"Carro de Perro" Chevy Express AWD build
- Thread starter ColoradoChris
- Start date
ColoradoChris
Member
Thanks for the link those look great. They are however about $4.50 a bulb and I need 10. I took another chance on the cutequeen bulbs and ordered the 4 smd variety which did indeed fit and while probably not as good/bright as the more expensive option they are a step of from where I was and will still be very low draw if I forget to hit the dome override and leave the doors open for hours.
ColoradoChris
Member
I am not sure I think leaving the engine running is a "secure" option.
ColoradoChris
Member
Not all fun and games, regular maintenance needed also
Well it seems that my oil pressure sending unit went bad. Pressure reading 80 PSI or 0 PSI or swinging between the two. Seems to be a common issue on the 5.3. So,
The joys of a conversion van, had to remove the passenger seat and part of the dash trim to allow the doghouse (appropriate term for this van don't you think) with its thick carpeting to be removed.
That gave me pretty easy access to the sending uint
While I had it all apart, I changed the plugs, yes they needed it, I am pretty sure those gaps are more than .040
I noticed that the rear exhaust bolt on both manifolds was broken. I am not sure if that is common or not. Neither of mine is currently leaking, and that is a can of worms I will put off until another time....
Well it seems that my oil pressure sending unit went bad. Pressure reading 80 PSI or 0 PSI or swinging between the two. Seems to be a common issue on the 5.3. So,
The joys of a conversion van, had to remove the passenger seat and part of the dash trim to allow the doghouse (appropriate term for this van don't you think) with its thick carpeting to be removed.
That gave me pretty easy access to the sending uint
While I had it all apart, I changed the plugs, yes they needed it, I am pretty sure those gaps are more than .040
I noticed that the rear exhaust bolt on both manifolds was broken. I am not sure if that is common or not. Neither of mine is currently leaking, and that is a can of worms I will put off until another time....
Petrolburner
Explorer
I dug my front receiver mounted winch in the sand a couple times. Mine is lifted 3.5" in the front. I've since added a prerunner style winch bumper from WeldTec Designs that really improves the approach angle, as well as the image.
ColoradoChris
Member
Is it overlanding if...... (short trip report) 3900 miles, 68.5 hours
So the readers digest version is, a puppy in Florida needed to relocate to Colorado. Too hot to fly her, so it's road trip time. Otherwise known as "How did you spend your weekend?"
Took the other rear captains chair and the third big kennel out of Carro de Perro, added an additional raised floor area to support a blow up single mattress, plugged a 40 qt thermoelectric cooler into a cigarette lighter outlet, put in an extra water jug and off we go.
68.5 hours round trip, including waiting/sleeping stationary for three hours so we could pick up the puppy at a reasonable hour instead of the middle of the night.
My wife, two dogs and me on the way out, three dogs on the way back. Stopped only for fuel and walking dogs other than the previously mentioned three hours at the destination to synch schedules. Swapped drivers as needed.
Absolutely NO PROBLEMS with the van (not bad considering it will hit 200k in the next couple of months), cruise set, A/C blasting and the miles just ticked away. Ambient temps were in the upper 80s to mid 90s when the sun was up and it wasn't raining.
I remembered to reset the trip on the GPS for the return which is pretty consistent with what we did on the way out also, but we didn't reset until about 100 miles on the way back
return trip
1873.6 miles
32 hours
27:17 moving, moving average 68.7mph, overall average 58.6mph
just a hair under 16 mpg average.
So while it was an adventure, and it was more about the journey than the destination, it really doesn't qualify for a trip report.
I did want to share the experience and brag just a little bit about how well the van is doing living up to its name and intended purpose though. :safari-rig:
So the readers digest version is, a puppy in Florida needed to relocate to Colorado. Too hot to fly her, so it's road trip time. Otherwise known as "How did you spend your weekend?"
Took the other rear captains chair and the third big kennel out of Carro de Perro, added an additional raised floor area to support a blow up single mattress, plugged a 40 qt thermoelectric cooler into a cigarette lighter outlet, put in an extra water jug and off we go.
