Journey with Confidence RV GPS App RV Trip Planner RV LIFE Campground Reviews RV Maintenance Take a Speed Test Free 7 Day Trial ×
 


Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
 
Old 05-03-2013, 09:56 AM   #71
Senior Member
 
accrete's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: The Sunny Southwest, USA
Posts: 427
Re: Accrete's 2010 Chevy Express AWD project

THX for the visit and kudos you two!
& yuppers on the idea of matching rims.
For now, we will be powder coating the trailer rims to match the color. and they actually do have a similar look up close. each have similar rounded triangles and the same count. I was going to rattle can them like i did the alloy rims on our taco but for $25 bucks each to powder coat? i'm going that way.

__________________
Greetings from the Sunny Southwest, USA
2017 RAM Promaster Conversion. SOLD: 2010 Chevy Express AWD
Van Build Thread @ SMBForums
accrete is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-03-2013, 10:29 AM   #72
Site Team
 
BroncoHauler's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Southern New Mexico
Posts: 10,177
Re: Accrete's 2010 Chevy Express AWD project

Since you're going that direction, why not go all the way and see if you can get some black fender flares on there too?

It is amazing, how well your camper matches your SMB.


Herb
__________________
SMB-less as of 02/04/2012. Our savings account is richer, but our adventures are poorer.
BroncoHauler is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-03-2013, 06:26 PM   #73
Senior Member
 
accrete's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: The Sunny Southwest, USA
Posts: 427
Re: Accrete's 2010 Chevy Express AWD project

Herb we think a lot alike on this... : )
I had contemplated ordering the 1.75" flares that we have on the van before it arrived...though the body and wheel well cutout are so rounded i'm not sure the same flares would work. So i'm gonna think things through for a bit.
__________________
Greetings from the Sunny Southwest, USA
2017 RAM Promaster Conversion. SOLD: 2010 Chevy Express AWD
Van Build Thread @ SMBForums
accrete is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-04-2013, 08:01 AM   #74
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2013
Posts: 6
Re: Accrete's 2010 Chevy Express AWD project

Just wanted to say that I like the look of your van. I've also been toying with going with a AWD Chevy Express rather than a full fledged 4x4 set up.

I'm curious though, did you notice a lot of difference in the gas millage once you added the top and went with the larger tires?
David is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-04-2013, 07:39 PM   #75
Senior Member
 
accrete's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: The Sunny Southwest, USA
Posts: 427
Re: Accrete's 2010 Chevy Express AWD project

Greetings : )

My wife and i too went back and forth 4x4 vs AWD. But what made the difference for us was:
1) We hadn't engaged the 4x4 in our TACO except for about 2 times in 3 years. &
2) We loved what our Volvo x70 AWD rigs did on our wet roads year round...
So we went for the AWD and we are 100% satisfied.

On mileage... well we only really had about ~400 miles total on the stock-height rig and the millage was ~17/19 highway and ~14/15 city. I would say on average, fully loaded with all our gear, and Cari's daily driver we see ~16/18 highway (~16ish towing), and about 14 average around town.
. . .But then we have a bed, bath, shower, kitchenette, and gear for two weeks of adventure behind the seats loaded and ready for adventure 24/7!

The times you know the high-top is there is when bucking a headwind! I accidentally planned a trip to Sumpter Oregon going east on hw 26 and then west down i84/Columbia Gorge. HaHa. My Bad. They don't call the Gorge Kite Boarding Capitol of the west coast for nothing!

On wheel/tire size...they are stock. We just went 10 ply and bling rims for my wife : ) But wow, do those tires make a difference over stock 6 ply P rated!

