2005 GMC Savana 3/4 Ton Adventure Van Build Thread....

[ADVANTR]

Yes, PoloTurbo, that is "The Wall" at Hampton Beach in NH. Good catch. That is our closest reliable surf spot. Can get quite good in the late summer/fall season if you have a reliable enough schedule and can get over there when the swell arrives. I'm going to give a shout out to my friend Dave, who owns the surf shop "Cinnamon Rainbows". Great group of guys over there. Excellent service, never any attitude. Wish all surf shops were that way.

So, just a few quick updates. Been tackling little items on the van as time allows. Been getting to some overdue maintainance on this beast as well. Overall, I am very impressed with the condition of the van. I have never owned any GMC products, and have actually always thought they were poorly built as an observer. BUT, it is hard to argue with the drivetrain on this van. Engine has great pull, transmission shifts like a Cadillac, and this van rides amazingly well considering its size. I have had lots of experience with the Ford E-series vans, and never thought I'd say I liked the Chevy's better, but this van rides way better.

On to some quick projects.

Got tired of the van tool box not having a home, so I quickly grabbed some scrap wood and a tape measure, and this was the result.

We have been wanting to clean up, and shorten to length, the wiring for the auxiliary battery and the stereo for some time. Since we were going to install the inverter, we did both at the same time.

I put my best fabricator/upholsterer/wiring guru on the job.....

The result was the following. If we had to do it over, we likely would have simply wired from the battery to a distribution block, and then from there to the individual items. We will likely do this in the future in order to further keep the wiring simple. As for now, it is very functional, all properly fused and using high quality, 4 gauge wiring. This picture does not show the fuse installed for the inverter. It came in the mail the next day.

Of course, my brother Paully was over for this build....and he couldn't leave well enough alone. He decided to get going on the inverter mount and then, he came up with the idea for a trick box to mount behind the driver's seat which can keep items as they charge from the inverter (phones, cameras, etc.) It is sorta like a covert stash box where you could also hide contra-band.....

After a couple different versions, this was his final mock up.

By the way, we have given this storage spot the name "the box that Pauly built".....

Combined with the inverter, it would look like this. This also nicely secures the inverter. Beneath the inverter, there is just enough room to slide our foldable table when not being used. I really like this inverter as well because it gives us a digital readout of the voltage of the rear battery. It automatically shuts off at 11.0 volts. We rarely push it below 12.0 volts. Even with computer charging and playing music for hours, there is plenty of juice.

Then, just to make it look a little bit more custom, we some simple upholstering. Final product is as follows:

It is really nice to have a some extra options in the back in terms of power. We can charge batteries, run laptops, even power tools. Pretty cool.

Over this winter, I am finally going to build a few cabinets for our adventure van. I think at this point we have scrapped plans for the galley as we simply don't need it. We have no issue cooking with the foldable table and have been trying to keep as much space open in the back as possible for gear hauling and hang out space. Still, I am going to build 1 or 2 basic cabinets...still finalizing their location.

I have really enjoyed reading about other people's builds. Some of the creativity just blows my mind. I love seeing the energy, the desire to make something out of nothing. Very motivating. Bex and I have enjoyed the journey very much so far......

Overland Rally VT awaits in October, I really hope some of you guys make it!!!!

 

[89s rule]

Digging the charging box idea. Keep up the good work!

 

[bunks-tj]

Re: funky graphics or paint

Have you considered playing with plastidip? It gives you a lot of non-perminate options

 

[ADVANTR]

Bunks,

Funny you should mention plasti-dip....I have been trying to explain this concept to Rebecca as a method of altering the color and look of the van, but that we can always delete or change it in the future. She doesn't quite understand it. You sorta have to see the online videos to get an idea of what this product is all about. I am ordering up some as we speak to start messing with some trim (hood scoop, mirror, skirts) on my Subi WRX to get some practice and experience with the product. If I like it, I will definetly go to work on the van. Nothing crazy, I want to try and keep it somewhat stealthy....but the excess white is a little bland....

 

[bunks-tj]

I have done wheels on my e39, I'm still looking for my van, but it makes the field a lot larger. Any white van can be changed in a few hours.

