More pics and info
Converted by SMB Fresno in late 2010/early 2011 (I obtained info from SMB that shows it was completed in January 2011), so a more recent conversion than the year of the van suggests.
Price: $55,000- reduced to $50k firm
VIN: 1GTHG35K581145065
65,5xx miles (will continue to go up as we will continue to use it until sold- last trip of year likely to be Thanksgiving week and then I will winterize)
Located near Cleveland, Ohio.
My wife and I are the 2nd owners as of May 2014 and have title in hand; it was shipped from southern California and was not used over the winter. We have put approximately 18,000 miles on it since we obtained it. Also, we are non-smokers.
Items added/updated since we purchased the van:
1. Cooper AT3 (including the spare) Load E- stock size 245-70-16- they were put on shortly after getting the van- so approximately 17,000 miles on them
2. 2 new house batteries as of April 2015- West Marine (Deka/East Penn) Group 27 AGM- have receipt- 18 month warranty
3. New starting battery in March 2015- Duracell (East Penn) Group 34/78 AGM – have receipt- 36 month warranty
4. New front windshield as of April 2015.
5. The transfer case seal was replaced by a GM dealership when we obtained the van. When the van arrived from being shipped from California last year, I noticed that it was dripping oil. I admittedly freaked out, since the seller did not indicate the issue when we purchased it (ultimately, the seller indicated they did not know about the issue and they helped resolve it). I immediately had my trusted Honda dealer mechanics (who are right down the road from me) and also had my brother-in-law (also trusted and who is also a professional mechanic that lives about 40 minutes away) look the van over thoroughly when we received it. Given the leak and my concern over something not disclosed by the seller, I contacted the seller and they paid for the van to be taken to a GM dealer (local to me and the seller was more comfortable getting a report from them rather than my own mechanics) to look it over as well, and they all reported that the van was in great condition but that the transfer case seal needed replaced and that this was a typical maintenance item. So that was done at that time.
6. New alternator, 2 pulleys, and serp belt as of August 2015 (alternator decided it wanted to start acting up while on a trip to Colorado, so I had it replaced. Pulleys and belt replaced but nothing was wrong with the old ones- one pulley had a little play to it and I just had the shop replace it and the belt as I am obsessive about making sure things are as new and operating as optimal as possible).
7. Had the trans fluid and filter changed in August.
8. Had it professionally waxed/exterior detailed in September.
9. Just changed the oil (I only use synthetic) and filter last week (Oct 24th).
Features from original build from SMB:
Manual penthouse top with 2 piece mattress included- also the 2 front side windows have zippers on the screens which make it possible for unobstructed photography from inside of the van
Gaucho that folds into a bed that is 70 inches long x 44 inches wide
Gaucho has 3 seat belts
Gaucho and front seats upgraded with Ultraleather
Swivel passenger seat
Power adjustable driver's seat (this seat does not swivel, though)
Norcold 3.6 cubic/ft refrigerator (model DE0041)
GE 700 watt microwave
Stainless steel sink with retractable faucet sprayer
Upgraded Corian solid surface countertops (sink countertop is approx. 40 inches x 18 inches)
16.5 gallon water tank
Flatplate exchange heater- provides for hot water at the sink and exterior shower
Exterior shower- attachment inside rear of van
Onan 2.8kw generator- only 59 hours on the generator
Danhard A/C system- separate from van's normal AC system
2400 watt Tripp-Lite inverter
Upgraded sound system- Power Acoustik 1200 watt amplifier, upgraded front and rear speakers (JL Audio)
Kenwood DNX5160 stereo- built-in Garmin navigation system, ipod/iphone connection (30 pin), dvd player, cd player, Sirius (buyer must purchase/renew subscription)- also has handsfree bluetooth capabilities for phone
Back up camera- that can be viewed on the Kenwood screen
Removable side door pantry with upgraded Corian solid surface top
2 CR Laurence awning windows (one on driver side and one on passenger side)- both with day/night shades
Slide curtains on remaining windows
All windows tinted
Marine vinyl floor w/ carpet overlays
Aluminess rear swing-away tire rack
Thule roof rack w/ 4 towers and 2 load bars (towers attach to mounts that are on a track system- making the setup adjustable)
Rear ladder
Curtains for front window and to separate rear of van from the fridge back to the rear doors
Other misc:
30 amp cord
Rack for hanging clothes in rear (removable)
Table- it is free moving
Note that there is no propane system- but you can still get hot water from the flatplate exchange heater
Also note that there is no gray water tank- there is a drain from the sink to the exterior of the van in the rear passenger side wheel well. A hose and portable, collapsible 5 gal container attachment are used to capture drain water. I recently modified to also allow to capture the gray water inside the van under the sink in 2.5 gallon containers.
Given all the upgrades and amenities, if the same conversion was done by SMB today, it would cost approximately $95,000.
The van is in great condition, inside and out
Everything works as it should.
The van has the 6.0 v-8 engine.
Issues to note:
1. There are a couple scrapes (about 2-3 inches) in the tint (not the window itself) on one of the rear windows.
2. The front seats (especially the drivers) has some wear visible attributable to getting in/out of the van. We bought some cheap seat covers a couple months ago to help future wear/tear.
3. There are some marks here and there on the exterior of the van, which is normal “wear and tear”. The exterior is in great condition, but it is not 100% perfect and is not a brand new van. I just want to mention that for full disclosure, so potential buyers have realistic expectations.
The van gets ~14-15 mpg (in 2wd), which I think is good given the weight of the interior items and the 4x4 system.
The van has been stored indoors while in our possession. The original owner also stored this indoors (that's what they told me and the condition suggests it, but I obviously can't validate that). We did NOT drive it over the winter months, when there is salt on the roads in Ohio. It was kept in the indoor storage during that time and every day we do not use it.
Many people look for the “50” floor plan, but this configuration (I think it's close to the “34” plan) makes it (in my opinion) even more functional and accessible given the ability to walk through to/from the rear. It feels it would be more open to me than a “50” floor plan would allow, but I have not had experience with a “50” plan. My view is biased, obviously.
I've tried to be as detailed as possible, but please let me know on here or via PM if you have any questions.