68.5 hours round trip, including waiting/sleeping stationary for three hours so we could pick up the puppy at a reasonable hour instead of the middle of the night.
My wife, two dogs and me on the way out, three dogs on the way back. Stopped only for fuel and walking dogs other than the previously mentioned three hours at the destination to synch schedules. Swapped drivers as needed.
Absolutely NO PROBLEMS with the van (not bad considering it will hit 200k in the next couple of months), cruise set, A/C blasting and the miles just ticked away. Ambient temps were in the upper 80s to mid 90s when the sun was up and it wasn't raining.
I remembered to reset the trip on the GPS for the return which is pretty consistent with what we did on the way out also, but we didn't reset until about 100 miles on the way back
return trip
1873.6 miles
32 hours
27:17 moving, moving average 68.7mph, overall average 58.6mph
just a hair under 16 mpg average.
So while it was an adventure, and it was more about the journey than the destination, it really doesn't qualify for a trip report.
I did want to share the experience and brag just a little bit about how well the van is doing living up to its name and intended purpose though. :safari-rig:
86cj
Explorer
Don't feel bad about a post that is not an offroad adventure, there is alot of real world info about the AWD 1500 in your thread and alot of people need a multi use van not a camper that is parked all but two weeks a year.
I get what you are trying to say to everybody, you bought a van for the room provided and were ready to accept the disadvantages normally associated with a van. You started using the van and those downsides such as poor handling, vague steering, poor ride sitting over the tire, get stuck on wet grass or a little snow, and poor MPG's, those issues never happened. Your road experience is the real point to be made, this chassis is very easy on the human body for long days behind the wheel and it can be a curvy two lane through some real beauty not just a straight Interstate freeway. The fact your AWD Van also has decent offroad capability gets some of us motivated to spread the word.
Boardrider247 put a front receiver made for the 96-02 vans on his AWD Van but the bolts don't line up, you have to get creative.....http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/threads/119291-The-great-white-fun-hog-%28another-white-GM-awd-build%29/page20?highlight=hitch
I have to admit my trip meter says 15.7MPG's an awful lot when loaded both A/C's blastin' and keeping up with traffic. I like the four side doors with all pop open windows.............
I get what you are trying to say to everybody, you bought a van for the room provided and were ready to accept the disadvantages normally associated with a van. You started using the van and those downsides such as poor handling, vague steering, poor ride sitting over the tire, get stuck on wet grass or a little snow, and poor MPG's, those issues never happened. Your road experience is the real point to be made, this chassis is very easy on the human body for long days behind the wheel and it can be a curvy two lane through some real beauty not just a straight Interstate freeway. The fact your AWD Van also has decent offroad capability gets some of us motivated to spread the word.
Boardrider247 put a front receiver made for the 96-02 vans on his AWD Van but the bolts don't line up, you have to get creative.....http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/threads/119291-The-great-white-fun-hog-%28another-white-GM-awd-build%29/page20?highlight=hitch
I have to admit my trip meter says 15.7MPG's an awful lot when loaded both A/C's blastin' and keeping up with traffic. I like the four side doors with all pop open windows.............
We have found a winch as a great travel tool, on our past van (98 GMC)
Just a simple C-Channel weld in and 9000# winch save our a** back in a fire road once, pull out another traveler in the forest and than our last trip we pull our self's out again, about $200 bucks well spent. Our new (to us) Ford e-350 so far front receiver $66 and 9500# winch just $168 we were able to add the tow points, a little beef to the front and little insurance if we travel the fire road (which we will), mostly we're Urban traveler's and the winch brings a lot of on-lookers but we also like the insurance it brings'
wjeeper
Active member
I think all Express/ Savannah vans have to have a seat removed and the lower trim to pull the doghouse. I had to do it but I don't have carpet:wings:
Broken exhaust bolts are super common on LS motors. I have the two rear bolts broken on mine..........I need to get off my butt and get to fixing that. There is a kit out there that you can install over broken studs. I know some LS motors that rear stud breaking can mean pulling the head because of accessibility, vans don't look bad though
http://kralautoparts.com/