 

[Bigbadmother]

Very nice to see that van moving along. Using all available space for odds and ends is the way to go. Sweet front-seat box and charger!!

You were saying that the inverter will shut down at 11 volts. Does anyone know of a unit that can be added to shut down the inverter at around the 12v mark? Wouldn't bringing down the aux battery to 11v not be a good idea?

 

[T.Low]

Maybe I missed it: do you sleep one up top and one below?

I like your gaucho design better than mine. Although we've adiosed the gaucho in favor of a east west sleeper for 5'5" wife and 2 yr old kiddo. With the minivan, north south sleeping doesn't leave any living space. You've got tons of room, and with bike inside, of course east/west sleeping is not what you want.

I think if you want a bike inside, you've got the correct configuration.

Personally, I like the bike outside, but maybe you figure the DR is better placed over the van axle rather than being tongue weight. (My 450 is only 250lbs plus aluminum moto carrier)

 

[T.Low]

...and while this vehicle may be extreme in nature, it's a good example of how cool white with black trim can be:





I'd rather have white than my pewter.

 

[montanachic]

A note from the electrician-seamstress-screwdriver toting-drinking beer on the job half of this adventure van build.

The ADVANTR van has been a fantastic trip so far. I'd never dreamed of owning or building an adventure van until I meet the man behind the photos and writing of this blog. Up until that time I'd been content to load the 'ol Subi up with my gear, hit the road, and throw the therm-a rest down wherever the wheels stopped rolling....

However, that was a different time of my life, less Grey's Anatomy-slave to the hospital for the next five years-style living and more do what you want, when you want out in Big Sky country. But a move cross country to the East coast, long hours, less free time, found me spending more time getting woken up by the po-po and told to move along than ever before. By that time the idea of a van was sounding mighty fine. However, being stubborn and refusing to let go of my Montana up bringing had me convincing the man that "Hell its totally comfortably sleeping back here. Don't worry the blow up mattress is good for a solid 6 hours before she goes flat."

Well it worked...for awhile, until I had the good fortune of breaking the collar bone which relegated us to hotels and lots of complaining about why we were paying so much to stay in a place that was loud, smelled bad, and we'd only be for 6 hours.

That brings us to the VAN! The ultimate, perfect solution to all the above problems....no longer getting pinched by the cops, sleeping where you want, bringing the gear and the pup, and making the most out of the little time we have during this chapter of our lives.

The van was a dream Xav had had for year and one that has far surpassed our expectations. Life should be filled with big dreams and you should try your damnedest to make them come true, both your own and those of the people around you.

T.Low:
Variety is the spice of life. Sometimes we sleep below when we are stealth camping with the top down and sometimes up above for the birds-eye view of the sunrise and sunset. Suffice to say either spot is more than sturdy enough for the two of us together....this has been fully tested The dog however has been banned from the gaucho but seems content to play lookout from the front swivel.

Bunks-tj:
He's sold me on the plastidip! Now to choose colors and designs....any tips you've got?


Thanks all for following the blog and all your suggestions and support! If you see a crazy black dog accompanying an equally crazy, energetic, outlandish couple at the Overland Rally this October in Vermont come say hi and join us for a beer...there's always a cold one waiting.

The clan:

"It's not the mountain we conquer, but ourselves." Sir Edmund Hillary

 

[bunks-tj]

Bunks-tj:
He's sold me on the plastidip! Now to choose colors and designs....any tips you've got?

re: plastidip

My experience is there is a fine line between the right amount of paint (read plastidip) and too much if you have taped off an area for a design. Keep in mind that tape has to be pulled while the dip is still wet or it will peel the dip of the van. too much dip and it will run, too little and it will not fully coat. If you are doing a base color or painting an entire section that is less of an issue, you can then do multiple thin coats to get great coverage. check out dipyoucar.com or their youtube page. lots of good info.

disclaimer, I am in no way affiliated with that webpage or company. but his tutorials are good.

