Building Arabella

Almost There · Apr 11, 2015

I'm just about ready to start on the build of Miss Arabella so I figured now was the time to start the build thread for her.

She's a 2002 GMC Savana 2500 with a fiberglass raised roof.

Here's a pic of her when I went to look at her last September.

I got her home just in time for moose hunting season which delayed her safety inspection by 3 weeks. By that time we were knee deep in snow so other than ripping out the less than stellar..

interior the P.O. had put in, we spent the winter looking at each other waiting for spring.

So far in the past 2 weeks she got all new tires, a thorough mechanical inspection and few minor repairs and the body work done.

Here's some pics of her all prettied up now!

So this post isn't too long and hard to load, I'll put some more stuff into another post.

Almost There · Apr 11, 2015

Grrr, just found out you can't go look at your attachments and then come back to the post you're in the middle of...

Here's some pics of the dismantling of the old interior!

Yes, one hole in the roof was THAT big. I plugged it with a wine cork for the winter until the body work was done!

One days worth of debris!

I also found that the PO had been transporting wildlife around with him. Much mess from a pair of mice had to be cleaned up.

Today I spent several hours with a putty knife and a cake icing spatula (don't laugh it worked best...

) scraping the roof trying to remove the last traces of pink fiberglass.

Before I started with the cake spatula.

After!

So far I got about half of the roof done, tomorrow if I can raise my arms above my head I'll try tackling the rest of it.

flying kurbmaster · Apr 11, 2015

nice looking van great start

ttpadilla · Apr 11, 2015

Oh, she's beautiful! I am totally subscribing to this thread.

Seraphim · Apr 11, 2015

It's always fun to start a new project. Looking forward to more photos.

akrvbob · Apr 12, 2015

Great van and great work!

Bob

gypsychic · Apr 13, 2015

When a friend scrapped my van for me (I hadn't purchased my 1/2 face respirator mask yet and the disposal n95 masks weren't cutting it to keep my asthma and MCS at bay. Yes, I owe her big time!) she used a plastic pumpkin scoop IIRC.

BTW- she was fine the next day but 2 days later she was in real pain. Maybe try heating and icing your shoulder 15 mins on & off just as a precaution so you don't get slowed down by an injury. I know how you've been chomping at the bit to get started.

Good to finally see her. Can't wait to see what you do.

Almost There · Apr 13, 2015

gypsychic said:
When a friend scrapped my van for me (I hadn't purchased my 1/2 face respirator mask yet and the disposal n95 masks weren't cutting it to keep my asthma and MCS at bay. Yes, I owe her big time!) she used a plastic pumpkin scoop IIRC.

BTW- she was fine the next day but 2 days later she was in real pain. Maybe try heating and icing your shoulder 15 mins on & off just as a precaution so you don't get slowed down by an injury. I know how you've been chomping at the bit to get started.

Good to finally see her. Can't wait to see what you do.

I actually didn't feel too bad yesterday morning, some shoulder stiffness but nothing that was going to stop me! And I was fine this morning...no excuse for a sick day...sigh!!

I finished getting as much of the crap pink stuff out of there yesterday as is going to come. Next step is to take a couple of rolls of quarters to the car wash place and use the vacuum cleaner on the inside to try to suck more off and to clean up some of the mouse shit that I haven't swept out...yes, I've been wearing a mask through all this!...

And safety glasses when I'm working overhead.

Learned a lesson yesterday - don't use the sleeve of your shirt to wipe the sweat off your face after you've been playing in fiberglass dust....

After the thorough vacuuming, I can start with the chemicals to make sure I've killed all the mold.

Shopping trip tomorrow for the first of the supplies....

LeeRevell · Apr 13, 2015

How's the roof strength? Okay for solar? If not this will be the time to install some reinforcement for it!

So your new van will NOT be called the "Mouse House"!

Almost There · Apr 13, 2015

LeeRevell said:
How's the roof strength? Okay for solar? If not this will be the time to install some reinforcement for it!

So your new van will NOT be called the "Mouse House"!

Roof strength is okay but I am not putting solar up there. The black Stripes you can see in the 'after' pic are 1/4" steel ribcage and the lengthwise strips are 1/2" wood reinforcement panels. I only wish it was a double hull construction like I had on the van my parents gave me years ago...it was a gelcoat inside with insulation between the layers, no finishing needed!

I have a 50W GE solar panel that, if it's still any good, will go up for sale. I'm eventually going to use portable suitcase solar. Rooftop solar that I can't reach for cleaning and tilting isn't a good thing. Also, I absolutely positively prefer parking in the shade.

The van was initially known as the 'Big White Money Pit' but I didn't think that it was a good name for the long term. Didn't want her to think badly of herself or try to live up to her name!...

