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1985 Chevy G20 Custom Camper
#786165 December 10th 2021 11:20 pm
Joined: Sep 2020
Posts: 28
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[Linked Image]

My partner Ellie and I got this beauty a little over a year ago and have loved it every minute since- well maybe not the many, many minutes it sat in shops in three different states over the first several months. Bought it for $5500 in September of 2021 with 95.5k miles on the odometer. Was trying to buy a van to convert into a camper starting in May and found it a total nightmare trying to find the right one. We were second in line for two different vans and didn't get either so when this one showed up on autotrader we decided to take a look. After seeing it in person we had to pull the trigger. We definitely weren't looking to go the "vintage" route, but since the bones of the van were in such great shape we took the gamble. Well lady luck wasn't necessarily on our side and we were plagued with all of the issues of a van that had basically been undriven for about 6 years. We'd fix one gremlin and then another would pop up. So far we've replaced the radiator, alternator, spark plugs & rotor, oil sender, did a carb tune up & choke thermostat replacement, front and rear brake jobs & new lines, emergency brake cable, heater core, new set of tires, and topped it off with a transmission rebuild. As my gearhead friend Greg says "You gotta pay for cool!" Since the rebuild in early April she hasn't had a single shop visit except for the yearly inspection. Have driven about 8000 miles and can't wait to drive that many more times over.

The specs on the exterior:
- 1985 G20 High-top Conversion by Esquire, Inc.
- 235/75/15 Firestone Destination AT2 (including spare)
- 15" American Racing Baja Wheels
- Airlift 5810 Rear Suspension
- Dual Chrome Tips
- Chrome Bumper Guards (put them on last week)
- NOS Chieftan Fog Lamps (installed in Oct)
- Ziebart undercoating (for better or worse)
- I replaced the black rubber trim with "chrome" door trim, including around the bug shield
- Vantech Rack with custom fabricated beams supporting four 100w Renogy solar panels
- 2 sets of Malone Kayak Racks mounted on sides of cargo rack
- Generic Maxxair fan copy with a rain cover
- Leekooloo back-up camera tapped into reverse light

Attached Files
Van Ext 1.jpg (489.13 KB, 161 downloads)
Van Ext 2.jpg (411.26 KB, 166 downloads)
Van Ext 4.jpg (482.41 KB, 165 downloads)
Van Ext 5.jpg (377.56 KB, 159 downloads)
Van Ext 6.jpg (352.3 KB, 158 downloads)
Van Ext 7.JPG (448.49 KB, 160 downloads)
Last edited by Fly_Low; December 24th 2021 7:43 am.
3 members like this: 1986LSVAN, Dyno_Dave, frscke1
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Re: 1985 Chevy G20 Custom Camper
Fly_Low #786166 December 10th 2021 11:41 pm
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Here's some pics of how it looked when we bought it. We felt bad gutting it, but it wasn't as perfect as it appeared to be. There were some leaks from the moon roofs that stained the headliner, as well as a few mouse nests and stains in the billowy parts of the headliner. The fabric on the walls was starting to separate too. I sold the rear seats, bench, and curtains to a guy in western Mass. It was a really tough decision, but I had no place to store them. They were all in perfect shape for sure. Otherwise all of the light fixtures, the chrome outlet and ash tray have made it into the camper build. Kept the original step plate too. One of the quickest and easiest cosmetic upgrades was replacing the old stripping around the high-top screws. The original white was so beat and never matched it in the first place, even when it was new. In that last pic you can also see a little tip of the venturi vent. Unlike the seats, I had room to hold on to that! Now that we have the camper we can focus on getting the boogie van of our dreams- been definitely been bit by the van bug! Fun side note- the door panels and walls all had the same serial written in marker by the conversion company- "#4420" and believe me that van is definitely "4" 420 so i know that we were meant to be together! devil.

Attached Files
Van OG 1.JPG (434.7 KB, 153 downloads)
Van OG 2.JPG (300.48 KB, 154 downloads)
Van OG 3.JPG (346.4 KB, 157 downloads)
Van OG 4.JPG (323.14 KB, 155 downloads)
Van OG 5.JPG (342.44 KB, 158 downloads)
Van OG 6.JPG (306.96 KB, 154 downloads)
Van OG 8.JPG (265.47 KB, 154 downloads)
2 members like this: Dyno_Dave, frscke1
Re: 1985 Chevy G20 Custom Camper
Fly_Low #786168 December 11th 2021 12:00 am
Joined: Sep 2020
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A few pics of the conversion process. The kilmat made a huge difference. The van is quieter than our Subaru Forester, for sure. We used havelock wool insulation. Not that it'll make too much of a difference with more windows than a skyscraper. haha We do have insulshine inserts we made for the windows and used them last winter camping in Delaware and they definitely help. There are two 200ah AGM batteries with a 40amp MPPT Renogy Rover and 2200w inverter. I used a kreg kit to make all of the cabinets and for the bed framing. Definitely made everything way easier and stronger. Pic 9 shows the fridge. It's a 50L IndelB. I made a cart on 1/2" casters and used some leftover insulation to make a box help with the fridge efficiency. We can either pull the fridge out of the door and access it, or we can open the top part of the counter and get into from the top. Pic 10 shows a utensil holder on the left counter, and a spice holder on the right side.

