To Infinity and Beyond – in a Ford Transit???

The funniest story we’ve come across recently has come from across the pond, from Ohio, USA. Creative Mobile Interiors customise vehicles to all sorts of specifications, creating everything from mobile offices to cool vans and executive buses.

They’re clearly very talented.

And they’ve been up to something they’ve never done before…

One of their recent briefs has included the transformation of a black Ford Transit van – to a hearse.

Aaron Lane, the company’s design engineer, had no history of working with the funeral business, so he had to find out exactly what the van would need to turn it into a state of the art hearse.

To the body of the van, CMI added insulated sides and ceiling, with custom cabinetry for the sides. Then they fitted the floor with rollers, stops, and the hardware needed to safely transport caskets. There are two rows of rollers to guide the casket in and out, along with rubber guides which support the casket and protect the floor of the van. It’s been created to adapt to caskets of various sizes, and has side cabinets for flowers.

It doesn’t look like a hearse, but that’s the way the client wanted it, says Aaron Lane. “The owner has a fleet of typical hearses, Cadillacs and the like, but they can feel old and stuffy and people identify with them in a bad way. The owner wanted something that felt different, a more modern hearse without all the fluff. We spent about two weeks on this project, and more vans could be in store as older hearses are retired.”

If your curiosity veers towards morbid, you can have a look at more pictures here – with thanks to motor1.com for flagging this up.

So just remember – for a fresh take on the final journey, you need a man with a van!