Bertie The Purple People Eater

Introducing the perfect Off-Grid Adventure Companion, Bertie the Flyin’ Purple People Eater (if you don’t know this song, here you go: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5jV-E09efRE)

Anyway…I had a wonderful year travelling with Bertie, whose wonderful previous owner (a Royal Navy Submariner who added all her cool internal red lights, very Das Boot) sold her to me for £12K. I travelled around Europe with her, from the Spanish Sierra Nevada to the Italian Alps, and she was such a pleasure to drive and never gave me any trouble at all. I will miss her terribly but I’m moving abroad and my year-long road trip is over.

I love that she looks a bit shaggy and unkempt from the outside and not like a campervan at all (or a big white plastic motorhome), but that inside she’s got a well-appointed, comformtable working space and comfy bed and shower. I have done lots of improvements since I got her: bought two new front starter batteries, had the plumbing professionally revamped and simplified so the shower and hot water heater works much better, simplified the solar system and installed a much more powerful inverter (Renogy 3K), and replaced the front and back fuse systems so it’s a much safer system overall (and won’t trip on high loads, which she used to). I also replaced the diesel heater fuel line with a safer one and reinstalled the whole clamp system, and had a professional habitation inspection done (got the sticker in the saloon so you can check it out). Also, I installed a 4G omni antenna and a Teltonika industrial router with two SIM card slots, so you can install a UK and a EU card and switch as needed. With a GiffGaff card, I get about 30mbps and up in poor conditions, 50 to 60 on the road. This router and antenna alone were about £500.

Here’s a basic walkthrough of her current state and the bits I fixed/improved: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7CGQvVCSYB4

MOT to January 2025, taxed to December 2024.

Here’s what makes this campervan a true standout:

**Off-Grid Ready:** With a robust solar power system, you’ll have all the energy you need to power your appliances, lights, and gadgets while basking in the serenity of nature. No need to worry about hooking up to campsites or finding electrical outlets; you’re fully self-sufficient. Batteries can also be charged by alternator as you drive along – perfect for the duller days. I only ever had to plug in while running a 1kw air conditioner (it was 40C in the desert in spain).

**High Quality Interior:** High-quality interior fittings that make this campervan feel like a home away from home. The thoughtfully designed living space boasts premium finishes, seating, and a versatile layout. Whether you’re cooking a meal, getting cozy for a movie night, or working remotely, you’ll have all the comforts you desire.

**Full Amenities:** Bertie The Ford Transit XLWB Jumbo Campervan comes equipped with a shower and electric water heater, ensuring you can stay refreshed and clean during your journeys.

**Adventure-Ready:** With ample storage space in the under bed rear garage, you can bring all your gear, from bikes and surfboards to camping equipment and hiking essentials.

**Stealthy Design:** Whilst the exterior is a bit ‘scrappy, this actually works in your favour, giving you a low-key, inconspicuous look that’s perfect for stealth camping. Park in urban areas or blend into the wilderness without drawing unnecessary attention. I have a pot of her purple paint but purposefully didn’t use it because I wanted to be stealthy and not get broken into in Italy and Spain, where motorhome theft is a thing.

Full Spec:

POWER

No shore power as designed this van to be self- sustaining (540W solar panels)

– 2x 270W Perlight AlI Black Mono Percium Solar Panel (540W)
– 1500W 12V EPever IPower Pure Sine Wave Inverter
-This has been replaced by a Renogy 3000W inverter
– 4x 12V 110Ah Deep Cycle Battery Hankook, 1 x 110Ah Lion Lesure Battery (550AH)
– 40A EPever XTRA 4215N 12V-24V MPPT charge Controller 150V0C PV+
– MT50 Display screen Victron Energy BMV-712
– Blue Power Battery Monitor Bluetooth
– Victron Energy Smart Bluetooth IP22 Battery Main Charger 12V 30A
– Connection and switch to main van battery (now with much safer fuse connection)
– Sockets 240V connected to Renogy inverter

KITCHEN

– Kitchen consists of a pull out worktop and gas burner, a double burner could be easily installed instead.

-Large 12V Alpicool K18 fridge.

SHOWER / WATER

– Propex 240v 10L Mains Water Heater

– 60L Fresh Water Tank inside, 55L Waste Water Tank outside

– Place for 2x 10l extra water cans and 1 x 5L fresh water dispenser

SALOON

– Cozy working/seating area in saloon with table and projector mount and 40″ screen

BEDROOM

– Memory Foam Mattress – Depth: 6 (1″ Memory 5 Reflex), Size: 4FT Small Double (120cm x 190cm)

– Second projector mount in the bedroom with second 40″ screen, have bought second projector so you don’t have to keep moving it between saloon screen and bed screen.

LIGHTING, VENTILATION & HEATING

– Two roof lights, 280mm smaller on the front and 400mm in the bedroom.

– Blinds on both sides of the sitting area, van is prepared to be stealth, no lights visible outside.

– A couple of lighting zone, 2x sitting area, 2x bedroom, nights/discret lights.

– 2KW Diesel heater than vents into the main area of the van and shower room (can be used as a drying room, or closet).

– Electric fan vent in the shower room

– Big in-line blower to pull fresh air into the van (noisy, but good for quickly cooling down/when cooking)

– The van has multiple layers of insulation mineral wool, Celotex and sound deadening and vapour barrier.

STORAGE

– Huge drawer metal drawer safe, for expensive stuff, like cameras, laptops, etc. Comes with two keys.

– Masses of storage in rear under-bed garage for up to 3 bicycles. Currently two bicycles, bbq and lots of other stuff stored here.

OTHER:
– Vinyl flooring throughout, completely waterproof.
– LG LED projector 720p, 2 x 40inch screens
-Second projector.
– Swivel Passenger Seat
– D-Link DWR-920 Wireless N300 4G LTE Router – Poynting 4G-XPOL-A0001 Cross Polarised 4G Omni LTE Antenna
-Thetford Porta Potti Qube 335 Mini Camping Toilet (never used)
-Van Vault S10870 Safe Secure Drawer System 500 x 1200 x 31Omm
– 2 x MTBVans bicycle mounts.
– Reversing camera
– 3 smoke detectors, two CO detectors, fire blanket, 3 fire extinguishers
– Lots of other small bits and pieces.

MECHANIC in the last 2 years:
– Chassis mileage 158,030
– New (NOT RECONDITIONED) FORD Engine Replaced at 112,000 (12-02-2021) Still on warranty.
Replaced Winter 2022:
– Turbocharger
– Glow plug
– Reconditioned 4 injectors
– Dual Mass Flywheel
– 4x brake disk and pads
– 2x Front shock absorbers
– 4x Goodyear Vector 4 Season Cargo 215/75R16 116/114
– Fuel pump regulator, valve and sensors
– Vacuum pump
-Tail lights and sidelights (marker lamps) replaced at last MOT.

The only bad point is the central locking honks when locked with the remote however but it always works silently using the key in the drivers door. I’ve mentioned she looks a bit rough on the outside but there’s a spot on the left rear tail light where there’s a bit of body damage but it has been patched, and light works fine and passed MOT. Also, the rear camera works fine, but at some point will want re-mounting as it isn’t the strongest fix.

If you would like to see whole building process, the videos are on Youtube here: https://www.youtube.com/@artvanlife

Perfect for someone who wants to be full time or content creator, vanlife on Instagram, YouTube… Ready to go for a trip.

Selling due to moving abroad and since I finished my year-long road trip.