Sangria - 2005 Safari camper conversion

[Leeann_93]

That looks awesome. And the white roof should help keep you a lot cooler - that was the one thing I didn't like about my red van in summer.

[srdragonusa]

Nice job on the Awning!

[90safari]

Looks like a nice well thought out set up. I like that you tried to recycle the wood pallets into something. Yes, the pallet wood is different, in that it's oak. But what I really like is the T&G wall section. That's a different approach that I haven't seen yet used by anyone on here (at least I haven't seen anybody use it before). That works so well in there and kind of looks like it belongs there.I do have to ask if you laid down anything prior to adding the plywood floor? Not sure how well that pergo will last, as it swells when wet. I was also trying to figure out the awning set up, while watching you cut the 3" pipe in half. I see you decided to "clam shell" it, and use the inside for storage, versus just rolling the awning material up and sliding it inside.Also, I noticed you set up the rear lighting to have all 4 come on, versus just 1 or 2 lights.Any particular reason for going that route? I would think being able to just have 1 light on at a given time might be easier on the eyes late at night.
Nice Job. keep up the updates.

[jimi_lee]

Looks like a nice well thought out set up. I like that you tried to recycle the wood pallets into something.

Hey, Thanks for looking at the build and thanks for the comments. I did spend a lot (too) much time planning the layout, etc. But I was trained as a mechanical engineer, so I guess it is a bit of my thing. I just hope that posting some photos and instructions can help someone else plan their build, even if my contribution is a "what-not-to-do" thing.

Yes, the pallet wood is different, in that it's oak.

When I said the wood was different, I meant that of the (now) 7 pallets I have butchered, there have been atleast 2 different types of wood they were made from. The denser wood is definitely oak. It was nearly impossible to put the tacks through while installing the T&G and would split without pre-drilling holes. Other pallets were made from a much softer and lighter wood, which I suspect is pine. The head of wood screw could sink right through the 2x4 pieces.

I do have to ask if you laid down anything prior to adding the plywood floor? Not sure how well that pergo will last, as it swells when wet.

I laid 3/8" plywood down. Its good stuff. But no, I didn't install any waterproofing materials below or above and this may come back to bite me.

Honestly, I don't have a lot of experience with Pergo flooring. I live in the desert and take the van on overnight skiing, mountain biking, and camping trips. I keep towels inside and have waterproof rugs for the skis and bikes. The big problem I see is that it gets dusty and sandy inside, which is not a cleaning problem, but when things slide on top of the pergo + sand I expect the finish will dull. There was a picture of a dog on the packaging so it gots to be tough right .

I was also trying to figure out the awning set up, while watching you cut the 3" pipe in half. I see you decided to "clam shell" it, and use the inside for storage, versus just rolling the awning material up and sliding it inside.

Yep. True. Everything fits in a 3" pvc pipe, barely. It seems sturdy enough to support the weight when unfolded and when there is tension on the awning.

I chose this more complicated way due to aesthetics. My roof racks are not factory and end where the front of the awning begins and I didn't want the PVC to stick out that far (4 feet) past the wind fairing. Also, b/c this 4 feet would not be supported while driving, I worried about it vibrating and bouncing.

Also, I noticed you set up the rear lighting to have all 4 come on, versus just 1 or 2 lights. Any particular reason for going that route? I would think being able to just have 1 light on at a given time might be easier on the eyes late at night.

Again, because of feel and aesthetics. The interior lights are bright, about as bright as sitting in my living room with the lights on. It would definitely be easier, and require less wiring, to have 2-3 switches controlling individual lights. But I wanted a living room type feel to the inside, where I didn't have to reach to 2-3 different spots in the van to turn off the lights for the night and I could turn them on from different entrances.

Nice Job. keep up the updates.

[/quote]

Again, Thanks so much for checking out the build.

[WinnieVan]

Nice awning. I love it. I've been dreaming up a way to add some taughtness to my awning. Probably will end doing something like you.

[jimi_lee]

Nice awning. I love it. I've been dreaming up a way to add some taughtness to my awning. Probably will end doing something like you.

I am about 75% happy with it. The 1/2" pvc pipe doesn't support itself, so even with the loop I sewed into the tarp the bow of the pvc dips groundward. Not enough to make me change the design yet, but it is in the back of my head to replace them with some 1/2" conduit which I already have. We will see how big of a problem it is in practice.

In Mech.E. we have a saying, "if it ain't broke, fix it until it is."

[gavio]

That's some really nice work, and a lot of creative thought.... Nice job, I'm liking it....

Thanks for the wiring diagram for the 3-way 12v switches, I had always wondered how to do that.....

[jimi_lee]

Small update and a question.

Added a backboard for the mantel which sits above the side wall next to the window. I call it my "don't-knock-the-phone-out-the-window" addition.



Now the question:
I am about to hit 120,000 miles. What is the GM scheduled maintenance at this mileage? In the name of preventative maintenance, anything else I should be looking at?

[astrosafari2000]

Hey, great looking build. I have those same led ceiling lights that you have and they are great. I'm not sure how bright they are for you but on full blast for me they are brighter than necessary most of the time.

Instead of 3 spots to turn them on, I used this dimmer switch: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01C4UBMY6/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s02?ie=UTF8&psc=1 Its great because I don't always need those lights on full brightness, and i noticed it uses even less power when i turn them on at a lower setting. Just an FYI

[90safari]

Small update and a question.

Now the question:
I am about to hit 120,000 miles. What is the GM scheduled maintenance at this mileage? In the name of preventative maintenance, anything else I should be looking at?

