And it begins...My Chevy Express 3500

[Almost There]

 I though about having the bed across the back, but I want to be able to enter from m the back, especially while I'm at an RV park.

Better check those back doors before you get too set on using them. I've tried to close the rear cargo doors on my van from the inside and it doesn't work. There's no pull handle on the passenger side door and if I try to use the open lever the door won't latch.

The vast majority of all van owners use the side doors for entry and exit whether at a RV park or not.

 

[ValerieP]

Better check those back doors before you get too set on using them.

Shoot, I didn't even think about that! I'll have a look at that. Thanks!

 

[masterplumber]

Man Valerie, don't you wish they sold a window cargo van? It seems a shame to have to buy something you don't need, to get what you want. I've been facing that for years buying work trucks also. Certain options can only be had if you buy a whole package. So you end up with carpet and things you don't want in a work truck, just to get a certain drivetrain or something you do need. The manufacturers make more money that way, but it's not really serving the customer's best interests. Ok, rant over, great job getting after it.

 

[ValerieP]

Truth be told, I could have gotten exactly what I wanted, but it would been a special order. Probably would have cost me $20,000 more, but it would have come with 0 miles instead of 24,000 miles.
I'll put in the effort...

 

[ValerieP]

Better check those back doors before you get too set on using them. I've tried to close the rear cargo doors on my van from the inside and it doesn't work. There's no pull handle on the passenger side door and if I try it doesn't work!

That is bizarre. Why would something that looks like a door handle not work like one? Mine has the same on the inside back as yours, and it looks the same as the inside handle on the side doors that does work. I think I'll ask the dealership tomorrow, and post what they say. BTW, I love the high top on your van! I plan to get one, too! I'm just now reading your build thread.

 

[Almost There]

The door handle you're looking at is the latch handle not a pulling device for closing the door.

If you look at the front side cargo door it has both the latch for opening it from the inside and a solid mounted piece that you use to pull the door shut from the inside, same as the two front doors in the driving compartment.

I realized the shortcoming of not being able to close the rear cargo door from the inside kind of by accident. I had been laying in bed reading one night when I saw that the back door was still open from me doing the cross current thing during the afternoon. I tried probably a half dozen times to pull the door tight with the latch handle but when pulling on it, you've got it in the 'open the door' position and it simply won't latch. I had to get up, get dressed and go outside to close the door from the inside.

The rear doors were never meant to be closed from the inside. The vans were designed for hauling cargo not for being converted to living space for us van-dwellers. The guys at the dealership will probably look at you like you were blonde...rofl!

 

[tx2sturgis]

Better check those back doors before you get too set on using them. I've tried to close the rear cargo doors on my van from the inside and it doesn't work. There's no pull handle on the passenger side door and if I try to use the open lever the door won't latch.

Just FYI you can easily add an inside handle, that's what I did.

 

[gapper2]

ValerieP, congrats on your new van.  After just skimming over this thread,  I think I may be able to answer some of your questions.  First I am converting what was a 2012 gmc savana 2500 12 seat passenger van.  The seat removal was the easy part!!  I don't think there will be much difference in yours and mine except yours is much longer and a one ton.  Mine has the handle in the rear door to allow exit.  I removed all my inside plastic and I am involved in sound deadening at the moment.  The plastic removal only took about 2 days.  To remove the seat belts you will need a T50 torx socket and a impact wrench is highly reccomended.  Those bolts are glued in there.  Now for some bad news.  If you've removed the seats and floor mat, and if your van is similar to mine, you'll notice that the seats were held in place by long rails.  The rails waste much head space.  So I removed mine.  A real PIA!!  If this is similar to your van I will try to find some photos and offer some advice.  I found easier ways of doing some things after the fact.  Good luck.  I wanted the windows also,  just didn't know it was going to be this involved.

gapper2

 

[ValerieP]

I'm in trouble if the seat removal was easy! Removing them, yes- but the seat belt bolt/screw was tough. Maybe even tougher because it was 100 degrees. I appreciate any help with rail removal.
I think I'll go yank and pull some more in a bit...

Brian- thanks for letting me know I can add a handle. I like the idea of being able to come and go out the back- but I might be able to just as easily go out the side inconspicuously, if I move my trailer forward and pull up more along side it. Still thinking all of this through!

 

[gapper2]

Val,
  If your rear door does have a handle on the inside, you can enter and exit.  I had trouble with mine until I noticed there is a child proof switch on the side of the door to prevent children from opening the door from the inside.

If you are removing all the pretty plastic on the inside,  you'll notice there are airbags that run down on both sides over the windows.  Disconnect the battery negative and wait 5 minutes.  This disables the air bags system.

Removing the seat rails were about a 2 day job for me working by myself.  Those rails have bolt studs welded to the rails and have nuts on the underside of the body of the van.  There were 48 nuts underneath.  Some are very hard to get to.  My van had 5 rails to remove.  Yours will probably have more nuts to remove.  This world isn't home had a good idea knowing what I know now.  He suggested giving the seats to someone who you can con into removing the rails.

