Hondo's 2006 Roadtrek 210 Popular Build

[booster]

Originally Posted by Hondo

I took the RT 210 into the mountains yesterday, Weston Pass near Fairplay, Colorado-





The color was great and the RT 210 showed me a few things driving over the rocky pass-

- I'll be replacing all of the cabinet drawers with HD self closing slides to eliminate rattling

- bathroom & storage cabinet doors will need to be secured better to eliminate rattling

- traction provided by the rear axle (non limited slip/posi) was poor over loose rock, steep inclines

- power needs to be increased to deal with high altitude.

I can do the cabinets myself, no big deal.

Now I am seriously considering a 4 wheel drive conversion along with a rear axle upgrade (limited slip/posi). I have found a shop that does an independent front suspension conversion, 3-4 inch lift, torsion bar front suspension & manual shift on the fly 4WD, HI/Low transfer case. Cost will be high but about half of a solid front axle 4WD conversion. The current ride height will be about the same, driveability better and 4 season / off road capability vastly improved.

Stand by...

IMO, if the it is a good system, with good history of success, this is by far a better solution to getting clearance and traction that what you currently have. The add on front drive axles are usually self contained if non independent, and hopefully will come with specifically matched control arms if not. The torsion bar setup would be a clue that the entire lower arm and spring setup is part of the axle, so nice. I really like t-bar suspensions, personally.

Will they be able to match the rear track width?

My guess is that it will still handle very truck-like, but should be a lot more stable.

[Hondo]

I have not asked about the track width yet. They told me that it was great driving conversion and I am awaiting on a written estimate/quote. My main concerns are where the transfer case & IFS come from, don't want used parts put in the RT.

Also reading about some mixed reviews about the owner published online and that's not cool. The guy I talked to seemed VERY knowledgeable regarding the RT conversions & Chevy chassis. There are very few shops out there that do this kind of conversion on the Gm chassis but I know how well the torsion bar system works as it's on my Avalanche and it drives like a dream.

[booster]

I wonder if they are using the all wheel drive setup off of the 1500 vans that was available until a few years ago. I am pretty sure they were t-bar springs, but they were stock ride height for the 1500 van.

[booster]

Quigley does show a 3" lift IFS, t-bar, real four wheel drive setup for the Express vans, but they won't convert anything older than 2012, it appears. Those may be the parts Hondo was quoted, assuming the shop can get them.

[Hondo]

Originally Posted by booster

Quigley does show a 3" lift IFS, t-bar, real four wheel drive setup for the Express vans, but they won't convert anything older than 2012, it appears. Those may be the parts Hondo was quoted, assuming the shop can get them.

Quigley won't do a conversion on anything older than 2011- they replied to my inquiry today.

I'm waiting on another shop, hopefully hear from them on Monday.

[Hondo]

I have considered buying a wrecked AWD 2500 Express, but that's walking down a uncertain, experimental road that I don't want to explore. When it's done I'd like the RT to be sought after and documented for resale when that time comes...

[booster]

There is a Quigley Roadtrek 190 on ebay now. It might be an interesting question to ask Quigley if they would do just the lift to an older normal height conversion of theirs.

[AZ ADVenturist]

"Overland Expedition vehicle!" Very cool! Following your 'build' close.
Best of luck. ..

[Mat Mobile]

Originally Posted by Hondo

I took the RT 210 into the mountains yesterday, Weston Pass near Fairplay, Colorado-

That's a fair amount of ground clearance. I would personnaly be satisfied with that. It's not 4x4 but already a lot better!

Originally Posted by Hondo

- I'll be replacing all of the cabinet drawers with HD self closing slides to eliminate rattling

- bathroom & storage cabinet doors will need to be secured better to eliminate rattling

I see the same thing with mine. I'm also considering adding some strips of fiberglass/epoxy in the inner corners of drawers and cabinet doors to add to the structural integrity and reduce noise. It might just be a drop in the ocean of noise but I'm sure it will help.

Originally Posted by Hondo

Stand by...

I will!

[booster]

While I understand the idea of having a nice Chevy Roadtrek be a serious off road vehicle, in many ways it just doesn't seem to fit all that well with what can be reasonably done.

If there is a decent market for serious 4wd in a B, this may be a successful product.

Sportsmobile Custom Camper Vans - 4WD (4 Wheel Drive, 4x4)

V10, real 4wd parts with serious off road capability, and likely to have reasonable highway manners.

It says 2016 but I wonder if any have been made yet for sale. I am sure others would know on here.

[AZ ADVenturist]

I've seen & crawled all over Sportsmobiles at the Overland Expo held in Flagstaff each May. They are amazing vehicles & some owners tell of unbelievable exploits & Expeditions. Read all about 'em on the forum :
"ExpeditionPortal". A RoadTrek will never be a Sportsmobile, no matter what we do or how much money we throw at them.

[Hondo]

Update-

Boulder Offroad & I have solved the high speed handling/swaying issue.

It was the power steering gearbox. As it was explained to me, if the power steering gearbox goes bad, it can develop a problem where it never knows where "center" is with the wheel straight. This causes pressure on one side of the gearbox and it will try to zero the pressure at center.

But center isn't at center, steering linkage isn't straight ahead with the box at zero, and this causes the wandering as the linkage/wheels and the gearbox chase zero/center.

So today I installed a new/remanufactured AC Delco power steering gearbox and took it for a drive- fixed! I returned home and reinstalled the Roadmaster steering damper and now it drives like it should, though it does feel more like a truck than a heavy van.