Did you get an owners manual with the van? If so, the required maintenance schedule is included toward the back of the book.
You could also try the information forum for a manual as well. Everything I have here is too early for your van.
You might try contacting Leeann and see if she'll help you out, since she has a 2005 Astro.

[jimi_lee]

Double DIN + Backup Camera Install
Long time, no post. Sangria has been out enjoying the wilderness and I have lacked motivation to take on more projects. Planning a 3500 mile road trip solved the later problem.

During my previous road trips, I kept a small bluetooth speaker so that I could listen to podcasts. This project brought the rig into the early 2010's.

Parts/Components

• Sony XAV-AX100 - $268 (Ebay w/ 15% off coupon)
• Pyle universal mount back up camera (link)
- comes with 6m RCA video cable

• GMC radio antenna converter (link)
• 3ft RCA video cable extension (link)
• 2x Galvanized 3"x5" tie (link
• 16g wire
• 16g spade crimps

Details

• Wiring the head unit: Honestly, the only hard part is finding the reverse signal so that the head unit knows when to switch video to the backup camera. It is a light green wire tucked in a massive bundle of cables leaving the fuse box located in the drivers foot well.
  
  In this photo, I have cut the wire and added spade crimps so i could easily insert a pigtail.
  
• Mounting the head unit: I unscrewed the bottom plate from the stock unit. This is a nice tray which provides the snap-in part.
  
  The Sony head unit is about 2" narrower than the stock radio. I used the 3"x5" ties, bent in an L-shape and with mounting holes drilled, to mount the head unit to the stock tray.
  
  
  Vertically, the 4" tall head unit just barely squeezes below the heating/AC controls. About 1/2" of room needs to be cleared out of the dash paneling.
  
  I created a bezel thing to cover the messiness which resulted from switching to a narrower/taller head unit. This was made from 1/16" thick plastic (cut from the top of a rubbermaid container) and plasti-dipped black.
  
  Here it is all installed.
  
  
• Back up camera: Like everyone else, I mounted the camera in the unused space on the license plate holder that is meant for a key hole.
  
  Wiring is simple; there are 3 leads coming from the camera, a +, a -, and the video. Pigtail the + into an accessory + wire like the thick orange wire in the tow-package bundle. Wiring the + to an accessory cable allows you to use the camera when you are not going in reverse. Pigtail the - to a ground. And yes, you will need ~23 feet of video cable to bring that back to the head unit.
  (no picture)
  

[lrbatch]

sorry if i missed this somewhere else but what roof rack system is this? mine didn't some w stock so i'm keeping an eye out for alternatives

[tungtide]

Very inspirational, great ideas! fine work. slow is what I'm doing started on my 99 yesterday. Got some direction from your post. Must remember to keep my camera handy

[WimpTech]

I REALLY love your build write-ups, very well done!

[rstro]

Awesome thread! Any updates?

[jimi_lee]

Wow, It's been a year-and-a-half since I last updated this thread. I didn't even realize I got praise from the master DIY guide writer either (Thanks Wimpie).

Last year I bought a house, so working on the van got pushed to the 2nd tier of priorities.

I guess I haven't shown the cooking table-thingie. So, I wanted a stow-away cooking table-thingie that I could set the Coleman 2-burner on to cook while either inside the van or outside. Since I commonly strap bags/boxes/Rubbermaids of gear against the sides of the interior, the common hinged table just wouldn't work (or would block the window).

My solution was to slide a wood slab into a slot, kind of like those pull-out cutting boards that were in my parents' kitchen. For the tabletop, I got a cheap table off of CL, removed its base, cut it up, and refinished it.

I built "slot" out of pieces of 2x4 which I screwed into the tailgate door.

Supports for table

I took the opportunity to re-make the "panel" on the tailgate.

Door panel

Here it is all installed.

All buttoned up

There is some sort of fitting (which is similar to a keyhole fitting) mounted between those slots that allows the tabletop to hang flush with the door. No pictures of the tabletop I guess, but it is square with 2 tongues which slide into the 2 slots in the door.

Here it is in use:

In use

Updates and future plans:
Canopy: Is anyone ever totally satisfied when their projects are "complete". I already replaced the clam-shell style pipe with an 8 ft 3" pvc pipe and screw-in pvc plug. The clam-shell got blown over in a mild wind. Also, the fabric (ripstop nylon) stretches when wet and built up a fantastic puddle above my head on one trip. I plan to remake the canopy with something like rubberized canvas.

Bed: The two cushions that form the bed when in bed-mode have a tendency to slide apart which leaves me falling into a hole during the night. Bought some velcro to make straps to fix that.

Interior: Remove passenger side panels and replace with shelving/storage.

Again, Thanks for all the kind comments.

[tonydobbs]

How were you able to bolt the panels up to the back doors? Did you weld a nut to the metal?

[jimi_lee]

How were you able to bolt the panels up to the back doors? Did you weld a nut to the metal?

Sheetmetal screws and countersunk washers, so that it would have that nice finished look. I hung the table top from it with interlocking flush-mount fittings like these (https://www.thehardwarehut.com/catalog-product.php?p_ref=302791&gshop&gclid=CjwKCAjw_qb3BRAVEiwAvwq6VjoBLLrf1opX48d33nSxYw9TggLYK44n-1jcpqlGh-vWJUvkHHYsaxoCSVYQAvD_BwE)

[tonydobbs]

Thank you! I never thought of using sheetmetal screws!

[Freddy :)]

amazing write ups!

Your tarp is definitely something i would want to do on mine. your camping van is decked out!

have fun travels!

freddy