River Rat likes to camp as much as I do and he just wanted to help me out. So after it was bought and sitting in his garage, he made some changes to the van that ended up totaling about 60 hours of work. I am so happy with this van and the modifications that I thought others would benefit from knowing about the upgrades. First, River Rat and I talked about the kinds of modifications that I would like and any others he suggested as an experienced camper.
Here’s the list that we came up with:
Efficient refrigeration for food
Killer tunes- it’s got to rock and roll
Efficient battery life
Generator for extended camping time if not “hooked in”
Good lighting both inside and out
Safe water system
Less necessary and expensive upgrades to be added later:
New metal plate for the engine battery to replace the rusty one
Festive flagpole and disco ball or LED party lights
Rear locker, lift
Solar Panels
Additional stereo speakers because you can never have enough sound if your camping neighbors don’t mind music.
He then started out checking out with an engine inspection as any good mechanic would. He changed the engine oil and filter, transmission fluid and filter, air filter, pcv, distributor camp and rotor, power steering fluid, and brake fluid. More complex maintenance included the rear differential fluid.