Box Truck Camper Van Conversion - $16,000

2008 GMC Savana 2500 - Perhaps the ultimate dirt bag camper van

 

You may have seen this box van at Maple or Rifle or Ten Sleep and wondered if there was ice cream in it.  Unfortunately there was never any cold treats for sale, but this van is now available for you to travel the country in.  There actually is a very large solar powered refrigerator, but no ice cream.  In a past life this van was a Uhaul truck.  It's been totally remodeled to be a perfect camper van with so much more street cred than an expensive Sprinter.

About the van:

• 3x 100 watt solar panels mounted to the roof.  No maintenance required.

• 3x 100 ah deep cycle batteries (I've never gone under 80% battery life and it recharges to 100% by the next day)

• Whytner 65 quart DC powered refrigerator. This thing was expensive but awesome. We fit 10-14 days worth of food in it while being off the grid.
  It also makes a nice added seat for guests during bad weather.  

• So much charging potential with a pure sine inverter. A lot of outlets in the van allow you to power blenders, toasters, charge laptops, use power tools, etc.
    There are additional USB charging outlets and LED lights that also are charged by the solar panels.  

• Maxx Fan exhaust fan in the roof. Can be kept on while driving or in the rain. Air can be moved in or out. Also has a nice thermostat feature to turn on or off at a certain temperature.
   This makes sleeping very comfortable.

• Full size memory foam mattress.  Can be folded up to allow for more space or turned into a couch of sorts.  I'm 6'1 and fit in the bed and can just barely stand up in the van.

• A 2 person dining table that can be kept down or folded up to allow for more space.

• A large cargo trunk area.  With some strategy we kept 3 bikes and 2 pairs of snowboards back there.  All ski boots, helmets, poles also fit.

• Kitchen area has a propane powered stove and sink. An additional fold up counter allows for even more space for food prep. Three large built in drawers allow you to keep
   all your food conveniently in the "kitchen."   Plenty of additional storage is found under the sink.

• Van is completely insulated.  Reflectix and insulation foam in all walls and ceiling. 

• 2 full size propane tanks are located on the back bumper. The propane powers to stove and can be used to heat the van. I have the propane line split and ready to be
  attached to a propane heater if you choose.  

• So much storage. A closet behind the driver seat fit all our climbing gear, camp chairs, tables, foam rollers, yoga mats, etc. Plenty of additional cabinets and bins located
   around for clothes, etc.  

• Backup camera on dash makes getting out of parking lots easy.  This van can fit in a standard size parking spot.  It's a little over 8 feet tall so it can go in drive thrus and mechanic shops.

• Van has 151,xxx miles on it.  I've seen these vans get double that mileage if well taken care of.

The good:

• Everything listed above is in good working order and well taken care of. My wife and I took a sabbatical year from work and traveled all over in this van.
  We have absolutely loved living out of it. It is the perfect size for two adults and a dog who have a lot of climbing, skiing, biking, camping gear. Unfortunately i
  t's time to sell it since I need a daily driver now and can't afford to keep this too.

• Van runs great and is mechanically sound.  I have never had any problems with it.  It has a reliable vortec engine that is easy for any mechanic to tune up if needed.
   GMC has been making these cargo vans forever since they just go and go.  

• New beefy all season tires installed 8 months ago.  These work well in mud/snow and give us peace of mind on bumpy forest service roads.

• The van is painted with Rhino Lining truck bed liner.  Some is chipping on the hood.  You will always make new friends since old men appear out of nowhere and
  want to discuss the paint job and the van.

The not so good:

• The Air Conditioning doesn't work.  It does not hold freon.  Blower works to vent air in and the heat works just fine.

• The car has a touch screen navigation and sound system that does not function.  I've taken apart the dashboard, re-soldered wires, got it to work, but then it goes out.
  I think there is a fuse problem?

• The van shakes when you brake over 45 mph.  It's a big cargo van so it's expected, but replacing the rotors would help.   I chose not to do this because the brake pads
  are in good shape.  The mechanic told me that in order to replace the rotors he would need to replace the brake pads too.  

Please let me know any questions you have.  I would like to sell it to another climber so I can see it be put to good use.  Asking $16,000.    I'm located in the Denver front range.  

