"Harriette" 2003 Chevy Express 1500 Conversion

[TheKarmaVan]

Correction to my last post: 38V from the panels(connected in series) to the battery.

 

[AbuelaLoca]

Fantastic progress!!

 

[TheKarmaVan]

Fantastic progress!!

Thank you! We're really happy with how it's all coming together.

 

[CautionToTheWind]

You're hired!  Congrats!

 

[Randingo]

Amazing!!  You have done wonders with your van!!  Please keep posting updates especially once you are living the van life!!

 

[TheKarmaVan]

Thanks for all the compliments! We are starting Vanlife in 3 DAYS!!! We've got a bit more work to do so we're cramming it all in as fast as we can. I'll be sure to make a final post when the van is complete. we intend on doing a little van tour video that we'll post on youtube as well. Keep checking back here for updates. Any and all advice is still welcome. We are learning little by little.

 

[Gypsy Clipper]

When you toss out the bottles be thoughtful and dump them out. Also don't leave them sit around in the van very long after you've used them. If they accidentally spill the smell is absolutely NASTY! Also instead of just tossing them in the garbage full please empty them in a sewer drain or in a gravel lot.
The number of bottles filled with pee left on road sides and in trash cans is totally unbelievable.
I personally tinkle in large water jug(thermos) at night and then empty it and rinse it out with a weak solution of bleach water.
I drove a semi for 20 years and some of the solutions some couples came up with to deal with the issue would curl your hair(Yikes).

Sent from my Alcatel_5044R using Tapatalk

 

[Gypsy Clipper]

The signs are brilliant!! Amazing job! Your build has been just so inspiring. Thank you for sharing this.

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[TheKarmaVan]

When you toss out the bottles be thoughtful and dump them out. Also don't leave them sit around in the van very long after you've used them. If they accidentally spill the smell is absolutely NASTY! Also instead of just tossing them in the garbage full please empty them in a sewer drain or in a gravel lot.
The number of bottles filled with pee left on road sides and in trash cans is totally unbelievable.
I personally tinkle in large water jug(thermos) at night and then empty it and rinse it out with a weak solution of bleach water.
I drove a semi for 20 years and some of the solutions some couples came up with to deal with the issue would curl your hair(Yikes).

Sent from my Alcatel_5044R using Tapatalk

Yes! We plan on dumping into the nearest porta potty or bathroom. We have planet fitness memberships so we will have access to a public restroom every so often. We are going to use a nalgene bottle as they are nearly impossible to break and just clean it out.

 

[BigT]

Great looking build!  Very inspiring!  I hope to do something similar to an Express in a few years (I'm still in a sticks-n-bricks so my tiny van is fine just for camping).  

Just curious..   You said it was an Express 1500.  Does it have a V6 or V8?  I'd be interested to know what sort of MPG you get out of it when the build is complete.
It doesn't look like your walls or bed weigh too much, but then gear, food and H2O can add up fast.  

Also..  How did you mount the solar panels to the roof?  I see brackets.  Are they bolted to the roof or held on with some kind of adhesive?  

I really like what you did and will likely have more questions as I think of them. 

 

[TheKarmaVan]

Great looking build!  Very inspiring!  I hope to do something similar to an Express in a few years (I'm still in a sticks-n-bricks so my tiny van is fine just for camping).  

Just curious..   You said it was an Express 1500.  Does it have a V6 or V8?  I'd be interested to know what sort of MPG you get out of it when the build is complete.
It doesn't look like your walls or bed weigh too much, but then gear, food and H2O can add up fast.  

Also..  How did you mount the solar panels to the roof?  I see brackets.  Are they bolted to the roof or held on with some kind of adhesive?  

I really like what you did and will likely have more questions as I think of them. 

Thanks for tuning in for our build. To answer your questions:
- The van is a V6 and we took a long trip recently to Tennessee and back with Nicole, myself, two other passengers and our supplies. The van did pretty well on gas. Over 1800 miles and we filled up from a half tank about 4 times each way. 
- The solar panels are mounted to the roof with drilled in brackets. We've sealed everything with self-leveling lap sealant. We even used marine silicone on the underside and used butyl tape.

Please do continue to ask questions. We're happy to answer any and all inquiries and love to share our build.

 

[sassypickins]

Congrats on a nice build! Sounds like you've cast off by now. Let us know how it's going as you are able. Looking forward to moving in/living in/and relaxing-and-enjoying pics! Sassy

 

[galladanb]

Sorry we missed you guys! I dont ever want to be pushy about meet ups, but I wish I had!
I'm sure we will g2g soon!

Laters!

Such Fun!

 

[TheKarmaVan]

Sorry we missed you guys! 

We we're sad to miss the meeting up too. We're living in the van full time now and loving it(pictures soon, promise). We plan on traveling outside of Austin as of October. Let us know what your travel plans are once your build is complete. We wouldn't mind meeting you somewhere.

 

[TheKarmaVan]

Hello Again, Everyone!! Sorry we sort of fell off the face of the Earth. We moved into Hariette on the 27th of August and have been extraordinarily busy with our travels and upgrades since. We've made it from Austin TX to Grand Canyon National Park AZ since I last posted. We've done so much already and have so much more ahead of us. Sometime this month we will be stopping in at Quartzite AZ. Please let us know if you'd like to meet up or if you're already there. We also plan on sharing the upgrades we've made to Hariette soon. Keep checking back this month for more posts.

PS
It feels great to be back!

 

[TheKarmaVan]

We've arrived in Quartzsite! If anyone is around  this area and would like to meet up let me know. Here is a little preview of a modification we've made on the road.

We added some decorative storage to the walls using colorful tea containers that we kept from our apartment. We also anchored some mason jars to the table, added a knob/hook to our sliding cabinet door, hunt our hats and finally put up our travel/van manifesto! That's just one wall folks. 

We're working on the van a bit more while we're here at camp. Other than that we've been hanging out, exploring and playing cards.

I'll be posting more later.