SirMrManGuy
Observer
$16,500 or best offer.
Our trip is coming to an end so Vanessa is for sale, I’d love to keep her but to send her back to New Zealand but that would require me to convert her to right hand drive, which is almost impossible with AWDs. I’ll be sad to see her go. She was built with high quality components by a perfectionist engineer, so she’s built to last.
Available after October 19th. Will be located in Vancouver BC then but can deliver anywhere in the US or Canada for the cost of fuel via the most direct route from Vancouver (where my girlfriend is flying out from) and a budget flight from your location to Baltimore-BWI, where my parents are located.
Vanessa comes with plenty of equipment and is ready to camp in from day 1. The interior layout is different from most #VanLife builds, but that is because she was built for long adventures far from towns not Instagram photos. This is a great van for someone who is into adventure sports, the interior is durable and easy to keep clean and has plenty of room for equipment under the bed and on the roof. Would suit a mountain biker, climber, kayaker or skier. My girlfriend and I have been comfortably living in her since May. The AWD is great for forest roads and winter weather.
I’ve tried to be as honest and upfront as possible both in this add and in my build thread on Expedition Portal. Please read my build thread in detail and feel free to ask questions.
Where you see prices below they are approximate numbers from memory that try to include all the little nuts/bolts/fittings/etc to make each part work and to give the buyer an idea of how much this van cost to build from scratch (which was about $19,000 including the van). I can furnish most receipts from Amazon and McMaster Carr where most of my purchases were made, but the NAPA and Home Depot receipts are probably long gone.
Build Thread
http://forum.expeditionportal.com/threads/169757-Vanessa-the-Jersey-Girl
Van Features
• 5.3L V8, Automatic Transmission,
• All Wheel Drive
• Power Front Windows, Power Locks, Keyless Entry
• Cruise control
• Stock CD player head unit
• Pop Out rear windows
• Power mirrors
• Air conditioning
• Class 3 Trailer hitch (note, no trailer light wiring)
• G80 Locking Rear differential
• Toyo Open Country AT Tires, aprox 40% tread
• Factory rubber floors
• Has 112k miles on it right now but we are still driving a bit, I would guess it would still be under 115k by October.
Recent Maintenance
• New brake calipers, rotors and pads all 4 corners, using NAPA Premium Parts (@99k miles) $500
• Full brake fluid flush including cycling ABS valves via GM scan tool (@99k miles) $90
• New power steering pump, old one had a slight leak, using a GM/AC Delco pump (@99k miles) ~$150
• New Group 34 AGM battery, Napa Premium(same as Deka) (@99k miles) ~$170
• New tie rod ends (@99k miles) ~$65
• New AC belt and idler pulley (@99k miles) ~$60
• New serpentine belt and idler pulley (@99k miles) ~$70
• Transmission fluid and filter, full synthetic (@99k miles) ~$150
• New drivers front wheel bearing and hub assembly (@105k miles) ~$225
• New Fram air filter (@110k miles) ~$35
• Oil and filter changes every 3k miles
• Greased tie rods, ball joints etc.
Build Features
Electrical
• Renogy 200w solar panel kit, ~$400, note I’ve left Vanessa alone for a week while backpacking, and this setup kept the refrigerator running without a hitch.
• 2ga wiring to vehicle battery, copper hammer lugs $150
• Custom battery tray on drivers side frame $75
• Group 24 Napa AGM batteries ~$375
• Blue Sea 4 pole switch and SI-ACR relay ~$150
• Samlex 600w pure sine wave inverter (this is a very high quality inverter that produces clean power, good for running laptops and other sensitive electronics) + remote switch ~$350
• AC power outlets front and rear of bed $40
• 12v Blue Sea cigarette lighter and dual USB outlet (front of bed) $35
• 2x Blue sea 12v cigarette lighter outlet (rear of bed and behind fridge) $35
• Battery volt/watt meter ~$40
• Blue sea 8 switch circuit breaker panel, with all CB’s resized to their proper load ~$225
• Blue sea distribution and grounding blocks ~$60
• Blue sea fuse block $35
• 2x Hexfire LED lights under awning $115
• 6x Dream Lights round LED interior lights $40
• 2x Dream Lights strip LED interior lights $35
• Replaced rear cabin/vehicle light with LED fixture $15
• Anchor marine grade wire, wiring sleeves, crimp lugs, heat shrink etc etc ~$250
• Propane leak detector $80
Water System
• 26 gallon tank, hose, fittings, etc $225
• ShurFlow 12v water pump. 6.5A $80
• Spare ShurFlow water pump (the first one stopped working one day so I bought one from an RV shop on the road for way too much money, put it in and then discovered that the diaphragm was clogged in the original one and just needed a cleaning….)