'Mouse Mausoleum' came to mind when I found the bodies....

akrvbob · Apr 13, 2015

Almost There said:
The van was initially known as the 'Big White Money Pit' but I didn't think that it was a good name for the long term. Didn't want her to think badly of herself or try to live up to her name!...

A very good decision! Self-Esteem is just as important to vans as it is to people.

Bob

Almost There · Apr 13, 2015

akrvbob said:
A very good decision! Self-Esteem is just as important to vans as it is to people.
Bob

I'm glad to hear that you agree...some people think I lost a few of my marbles, naming the van!!

Sigh, but then they have always wondered about me anyways...

Almost There · Apr 18, 2015

I'm getting weary of cleaning up...

First I painted all the mold areas on the fiberglass roof with vinegar. I didn't have a spare spray bottle so a plastic container and a paint brush did just fine.

Then it was off for a trip to the car wash to use their heavy duty vacuum cleaner...sucked another few pounds out of the interior.

Next I spent a couple more hours washing down the driving compartment - got to get some of that special stuff for shining up the dash and the trim. I also want a set of floor mats to put on top of the OEM mat in the front. Taking them out to hose them down will be a whole lot easier than trying to clean that darn mat again.

All around the doors it looked almost like mildew which was strange, I didn't think mildew would stick to automotive paint. Whatever it was, it cleaned up nicely as well.

The last of the mouse mess got washed off the original roof panels up top. Glad to see the last of that let me tell you!!

And then the challenge of the day! - Removing all the damned Velcro and the adhesive residue. Each rear window has 10 small pieces and a long strip across the top so that's about 38" of the stuff on each window. The Velcro doesn't come off easy, particularly the small pieces and the adhesive backing really, really is stuck on there.

If anyone has a better chemical than Goof Off or WD40, let me know cause I've still got one rear door to do and the gunk left on the trim at the side door to go...

I want to get on with putting the interior in, not this endless cleaning...

Next day to work on it will be Monday - I'm going to play hooky from work!

flying kurbmaster · Apr 18, 2015

try varsol (solvent) on that glue residue. if by on the window you mean on the glass then a one sided razor blade make sure you soak down the window before scraping so you don't scratch the glass.

Almost There · Apr 18, 2015

flying kurbmaster said:
try varsol (solvent) on that glue residue. if by on the window you mean on the glass then a one sided razor blade make sure you soak down the window before scraping so you don't scratch the glass.

No it's all on the painted metal around the window.

Varsol won't damage the paint??

I don't think I can use the Varsol on the plastic? interior trim of the van can I?

Hmmm, wonder how I raid a ladies razor for a one sided razor blade...

anewbiewannabe · Apr 18, 2015

A couple ideas: hot dawn water dampened (soaked but not dripping) paper towel painter's taped up to it for about 20 minutes, or if there's no layer of plastic over the gunk---peanut butter smeared on it for a couple hours---then wiped off with a paper towel and then scrubbie that you don't mind if it needs disposed of for either option.

Almost There · Apr 18, 2015

anewbiewannabe said:
A couple ideas: hot dawn water dampened (soaked but not dripping) paper towel painter's taped up to it for about 20 minutes, or if there's no layer of plastic over the gunk---peanut butter smeared on it for a couple hours---then wiped off with a paper towel and then scrubbie that you don't mind if it needs disposed of for either option.

Peanut butter is in stock..yeahhhhh!

I like the concept of putting something on and letting it do it's job while I get on with other things...!!

Bela's Mom · Apr 18, 2015

You might try heating the velcro with a hair dryer and then pulling it off very slowly The adhesive might come with it when it's warm.

Almost There · Apr 18, 2015

Bela said:
You might try heating the velcro with a hair dryer and then pulling it off very slowly The adhesive might come with it when it's warm.

This stuff is 12 or 13 years old. The Velcro was practically falling off in most places leaving the adhesive behind.

Goof Off does take the adhesive off, it's just so darned slow! Apply, wait, rub, apply, wait, rub. And you can't do a large area at a time cause all it does is evaporate...

I'm just impatient, I can see the build in my head but know that I have to take care of the little piddly details first!!

anewbiewannabe · Apr 18, 2015

I forgot. Do a test wipe of the peanut butter. If it appears to be working the first time but not as much as you'd like, leave it on longer. Sometimes that will do it and sometimes it takes another coat after the first one, same process. I use it for labels, chewing gum in hair, and basically anything sticky that I want to remove. Usually that's all it takes.

Building Arabella

Help Support Van Living Forum:

Well-known member

Attachments

Well-known member

Attachments

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Similar threads

Join the conversation!

Join today and get all the highlights of this community direct to your inbox. It's FREE!