Attached Files
Van Build 1.JPG (435.23 KB, 164 downloads)
Van Build 2.JPG (426.23 KB, 165 downloads)
Van Build 3.JPG (421.92 KB, 163 downloads)
Van Build 4.JPG (315.92 KB, 166 downloads)
Van Build 5.JPG (274.95 KB, 161 downloads)
Van Build 6.JPG (305.25 KB, 159 downloads)
Van Build 7.JPG (349.86 KB, 160 downloads)
Van Build 8.JPG (353.41 KB, 158 downloads)
Van Build 9.JPG (357.99 KB, 153 downloads)
Van Build 10.JPG (402.66 KB, 151 downloads)
1 member likes this: frscke1
Re: 1985 Chevy G20 Custom Camper
Fly_Low #786169 December 11th 2021 12:26 am
Joined: Sep 2020
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Interior:
#1- Fold down table that fits our coleman stove. Table and door covered in oil cloth for easy clean-up/waterproofness. Shoe rack that fills in stairwell when door is closed. 6 gal Gray water and 6 gal Clean water tank and coleman stove stored upright under the sink
#2- Replaced the oem belts with dark green Wesco belts so now the passenger chair swivels all the way around with no hinderance. The steering wheel stops the driver side. Grant Formula GT Steering Wheel. LVP flooring.
#3- 14" bar sink. Full-sized faucet with pull-down spray head. Whale Gusher foot pump. Pop-up table from our old travel trailer.
#4- Used wine boxes for overhead storage. The board on the left flips up to make a full-length bed for me. There is a 120v outlet that I have hardwired to the inverter and the on/off at the bottom there.
#5- View from driver side back. Cedar plank ceiling with puck leds on a dimmer.
#6- Bookshelf, and cubby shelves for clothes.
#7- Decided to do a cargo net instead of more shelving on the passenger side. Made the cabinet across the back for more storage.
#8- View from out of the back to the front
#9- We used a peruvian textile we had for a headliner. Working CB
#10- OG Chevy mats

Attached Files
Van Int 1.JPG (352.31 KB, 163 downloads)
Van Int 2.JPG (351.97 KB, 167 downloads)
Van Int 3.JPG (334.39 KB, 162 downloads)
Van Int 4.JPG (364.98 KB, 162 downloads)
Van Int 5.JPG (440.37 KB, 162 downloads)
Van Int 6.JPG (330.98 KB, 163 downloads)
Van Int 7.JPG (386.1 KB, 165 downloads)
Van Int 8.JPG (339.87 KB, 162 downloads)
Van Int 9.JPG (345.11 KB, 161 downloads)
Van Int 10.JPG (317.12 KB, 159 downloads)
Last edited by Fly_Low; December 11th 2021 12:27 am.
1 member likes this: frscke1
Re: 1985 Chevy G20 Custom Camper
Fly_Low #786170 December 11th 2021 12:44 am
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 18,286
Likes: 559
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NICE BUILD ! !


SUNSHINE VANS-VAN DIEGO
ADRENALIN BY THE GALLON & CHASIN RACIN
ONE FOR THE DIRT & ONE FOR THE STREETS
'93 CHEVY G30 454 4X4 SPORTVAN EXT 146" WB
'92 CHEVY G30 454 BEAUVILLE EXT 146" WB
1 member likes this: Fly_Low
Re: 1985 Chevy G20 Custom Camper
Fly_Low #786175 December 11th 2021 8:01 am
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Thanks, man! Sure wish it was 4wd AND extended like yours though! Haha

Re: 1985 Chevy G20 Custom Camper
Fly_Low #786193 December 11th 2021 3:21 pm
Joined: Jul 2019
Posts: 11,241
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Post Junkie
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Nice work. Van looks great.

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Re: 1985 Chevy G20 Custom Camper
Fly_Low #786196 December 11th 2021 5:10 pm
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 18,536
Likes: 136
Supreme Master
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Nice van.


[Linked Image from i.imgur.com]

Arianrhod:2003 Chevy Astro
Black Magic: 1985 Dodge B-250
Serenity:1985 Chevy G-20
The Outcast:1983 Ford club wagon
Luna 1974 VW bay window transporter
Freedom:1990 Ford E-150(parts van)
Outcast Vanners van club
Support your local 2%
1 member likes this: Fly_Low
Re: 1985 Chevy G20 Custom Camper
Fly_Low #786589 December 22nd 2021 11:44 am
Joined: Nov 2013
Posts: 3,692
Likes: 32
pooh-bah
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Beautiful work!

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