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Old 08-27-2017, 05:57 AM   #1
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PNW Van Upfitter/SMB Post-Conversion Work

The below list driven by requirements for upgrades/retrofits that SMB will not complete due to regulatory requirements during the build. Several different sources, some outfits below will do some work but not all. Van Compass will install their own products but not work on other projects. Research on company's convenient to drive up from Fresno to my home town of Bellingham WA or close by. The marine electrician below has done quality work in a complete upgrade of Blue Seas 12V panel/110V panel and wiring on my boat. The thought is RV electrical systems are remarkably similar, if not exact, to a cruising boat. I think anyone who lives near or in a marine based city (SF, Seattle, Portland) could find a quality marine electrician to do electrical work on their van.

Work I would like to complete post-conversion:
1. Van Compass Suspension Upgrade
2. Van Compass Skid Plate Package (will also ask about a custom skid plate for the Aerotank Aux Fuel Tank)
3. Aerotank Aux 20 GAl Fuel Tank
4. Aluminess Front Bumper/WARN Winch (although I'm inclined to the Agile Offroad winch install in stock bumper)
5. Upgrade lithium battery/system (SMB will only install a small battery in battery box, which will not fulfill our needs).


TRIVAN TRUCK BODY
1385 Smith Road
Ferndale, WA 98248
(360)529-5039
jmorrow@trivan.com
cvandriel@trivan.com

RASMUSSEN MARINE ELECTRIC
909 Squalicum Way, #104
Bellingham, WA 98225
360-671-2992
anne@rasmarineelectric.com
brian@rasmarineelectric.com

VAN COMPASS
947A Innovation Way
Post Falls, ID 83854
info@vancompas.com
mark@vancompass.com

ACTIONVAN, LLC (Formerly THE VAN GUYS, LLC)
Ian Beveridge
20772 Carmen Loop, Suite 120
Bend OR 97702
(541)232-2165
Thevanguys1@gmail.com

VAN SPECIALTIES
19400 SW 125th Ct.
Tualatin, OR 97062
(503) 218-2065
info@vanspecialties.com

OREGON MOTORCOACH CENTER
29417 Airport Road
Eugene OR 97402
(800) 942-6860
(541) 762-1505

Please feel free to comment on outfits above and/or add.

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Old 08-27-2017, 07:52 AM   #2
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Most of those options look good. I'm biased but Expovans could do everything on your list and is also an Aluminess dealer if you would rather find a one stop shop.
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Old 08-27-2017, 08:37 AM   #3
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Great lead, thanks. I've sent out an email to them. I took a look at their website and can't see in any of the drop down menus where they are located?
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Old 08-27-2017, 08:40 AM   #4
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We are in Newberg, OR. 30 min SW of Portland.
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Old 09-20-2017, 01:19 AM   #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Backcountryguy View Post
...

ACTIONVAN, LLC (Formerly THE VAN GUYS, LLC)
Ian Beveridge
20772 Carmen Loop, Suite 120
Bend OR 97702
(541)232-2165
Thevanguys1@gmail.com
...
Please feel free to comment on outfits above and/or add.
Thanks for this list...I've been going through the same exercise on a DIY SMB.

One name that stuck out was a pretty bad story with photos of a job that The Van Guys / Ian Beveridge did to a Sprinter over on Sprinter-Source. Granted, we all make mistakes - and the photos are pretty bad but it his purported conduct bothered me the most. He is also quoted in a local paper with a left handed jab at his client base (Sprinter Owners).
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Old 09-28-2017, 03:50 PM   #6
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A lot of this is fairly simple DIY work. It took me about an hour to install some new Fox shocks and Sumo Springs (a full lift kit would require experts). Bolting on skid plates would be pretty simple and quick. Even a lithium conversion wouldn't be difficult if it was planned ahead and SMB did the correct wiring. Anyone with fairly basic mechanical skills and tools could cut this list in half pretty easy.
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Old 09-28-2017, 05:33 PM   #7
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Or I could pay somebody to do it while I go climbing, windsurfing in the gorge, or skiing at Mount Hood. That is if I have a Portland vicinity upfitter do the work. If it's Agile Off-road, I'll write the check and then spend the days it's being completed on the Pacific Crest Trail, swimming La Jolla cove, or surfing with friends in Baja.

We all decide if the time/effort versus writing the check is worth it. I have done enough time in my youth working on a boat engine upside down in a locker or sanding the bottom with a resperator that at this point in my life it's not the money, it's the time.
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Old 09-28-2017, 05:50 PM   #8
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My vote is for MG/expovans [emoji106]


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Old 09-28-2017, 06:24 PM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by VtSoundman View Post
...... but it his purported conduct bothered me the most. He is also quoted in a local paper with a left handed jab at his client base (Sprinter Owners).
You mean this?

“For the money, you get a basic van,” Beveridge said. “It’s a simplified cabin with no stock back-up camera.”

The Sprinter is a status symbol similar to the Volks*wagen Vanagon, a model that attracts a cult-like following, Beveridge said.

“For the same people that popularized the Vanagon,” he said, “this is the next step.”

Bend business turns vans into base camps; Sprinter vans are popular for outdoor-recreation enthusiasts
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Old 09-28-2017, 07:10 PM   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 86Scotty View Post
You mean this?

“For the money, you get a basic van,” Beveridge said. “It’s a simplified cabin with no stock back-up camera.”

The Sprinter is a status symbol similar to the Volks*wagen Vanagon, a model that attracts a cult-like following, Beveridge said.

“For the same people that popularized the Vanagon,” he said, “this is the next step.”

Bend business turns vans into base camps; Sprinter vans are popular for outdoor-recreation enthusiasts
That's not a jab, thats just truth.
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