Hi all! You have no idea how happy I am to be able to officially join the Sportsmobile club. Been wanting one for as long as I can remember.
2006 GMC AWD Passenger Savana 5.3L V8 Sportsmobile partial conversion:
I just drove this baby home to Utah from Boulder, CO where I purchased it with 166k miles for $25k from the owner who did all the conversions. I think I got a fair price on it ;-). He got the van at 20k miles and had Sportsmobile install the pop top and bed, and did the rest of the conversion himself.
I had an oil change and transmission service done before driving back as well as an inspection. It needs a few fluid changes (brake, coolant), lower left ball joint is worn, Right front axle seal is leaking. Otherwise it's in fantastic shape and I've already spent a weekend in the San Rafael Swell with it and am in love.
Need to get an awning, pipe in some propane to the counter, get a roof rack going and It'll be pretty much done for my liking for now.
This was his Craigslist ad description:
I'm selling my half Sportsmobile half custom built 2006 GMC Savana LT AWD. I've had the van since 2009 and have performed or hired out all the conversion work since. It currently has ~165k miles. The van has been a perfect solution for us (a family of 4 with younger kids), but could certainly suit many other needs as well. The all wheel drive in conjunction with an inch or two of lift and oversize all terrain tires will take you anywhere that you really belong in a vehicle such as this. Relatively affordable AWD/4x4 van solutions are not easy to come by. It's a regular body 135" WB van, so it is very drivable and parkable in any city environment. It's a great one vehicle solution to many travel, camping, and even daily driver needs.
Sportsmobile in Fresno installed their penthouse top and added a sofa bed below, making space to sleep 4. I performed the rest of the conversion and have optimized it over the years. The van has many great features in its build:
-14 Gallon marine grade water tank with water pump plumbed to exterior hose outlet and interior kitchen sink. Easily fillable with hose or bottle from driver's side exterior. Sink has foot pedal control to minimize water waste.
-Ducted propane furnace
-600w 12VDC-120VAC pure sine wave power inverter for small appliance and battery/device charging with multiple USB charging options
-Dedicated 105 amp hour auxiliary battery setup w/160W rooftop solar system + engine alternator charging. Plenty of capacity for this rig.
-52l electric fridge (top open, making it very efficient). Removable, can be taken wherever and plugged into 120VAC.
-Lots of great LED lighting (plus some fluorescent lighting that was included in the pop top).
-Passenger seat swivel.
-Custom swing out folding bumper rack for extra storage.
-Seats 5 with seatbelts and sleeps 4 in beds. Rear convertible 3 seatbelt bench seat, converts to a full sized bed. Drop down bed platform in pop top, sleeps 2.
-Factory rear AC keeps the cabin cool for passengers while driving.
-Insulated and white, many window ventilation options, including in top, easy to keep cool.
-Custom MDF/Bamboo kitchen cabinet box with removable box drawers and extra slide-out countertop/table
-Upgraded amp-driven Alpine Stereo system (with available subwoofer if interested, has been uninstalled to open up more storage space)
-Re-sprung to accommodate increased payload, roughly 3/4 ton+.
-Lots of other fun details here and there.
The van is in good functional condition. We've used it a lot for the 150k miles we've owned it. Never any issues with engine or drivetrain. Relatively new brakes all around. All wheel bearings/seals have been replaced in recent times. There's certainly plenty of evidence of use, but there's lots of life left in this rig. Express/Savana vans are easy to get work done on and parts are widely available and relatively cheap. The 5.3l Vortex V8 with the 4l60e transmission is a tried and true combo used in trucks and vans for many years by GM. We've loved this vehicle for many years and hope to find someone who wants to take it and love it into its next era.
Given that it's fairly unique, it's somewhat difficult to categorize and therefore price. I'm posting it at $30,000 OBO. The most comparable vehicles out there are going to be VW eurovans with the pop top or Sportsmobiles if one wishes to get a sense of value. Our van has the features that we needed most for our purposes. Ultimate affordable offroad family weekender would be my description.
MSH MBL
2008 GMC 3500 SMB
Linear Mode
