Step by Step Van Build: 2004 GMC Safari
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- čas přidán 22. 02. 2021
- After living in a 1988 Ford Econoline for 6 months, we decided to downsize to a younger van that we could take around the country without worry. This meant planning out our build to be space effective and using every nook and cranny for storage space! Here's how we did it!
Thank you to Nick Rutz for letting us use his work space and for helping us with the construction process!
Thanks for not using awful particle board that never lasts. Yeah plywood!
Agreed ... stronger and less weight
this van is sick, came here for the build and now I wanna be a carpenter because of how good nick was lol
ME TOO
Love this build, but I want to add a sink with water, solar generator. I'm 6'5" and having the bed length wise would fit me better. Excellent build!
As an Astro vanlifer, I appreciate you sharing this build video. Look forward to more videos. Thx :)
I'm glad you liked it! Hope it helped!!
this is awesome....it has been work in progress on our 04 astro cargo van.....many trial and error...currently starting a remodel to make bed for accessible for our two old bodies, previous build did not work at all...too small! lol
I hope this helps give you inspiration! The bed in my van is just a few inches wider and longer than a twin, and we had no issues sleeping on it for 2 and a half years! (I will say though, now that I'm living in the van solo, I DO love having the whole bed to myself) haha!
Very nice, seems user friendly, thanks for the ideas.
Absolutely! Happy to help!
I love your astro setup
Nice… love the Astro
The gaps in the initial installation will result in voids which will allow heat or cold in. Spray insulation could be added to the surfaces of the exposed steel.
I like that idea!! Thanks for your input!
Its about as perfect as you can get! Love the extra storage in the doors!!
Thank you so much! I've been living in it for almost 3 years now, and the extra storage has been a HUGE help!
@@sagechimo oh yeah!you had a ton you were able to fit in there when I saw it! I was surprised with how much storage space it really had.
Great job guys, I would probably go with 1/4 or 3/8 ply on bed. Plenty of support for it an less cost and weight. Still good deal. Y'all work good together. KEEP ON VANNIN ...
THANK YOU! If you have any questions about vanlife, let me know! I'm making a follow-up video and would love to hear any thoughts you might have!
I have an Astro 2003 and tou gave me some cool ideas, thank you!
Happy to help!
Well ✅ done
Nice build, I like the layout. I too have been living in a Astro/Safari van for close to 16 years now and I love my Astro. I have a similar setup with the bed behind the driver seat with storage underneath and cabinets and shelves on the slider side of the van. One word of caution though, If the flooring you used isn't "waterproof" don't spill anything on your floor with the type of foam backing you used. It soaks up the water... like a sponge... which it is. Lol
I used the same backing when I did the first build in my current Astro and unfortunately had a five gallon container leak while I was sleeping. Granted, even if I had used a "waterproof" flooring, nothing is going to stop 5 gallons of water from seeping through the floor. Lol
Anyway, the floor of my van was soaked from the rear doors all the way to the front seats and I had to completely rip everything out. Luckily for me I was in AZ and it was the beginning of the summer so, the air was warm and dry. Once I got the foam backing out the van, the bare van floor dried quickly but, it took forever for that backing to dry out even in the dry heat of an AZ spring/summer. Even later after being out in the open air for almost a full day, the backing was still damp. I ended up throwing out the foam and then remodeling the whole interior of the van. Long story short... just be careful with foam "sponge" backing because it will retain moisture for a long time and could easily lead to mold issues and rust.
Nice work on the van and welcome to the tribe! Safe travels and enjoy the roads less traveled.
Hey! Thanks for the heads up! I’ll keep that in mind for sure!
Hey so maybe when I get my van maybe u can ask ur friend to help me to my van.Ill pay him too .this was very good.gave me some insight what to do first....then second n so on.again .good job guys !!!
I'll pass along your interest! He's based in North Carolina, so that's something to consider! If you have any questions about vanlife, let me know! I'm making a follow-up video and would love to hear any thoughts you might have!
Great job all!
Beautiful workmanship! Nice!
Thanks for this video guys! Has been a massive inspiration for the construction of our van! See you on the highways!
I loved your van guys, actually I'm building my van to travel around the country, I got one 2000 astro van and I'm getting many ideas from your guys, thanks a lot.
No problem! I’m happy to help! I hope you love van life as much as we do!