• EcoTemp L5 portable water heater ~$140
• 25ft garden hose (for filling the tank and using the water heater) $20
• Camco water pressure regulator (for use with the water heater) $25
• Chlorine water test kit, chlorine bleach and syringe $40 (we treat the water up to 1pmm every other tank to keep the system clean)
Cooking Equipment
• Dometic 12VDC/120VAC 65 Liter fridge and freezer, Dometic full extension slide and insulated fridge cover ~$1000
• Camp chef propane oven and 2 burner stove, cover and propane regulator $325
• 11lb propane tank $75
• 2 big boxes of cooking supplies (4 sharp knives, 2 cutting boards, 2 sauce pots, big Tefal Teflon frying pan, 3x mixing bowls, plastic plates, cups, forks, knives, spoons, wine glasses, cork screw, wisk, cheese grater, tongs, spatulas, big spoons, various snap lock plastic containers…etc).
We’ve cooked and baked just about everything this summer, chickens, pork roasts, lasagna, brownies, muffins. We like eating well, you name it we’ve done it and this setup has just about everything a normal kitchen might have. There will also be a box of various food stuffs, spices, flour, sugar etc to get you started.
Interior build
• 1in .065 wall box tube bed frame with 1/2in ply top. I tried to design this bed frame so it could be easily modified by the next owner with legs in intelligent locations (such as adding drawers or more sliders or even moved to the back of the van should another layout be desired) ~$100 in metal and $50 in ply
• RV queen memory foam mattress (CoolGel brand) and two sets of 400 thread count sheets, 4x pillows, comforter ~$300… this mattress is super comfortable
• Noico Liner sound deadening (similar to Dynamat) on rear walls and roof $150
• EZ cool insulation, two layers on roof 1 on walls $150
• 5mm ply wall panels covered in Heather grey trunk liner fabric, attached with rivnuts and stainless 1/4-20 button head bolts ~$600
• 4x sets of L-Track $250
• 20 l-track tie down rings $80
• Magnetic bug nets for all windows and a large one for the side barn doors (great in the summer) $100
• Cargo net $30
• 2x Rocky mounts bike fork mounts (for storing the bikes inside) $65
• Black curtains behind the driver’s seat and reflective foil window shades $35
• Folding table $65
• 2x folding chairs $50
• 12v clip on fan, $10
• Awesome baja pattern seat covers $50
Roof Rack
• Trac Rack aluminum roof rack, 3x cross bars $600 retail but came with the van
• 2x Inno racks multi fork bike racks $275
• ARB 2.5meter Awning + brackets $350
• Aluminum walkboard $50
Tools and Recovery stuff
• Large ammo box to hold it all $75
• Scissor jack, lug wrench etc.
• Tool bag with various hand tools (sockets, plyers, screw drivers, allen keys, 4lb hammer, multimeter, electrical crimp tools, files, drill bits etc) $125
• Spare fuses, bits of wire, electrical crimps $30
• Bits of rope, hose
• Tire plug kit (I might keep the CO2 kit if I have the weight because it’s a favorite tool of mine)
• 20ft tow strap $20
• Various ratchet straps $20
• 5BC fire extinguisher $25
There is probably a bunch of other random useful items (fluids, towels, cleaning supplies, games, books, etc) that I’ve forgotten or will get left with the van because I’ll run out of weight in my airline bags.
Known issues
• The paint and body is in good condition for a chevy this age minus a few scuffs and dents, the most notable dents are on the drivers fender, drivers rocker panel by the rear wheel and rear barn door, but she looks great from 10ft. No peeling on the hood or roof yet, as is common for a chevy.
• The rear bumper has some rust on it around a dent and white paint overspray (I think she was a painters van before I bought her)
• She’s a 10 year old van that was used for work her first 10 years, she’s clean but not showroom clean, some scrapes and white paint on the interior panels.
• The drivers seat was ripped and sown up with fishing line by the previous owner… I just put seat covers on it and left it but you may want to swap seats if you care about that sort of thing.
Things I’d do if I kept her
• 3in lift using high quality shocks and 3/4ton rear springs as the belly is quite low on these vans
• Install a vent fan in the roof
• Slightly larger tires after the Toyo ATs wear out (these are really good I’d buy another set in a heartbeat, especially since they are snow rated).
• Maybe build drawers under the bed, but the boxes have worked fine so far and being able to take stuff out and haul long items like skis/snowboards is probably nice.
• If you planned to winter in her, a Webasto heater or similar
I’ll also be happy to spend time with the new buyer going over everything in the van and teaching you all the little tricks I’ve learned.
