a.boelkins
Member
I bought this van with the intention of creating the ultimate family adventure vehicle. It took me about 6 months to find a low mileage, all wheel drive GMC Savana. It had previously been used as a marine electrician’s work vehicle. I stripped the interior, wire brushed the entire floor, then coated it with POR15. From there, I began insulating the interior. 1” rigid poly-iso foam was used on the walls and ceiling, with everything being secured with 3M V90 (the highest strength contact adhesive they make). Hard to reach areas were sprayed with Great Stuff Expanding Foam, then any bare metal was wrapped with Frost King ⅛” reflective barrier and sound deadener. Automotive carpet was installed on the exposed columns/beams before the wall and ceiling panels were added. All panels use stainless steel ¼-20 fasteners, so each area can be easily removed, replaced, or modified.
A key part of my design was installing unistrut the length of the van. I wanted a strong, versatile mounting system I could use for seats, bike racks, etc. To raise the flooring flush with the top of the unistrut, I made floor panels with 1” poly iso and flooring plywood. Each of these is secured to the van floor with stainless steel fasteners threaded into Rivnuts installed in the floor. As a result, each floor panel is easily removed (again, I wanted future flexibility).
I designed a custom bracket to mount a two person Ford Transit bench seat. The inclusion of this seat in the sale is dependent on a couple of factors (liability being one of them). However, it is extremely over-engineered and a very clean solution for additional seating. With the unistrut, it can be mounted in nearly any location in the van.
The interior “cabinets” is nothing special, but it is enough to make the van usable as is. Best feature for the interior is the four opening windows that I bought and installed. This transformed the usability of the van without adding an obnoxious roof vent. The ceiling panel includes 8 LED lights, separated into two zones, each controlled by a dimmer. I had intentions to add a second house battery, but haven’t gotten around to it. Currently, the lights are not hooked up to any 12V power source.
Admittedly, the van isn’t perfect. The driver’s seat suffers from the common foam wear issue, there is definitely bad rust in some of the rocker panels, and the frame has typical Michigan rust. But, it has the solid 5.3L, so parts are cheap and readily available. At 122k, the van has low miles and tons of life left in it. Cruise control and bluetooth capable Pioneer head unit, plus upgraded front speakers are nice. AC is cold, heat is hot. No dash lights. Rear brakes replaced in the past 6 months, plus new water pump and radiator installed recently. The hitch is recently installed, and has a wiring harness for pulling a trailer. The van currently rolls on a new set of ProComp powder-coated wheels, which definitely offset the white work van stereotype. However, I also have a set of snow tires on steelies that will be included. The AWD makes for a super capable four season vehicle, and they are getting harder to find now that GMC/Chevy stopped making them in 2014. I spent tons of time researching, and in my opinion, the AWD Savannas/Expresses are a hidden gem in the camper van world.
So, why am I selling? Good question! I put a lot of time and energy into this project, then realized it just wasn’t a feasible option for a new family with a 1 year old who needs regular naps. I’m scaling back my ambitions, but would love to see this van go to somebody else who is considering a camper van project. Questions are welcome, but low ball offers are not. I’m in no rush to sell, so I’ll just keep slowly working on it if it doesn’t sell. I definitely enjoyed the countless threads on ExPo and am thankful for the countless ideas and inspiration to come out of these forums!
More current photos here: https://photos.app.goo.gl/shn4SXW8csARziqa6
$8750 OBO. Located in Grand Rapids, MI.
A key part of my design was installing unistrut the length of the van. I wanted a strong, versatile mounting system I could use for seats, bike racks, etc. To raise the flooring flush with the top of the unistrut, I made floor panels with 1” poly iso and flooring plywood. Each of these is secured to the van floor with stainless steel fasteners threaded into Rivnuts installed in the floor. As a result, each floor panel is easily removed (again, I wanted future flexibility).
I designed a custom bracket to mount a two person Ford Transit bench seat. The inclusion of this seat in the sale is dependent on a couple of factors (liability being one of them). However, it is extremely over-engineered and a very clean solution for additional seating. With the unistrut, it can be mounted in nearly any location in the van.
The interior “cabinets” is nothing special, but it is enough to make the van usable as is. Best feature for the interior is the four opening windows that I bought and installed. This transformed the usability of the van without adding an obnoxious roof vent. The ceiling panel includes 8 LED lights, separated into two zones, each controlled by a dimmer. I had intentions to add a second house battery, but haven’t gotten around to it. Currently, the lights are not hooked up to any 12V power source.
Admittedly, the van isn’t perfect. The driver’s seat suffers from the common foam wear issue, there is definitely bad rust in some of the rocker panels, and the frame has typical Michigan rust. But, it has the solid 5.3L, so parts are cheap and readily available. At 122k, the van has low miles and tons of life left in it. Cruise control and bluetooth capable Pioneer head unit, plus upgraded front speakers are nice. AC is cold, heat is hot. No dash lights. Rear brakes replaced in the past 6 months, plus new water pump and radiator installed recently. The hitch is recently installed, and has a wiring harness for pulling a trailer. The van currently rolls on a new set of ProComp powder-coated wheels, which definitely offset the white work van stereotype. However, I also have a set of snow tires on steelies that will be included. The AWD makes for a super capable four season vehicle, and they are getting harder to find now that GMC/Chevy stopped making them in 2014. I spent tons of time researching, and in my opinion, the AWD Savannas/Expresses are a hidden gem in the camper van world.
So, why am I selling? Good question! I put a lot of time and energy into this project, then realized it just wasn’t a feasible option for a new family with a 1 year old who needs regular naps. I’m scaling back my ambitions, but would love to see this van go to somebody else who is considering a camper van project. Questions are welcome, but low ball offers are not. I’m in no rush to sell, so I’ll just keep slowly working on it if it doesn’t sell. I definitely enjoyed the countless threads on ExPo and am thankful for the countless ideas and inspiration to come out of these forums!
More current photos here: https://photos.app.goo.gl/shn4SXW8csARziqa6
$8750 OBO. Located in Grand Rapids, MI.