Best wishes on your adventure and possible build.
Thom
__________________
Greetings from the Sunny Southwest, USA
2017 RAM Promaster Conversion. SOLD: 2010 Chevy Express AWD
Van Build Thread @ SMBForums
accrete is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-06-2013, 01:17 AM   #76
Senior Member
 
Join Date: May 2012
Location: SoCal
Posts: 598
Re: Accrete's 2010 Chevy Express AWD project

I like you trailer. Would that be home base or guest house? What exzacatacaley is your flooplan now?
stanw909 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-06-2013, 10:00 PM   #77
Senior Member
 
accrete's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: The Sunny Southwest, USA
Posts: 427
Re: Accrete's 2010 Chevy Express AWD project

Greetings,
Thoughts on floorplan...
I once met a fellow that had a van conversion and small trailer...He said it was he and his wife's "40 foot articulated motorhome" Soooo... i guess you might say ours is a 34ft version (front van bumper to rear trailer bumper). We use the Van Conversion as our bed and bath, and we leave the trailer set up (as seen in photo on prior page) with the U shaped sofa in the rear + street side dinette for two across from the curb side galley...and the shower in front. Here is a floorplan from the Parkliner site:



It is a nice setup. And works out to be a bedroom + great room basically. And if we need dinner-seating for more than two, we can put up the rear dinette that seats 4 adults.

Thom
__________________
Greetings from the Sunny Southwest, USA
2017 RAM Promaster Conversion. SOLD: 2010 Chevy Express AWD
Van Build Thread @ SMBForums
accrete is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-08-2013, 07:20 PM   #78
Senior Member
 
accrete's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: The Sunny Southwest, USA
Posts: 427
Re: Accrete's 2010 Chevy Express AWD project

Got done swapping out the original Fantastic Fan with a nice MaxxAir MaxxFan 5100K that we can use rain or shine!

Here is a link to the image...it's a bit to large for this forum and i didn't want to edit.



Love it.
__________________
Greetings from the Sunny Southwest, USA
2017 RAM Promaster Conversion. SOLD: 2010 Chevy Express AWD
Van Build Thread @ SMBForums
accrete is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-08-2013, 09:53 PM   #79
Senior Member
 
accrete's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: The Sunny Southwest, USA
Posts: 427
Re: Accrete's 2010 Chevy Express AWD project

As mentioned in a prior post, Cari & I took the van into Van Specialties in Portland Oregon for an interior face lift. We had them redo the headlining (we originally put one in, but wanted a more substantial look/feel to it). And they also fabricated and installed some cabinets i had designed. On the street side above the bed platform is a ~6.5L x ~3.'H x 1.5' D sliding storage area. The ~5' high closet you see opens up to reveal our porta potie and shower area we can set up in ~2 or so minutes. We leave it set up as a bathroom at night...so we have a bed & bath in the van.





Here is a closeup of the headliner material and the original marine grade fabric (that happens to also match the interior fabric in the Parkliner trailer).



The combination of Ben & Bath in the van + Entertainment & Dinning in the Parkliner is a real treat to us after all the years of setting up and breaking down screen rooms and kitchen tents. We pull into a spot, set the stabilizing jacks on the trailer, and we are set...5 minutes tops. Same with breaking down and heading to the next spot.

It makes for a happy spouse!
Thom
__________________
Greetings from the Sunny Southwest, USA
2017 RAM Promaster Conversion. SOLD: 2010 Chevy Express AWD
Van Build Thread @ SMBForums
accrete is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-08-2013, 10:21 PM   #80
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2013
Posts: 201
Re: Accrete's 2010 Chevy Express AWD project

Thom, could you take some pics of the porta potie/shower all out and set/up? I'm trying to figure out how/what I want to do for my shower and bathroom facilities. Interested in seeing what's out there.

Thanks
__________________
2006 Express Duramax 2500
Spoolin is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Tags
aluminess, awd, promaster

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off

» Featured Campgrounds

Reviews provided by

Powered by vBadvanced CMPS v3.2.3
Disclaimer:

This website is not affiliated with or endorsed by Sportsmobile SIP or any of its affiliates. This is an independent, unofficial site.


All times are GMT -6. The time now is 06:53 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 4
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.