Nice - Similar to the layout I'm planning for my van
Dopest setup ive seen in a minute doing my research. Salute❤
Thank you so much! Happy to help! 3 years of living in it full time have only made me love the build more! (especially now that I'm living in it solo, MUCH more room!)
Thank you guys so much for the video, my girlfriend and I are currently wanting to build a van and it's hard to find an Astro.🤙🏻
No problem! Happy to help! As far as I know, the astro and safari are basically identical! So if you find one you should be able to replicate this build if you like it! It's been working great so far!
Astros aren't hard to find, but good Astros are hard to find.😎
I need something like this for work. Can’t take off for breaks this would be perfect…
Awesome build. Looks awesome. Hope you're both enjoying it!
Outstanding!
nice job you two
Thank you so much!
nice work
Nicely done ✔ + THANX!!!
Agreed
UNDER RATED
THANK YOU ( I feel like van life in general is under rated?)
this turned out really good
Having Pro help, is Huge !
like the background music tracks alot
Thank you so much! copyright free music is limited, but Epidemic Sound offers some great tracks!
i have an 03’ safari and i definitely took some inspiration on this, hitting the road in two days OH->MT, thanks guys. amazing build as well!
so happy to inspire more vanlife! If you have any questions, let me know! I'm making a follow-up video and would love to hear any thoughts you might have!
I have a 2005 gmc SAFARI that I plan to build out and can use some of your ideas. Thanks for sharing this.
Of course! I'm happy to share! I'm glad that you found some of my ideas useful! :)
Great build !
This just inspired me
I'm so happy to hear that! :) If you have any questions about vanlife, let me know! I'm making a follow-up video and would love to hear any thoughts you might have!
this is an absolutely killer frickin build! So many good ideas, I really wish I'd seen this a year ago for my build. (I'm definitely copying ur cubbies btw)
the cubbies are definitely my favorite part of the build. Utilizing the head space where you won't need it is something that I see a lot of people overlook when they first build a van! (i.e. above your feet when you sleep)
Great job! You guys are super stars!
Wide eyed sandy are you on the road vanning?
Hope you are having a great time.
I just bought a van and will be back on the road soon
Love this! I had a blast working on this with you guys!
I'm glad you like it! We have loved living out of it!
DNK MUCH ABOUT van life...Y E T!!
You got skill man.
Nick, l live in NC. Just now looking at Astros. Would need someone to do the buildout for me once I find the right vehicle. Is there a way to contact you?
Some of those cuts were pretty intricate...hat's off to your carpenter buddy. The build turned out nice.
Right?! Thank you! He did an amazing job!
very good job!
you did a smart thing theres going to be a huge evection when the moratorium is lifted i have a 2002 astro im working on ill be ready
Have questions about van life? I'm going to make a new video in the next few days, giving advice to anyone who is thinking about living in a van! Comment your questions and I'll answer them in my next video!
You did a nice job on the build.. my van is setup the same way before behind the driver seat and cabinets on the passenger side... you woodworking is a little more professional 🙂👍 .. .my van still set up nice but the name of my van is JANKY... the Sure-Van .. ...😆 my last name is Sherman 😳 Great job ✌😉
Bed behind driver seat
I love the Rezz sticker in the back
It's nice to see these lay out photos but can you show the actual tour of the inside lay out of your campervan?
The beginning and end of the video give a quick tour! I'm making a follow up video as well, where I'll give a more detailed tour. Are there any areas in particular you would want to be shown better?
Should have used fiberglass insulation in the walls in the void created by the wood framing including where the corners had to be wrapped. Also, there is thin rigid foam insulation better suited for the floor than carpet pad.
I love your build! I've always liked the rugged Astro/Safari's. Did you know they actually have more cu.ft. cargo capacity than much longer Suburbans and Ford Excursions!? I'm starting something similar (much less fancy, though) with my GMC Envoy XL. It's quite long inside, but not as big as your Astro floor-ceiling. If only the Astro came with the Envoy's powerful 5.3L. LS V8! This thang scoots, but can get a little better than 20mpg if I'm easy on it. I'm glad you did this before lumber skyrocketed in $!
I am also glad I did this before lumber skyrocketed! haha! We were really fortunate in that aspect! The Safari that I've got (Stan) is rear wheel drive which is a bummer, but honestly I've never had any issues with getting to my next adventure! Throw some chains on in the winter, and you're set! Good luck with your build! Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions! :)
Nice
So friggin rad!