If your still determined to remove the rails yourself.  I got all but 2 nuts off and had to remove the drive shaft to get to those.  Do yourself a favor, its much easier with it removed.  Be very sure to mark your drive shaft in many ways so you can put it back exactly as it came out.  The three rails on the driver's side were much easier to remove than the 2 on the passenger side.  The nuts on the pasenger side can't be accessed without removing some heat shields and moving some of the others  to get to the nuts.  To do that you will have to drill the rivets out and pop what is left through.  I replaced the rivets at completion.  I put new bolts and nuts in the holes to replace those that came out.  I did that because their are minor supports that run from side to side on the underside of the van.  I was afraid that if those weren't replaced might develop a squeaky van.  Hope this doesn't discourage you too much.
My bed will go side to side.  My van measures 76 inches wall to wall and I'm 5'10".  Good luck.  If I can offer more advice, just ask away.

 

[ValerieP]

Well...it's a good thing I'm planning on a high top because I'm not going to be able to do all of what needs to be done to remove the rails, so they will need to stay and I will lose a couple of inches of head room until I get the high top on. 

Thank you so much for telling me there are air bags in the side! I had no idea. 


This insulation is under the carpet and inside the plastic wall stuff. Would it be ok to reuse it under the plywood floor?

 

[gapper2]

I'm not planning a hightop and I planned only using mine as a tv.  But I said I can do the van too.  Little did I know that after pulling everything out the noise was intolerable while driving.  I pulled the insulation off the mat and I'm planning to use that for part of my insulation below the windows.  The glue they used was very hard to remove.  The mat is made of vinyl and after doing much research on sound dampening techniques MLV (mass loaded vinyl is about the best for below the windows, wheel wells and the floor.  The insulation behind the plastic panels is only about 1/4 inch thick and very sparse.  The original mat will only be part of my floor.  Much head space can be recovered by removing headliner but if you know you are putting a high top in I would let them remove it even though it is very easy to remove.  The driver area has one headliner.  The passenger headliner on my van was one soid molded piece to the rear.  Hardly weighs anything.

 

[gapper2]

Sorry I didn't answer question.  That insulation is about 1 3/4 thick.  If you are not pulling the rails out, you will have to put plywood on top of rails.  I wouldn't mess with the mat because it has very good sound dampening as it is.

 

[gapper2]

Almost there's suggestion of taking care of the wheel wells is highly advised.  I've even done the front ones.  Don't have pictures of that yet because I'm running lots of wires.

 

[Almost There]

Before you put in the plywood and lose those couple of inches, talk to a couple of body shops about removing the rails for you.

They have to tools, the know-how and the strength to do it the right way. I  had to take an Astro I owned in and  have them remove the seats and the bolts for me because there was no way it was a one person job. I don't remember exactly what I paid but I know it was well worth the amount!

That material used under the mat is highly water absorbent. I wouldn't use it and every van I've stripped out has been  wet under the rubber mat. Mind you I've never had one as new as yours.... To get the rails out it will have to be removed anyways and all the holes plugged in the floor of the van. Plugging the holes is something you can do yourself so don't include it in the work at a shop.

Personally, I like laying the plywood directly on top of the floor. When the wheel wells are enclosed, the plywood floor is in and the walls are insulated/finished you'll notice a distinct difference in the noise. An empty van sounds like an echo chamber. It will never sound like you're driving a Mercedes. You're driving a truck, expect it to sound like a truck but once you've got an interior in there and it's packed with stuff, it will sound a whole lot different.

 

[gapper2]

As usual Almost There has VERY good suggestions.  She has me wondering about using it in the walls.  It is a good sound absorber but I have seen what happens to that insulation after getting wet in older vans.  That 2 inches on the floor that it takes away is alot.  About 3 to 4 inches in places for the headliner.

 

[gapper2]

couldn't post 2 photos for some reason

 

[ValerieP]

I will definitely take Almost There's advice and ask a shop about taking out the rails. Also, I had no idea that stuff would absorb moisture. It is definitely going! I'll keep the carpet because it can be repurposed.
I tried to see if someone would take out the rails for the seats, but no takers.

I will try to get the rails out of there, plywood down, and the wheel wells boxed in, and a non attached bed across the back. I really have to do some thinking about the bed because I really would like it to double for a couch, but I have to have 25" clearance under it for my non motorized recombent trike.
Then I will have to find someone to put 30 amp in it because in the Nevada desert I will have to have an air conditioner, so I might as well have an outlet or two. I had 30 amp in my cargo trailer and it was nice to plug in and I could get away with an hour or two of generator use if I couldn't plug in. We were able to get along just fine without electricity for short bits of time.
When I get all that done I'll work on the walls. Or at least I think that is how I should progress?
At some point, I'll add solar.
It will be parked and my daily driver for the next couple of years. I plan to retire in 3-4 years- hopefully 3 years. I have to pay for the van and I want to switch the trailer I have now for a Casita. I'll use it for the kitchen and bathroom and the van for my bedroom, office, and garage.
Getting ready for a retirement that I will enjoy is taking a lot of thought and planning. I told someone the other day that if my ability to wander was taken away part of my soul would die. She looked looked at me as though I had lost my mind. But, here, I think, I'm preaching to the choir...
My family doesn't even know my whole plan- they still think I should buy a cheap house and settle down...


Thanks again for all the help and suggestions l!

 

[gapper2]

Val,
  Here is the location of the switch that allows you to exit the van from the inside.  With your bed above 25" you will prbably be sleeping in the glass.  But since you're only 5' 6" imagine the views you can wake up to in the morning!

gapper2

 

[ValerieP]

I feel kind of silly not realizing that was there!!! Wowzers, yep- flip that and the back door opens right up from the inside! Thank you!!!