVER MPPT controller, plus a matching spare on board
- Starlink Mini ready, so you can work from wherever you park
- Charging points throughout, and no gas bottles to buy, carry or store
Warm and dry
- 5kW diesel heater running off the main fuel tank, so there is no bottle swap to hunt down in a small town on a Sunday
- CO alarm fitted, which is what you want with a diesel heater in a sealed, well-insulated van
- Insulated throughout with sustainable South Island wool
- Warm, dry and usable right through winter, which most campervans here cannot claim
Kitchen and living
- 90L 12V fridge freezer, big enough for a proper shop instead of a chilly bin
- Induction cooktop and electric kettle
- 115L fresh and 75L grey water, which is days off-grid without thinking about it
- Fixed cassette toilet, and an outdoor shower you will use more than you expect after a beach day
- High-end memory foam mattress, made up with the bedding in the photos. It is included
- Full standing height, and heaps of storage, so you live in the van rather than out of bags
Bed and garage
- Fixed bed across the back, so it is never packed away and never a nightly conversion
- Full-width garage underneath for bikes, boards, chairs and tools
- Fiamma Carry-Bike UL rack on the rear, black, carries two bikes
- Nelson is the start of the Great Taste Trail, and the rack puts the Otago Rail Trail, the Alps 2 Ocean and the Queen Charlotte in reach of wherever you park
The van itself
- 2012 Ford Transit MK7, long wheelbase, high roof, 2.2L diesel, 6-speed manual, rear wheel drive
- Apple CarPlay and Android Auto with an OBD2 interface, so live engine data is on the screen
- Premium speakers, front-facing camera and reversing camera
- LED headlights, plus an LED light bar wired to the hi-beams with a bypass switch
- Towbar fitted, 2800kg braked
- Newish all-terrain tyres with plenty of tread life left in them
- All-weather seat covers over the original seats, which are clean and in very good condition
- New clutch at 75,000km. Serviced at 75k, 81k and 90k, with a new battery and fuel filter at 81k
- Two keys, spare wheel, jack and tools
Quick facts
The numbers
2012 Ford Transit MK7, LWB, high roof
91,000km
2.2L turbo diesel, 114kW
6-speed manual, rear wheel drive
2
Yes, green certificate to August 2028
18 November 2026
480W rooftop
200Ah LiFePO4 with Bluetooth BMS
EPEVER MPPT (plus a spare unit) and DC to DC
Around 1800W at 230V
Starlink Mini ready
90L 12V fridge freezer
5kW diesel, off the main fuel tank
Induction, no gas on board
115L fresh, 75L grey
Fixed cassette toilet, outdoor shower
South Island wool
Front facing and reversing
Fiamma Carry-Bike UL, black, two bikes
Towbar fitted, 2800kg braked
Newish all-terrains, plenty of tread life
CO alarm, fire extinguisher, first aid kit
Nelson, New Zealand
NZ$75,000
Photos
Have a proper look
Tap any photo to open it full size. If there is an angle you want that is not here, ask and I will go and shoot it.
Turnkey
Everything you need to drive away is already in it
Half of this is what you would end up buying in your first month anyway. The rest is what you only realise you need when you are a long way from anywhere.
Hoses, cables, dishes, cutlery and cookware are all on board, and the bed is made up with proper linen, a duvet and pillows, ready to sleep in on night one. You are not buying a van and then spending another two grand kitting it out before your first trip.
Straight up
Road-tested, not showroom
This van has been the length of the country and back, and it has earned a bit of patina along the way. Nothing structural, and nothing that stops you getting in it tomorrow and driving to the other end of the South Island.
Everything on board has been proven in the field rather than tested in a driveway. I am happy to walk you through any part of it you want a closer look at, happy to answer technical questions in detail, and happy for you to bring a mechanic.
Fly into Nelson and I will pick you up from the airport
I will help you sort the change of ownership and walk you through every system until you are comfortable with it. Land in the morning and you could be parked up on the Abel Tasman coast that night, or riding the Great Taste Trail, which starts right here.
Spring is just starting, so the whole summer is ahead of you, and you are starting from the sunniest part of the country.
NZ$75,000. Viewings in Nelson, any day that suits.