Milwaukee camper van innovator Orion Motors takes the largest Ford Transit cargo van out there and turns it into a camper utility van so versatile, you can use it 365 days a year.
The company puts the extra space of the massive van to use for five seats coupled with five sleeping berths that lift and fold away, leaving plenty of space behind to load kayaks, bicycles or motorcycles for an all-out on/off-highway expedition.
Orion starts off with the 264-in (671-cm) high-roof Ford Transit Extended Length cargo van because it needs all that cabin space to create a camper van that carries five+ people during the ride and sleeps five at camp.
Fitting five people into a camper van is one thing, but making a van that can also carry a couple dirt bikes, a stack of kayaks, or several bicycles is a rare feat. Orion does it by avoiding inflexible spaces and equipment like full-time wet bath compartments and fixed beds, relying on components that stow away quickly when not in use.
The foundation of all that flexibility is the pair of lift-away beds that combine for four of the 365's sleeping berths. In addition to the lifting rear bed, a common staple of gear-hauling adventure campers, Orion puts a less-common lifting bed in the front of the van, above the cockpit and rear seats. Both full-size beds lift high against the van roof during the ride and lower down at camp when it's time to call it a night.
The rear bed can lower down far enough that campers can sit on it without having to climb up into bed, but it can also be lowered partially so that tall cargo like bicycles can remain inside the van overnight or a fifth person can sleep below. The front bed lowers down only partially, remaining raised over top the van seats.
The fifth and final sleeping berth comes by way of a folding couch that drops down to create a single bed below the lift-away rear bed. It lifts and folds cleverly, storing away essentially flush with the wall panels above and below it, reserving plenty of space for carrying equipment and cargo. As a couch, it seats three.
With the couch and beds retracted out of the way, the 365 offers a large cargo area, and Orion completes it with floor-integrated L-track and tie-down/mounting points on the underside of the rear bed. The company says you can even use the bed points to mount dedicated solutions like fishing rod or ski racks. For trips requiring even more cargo space, drivers can open the cabin up further by removing the rail-mounted rear seats.
The beds aren't the only flexible part of Orion's floor plan. In place of the permanent bathrooms installed in other camper vans, Orion opts for a standalone toilet stored in a removable bench-height cargo box. Buyers can go with the standard portable cassette toilet or opt up with a composting toilet or Laveo dry flush toilet. The standard van does not come with an indoor shower, but buyers can add a collapsible shower room and hydronic water heating system optionally.
The rear passenger side of the van is the most conventional, fixed part of the build, comprising a kitchen area with portable dual-burner camping stove, stainless steel sink and 59-L fridge. The fridge is designed for indoor/outdoor access and swivels 90 degrees for more convenient access, whether you're inside or out. The portable stove can also be set up outside, and campers can hook up an extension sprayer to the sink for outdoor water.
Just behind and above the kitchen block, Orion mounts a 32-in smart TV on a swivel for viewing inside from the couch, seats and bed or outside the open rear doors. The van uses Ford's 4G connectivity and can be optionally equipped with dedicated Wi-Fi or a cellular booster.
Up front, Orion puts the passenger seat on a swivel base so it can swing 180 degrees around at camp. The van comes standard with two rear passenger seats in the second row that swivel 90 degrees against the driver's sidewall to create a lounge area and more open interior at camp. Orion also offers a third row of seats optionally and advertises various table options, including a basic folding indoor/outdoor camping table and a track-mounted Lagun table.
Orion wires in a 450-Ah EcoFlow Independence modular power system with 3,000-W sine wave inverter, 400-W solar panel array, 250-A van alternator and 30-A shore power converter. The standard water system is limited to a pair of 19-L fresh and waste water canisters under the kitchen sink, but the optional water heater package brings aboard a 95-L fresh tank. A gasoline-powered heater provides warmth on cold nights, while a 13,500-BTU air conditioner is available optionally for use in hotter weather.
The 365 costs US$90,000 as a package (not including base van), and Orion offers complete turnkey camper vans starting at $155,000. The camper van can be built on a rear-wheel-drive or all-wheel-drive Transit, including the ruggedized Transit Trail. Orion is also working on a smaller two-/four-person floor plan based on the shorter 236-in (599-cm) Transit.
Source: Orion Motors