Cant wait to see what you decide to go with.:sombrero:

 

[ADVANTR]

Bunks-tj --> thanks for the heads up on Plasti-dip. I did use some of the tutorials on dipyourcar.com. That Fonzi, he's a funny guy. This stuff can be a pain to use in the beginning. But like with most things, you get better as you get some experience. It is hard to get super great results using the spray cans and doing this in your driveway. But, we are really going for the fun factor here and not exactly looking for it to come out "perfect".

I think that is sort of a theme for me. Perfection is not always ideal. I like cars with a few scrapes, chicks with a few scars, and dogs sprung from the pound...

So here are just a few pics of us throwing on some fun factor.

This is the one side where we were just getting a feel for things.

Prepping the other side. It takes some extra time to get the tape on straight and things masked off well.

Throwing down some red.....

Final of the driver's side. I think this has a bit of a 70's retro feel to it. We will probably mix it up in the future with some other designs and possibly dipping more square footage of the van.

Lastly, Bex and I are heading to Cape Cod/NH to see if there are some waves these next couple of days and possibly some wind to kitesurf. We will be at the Vermont Overland Rally in VT by the end of the week. I am psyched to see some good builds....hopefully there will still be some vendors and travelers around from Overland East Expo which is this current weekend in Ashland, NC. I know some guys from the forums are heading there. I will take some pics and report back some cool stuff.

Following some other cool GMC/Chevy builds on the forums currently....we've got a nice little thing going here.

 

[bunks-tj]

Nicely done. Cool thing about plastidip, you can always pull it off and start again!

 

[Josh_G]

nice rig

 

[ADVANTR]

Hey guys, been a while since I've posted. The winter up here in upstate NY isn't exactly conducive to adventure van building. Still, I've been enjoying following some builds here on the forum. Really love the passion. Always amazed at the push despite often times there being a lack of skill, time, or funds. There seems to always be something in the way. Bex and I have gotten more inspired since having this van to make it happen despite what obstacles may lay ahead.

Wanted to share with you guys a few pictures from the Vermont Overland Rally we attended back in October 2014. This was part of a 10 day route we had picked out of the northeast including NH surf, Cape Code kiting, and the rally. Kick butt, super fun. Loved meeting fellow adventure vehicle builders. Very high skill set. I think there were about 100 vehicles there. A couple of 4WD Sportsmobile vans. Lots of Rovers, Cruisers, Tacos....the usual off road crew. Great scene, great beer! We brought our mountain bikes and followed guys on some of the routes to help with vehicle recovery. There is lots to learn at this type of even and just a great scene overall. We were one of 2 vehicles rolling with 2wd....no worries, plenty of recovery gear around just in case.:wavey:

Quick shout out to the guys from Bostig VW van conversions. Those guys are kick ***. Super smart techs and super friendly. These guys don't just talk, they put their vans to the test!! They helped me with a few things with my van while we were at the event and gave me some future build suggestions. I have checked out there website since, it is www.bostig.com. Highly recommended.

Of course, we got this pig stuck pretty quick on just some local dirt/mud roads. Despite some beefy tires, there simply is no hiding the weight of this van....

Before hitting up the rally, we caught some really nice NH surf for a number of days. We have lucked out as of late, the fall in NH is quite good at "the wall" and other local spots as well.

Of course, there was some requisite kiting on the cape as well......

Some cool out of the way spots we stopped and spent some evenings....

Finally, I have been making steady progress on getting to know my WRX (2004 hatch) pretty intimately as of late. Bex has been helping with this as well and she now understands clearly the difference between a turbo, downpipe, and an intercooler.:bike_rider: I have added some power, suspension mods coming, etc. My eventual goal for this vehicle is to convert into a Factory Five 818 in the future. I toured the factory (It's on the Cape, in MA) and enjoyed showing Rebecca some of the options.

Anyways, guys, Rock On.

In my next post, I want to ask you guys a few questions about a pesky electrical issue been having with my van, and my attempts to solve it, and see what you guys think. Don't want to make this post too lengthy....

 

[86scotty]

Just found your build. I love hearing about and seeing your adventures, and how the van is the vehicle rather than the destination. I get overboard with my vehicles sometimes and lose sight of this. Thanks for the reminder! Can't wait to see the next chapter, either trip or mod.