Project Weekend Warrior (A slow Chevrolet Dmax Express Camper Build)

[Campbulance]

I have been loving this site and all the people and builds that are a part of it. I have been seeing some truly cool stuff here. This thread will be my little slice of the internet as it regards to my new van. I already started a thread about selecting my vehicle and have had some wonderful responses and appreciate the help I have received so far. My goal for this thread is to document my build, catalog my ideas and get feedback and ideas from all the people here. I have just purchased my vehicle last Friday. I was looking to go ambulance and love the looks of them, but ended up going the way I originally planned out for my needs. The vehicle just came along fulfilled all the requirements and was a great price to me.

The Purpose(copied from my other thread):
1. I want to start doing track days with another vehicle. My concern is that eventually my vehicle could break at the track and not be able to be driven home. So the first requirement is it needs to be able to tow a vehicle on a trailer. Distances are probably about a 500 mile range.
2. Along with 1, I want to camp at the track since they have camp sites at most of them. If not on site, they are close by.
3. I want to start taking my dog to agility events. We are in the process of the training and want to go far with it. So it has to accommodate my dog as well.

I am going to hopefully construct this thread by cataloging useful resources as I learn about making a camper and make it an easy way to look back at things so I don't keep searching for the same things over again. I hope that it can be useful for others that are learning as well. I will also list places that I end up purchasing things. I will also put bookmarks to key points in my build(if I can figure out how I will put links if not I will just list the page number). I look forward to the journey ahead. Actual construction may be slow as I want to plan as much as I can and limit redoing things if possible. So this will be a paper build before a real build.

Table of Contents:

1. Research Links
2. The van as purchased
3. Rear View Camera Install (with bonus Futon)

 

[Campbulance]

research links:

Useful Websites to refer back to:
http://www.camperize.com/index.html - Has useful information for the whole process of camperizing a vehicle. Good starting information but could use some more detail as some sections are brief.

Insulation discussion:
http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/threads/120361-insulation-setup-who-thought-out-of-the-box

Insulation Sources/materials to investigate:
http://www.radiantbarrier.com/double-white-insulation.htm
http://www.lobucrod.com/index.html

Plan as of now to use
This insulation with perhaps another piece of foam board if more gap exists.
http://www.homedepot.com/p/UltraTouch-48-in-x-75-ft-Radiant-Barrier-30000-11475/100656747
Vapor Barrior and more thermal management.
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Reflecti...PIPHorizontal1_rr-_-100656747-_-202092205-_-N

Power:
http://www.ecodirect.com/MorningSta...25-Amp-RM-p/morningstar-sunsaver-duo-25rm.htm
AC and running them in Conjuction with solar panels
http://forum.solar-electric.com/showthread.php?16009-Solar-Powered-AC-in-Camper-Van-Advice
http://rvroadtrip.us/library/12v_system.php

Running a fridge off of solar
http://www.expeditionportal.com/for...o-run-a-fridge-off-solar?highlight=insulation

http://www.backwoodshome.com/articles2/yago102.html

 

[Campbulance]

The Van: I'll Lead off with pics since they are all anyone looks at.



















6 years of Illinois








Originally when a friend told me that he saw this on craigslist I thought that it had too high of miles and it was going to be beat up. The pictures looked fantastic however so I gave it a chance. Typically photos can hide a lot and when you get there in person you feel let down. When I went to look at it, it looked fantastic. There were some minor imperfections such as the doors having been caught some how and dented where it meets the body. There were a few scratches here in there but no big dents like ladders being thrown into it or any signs of thrashing. All the body panels appeared straight and there were no door dings anywhere. I was thoroughly amazed at the condition for the miles. The seats did not have any rips. The Cargo area rubber mat looked the most abused. It had some sort of seating or shelving in the back as there were nutserts in the floor and ceiling rails. There were also holes around the window most likely used for security screens. The carfax had about 20 entries and most of them were service records for maintenance. Some AC issues, some computer checks, lots of fuel filters, a windshield oil flushes and what not. One bonus is it got a new pitman arm (don't know exactly what it is) along with another suspension/steering related piece. It also has some new rear tires and fronts are like 50%

I took it for a test spin. The van was sitting so I got a fresh start on the motor. It fired right up like a champ and ran smoothly. I took it for a spin and let it warm up some. Got on the freeway and accelerated easily. Felt good, checked the brakes seemed fine just a little bit of steering wheel shake but only at a certain speed. I got off and took a few back roads and made some slow turns as I am not used to driving big vans or trucks. All felt real solid. My buddy said it you are sure about buying a van this is a good one to get. We got back to the small dealer and looked it over some more. It felt right so I told the guy I would take it. He was asking 10,900 and said he was firm on the price and it is priced below kbb and the Carfax stated to add 1500. I felt it was a great price anyways so I didn't try to haggle him down. Diesel Chevy/GMC vans are hard to find as is, it was extended body which I wanted, the paint looked awesome and it wasn't white.

