2015 GWV named "Lucy"

[JonK]

Gentlemen: thank you for the kind compliments. I hope the result inspires others to take on projects that at first blush seem beyond their capabilites.

I spent a lot of time on the ARV site in addition to visiting them a couple times. I admired their cabinets and concepts, but couldn't justify spending that amount of money even on the occasional used one that showed up. Interestingly, having owned a couple used Newell coaches, think $2 million for a new one, ARV's prices per pound of coach are essentially identical to Newell's, it's just that ARVs weigh less. Both companies load their coaches with a lot of sophistication that I didn't feel I needed though I admired their skill in executing it.

As with any project like this the cost all depends on how you calculate the value of your time and the tools you buy to achieve the end result while doing only one project. At least half my time was figuring things out, which would be largely eliminated if a did another van, and the same with the tools. I have around $6,000 in tools which I now account to the cost of the project. There was a tradeoff of higher end tools compensating for personal lack of skill. Lesser tools could have done the job but I would have ruined a lot of plywood along the way. As I look at the pile of unused Applyply I'm amazed at how small it is.

Counting everything I probably have around $135,000 invested, with my labor priced at $0. I'm comfortable with that given that I have a van with less than 20,000 miles. Along the way I also "invested" some profanity, and lost skin and blood. As is mentioned here frequently a van is worth what you are willing to part with to have it.

One problem I avoided by purchasing an existing conversion is the ease of getting it insured for its stated, by me, value. After all the title says it's a GWV.

One thing I cannot say enough is how much I learned on this site that ended up in one way or another being incorporated into the van.

Thank you all

[rowiebowie]

You will know every inch of your van as few of us can know ours. A good lesson to those who are hesitant to work on their own vans.

After failing to find a local shop that wasn't either booked months in advance, wasn't incompetent, or dishonest, I decided to try and repair my own van. I proceeded on the premise that if it's already broke, how much damage could I do? I saved a lot and got familiar with my van in a way that makes me confident I can trouble-shoot problems pretty well.

For components that failed, I mostly bought same brand and model replacements that were plug and play. Other modifications were just to make the van more functional for us.

At a savings of $130/hr. labor I saved thousands. You saved many tens of thousands.

[JonK]

The original setup in the rear was with convertible benches on either side of a center aisle with a retractable table that provided support for the beds when the cushions were slide together. As I said earlier my partner and I went looking for this configuration because our experience with a convertible sofa were not particularly pleasing. The convertible bench seats had it own challenges we learned. The combination of cushions and back rests added up to 10 parts that needed to be moved when converting to bed or back again. The bottom cushions were too narrow (18" wide) to act as separate twins even with the back rests moved, which was difficult since they were attached to the base cushions with sections of seat belt straps. We ended up always combining the cushions into a large bed which required scooting off the bottom to use the bathroom which we had hoped to avoid. We knew when we bought the van that the bed was too short for me so all this "education" simply added to the modifications to be done.

The following photos are from the original van.
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[JonK]

The new design widened the bottom cushions to 27-1/2" on each side. This resulted in a 14" or so wide aisle. This was based on lots of reading on this and the Sprinter sites about bed width and trying, somewhat unsuccessfully, on manufacturer sites to confirm a useful width. It seems slumber is in the closed eye of the slumberer. The challenge was to make the beds as wide as possible while leaving the aisle wide enough for crosswise feet while sitting.

We wanted the option for smooshing the cushions together to as well and that meant support over the center aisle was needed for those times. The Lagun table tops (2) were cut to the needed width, and one additional piece will fill the center. It turns out we both sleep better with the added space that magically appears when the cushions are combined instead of being separate even though the total width doesn't change. When the cushions are combined, the two cushions over the rear of the center aisle as used as blocks outside the cushions to hold them together.

We eliminated the boxes around the GWV window shades so the side walls were smoother and nicer to lean against. The blue cushions you will see in the photos we use as backrests against the side walls and the two center aisle cushions we sometimes use as back rests against the rear doors. When we do that we place the cushion side against the door and then the blue cushion against that. It has turned out surprisingly comfortable. Not as much as the recliner beds as others have, but that may be a future project.

The bottom end of the passenger side bed was lengthened by 3" and an inch perhaps on the rear end by closing up the space to the rear doors.

This is what it looks like now:
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Despite my partner's infatuation with the retracting center table in the original it just did not fit well with the expansion of the closet hanging over the foot of the driver side bed. We squared it off as Avanti asked GWV to do. That extra space would have made getting in and out of the driver side seating, so we went with the Lagun table which has worked well when combined with the two center aisle cushions, the fixed side of the the top being used as extra table space. We have a base for an additional Lagun table to be installed near the foot of the passenger side bed, but have never used it. This paragraph is what I meant in the initial posting when I said everything effects everything else.

[JonK]

For quite awhile now, besides taking the odd trip, I've been finishing off the details, and I replaced the cabinet in the very front so it would match the rest of the cabinets.

Great West installed an Advent brand of roof air that blew cold in the back, did nothing for the front, was too noisy for me to sleep under and was an energy hog, as high as 1650 watts. The resolution to all that was a Houghton AC supplied by Recpro of Bristol, IN. I had it installed by Holland Motorhomes in Michigan. The purchase price was $8-900, and Holland said the install was straightforward.

This new unit shoves air up to the front, we can sit under it and converse easily, and in the first test it was consuming 1174 watts cooling a sun soaked van on an 85 degree day. That is not a comprehensive test, but it shows I can expect less a lot less drain on the battery. And my girlfriend loves it. It don't git much better'n this.

I'm now redoing the driver and copilot seats. The originals were from Sprinter with a Great West Vans upholstery update. The bolsters pressed on my hips and created pain after an hour or so. Also, the faux fabric caused my back to get wet since perspiration couldn't escape. So, I'm shaving down the bolsters where they press on my hips, adding a layer of permiable gel memory foam, and putting a new permiable Ultraleather Brisa fabric over all. That fabric feels awesome, so soft and yet able to be cleaned easily. I also am putting 1/4" of sew foam under the fabric that is a little denser than the original which just squashed flat with nearly zero pressure. I can't wait to try it out. The idea of returning from a hike all sweaty, chilling with the AC, with cold beer in hand, and sitting in a cushy dry seat really appeals to me.