GMC 1500 AWD Van
- Thread starter 86cj
- Start date
Accrete
Explorer
Greetings real3175 and welcome to the Expo (at the time i post to your above reply it shows 3 posts). If you are in fact new here this is a fantastic place for pondering designs!
Anywhoo.... just as an in-context reply to your question to 86cj and his GMC... our Chevy duplicate is my wife's DD since fall of 2010 and she absolutely luvs driving that rig. In fact i actually have to approach the topic of me relieving her and driving delicately or i'll find myself sleeping in a hammock outside at night in camp.
Best wishes on your pondering and future build.
Thom
Thanks Thom! I lurked your thread first actually:sombrero: How far does your wife commute for work (if any)? My wife is very skeptical of a cargo type vehicle as my DD, but I feel it is super practical especially with the amount we camp and have a dog.
These van threads have been great and have kept me up very late at night!:coffeedrink:
Thanks for all your info!
These van threads have been great and have kept me up very late at night!:coffeedrink:
Thanks for all your info!
Accrete
Explorer
Hi and glad you had fun "lurking" in my build thread. It has been a fun project. We both commute about 10 miles round trip here on the Oregon Coast. Yes we are spoiled. We see about a dozen cars on the road during the round trip. Sure beats our previous life in the Portland/Vancouver Metro.
The one thing i would highly recommend is if you go the cargo van route you would be glad you got one with the curb side slider (or barn doors) with glass. There is a serious blind spot on the curb side of these vans, and the window in the slider sure helps cure things! My wife honestly drives the van like it is any old regular sized pick up. And some might recall we had a 2007 Tacoma expo build as her daily driver before the van. She will tell anyone that the van is hands down her preferred daily driver.
Cheers,
Thom
86cj
Explorer
Yea, it actually does better than the V6 SUV it replaced, at least 15 MPG and almost 20 MPG sometimes. I would say the take away from my thread is how easy the 1500 AWD is to live with. I have been around many vans when younger and the driving experience did not make me long for more time behind the wheel. I was a pretty big Van critic when the Camper Van section motivated me to test drive some new Vans. I spent alot of time talking to local dealers about a new Quigley 3/4 or 1 ton van and almost pulled the trigger. I test drove a new 1500 AWD passenger van that handled a broken up twisty two lane road so well I was really surprised and started me thinking 1/2 ton Van.
I then had to convince myself that a one ton Van with a big lift and 37" tires are not need to go down legal forest roads that have lot's of low tree branches and are patrolled by Forest Rangers in a pick up riding on 32" tires. I then had to convince myself that a sink, shower and cook stove are not needed inside the van to keep weight down, we only use the Van to sleep and change clothes when camping. After 50 nights or so I am just now getting parts together for dual batteries, I will add some skid plates before doing St Elmo in Colorado or the White Rim, you don't need a Sportsmobile just to enjoy the back country..
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Accrete
Explorer
SPOT ON!! 100% in agreement.
(Though, like you, we were seriously considering the SMB. And will admit 75% of _my_ reasons were the bling/status factor. But hey, no one would ever say your rig lacks bling!)
Thom
Hello 86cj,
Great looking van & I appreciate the suspension information. I just picked up a 2004 AWD van with 60k one-owner miles, it has the 3.73 with rear locker like yours, but came with aftermarket 16" wheels... I would like to replace with GMC OEM & work out the suspension lift per your previous posts.
Can you check your OEM 17" rims for a part number? There are plenty of Sierra wheels on Ebay, but I cannot tell if they are compatible offset, etc. (I spoke to my local tire shop & was told Sierra/Savana wheels are not the same?)
Thanks in advance,
Jason
Great looking van & I appreciate the suspension information. I just picked up a 2004 AWD van with 60k one-owner miles, it has the 3.73 with rear locker like yours, but came with aftermarket 16" wheels... I would like to replace with GMC OEM & work out the suspension lift per your previous posts.
Can you check your OEM 17" rims for a part number? There are plenty of Sierra wheels on Ebay, but I cannot tell if they are compatible offset, etc. (I spoke to my local tire shop & was told Sierra/Savana wheels are not the same?)
