jerrysull2
Master Lurker
Greetings everyone!
Boy am I thankful I found this site when I did. I am looking forward to taking advantage of all of the knowledge and advice this community has to offer!
Having an overland/expedition rig has always been a dream of mine, and recently I pulled the trigger and picked up a prime candidate for the task:
It is a ’97 GMC Suburban 2500, used as an ambulance in rural Northern Pennsylvania. A lot of features stood out on this truck, giving me a very nice head start. It is four wheel drive, equipped with a 6.5l diesel motor, and has a full-float G80 axle in the back. Plus it already has 120v wiring in place, and a hookup for shore power. In addition, while rather large and bulky, the AC unit on top is a large added bonus.
A bit has changed since it was in service. The previous owner stripped most of the emergency equipment off of the truck, coated it in a layer of spray-on bedliner, and used it as a promo-truck for his business. Here is the truck in its current state:
It will be a little bit of a slow start, as I am currently in the middle of both a move, and a job change. Plus, I am finishing up another project, and some repairs are coming due on my current daily driver, so this may have to step in to fill that role as well. The biggest thing I will be focusing on now will be fixing several electrical bugs that have presented themselves (I don’t think the previous owner knew what he was doing in that regard).
Future planned mods include:
Replacing the power inverter for the shore power and 120v setup (was removed by previous owner)
Rear swing out bumper with storage (to make up for lost space up top from AC unit)
Auxillary lighting (would like the ability to light up area around truck in 360 degree angle)
Privacy curtains and sleeping/storage area in back
Upgraded front bumper with winch
Always liked the snorkel look, also would like the ability to ford water ( but I’m worried about truck’s electrical system, considering its history)
Not sure what to do about the "Paint job". Previous owner used rattle can bedliner and it it looks rather tacky. Want to fix this, but I'm not sure what route to go as of yet.
Open to suggestions/ideas as well (ESPECIALLY regarding vehicle reliability and durability. Don’t want this breaking down on me)
Boy am I thankful I found this site when I did. I am looking forward to taking advantage of all of the knowledge and advice this community has to offer!
Having an overland/expedition rig has always been a dream of mine, and recently I pulled the trigger and picked up a prime candidate for the task:
It is a ’97 GMC Suburban 2500, used as an ambulance in rural Northern Pennsylvania. A lot of features stood out on this truck, giving me a very nice head start. It is four wheel drive, equipped with a 6.5l diesel motor, and has a full-float G80 axle in the back. Plus it already has 120v wiring in place, and a hookup for shore power. In addition, while rather large and bulky, the AC unit on top is a large added bonus.
A bit has changed since it was in service. The previous owner stripped most of the emergency equipment off of the truck, coated it in a layer of spray-on bedliner, and used it as a promo-truck for his business. Here is the truck in its current state:
It will be a little bit of a slow start, as I am currently in the middle of both a move, and a job change. Plus, I am finishing up another project, and some repairs are coming due on my current daily driver, so this may have to step in to fill that role as well. The biggest thing I will be focusing on now will be fixing several electrical bugs that have presented themselves (I don’t think the previous owner knew what he was doing in that regard).
Future planned mods include:
Replacing the power inverter for the shore power and 120v setup (was removed by previous owner)
Rear swing out bumper with storage (to make up for lost space up top from AC unit)
Auxillary lighting (would like the ability to light up area around truck in 360 degree angle)
Privacy curtains and sleeping/storage area in back
Upgraded front bumper with winch
Always liked the snorkel look, also would like the ability to ford water ( but I’m worried about truck’s electrical system, considering its history)
Not sure what to do about the "Paint job". Previous owner used rattle can bedliner and it it looks rather tacky. Want to fix this, but I'm not sure what route to go as of yet.
Open to suggestions/ideas as well (ESPECIALLY regarding vehicle reliability and durability. Don’t want this breaking down on me)