Fantastic but, the weight will certainly reduce MPG. Of course, if it's stationary, it's very nice...
I love the size of the GMC Safari. Thanks for sharing. I am just wondering if you can put solar panels on the roof and wonder where you put your water tank and charging batteries while driving.
It really is the perfect size. I have to admit, much roomier to live out of solo!
I chose to use "Nomad 50" collapsible solar panels that I got from Goal Zero, they fold down and fit great in my back drawer and I just set them up when I park. I also use the "Yeti 2000" Power Bank from Goal Zero which has 4 USB ports, 2 AC ports, and one DC port all built into one box that fits perfectly between my driver's and passenger's chairs. Since it's such a small van, I didn't want to go through the hassle of getting a battery, an adapter, and setting up the wiring to have outlets and lights throughout the van. Instead, I use AA battery powered string and puck lights around the van where I need them. Goal Zero also has a tiny lantern that's USB powered that fits really well on my counter....Basically Goal Zero is the best. I really love everything I've gotten from them, and they've taken back and replaced things that have broken on me. Their customer service is exceptional in my experience.
As far as water I just use a 7 gallon water jug that I got at REI, and keep it on my floor, next to my cooler. I've never had a problem finding places to fill up the water jug. I travel primarily based on climbing locations around the country and I find that local gas stations usually have potable water spickets that they let me use for free.
The battery system that I've chosen (Goal Zero) isn't enough to run a fridge or freezer or even a blender on, so I live with a cooler in my van, but it is more than enough for what I use it for. Typically I'll charge my laptop, phone, lights, camera, drone, and even help out other van-lifers without a battery, and I've never depleted my battery to 0%.
What mounting brackets did you use for the roof rack to mount to the van roof? I am trying to figure out a roof rack on my 2005 right now.
Just your standard L brackets! We drilled them directly into the roof (make sure you seal with caulk to avoid leaking!)
Nice rezz sticker
молодцы робята
Notioced that they did't stick ant sound dampening material under the insulation. In every other build that's the first thing people install before insulation.
Nice , but Lots of weight
definitely. It chugs right along, but the uphill rides can be slow for sure!
Amazing, guys!! Thanks for sharing this!
I have a 2005 Astro as well. One question: what size of dimensional you guys used to frame the walls? Is it holding well? Would love to hear suggestions on which size to pick. I will follow the same design with the framing
Thanks!
At 2:40 in the video you can see we used wooden braces that we drilled into the frame to mount the walls to. I thiiink it was like a 3/4” thick sheet of wood that we used for the walls and it’s holding up great! We marked where the braces were so if we had to drill into the wall we hit the brace (almost like a stud) this way we didn’t drill into the metal frame every time and it was super sturdy!
@@sagechimo thank you so much!!
I'm super excited with this build!
i am planning on getting the same van did you guys get the off road tires and or did you get your van lifted to drive on back roads ?
We didn’t put a lift on it, but it has great clearance, after driving on the road to the Buttermilk boulders, we figured we could drive on anything! Haha! We have all terrain tires which have done great in all conditions! Our van is rear wheel drive so we do use chains when the snow is bad, but it’s done great!
@@sagechimo that’s awesome if you guys ever decide to do a q&a one day ?
my questions would be
1.are you going to try to hit all the usa states that you can (corona 19)
2.what camera do you use?
3.how much did everything cost for the build break down? why did you choose a astro? how much did you pay for it ?
4. would a dog be comfortable in it ?
✨💕i love y’all’s van💕✨
Awesome video! Do you happen to know what is the thickness lf the foam boards you used for the insulation inthe ceiling?
Thank you! the insulation was 1inch thick! We insulated the whole van with the same foam boards and it stays so warm even in the winter!
@@sagechimo that's awesome! Even without a heater?? Haha thank you! What temperatures have you exprienced with it? And btw its rad that you are still living in it 💪
I am planning on doing a van build on a 2005 GMC Safai and want the same layout you guys did, do you think I could get a copy of your plans and layout?
At 0:42 in the video, those are all of the plans we used, haha! Hope that helps!
Could you guys point me in the direction of where you got the custom roof rack built and mounted by?!!
Our friend, Nick Rutz custom made the roof rack, and helped us mount it! He's based out of North Carolina, and if you'd like I could pass on your interest to him!