Thanks in advance,
Jason
Johnston Robare
New member
Examine here for Sierra wheels:
http://gmfleetorderguide.com/NASApp/domestic/proddesc.jsp?year=2013®ionID=1&divisionID=2&type=0&vehicleID=12783§ion=wheels&page=&butID=4
Examine here for Savana wheels:
http://gmfleetorderguide.com/NASApp/domestic/proddesc.jsp?year=2013®ionID=1&divisionID=2&type=0&vehicleID=12691§ion=wheels&page=&butID=4
In short, gm calls those nice looking six spokes N88 and they seem to be the same. :wings: Though it would be nice if they stated the back spacing so we could be certain.
Thanks Johnston, I was hoping for offset/back spacing just to be sure before pulling the trigger on a set of OEM take-off wheels. I've seen the Sierra wheels advertised as +31mm offset, but cannot find a Savana figure... local GMC parts guy gave me the N88 number & 'thinks' they are the same.
86cj
Explorer
The next time I rotate the tires I will try to measure back spacing, they are a little wider than the standard 16". When GM makes a part they use the same part across as many lines and for as long as absolutely possible, for finding junk yard parts it's a great thing but as we have seen recently other MFG's change part numbers often for good legal reasons. I would be very surprised if those N-88 wheels are the not same N-88 wheels you want for your van.
I have been getting a little clicking when the leaf pack is working not a big deal, the rear springs are performing much better than the ones they replaced.
86cj
Explorer
A little update on the inside progress, we have been sleeping on a nice dual layer of camping pad and finally had a custom mattress made, it’s 4” thick, 2” of firm and 2” of 5lb memory foam with a custom zipper cover . It’s a 54” wide full that has been cut down to almost 6’, this should have been much further up my list!. I bought it from WWW.USAFOAM.COM and could not be happier, they even had 5lb memory foam pillows on sale 2 for 1.
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I am on my third small 12V fan and like the expensive new Hella Turbo 2 fan it is quiet and oscillates, it works well for now. I need to R&R the headliner and install a roof vent and fan ASAP, when done I am sure I will say that should have been further up the list than the mattress...
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You can see my new cabinet made out of 4 milk crates with some marine Starboard doors that double as shelves when open, the coat rack behind the seat just makes sense. Everything has been a work in progress and things are falling into place as time passes. I have room by the back doors to shut the door sit on the bed and take my shoes off, she has the front bed side all to herself so it works out really well.....
.
I am on my third small 12V fan and like the expensive new Hella Turbo 2 fan it is quiet and oscillates, it works well for now. I need to R&R the headliner and install a roof vent and fan ASAP, when done I am sure I will say that should have been further up the list than the mattress...
.
You can see my new cabinet made out of 4 milk crates with some marine Starboard doors that double as shelves when open, the coat rack behind the seat just makes sense. Everything has been a work in progress and things are falling into place as time passes. I have room by the back doors to shut the door sit on the bed and take my shoes off, she has the front bed side all to herself so it works out really well.....
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Answered my own question on the wheels - 17" Sierra wheels fit just fine on the Savana, same offset:
86cj
Explorer
Occasionaldirt,
Glad to hear the factory wheel swap worked out, those are some of the best looking wheels GM has made lately. They are easier to keep clean and hold up better than most aftermarket wheels when driven in road salt.. Due to some really ugly GM wheels in my recent past I gave my buddy a hard time about suggesting I buy nicer wheels...Wider and less bling maybee..:ylsmoke:
Glad to hear the factory wheel swap worked out, those are some of the best looking wheels GM has made lately. They are easier to keep clean and hold up better than most aftermarket wheels when driven in road salt.. Due to some really ugly GM wheels in my recent past I gave my buddy a hard time about suggesting I buy nicer wheels...Wider and less bling maybee..:ylsmoke:
86cj
Explorer
We put some miles on the AWD GMC exploring seasonal roads in the Adirondacks then both the Green and White Mountain ranges...............
I have done the 4x4 dually truck camper thing and the Jeep and a tent thing for decades, this "Van down by the river" thing just works well....Kind of like Goldilocks and the three bears......
We all go camping for the experience and a Van seems to deliver the best experience for us, after two seasons we have been able to camp in some beautiful scenery and knock down 1000 mile days with little driver effort.........
I have done the 4x4 dually truck camper thing and the Jeep and a tent thing for decades, this "Van down by the river" thing just works well....Kind of like Goldilocks and the three bears......
We all go camping for the experience and a Van seems to deliver the best experience for us, after two seasons we have been able to camp in some beautiful scenery and knock down 1000 mile days with little driver effort.........
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