Work Truck Logo
MenuMENU
SearchSEARCH

Contest Gives Transit Connect Wagon the Ultimate Upfit

The Hackmobile has been selected as the winning design in the Ultimate Maker Vehicle Challenge.

by Staff
December 27, 2013
Contest Gives Transit Connect Wagon the Ultimate Upfit

The Fabber was chosen by MAKE magazine readers as the ultimate Transit Connect Wagon upfit.

2 min to read


The Hackmobile has been selected as the winning design in the Ultimate Maker Vehicle Challenge, a contest presented by Ford Motor Company and MAKE magazine featuring 10 teams competing to create the ultimate Ford Transit Connect Wagon for the do-it-yourself enthusiast.

Ad Loading...

Hackmobile was created by Minneapolis and St. Paul-area residents Jon Atkinson, Becca Steffen, Riley Harrison, and Michael Freiert, members of Twin Cities Maker. Their idea was to design a Ford Transit Connect Wagon to transport a three-axis CNC machine the team calls The Fabber because of its use as a multipurpose tool in fabricating.

Ad Loading...

Aside from The Fabber, Hackmobile will have shelving and storage for tools – making it a mobile workshop for woodworking, metalworking and 3D fabrication.

Twin Cities Maker is a nonprofit community organization that operates a shop called the Hack Factory, where members build projects out of various materials, as well as hold classes for the community.

The 10 contestants in the Ultimate Maker Vehicle Challenge were given a budget and specific design and build criteria to work with before submitting their proposal. They were encouraged to define a particular vision for the ultimate do-it-yourself Ford Transit Connect Wagon.

Members of the public were allowed to vote once a day for as few or as many entries as they liked, judging the concepts based on overall design and customization, as well as maker spirit, according to Ford.

The all-new 2014 Ford Transit Connect – which goes on sale in early 2014  – has been named International Van of the Year 2014.

Ad Loading...

The 2014 Ford Transit Connect comes in two distinct models – the traditional, hard-working, panel-side hauler cargo van; and the all-new wagon model, a stylish, spacious and fuel-efficient people mover. Transit Connect Wagon features sliding doors and flexible, fold-flat seating for up to seven.

The DIY challenge is part of Ford’s Makers and Movers campaign with MAKE magazine highlighting Transit Connect Wagon. Throughout the campaign, owners who have used their talents to customize the vehicle have been showcased in stories and videos on Makezine.com. The profiles show how Ford has manufactured a vehicle that can be modified for an individual’s tastes and passions, according to the automaker.

More Operations

Shades of Fleet “Family Ties” thumbnail with Lauren Fletcher, a family tree graphic, keys, and Work Truck branding.
Operationsby Lauren FletcherSeptember 15, 2026

Family Ties Inside the Fleet Families Building Careers Across Generations

Three fleet families share what it really takes to work together, learn across generations, and keep business from following them home.

Read More →
Shades of Fleet Hidden Heroes graphic featuring silhouetted dispatchers, coordinators, parts specialists, and support staff working across fleet operations, with a Share Your Story callout.
Operationsby Lauren FletcherSeptember 15, 2026

Shades of Fleet Call for Voices: Fleet's Hidden Heroes

Fleet’s hidden heroes are often the ones keeping everything moving behind the scenes. September’s Shades of Fleet is looking for dispatchers, coordinators, parts specialists, and other support pros to share their stories.

Read More →
Truck Centers Inc. graphic recognizing National Truck Driver Appreciation Week, Sept. 14–18, over an image of a semi-truck traveling along a rural highway beneath a cloudy sky.
Operationsby News/Media ReleaseSeptember 14, 2026

Truck Centers, Inc. Celebrates National Truck Driver Appreciation Week with $1,000 Fuel Card Giveaways

During National Truck Driver Appreciation Week, Truck Centers, Inc. is offering customers a chance to fuel up for free. Customers at all Truck Centers locations can enter to win one of four $1,000 fuel cards from Sept. 14 - 18.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Lauren Fletcher appears in a Work Truck Weekly Truck Chat Cheat Sheet thumbnail with bold blue, black, white, and orange graphics. Text highlights fleet guides, AI, tariffs, and fuel strategy, with a semi-truck in the background.
Operationsby Lauren FletcherSeptember 14, 2026

Fleet Guides, AI Time-Savers, Truck Tariffs & Fuel Strategy Lead the News

This week’s Truck Chat Cheat Sheet covers new fleet vehicle guides, practical AI use cases, U.S.-Canada truck production, mixed-energy strategy, and more.

Read More →
Podcast cover for “The Fleet Skills We Keep Missing on Veterans’ Resumes” featuring a folded American flag, military dog tags, a resume listing leadership and adaptability skills, a wrench, and vehicle keys on a dark workbench.
OperationsSeptember 11, 2026

What Fleet Employers Are Missing When Hiring Veterans

What if some of the strongest candidates for fleet are already out there, but their experience is written in a language our industry does not always recognize?

Read More →
Graphic promoting Automotive Fleet's 2026 Personal Use Survey with the text "Have a Personal Use Policy? We Want to Know!" encouraging fleet managers to complete the annual industry survey.
Operationsby StaffSeptember 8, 2026

Automotive Fleet Opens 2026 Personal Use Survey for Commercial Fleet Managers

Less than two weeks left! Commercial and corporate fleet managers are invited to share how their organizations handle company vehicle personal-use policies, charges, and driver eligibility.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Truck Chat promotional graphic featuring two hosts and the headline “Operate Fleet at the Speed of Business,” presented by Work Truck.
Operationsby Lauren FletcherSeptember 7, 2026

What Resilient Fleets Do Differently When Conditions Change

Fleet resilience is about more than reacting to disruption. Lauren Fletcher talks with AP Fleet’s Alex Coveney about flexibility, planning, scaling, and what helps fleets adapt when business conditions shift.

Read More →
View down the 996-foot Soap Box Derby track at Derby Downs in Akron, Ohio, with grandstands, the starting structure, and a colorful Soap Box Derby sign in the foreground.
Operationsby Lauren FletcherSeptember 1, 2026

If We Want the Next Generation in Automotive, We Have to Give Them a Reason to Care

The automotive industry talks constantly about its workforce shortage. But before we can recruit the next generation, we may need to do a better job giving kids a reason to care about automotive in the first place.

Read More →
Work Truck Weekly Truck Chat Cheat Sheet thumbnail featuring Lauren Fletcher with blue hair and raised hands beside a work truck, with callouts for Ram under $40K, tariffs, and AI maintenance.
Operationsby Lauren FletcherAugust 31, 2026

Ram ProMaster City Under $40K, Truck Tariffs, and AI Maintenance Lead the News

A sub-$40K commercial van, tariff questions, AI-powered maintenance, and a new EV production strategy headline this week’s Truck Chat Cheat Sheet.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Fleet Legends promotional graphic featuring Bob Adamsky in a suit beside bold black, white, and yellow text reading “Legends of Fleet,” with his name and the tagline “Decades of Leadership. Lessons That Last.”
Sponsoredby Lauren FletcherAugust 31, 2026

Bob Adamsky Shares the Fleet Lessons You Usually Learn the Hard Way

After more than 30 years in fleet, Arrow International’s Bob Adamsky has learned that the job is about far more than vehicles. He shares the lessons he wishes every fleet manager could learn a little earlier.

Read More →