I have been happy so far. I have found some more flaws with the van but they are all minor cosmetic things or something that some maintenance won't fix. I have managed 20mpg on the freeway by the trip computer and mixed with a little around town driving it has dropped to just over 18. Not bad for big *** air box.

Some things I need to look into or fix:
1. Inner front tires show more wear than the rest. So take it in for alignment and also see if I need new ball joints.
2. Trailer wiring was cut when they removed what ever electronics they had(security system?)
3. Door stop mechanism on rear side door needs to be removed and fixed
4. Look into general maintenance items.
5. Tighten up some loose bolts and replace a missing nut on trailer hitch mount.
6. Get a spare tire.

 

[Campbulance]

I am going to start reading through some of the build on here and other various sites to start and get a feel for how to put it all together. Like I mentioned earlier, I want to get a plan together so I don't run into too many rookie mistakes. I know there will still be some hopefully not too costly. If you guys want to throw suggestions out I am more than happy to listen. So I figured I would start a list for the basics and things I know I will need as well as things I am pondering. This is supposed to be for weekends mostly so I don't need to be self sustaining for very long. I am going to get it camp ready first before I start taking on outside customization. One exception is perhaps some wheels. My friend suggested grabbing some aluminum rims off a truck. Anyone have some photos of them on the van?

Must haves:
1. Bed that doubles as a sofa
2. Storage for: Pop up, 2-3 camping chairs, fold up table?, dog pen or crate, recovery gear, mechanics tools for maintenance on the car or the van, camping related items like a set of dishes and rags, first aid kit etc..
3. Refrigerator or ice chest in the beginning if I cant afford.
4. Insulation
5. Power. Solar, shore, inverter, isolater battery(ies), remote controller and other gadgets I may not know about.
6. lighting
7. Ventilation (if no AC or Heat)
8. swivel chair(s)


Still Debating:
Sink.
bathroom (can a portapotty take place if needed in a pinch? most likely yes.)
AC or Heating
TV or is the company of others going to be enough?
inside table for eating and games
Do I go pop top down the road? I want to try it out as is first to see how it feels. I don't plan to stay all day long in the van so can I live with out the extra height?
awning

Dont need:
Cooking stove that is mounted inside. I will go portable gas grill/camping stove
Shower. I can go a few days without one. Longer trips I will chose a site that has them.
4x4 - not yet at least.

So if this was yours to do would there be things that you would add or take off? Am I missing anything important? Is there a recommended order to address things?

I will most likely do some camping with a friend who has a Westfalia and see what I am missing. Well that's all for now time to look into some builds.

 

[Campbulance]

I got the van on a lift last night. The wetness on the last picture two posts above appears to be caused by a leaking seal in the back of the transmission. I looked online for the part and it seems cheap enough at 5-8 bucks. Unfortunately I am going to have to crawl back under there to find the transmission id engraving. My mechanic buddies mentioned to rebuild the u joints in the drive shaft when I do the seal. The suspension seems tight and the truck rides good so I believe I just need to have the alignment checked to make sure its ok. The front tires were worn on the inside edge. The Pitman and idler arm were replaced a while ago, so perhaps the tires that were on the vehicle before the parts got replaced. Other than a few minor fixes The van is in awesome shape and has been fun to drive.

 

[Campbulance]

Small Updates:

I went on a small shopping spree last week ordering parts. I have to help my Mom move so I am prepping the van for travel. So far I ordered for maintenance a trans filter, oil filter, rear extension housing seal and 3 U-joints. I want to fix the leaking transmission seal before driving the Van 400 miles round trip. I also ordered a trailer brake controller and wiring to do a 7 plug/4 plug trailer hook up. Ordered a monitor and back up camara as well for convenience.

Last Friday I picked up a set of wheels for it. They came off a 2006 Sierra and were in great shape. An awesome CL find for $200 with easy transaction. I got them mounted Saturday and bought 2 new front tires and a missing tire pressure monitoring sensor. 4 tires mounted and balanced with tire sensor with 2 new tires $300 out the door. The Van is out getting an alignment today. The wheels are much better than the old ones in my opinion. Plus I saved an old tire so I now have a spare.