Our trip is coming to an end so Vanessa is for sale, I’d love to keep her but to send her back to New Zealand but that would require me to convert her to right hand drive, which is almost impossible with AWDs. I’ll be sad to see her go. She was built with high quality components by a perfectionist engineer, so she’s built to last.
Available after October 19th. Will be located in Vancouver BC then but can deliver anywhere in the US or Canada for the cost of fuel via the most direct route from Vancouver (where my girlfriend is flying out from) and a budget flight from your location to Baltimore-BWI, where my parents are located.
Vanessa comes with plenty of equipment and is ready to camp in from day 1. The interior layout is different from most #VanLife builds, but that is because she was built for long adventures far from towns not Instagram photos. This is a great van for someone who is into adventure sports, the interior is durable and easy to keep clean and has plenty of room for equipment under the bed and on the roof. Would suit a mountain biker, climber, kayaker or skier. My girlfriend and I have been comfortably living in her since May. The AWD is great for forest roads and winter weather.
I’ve tried to be as honest and upfront as possible both in this add and in my build thread on Expedition Portal. Please read my build thread in detail and feel free to ask questions.
Where you see prices below they are approximate numbers from memory that try to include all the little nuts/bolts/fittings/etc to make each part work and to give the buyer an idea of how much this van cost to build from scratch (which was about $19,000 including the van). I can furnish most receipts from Amazon and McMaster Carr where most of my purchases were made, but the NAPA and Home Depot receipts are probably long gone.
Build Thread
http://forum.expeditionportal.com/threads/169757-Vanessa-the-Jersey-Girl
Van Features
• 5.3L V8, Automatic Transmission,
• All Wheel Drive
• Power Front Windows, Power Locks, Keyless Entry
• Cruise control
• Stock CD player head unit
• Pop Out rear windows
• Power mirrors
• Air conditioning
• Class 3 Trailer hitch (note, no trailer light wiring)
• G80 Locking Rear differential
• Toyo Open Country AT Tires, aprox 40% tread
• Factory rubber floors
• Has 112k miles on it right now but we are still driving a bit, I would guess it would still be under 115k by October.
Recent Maintenance
• New brake calipers, rotors and pads all 4 corners, using NAPA Premium Parts (@99k miles) $500
• Full brake fluid flush including cycling ABS valves via GM scan tool (@99k miles) $90
• New power steering pump, old one had a slight leak, using a GM/AC Delco pump (@99k miles) ~$150
• New Group 34 AGM battery, Napa Premium(same as Deka) (@99k miles) ~$170
• New tie rod ends (@99k miles) ~$65
• New AC belt and idler pulley (@99k miles) ~$60
• New serpentine belt and idler pulley (@99k miles) ~$70
• Transmission fluid and filter, full synthetic (@99k miles) ~$150
• New drivers front wheel bearing and hub assembly (@105k miles) ~$225
• New Fram air filter (@110k miles) ~$35
• Oil and filter changes every 3k miles
• Greased tie rods, ball joints etc.
Build Features
Electrical
• Renogy 200w solar panel kit, ~$400, note I’ve left Vanessa alone for a week while backpacking, and this setup kept the refrigerator running without a hitch.
• 2ga wiring to vehicle battery, copper hammer lugs $150
• Custom battery tray on drivers side frame $75
• Group 24 Napa AGM batteries ~$375
• Blue Sea 4 pole switch and SI-ACR relay ~$150
• Samlex 600w pure sine wave inverter (this is a very high quality inverter that produces clean power, good for running laptops and other sensitive electronics) + remote switch ~$350
• AC power outlets front and rear of bed $40
• 12v Blue Sea cigarette lighter and dual USB outlet (front of bed) $35
• 2x Blue sea 12v cigarette lighter outlet (rear of bed and behind fridge) $35
• Battery volt/watt meter ~$40
• Blue sea 8 switch circuit breaker panel, with all CB’s resized to their proper load ~$225
• Blue sea distribution and grounding blocks ~$60
• Blue sea fuse block $35
• 2x Hexfire LED lights under awning $115
• 6x Dream Lights round LED interior lights $40
• 2x Dream Lights strip LED interior lights $35
• Replaced rear cabin/vehicle light with LED fixture $15
• Anchor marine grade wire, wiring sleeves, crimp lugs, heat shrink etc etc ~$250
• Propane leak detector $80
Water System
• 26 gallon tank, hose, fittings, etc $225
• ShurFlow 12v water pump. 6.5A $80
• Spare ShurFlow water pump (the first one stopped working one day so I bought one from an RV shop on the road for way too much money, put it in and then discovered that the diaphragm was clogged in the original one and just needed a cleaning….)