How has the van done on the road ? Are those pretty reliable and decent on gas ? I was going to build out my long Dodge 3500 but think I want to go smaller...but not toyota small, I love this build, nice job !
Thank you! I'd very much recommend the GMC Safari, most of them that you'll find are 4 wheel drive, but. mine is rear wheel drive. I haven't had any issues just having rear wheel, in fact I even spent a winter in Mammoth Lakes, CA (they get tons of snow) and with some chains, I didn't get stuck once!!
We built the van out while we were living in a 1988 Ford Econoline (that had just broken down in the parking lot of The Ultimate Climbing Gym, where Christian and I were living and working at the time). We worked on the Safari mostly in the shop of our good friend Nick Rutz (who's featured in the video) because he offered some help! The rest of the work was done in the front yard of another friend of ours! Pays to have friends :)
Chevy Astros/gmc safaris are crazy reliable and good on gas. Most of them are not AWD or 4x4. Most are rear wheel drive, which with a chevy s10 4x4 front axle and transfer case you can convert them to true 4x4, but do not confuse awd and 4x4, they are not the same if you plan on going off the beaten path.
I live in NC... Where or how can I get in touch with him. I'm an older woman so I can't do anything myself
but would pay him to build mine out once I find the right Astro.
I can absolutely contact him for you!
Could you tell me how wide the bed was? im about to build out an astro van and love this layout!
Yes! the bed is 40" wide and 76" long! The size is just smaller than a twin mattress. It's a great size for me, but it is a little snug with another person. Not too bad though! I'm glad you like the build!! after 3 and a half years I still really love it!
Awesome, thank you! Glad to hear you still love it after that long!@@sagechimo
Awesome, the bed is wide enough for 2 ?
Sure was! it's a couple inches wider and longer than a twin, and we were pretty in love with each other and didn't mind being in each other's space, haha! Now that it's just me though, I LOVE having the space to myself! It seems spacious!
If you're curious how living in Stan is going, read about it: www.sagechimomedia.com/post/what-it-s-like-living-in-a-van-full-time I talk about a few things we've learned along the way!
I just bought a 2004 GMC Safari cargo... If it's not too much to ask is there any way you would possibly be willing to help create me a homemade schematic for my own camper conversion. I really don't know where to start and I need some help.
What happened 2 the van?
I’m still traveling the country living out of it full time!
@@sagechimo nice
You should do something about the audio 🔉..... it's difficult 2 understand what you're mumbling in between the irritating 🎶.......loud background volume compared to muttered dialog..... ended up turning off the sound 🔊.
Nice job on the actual conversion though.Great idea 💡 2 install sliding cabinet doors....not sure why more people don't....probably because they're a pain to I stall! 😉
Sorry about that!
beautiful build, curious how long the bed is?
Thank you! The bed is 76" long and 40" wide! Comes to just a few inches larger than a twin mattress! I'm living in the van solo now, but when Christian and I lived in the van together, we had no issue with the size of the bed, and we lived in it together for 2 and a half years!
Nice build. What was the initial cost of your van?
Thank you! I found the van on Facebook Marketplace, a nice couple was selling it for only $2,500!
I never thought of cutting out the rear door support structure .... any regrets yet ?
None! it's been really helpful, adding extra storage!
What is the size of the bed?
The bed is 40" wide and 76" long! Just a few inches larger than a twin!
Good video but the music is way too loud
Are you guys still on the road what's going on with you I don't know if you have any more videos or what the deal is
Hi there! It's just me on the road in Stan now, but I'm still living in it full time! I travel around the country in my off-seasons rock climbing and teaching yoga, while in the summer and winter I work seasonal jobs in Montana! If you're interested, my website is www.sagechimomedia.com where you can take a look at what I'm up to these days! :)
What part of the world you from??
I'm from Montana, USA!
I'm sorry I couldn't do it that music is a dealbreaker fast forward it to the end to look at it
Sorry you feel that way! The copyright-free music selection is limited! Thanks for the feedback though!
The music just grounded out everything it wasn't the type of music it was the volume of music it was in competition with everything else meaning when you were speaking it was hard for me to understand what you were saying because of the volume of music it was a good video in a good build thanks for posting
@@okiedoke6373 Word, thanks for the input! I'll keep that in mind
Вы использовали слишком толстую фанеру . Это очень утяжелило автобус.
It weighed down the van, for sure! But it was great to have sturdy countertops and cubbies!