So the 4X4 conversion is off for now, going to use the 210 for a season, do a trip or three next year, maybe sneak in a weekend before the snow flies here in Colorado.

Next up- stereo installation and researching a limited slip upgrade for the Dana 60.

[booster]

If you go shopping for parts for the Dana 60, be sure that you are getting parts for a Dana 60 Super, or 60s. They have some different parts in them than the normal Dana 60, and the parts are not easy to find sometimes, as many shops don't even know they exist.

[Hondo]

Originally Posted by booster

If you go shopping for parts for the Dana 60, be sure that you are getting parts for a Dana 60 Super, or 60s. They have some different parts in them than the normal Dana 60, and the parts are not easy to find sometimes, as many shops don't even know they exist.

I just ran across this-

"The Dana 60 rear axle with 4.10 and down carrier and 33 spline axle shafts was only used by GM between 2008 and 2010 in their Express Vans and is known as a "Rear Super 60".

SOURCE

My chassis is a 2005, so my axle probably is too.

How can I tell if it's a 33 spline Super 60 or just a 35 spline 60?

Remove the cover & count?

[Hondo]

Now this from another website-

Compatible with Models:

Express Van 2500 3/4 Ton: 2003 - 2009 (Rear) Express Van 3500 1 Ton: 2003 - 2009 (Rear)
Savana 2500 3/4 Ton: 2003 - 2013 (Rear) Savana 3500 1 Ton: 2003 - 2010 (Rear)

SOURCE

[booster]

The axle should have a tag on the rear of the driver side axle tube facing the rear near the wheel. It is a sticker so often gone. The 60s will have a cast cover on it with the Dana logo and an odd amount of bolts for a GM product at 12 bolts. If it hasn't been removed in a while the fill plugs can be nearly impossible to get out, also.

[Hondo]

That would determine the final drive ratio, not how many splines.

The door rpo tag says GT5 which is a 4.10.

I didn't see a tag but I'm going to go underneath and take some pics of the casting id's and production info that is supposedly there.

Did you put a Dana 70 into your rig Booster?

[booster]

Originally Posted by Hondo

That would determine the final drive ratio, not how many splines.

The door rpo tag says GT5 which is a 4.10.

I didn't see a tag but I'm going to go underneath and take some pics of the casting id's and production info that is supposedly there.

Did you put a Dana 70 into your rig Booster?

It actually is a Dana Super 70, or 70s, as it has the same type of capacity upgrades that the the 60s does, including the cast cover.

Details are in this discussion

http://www.classbforum.com/forums/f5...gawr-2058.html

You do need to get one that is out of a van though, as they seem to be the only ones with the right width and perches.

They are fairly common and not terribly expensive, but a bit hard to find with the locking differential (very safe Govlock) and even harder to find with the 4.10 gears. We were lucky and found one with both, but it was very rusty so a lot of cleanup. Finding a 3.71(?) gear unit with the Govlock is not too hard to do, and a 4.10 gear sets are available. IIRC they use the same carrier for both of those gearsets, so just a ring and pinion needed. The price of doing it that way will be similar to finding one with everything in the first place, except for labor of installing the gearset. I had some labor in ours anyway, as I took it in to have an expert set the lash and pattern. I also replaced all the seals and gaskets. Amazingly, it runs nearly silently.

It is massive compared to the Super 60. Being a full floater, the wheel hubs run very cool now and don't heat the wheels and tires like the 60s did. Interesting point is that the 60s is a semi-floater and the wheel bearings are roller bearings that run right on the axle shaft, with NO inner race, and in the axle oil that dribbles out there. Eat a bearing and you have to also buy a new axle or get a repair sleeve for it, plus the axle will have been hot and lost some of it's heat treat and it needs to be very hard to be used as a race.

[Hondo]

Originally Posted by booster

It actually is a Dana Super 70, or 70s, as it has the same type of capacity upgrades that the the 60s does, including the cast cover.

Details are in this discussion

http://www.classbforum.com/forums/f5...gawr-2058.html

You do need to get one that is out of a van though, as they seem to be the only ones with the right width and perches.

They are fairly common and not terribly expensive, but a bit hard to find with the locking differential (very safe Govlock) and even harder to find with the 4.10 gears. We were lucky and found one with both, but it was very rusty so a lot of cleanup. Finding a 3.71(?) gear unit with the Govlock is not too hard to do, and a 4.10 gear sets are available. IIRC they use the same carrier for both of those gearsets, so just a ring and pinion needed. The price of doing it that way will be similar to finding one with everything in the first place, except for labor of installing the gearset. I had some labor in ours anyway, as I took it in to have an expert set the lash and pattern. I also replaced all the seals and gaskets. Amazingly, it runs nearly silently.

It is massive compared to the Super 60. Being a full floater, the wheel hubs run very cool now and don't heat the wheels and tires like the 60s did. Interesting point is that the 60s is a semi-floater and the wheel bearings are roller bearings that run right on the axle shaft, with NO inner race, and in the axle oil that dribbles out there. Eat a bearing and you have to also buy a new axle or get a repair sleeve for it, plus the axle will have been hot and lost some of it's heat treat and it needs to be very hard to be used as a race.

I'm going in this direction now. It seems that the best I could do with the current axle is an expensive Govlok install.

Did you get it out of a 2500 or 3500 van?

Would you please post up a pic of it from the rear- I need to see if it has the same sway bar mpunts that the 60 has- thanks.

[Hondo]

Interesting...just found a Gov Lock for the 60S for about $600-

52373 Dana 60-SUPER Gov-loc Posi Differential Carrier 4.10 & Down 33 spline GM Chevy - C&M Gear Works