• EcoTemp L5 portable water heater ~$140
• 25ft garden hose (for filling the tank and using the water heater) $20
• Camco water pressure regulator (for use with the water heater) $25
• Chlorine water test kit, chlorine bleach and syringe $40 (we treat the water up to 1pmm every other tank to keep the system clean)
Cooking Equipment
• Dometic 12VDC/120VAC 65 Liter fridge and freezer, Dometic full extension slide and insulated fridge cover ~$1000
• Camp chef propane oven and 2 burner stove, cover and propane regulator $325
• 11lb propane tank $75
• 2 big boxes of cooking supplies (4 sharp knives, 2 cutting boards, 2 sauce pots, big Tefal Teflon frying pan, 3x mixing bowls, plastic plates, cups, forks, knives, spoons, wine glasses, cork screw, wisk, cheese grater, tongs, spatulas, big spoons, various snap lock plastic containers…etc).
We’ve cooked and baked just about everything this summer, chickens, pork roasts, lasagna, brownies, muffins. We like eating well, you name it we’ve done it and this setup has just about everything a normal kitchen might have. There will also be a box of various food stuffs, spices, flour, sugar etc to get you started.
Interior build
• 1in .065 wall box tube bed frame with 1/2in ply top. I tried to design this bed frame so it could be easily modified by the next owner with legs in intelligent locations (such as adding drawers or more sliders or even moved to the back of the van should another layout be desired) ~$100 in metal and $50 in ply
• RV queen memory foam mattress (CoolGel brand) and two sets of 400 thread count sheets, 4x pillows, comforter ~$300… this mattress is super comfortable
• Noico Liner sound deadening (similar to Dynamat) on rear walls and roof $150
• EZ cool insulation, two layers on roof 1 on walls $150
• 5mm ply wall panels covered in Heather grey trunk liner fabric, attached with rivnuts and stainless 1/4-20 button head bolts ~$600
• 4x sets of L-Track $250
• 20 l-track tie down rings $80
• Magnetic bug nets for all windows and a large one for the side barn doors (great in the summer) $100
• Cargo net $30
• 2x Rocky mounts bike fork mounts (for storing the bikes inside) $65
• Black curtains behind the driver’s seat and reflective foil window shades $35
• Folding table $65
• 2x folding chairs $50
• 12v clip on fan, $10
• Awesome baja pattern seat covers $50
Roof Rack
• Trac Rack aluminum roof rack, 3x cross bars $600 retail but came with the van
• 2x Inno racks multi fork bike racks $275
• ARB 2.5meter Awning + brackets $350
• Aluminum walkboard $50
Tools and Recovery stuff
• Large ammo box to hold it all $75
• Scissor jack, lug wrench etc.
• Tool bag with various hand tools (sockets, plyers, screw drivers, allen keys, 4lb hammer, multimeter, electrical crimp tools, files, drill bits etc) $125
• Spare fuses, bits of wire, electrical crimps $30
• Bits of rope, hose
• Tire plug kit (I might keep the CO2 kit if I have the weight because it’s a favorite tool of mine)
• 20ft tow strap $20
• Various ratchet straps $20
• 5BC fire extinguisher $25
There is probably a bunch of other random useful items (fluids, towels, cleaning supplies, games, books, etc) that I’ve forgotten or will get left with the van because I’ll run out of weight in my airline bags.
Known issues
• The paint and body is in good condition for a chevy this age minus a few scuffs and dents, the most notable dents are on the drivers fender, drivers rocker panel by the rear wheel and rear barn door, but she looks great from 10ft. No peeling on the hood or roof yet, as is common for a chevy.
• The rear bumper has some rust on it around a dent and white paint overspray (I think she was a painters van before I bought her)
• She’s a 10 year old van that was used for work her first 10 years, she’s clean but not showroom clean, some scrapes and white paint on the interior panels.
• The drivers seat was ripped and sown up with fishing line by the previous owner… I just put seat covers on it and left it but you may want to swap seats if you care about that sort of thing.
Things I’d do if I kept her
• 3in lift using high quality shocks and 3/4ton rear springs as the belly is quite low on these vans
• Install a vent fan in the roof
• Slightly larger tires after the Toyo ATs wear out (these are really good I’d buy another set in a heartbeat, especially since they are snow rated).
• Maybe build drawers under the bed, but the boxes have worked fine so far and being able to take stuff out and haul long items like skis/snowboards is probably nice.
• If you planned to winter in her, a Webasto heater or similar
I’ll also be happy to spend time with the new buyer going over everything in the van and teaching you all the little tricks I’ve learned.