 

[Campbulance]

Quick Update.
I wanted to do maintenance on the van this last weekend. Unfortunately a shipping delay on my transmission output shaft seal and trans filter were delayed in shipping. I am taking the van on a 300 mile trip to help my mom move and didn't want to be leaking oil along the way. I will just top off before I leave and hope all is well. Another thing to add to the to do list is change the fuel filters or find out what is dripping from them. I thought it could be water but I touched it and it was gooey and had a kerosene type smell. So instead of maintenance I did some other projects. I ended up installing my rear view back up camera and monitor in the headliner, a 4 wire trailer plug using a easy plug in harness from e-trailer and took out the cargo separator wall. Last night I put in some better door speakers and tracked down an short in the wiring causing the driver door speaker to cut in and out. I will post some photos of this stuff in a later post.

I would like to get some feedback on functionality of a floor plan I put together using the Sportsmobile DIY builder. I thought it was a very nice tool for floor plan layout. Are there things that I am overlooking?



The basics of it are:
The cabinet labeled tall slide pantry will be a narrow cabinet to house the electronics and controls, probably wont go all the way up perhaps high enough to act as an arm rest for the sofa. Along with this I will build a removable panel along the B-pillar and along the top driver rail to house my wiring.

The Custom Cabinet will hold the fridge and cooking item storage. Above the cabinet I will mount a flat panel tv on a hinge to angle out.

The rear cabinets are place holders for what ever other types of gear I deem necessary in the future. But the plan was to build them about halfway high and make a platform that I can bridge across them to make another bed should I travel with a friend.

 

[Accrete]

Greetings, your van is a nice blank slate! They are nice rigs as a base.

I attempted to figure out the year of your van...2008?? Maybe you stated the date and i missed it.

You might have better luck than i did finding a driver swivel for your year, but i've been told by insurance companies and van conversion shops that i'm out of luck on my 2010 for a front driver seat swivel so i've settled for a passenger swivel. Apparently at some point in the van's evolution the electronics for the crash sensor/air bag sensors were placed under the driver seat, making any modification illegal and potentially voiding any insurance if an accident takes place.

Best wishes on your build!
Thom

 

[ihatemybike]

Amazing what a set of rims can do for a vehicle. Looking forward to seeing more of this build.

 

[MikeCG]

I wonder how hard it would be to get a hold of a totalled Conversion van and transfer the interior over to you new van? You could get a lot of parts already made up that way. Raised roof, fold down seat/Bed, captain chairs, entertainment package, lighting, and rear A/C unit.

You can even get some windows for the rear that way.

 

[maelgwn]

Do you have a source for the sofa? Or are you making it? Normally they fold down in the other direction (i.e. the seat is the full width of the bed) and then there is an extension piece behind.

 

[Campbulance]

Greetings, your van is a nice blank slate! They are nice rigs as a base.

I attempted to figure out the year of your van...2008?? Maybe you stated the date and i missed it. Thom, Do you have a link to the passenger swiver you used.

You might have better luck than i did finding a driver swivel for your year, but i've been told by insurance companies and van conversion shops that i'm out of luck on my 2010 for a front driver seat swivel so i've settled for a passenger swivel. Apparently at some point in the van's evolution the electronics for the crash sensor/air bag sensors were placed under the driver seat, making any modification illegal and potentially voiding any insurance if an accident takes place.

Best wishes on your build!
Thom

Thanks, its a 2008. I am ok with just having a passenger swivel. Might be diificult for the driver regardless with the fuse box and all the power adjustments anyways.

Amazing what a set of rims can do for a vehicle. Looking forward to seeing more of this build.

Thanks, especially from stock truck rims. Nice upgrade/value for $200, and the value of having a spare tire.

Do you have a source for the sofa? Or are you making it? Normally they fold down in the other direction (i.e. the seat is the full width of the bed) and then there is an extension piece behind.

Haven't got that far yet. I will look what is out there but may end up building my own. THe one in the picture is based off the Gaucho that is in the DIY builder on the Sportsmobile website. I figured it would at least get me an idea of foot print.

 

[86scotty]

Nice van and a great starting point. I like your floor plan idea as well. Did I miss the mileage on the van? You said high but not how high.

 

[Campbulance]

Nice van and a great starting point. I like your floor plan idea as well. Did I miss the mileage on the van? You said high but not how high.

Thanks. It has 220k. Runs good and feels solid, we will find out how good it is as I am taking it in a road trip this weekend about 4-500 miles round trip.

 

[maelgwn]

Haven't got that far yet. I will look what is out there but may end up building my own. THe one in the picture is based off the Gaucho that is in the DIY builder on the Sportsmobile website. I figured it would at least get me an idea of foot print.

Did you consider putting the sofa/bed at the back of the truck? You could get a storage compartment accessed from outside/the back door this way. This could be a good area for camping chairs and shelter etc ...