GMC Savana AWD De-Conversion (Dodge Ram replacement)
- Thread starter occasionaldirt
- Start date
Word. Purchased mine from original owner, garage-kept, dealer maintenance records, and 5k/year mileage. Easy to strip plywood and questionable wiring, etc. I wouldn't even consider a fleet service vehicle compared to conversion van on the used market... just the rear AC and paneling would be 5-6 weekends of use... It is a tool, using it is paramount, many more will follow & living is now.
fire_strom
Adventurer
Great ideas and solutions! Thanks for posting this stuff.
-G
-G
Mcarpenito89
Adventurer
Is that the $175 rear brake light I've seen on eBay ? If so how does it work , clarity ect?
Corneilius
Adventurer
x2 I LOVE my conversion van. Leather seats, power everything, rear AC. I gutted the cheesy bits and built off the rest. I see a lot of guys pay the same for bare bones cargo van as I did, and they ended up with crank windows!
Choff
Adventurer
We purchased our van at a car lot when it was 3 years old with 43,000 miles, lot wanted $29,000 , I looked at it for 4 months and finally got the nerve to purchase.
Got van for $24,500. GMC Savana 2005
One owner van with all the toys and AWD.
I now have 165,00 miles and running strong, the only thing that went was the stinking trans case in front which they had problems with anyway!!!
Just did a tune up and get around 17 mpg on trips.
I runs daily !!!
The conversion vans are out their you just got to look hard for the ones that don't look like easter eggs !!!
Choff
Got van for $24,500. GMC Savana 2005
One owner van with all the toys and AWD.
I now have 165,00 miles and running strong, the only thing that went was the stinking trans case in front which they had problems with anyway!!!
Just did a tune up and get around 17 mpg on trips.
I runs daily !!!
The conversion vans are out their you just got to look hard for the ones that don't look like easter eggs !!!
Choff
I believe so, I don't recall the price. I used a 5" monitor, also sourced from EBay, mounted above rearview mirror. Day and night- vision clarity are great. Camera can click thru a number of angles.
Mcarpenito89
Adventurer
I saw that 3rd brake light camera. Did you just wore it in to you double din monitor/MP3 so you can see behind you at all time ?
Does it have a light for vision at night ?
tacosurfer
New member
How much lift did you end up getting?
Hey, I've been looking at your thread as I just got a 2008 Express AWD and I'm thinking I'll go with the same springs/shocks. How much lift did you end up getting out of this setup? I can't seem to find it in any of the posts....
Thanks, your thread has been super helpful for me!
Hey, I've been looking at your thread as I just got a 2008 Express AWD and I'm thinking I'll go with the same springs/shocks. How much lift did you end up getting out of this setup? I can't seem to find it in any of the posts....
Thanks, your thread has been super helpful for me!
hey, the springs in the back provided about 3 inches of lift, the keys in the front about 2.5 inches. About 15,000 miles since the install & all is well, great to have the clearance for trailhead access and forest/BLM road access. Best $1k spent on the van...
tacosurfer
New member
Awesome! Thanks so much for the info. Just took my (still stock) van up to Tahoe in the snowiest possible conditions, and was amazed by how well it handled the snow. Thanks again - I'm going to start ordering parts for this lift.
tacosurfer
New member
3/4 ton shocks
I was just reading back through and noticed you said you'd go with the 3/4 ton shocks now.....I'm trying to figure out which ones will fit but having a hard time. Could you possibly recommend some part #'s or a website that can help me figure it out? Thanks again for this thread and all the info, it's super helpful and definitely inspiring on what direction to go with my van!
I was just reading back through and noticed you said you'd go with the 3/4 ton shocks now.....I'm trying to figure out which ones will fit but having a hard time. Could you possibly recommend some part #'s or a website that can help me figure it out? Thanks again for this thread and all the info, it's super helpful and definitely inspiring on what direction to go with my van!
tacosurfer
New member
Gamiviti towers
I also went with these Gamiviti rain gutter mount towers and just installed my rack last night. I like the use of the 8020, I went with painted square steel tubing. Anyway, I was a little thrown off by the rain gutters on my Express. There is apparently a 'putty' fill in the gutter from the factory? I noticed when I was tightening down my towers they started to dig into the gutter a bit. How tight did you make your bolts that actually grip the gutters? I'm having a hard time finding any recommendations on this. I want my rack and RTT to be secure but I don't want to damage my van. I noticed that TracVan rack from TracRac comes with a 'gutter span' to keep the rack feet above this area. I'm not sure this is necessary, thought I'd check with you to see how you went about this detail. Thanks again for your help!
I also went with these Gamiviti rain gutter mount towers and just installed my rack last night. I like the use of the 8020, I went with painted square steel tubing. Anyway, I was a little thrown off by the rain gutters on my Express. There is apparently a 'putty' fill in the gutter from the factory? I noticed when I was tightening down my towers they started to dig into the gutter a bit. How tight did you make your bolts that actually grip the gutters? I'm having a hard time finding any recommendations on this. I want my rack and RTT to be secure but I don't want to damage my van. I noticed that TracVan rack from TracRac comes with a 'gutter span' to keep the rack feet above this area. I'm not sure this is necessary, thought I'd check with you to see how you went about this detail. Thanks again for your help!
Last edited:
macexpress
Observer
Can you post some pictures of your towers tacosurfer? I have looked at Gamiviti towers and bars but haven't decided what to get yet. I like the looks of your roof rack occasionaldirt but couldn't find the crossbars on the website. Thanks!