Though I now adventure in Casa Azul & Mayahual, I previously did my adventuring in 3 Ford E250 van over about a 20 year period...So I have a little experience about modifing vans. I have a little advice for you...
Yeti, SLOW DOWN!!!!
I know you are excited, I would be too if I were to be undertaking your personal adventure! But, from experience I have found that charting too far in advance in a development project is an excellent way to end up with a project that dose not ultimatley suit your needs.
Why? Because you do not really know what your needs are! Sure you have read everything that people on Expo and other sites have to offer, probably 3 time...But they are not you, and the way they use their adventue vehicle is not the way you will probably use yours.
So with that out of the way. How about taking care of a couple of simple items, then go on a road trip for a couple of days. I keep a small ring binder notebook in each of my adventure vehicles that I record my fuel fills, notes on locations, and most importantly...Future modifications I want to make to my Rig. I have owned Casa Azul for 16 years and after every trip i have 3 or 4 pages of things i want to change or build. my point is that your relationship with your adventure vehicle is dynamic and will be constantly changing until the day you sell it and buy another one!
These are the first things that I would do...
* LEAVE the silcone goop alone! It is a protective coating and though it may look icky it serves a purpose, keeping your vehicle from rotting apart.
* Keep your headliner. It reduces noise, winter cold and summer heat. You might want to go to a detailer that has fabric "dry cleaning" equipment and have it and the seats done. Also, where paneling the walls in a van is easy...fabing a new headliner is a total PITA!
* Keep your rubber floor liner! Sure, pull it out and have it pressure washed. but then put it back in...Then get a nice throw rug for the back that can be pulled out and shaken out & vacuumed. The more off road adventuring you do, the less you will be wanting secured carpet. The more you make your rig so that it can be "hosed out" the better.
* Do not undercoat your van, It is not necessary and could potentally hide issues like body rot and cracking. Have it really well steam cleaned before your first road trip, then spend time under your van after the road trip to see what is leaking.
* Go to a marine fabric shop and have them make you a REALLY good set of "black out" curtins.
* I would be VERY careful about doing a fuel shut off. In some "systems" it can cause problems. I would go to an automotive security specialist and see what systems the have for disenabling the ECU correctly.
* Go to a fabricator and have a lock box / vault welded into your van in a discrete / non visable location. make sure it is big enough to take a laptop, cameras, documents, etc. .
* I personally would bail on the heated mirrors, back up camera, central locking system...Again the more you explore "deep" the less you want you be dependent on electronics. The only electronic device in Casa Azul is the stereo.
* Plan on setting up a dual battery system ASAP. Forgive me, i'm not trying to diss you here, but it is one of the first "green-horn" mistakes...camping in some cool remote place, listening to the stereo late into the night...And not be able to strart the van the next morning due to a dead battery.
* Also, disable the switches that turn on the overhead light when you open the doors!
* Forget about the dents and scratches! In this crowd..."Desert pin-striping" is considered vehicle up-grade! If your use your van "correctly", you'll be collecting more than what is already there. You might want to do a Line-X wainscoat.
* I agree with Mr.Beast, don't worry about the wheel locks! If anybody is going to steal anything it will be the whole van.
I hope my advice is helpfull. Good luck!