Shoot me a private message and we can exchange phone numbers.  Thanks!

See Castleton Tower etched above the light blue door curtain?

  

No, you don't get my personal pictures.  

You get my cool sticker collection.  There is a mosquito magnetic mesh in the door.

 The table is down in this picture.  The trekking pole above it used to secure it.  The blue wall is chalk board paint.  My drawings are easily erased with water and a rag.

 The front cab.  

 The full size bed is pulled out in this picture.  DC powered fridge is down and left of the table.

Back side.  

 

Morning bump.

Took this picture from the van when I was at J Tree. 

Bumpidy bump

Bump because this truck is rad. Has a great profile of castleton and the rectory courtesy of yours truly

You should sell it for $12,500!

Most of those stickers were mine! Hope y’all had a great year!

One of the things climbers will want to know is whether it has the G80 auto-locking rear differential.

I forgot to post a photo of the back "trunk".  The black canister houses the two propane tanks. The solar charge controller and fuse box is also located in the trunk. This extra cargo space can fit quite a bit. 

I toured this thing yesterday. It's dope. Bump 

Van has been sold.  

Andy Ban wrote:

2008 GMC Savana 2500 - Perhaps the ultimate dirt bag camper van

 

You may have seen this box van at Maple or Rifle or Ten Sleep and wondered if there was ice cream in it.  Unfortunately there was never any cold treats for sale, but this van is now available for you to travel the country in.  There actually is a very large solar powered refrigerator, but no ice cream.  In a past life this van was a Uhaul truck.  It's been totally remodeled to be a perfect camper van with so much more street cred than an expensive Sprinter.

About the van:

• 3x 100 watt solar panels mounted to the roof.  No maintenance required.

• 3x 100 ah deep cycle batteries (I've never gone under 80% battery life and it recharges to 100% by the next day)

• Whytner 65 quart DC powered refrigerator. This thing was expensive but awesome. We fit 10-14 days worth of food in it while being off the grid.
  It also makes a nice added seat for guests during bad weather.  

• So much charging potential with a pure sine inverter. A lot of outlets in the van allow you to power blenders, toasters, charge laptops, use power tools, etc.
    There are additional USB charging outlets and LED lights that also are charged by the solar panels.  

• Maxx Fan exhaust fan in the roof. Can be kept on while driving or in the rain. Air can be moved in or out. Also has a nice thermostat feature to turn on or off at a certain temperature.
   This makes sleeping very comfortable.

• Full size memory foam mattress.  Can be folded up to allow for more space or turned into a couch of sorts.  I'm 6'1 and fit in the bed and can just barely stand up in the van.

• A 2 person dining table that can be kept down or folded up to allow for more space.

• A large cargo trunk area.  With some strategy we kept 3 bikes and 2 pairs of snowboards back there.  All ski boots, helmets, poles also fit.

• Kitchen area has a propane powered stove and sink. An additional fold up counter allows for even more space for food prep. Three large built in drawers allow you to keep
   all your food conveniently in the "kitchen."   Plenty of additional storage is found under the sink.

• Van is completely insulated.  Reflectix and insulation foam in all walls and ceiling. 

• 2 full size propane tanks are located on the back bumper. The propane powers to stove and can be used to heat the van. I have the propane line split and ready to be
  attached to a propane heater if you choose.  

• So much storage. A closet behind the driver seat fit all our climbing gear, camp chairs, tables, foam rollers, yoga mats, etc. Plenty of additional cabinets and bins located
   around for clothes, etc.  

• Backup camera on dash makes getting out of parking lots easy.  This van can fit in a standard size parking spot.  It's a little over 8 feet tall so it can go in drive thrus and mechanic shops.

• Van has 151,xxx miles on it.  I've seen these vans get double that mileage if well taken care of.

Great van! If it’s not a secret, what did you buy instead?

I bought a Tacoma. Have the ground clearance has been great. Especially when I went down to a few crags in southern AZ and NM. 

We bought a used flippac camper shell and built out the inside a bit.  I miss the box truck, but this is more versatile. 

Some days I miss the box truck.

Glad you sold it! Good memories running into you at Shelf, Maple, and Ten Sleep! Tell Torrey hi from Cooper :)