America’s RV buyers have been getting out of giant Class A buses and into smaller, more maneuverable vans. Yet, so many of these camper vans pair the price of a house with a lackluster interior. But there’s still hope, because you can buy a camper van based on the venerable Chevrolet Express, the backbone of American tradespeople for over two decades. This Express camper rocks four-wheel-drive, running water, and an electrical system for an affordable price. What more do you need?
A number of our readers are huge proponents of camper vans, but not exactly the new big flashy ones by names like Airstream and Winnebago. Sure, you can buy a new camper van with a warranty from one of these brands and get something based on the popular Mercedes-Benz Sprinter, but it’ll cost you an arm, a leg, and your firstborn. As I’ve witnessed in camper shows, these vans also might not even have interiors befitting their hefty price tags.
Getting a camper van based on something like a Ford E-Series, a Chevy Express, or a GMC Savana can be an alluring alternative. Sure, this van isn’t a high roof model like a Sprinter might be, but I think it might even be better for many RV buyers. There’s a lot to like and I’m not just talking about what you can see in the photos.
The Chevy Express is one of those vans that just blend into the landscape like the Ford E-Series. You’ve probably seen multiple of these vans today without even thinking about them. If you’ve driven a smaller U-Haul box truck in the past several years you’ve even driven one. Much of blue-collar America drives these vans every day, including many of our readers.
Sadly, these vans as we know them do have an expiration date. These workhorses are expected to end production after the 2025 model year. When that happens, the Express and its GMC Savana sibling will bow out after nearly 30 years of continuous production. The fascinating thing is that this is a van platform that has survived nearly three decades while still being in its first generation. Sure, auto journalists and car enthusiasts would mock a dinosaur like this for being so old, but I think this is a good thing.
Dependable Workhorses
As Motor Trend writes, the Express and Savana were introduced during a time when large American families were expected to sell their minivans and buy a full-size van. Projections had the full-size market growing by 30 percent by 2002.
GM had a full-size van, the G-platform, but it was time to refresh the whole thing. Enter the Express and the Savana. These vans weren’t just a new body on an aging frame, but built from the ground up and riding on an all-new welded ladder frame. In making these new vans, GM focused on giving its full-size vans more car-like driving dynamics that families would like while retaining the truck-like qualities that are great for the trades.
As such, a passenger version of an Express could carry as many as 15 people while, depending on configuration, a Chevy Express 3500 could tow a 10,000-pound conventional trailer. That puts the Express right there in competition with Ford’s E-Series, which entered its fourth (and current) generation in 1992 and had gotten a major update in 1997.
Like that van, the Express/Savana was designed for the era. GM placed a focus on aerodynamics, a contemporary look, and clever touches like doors that swing out 180 degrees so the vehicle can swallow large loads unimpeded. In May 1996, Motor Trend had this to say:
From the first time you climb up behind the wheel of the Express (you don’t “slide-in” behind the wheel of a big van), the feeling is reassuringly solid. The dual-airbag dash and instrument panel are hung on a massive magnesium beam that spans the entire front width of the new G-van, and the 1996 Express also sports a molded headliner featuring optional overhead climate controls and vents.
The Express rates high marks for ride and handling. That long, wide stance establishes an exceptionally stable platform—a virtue you’ll appreciate next time you encounter a direct crosswind. However, as you might expect, tight-confines maneuverability isn’t a strong suit of the Express. The standard-wheelbase G1500 has a 45.2-foot turning circle. That number grows to 47.4 feet for the G2500 and a curb-hopping 53.4 feet for Extended models.
[…]
Experiencing their first major redesign since 1971, the all-new GM full-size vans appear to be well worth the wait.
Power under the hood was good, too. If you prioritized fuel economy over power, you could have gotten a Vortec 4300 V6, which sent 195 HP and 250 lb-ft of torque to the rear wheels. Meanwhile, the big boy gas engine was the Vortec 7400 V8, which delivered 290 HP and 410 lb-ft of torque. Apparently, that bulky van was powerful enough to do burnouts when the van was empty.
Diesel freaks like me also had access to the GM 6.5-liter V8 turbodiesel, which was good for 190 HP and 385 lb-ft of torque at launch. Like Ford, GM may not have given this van any subsequent generations, but they did get updates. Express and Savana interiors got upgrades, as did the powertrains.
The big block V8 was discontinued and the 5.7-liter V8 was replaced by a 6.0-liter small block V8. On the diesel side of things, the old Detroit V8 was replaced by Duramax V8s. So, if you’re a fan of GM, there’s an Express van in a flavor you’ll likely enjoy.
These vans have proven themselves over nearly three decades of service hauling families, tools, and supporting America’s crucial trades. Parts are easy to find and there’s a ton of knowledge out there to keep them on the road.
This 2009 Chevy Express 3500 Camper Van
That brings us to the van before us today.
It’s an Express 3500 1-ton van sporting a 6.0-liter small block V8. That powerplant is producing 319 HP and 367 lb-ft of torque. That’s not the most power you’ll find, but the 6.0 is a popular engine for swaps and tunes. It seems a lot of folks seem to like these for reliability, too. They’re not perfect, as some complain of issues like oil burn and oil leaks, but it seems better than a lot of the engines we’ve written about.
This particular drivetrain is special because the owner says the base rear-wheel-drive setup has been tossed out for a 4×4 conversion featuring an NP205 transfer case and a limited-slip rear axle. This conversion was handled by Cold Smoke Industries and is said to work great today. The off-road portion of the van was capped off with a 6-inch lift, Bilstein shocks, and 35-inch tires.
The conversion looks solid enough, but should you choose to go your own way with one of these vans, the world-famous Quigley also offers awesome conversions for these GM vans.
The seller continues with the features of the camper build:
– Max Air Vent
– Interior done by: Flippin Vans
– Dometic Fridge
– Solar Panels
– Sink
– Fully enclosable awning
– Upgraded sound system
– Aluminus Rear Bumper
– Aluminus Storage box & ladder
– Outdoor Shower set up (hot or cold)
– Tankless water heater
– Power hookup
– 15 gal water tank
New parts include a Battle Born house battery and a new bed platform built earlier this year.
While this van may not look super pretty, it has basically everything you need for a fun getaway from home. The van appears to be plenty capable enough and there’s still plenty enough of a blank canvas to modify the van to your liking. Perhaps most important is the fact that the seller says he’s actually used the van to go camping. So it’s not something that was just built and never tested.
With that said, I’m not a fan of everything here. For example, look at the shot of one of the front tires. If you do any real off-roading, or just hit a hard bump on the highway, it looks like you’re going to rub this tire on the trimmed fender or the running board. I bet going down to a smaller or narrower tire would fix this problem.
As of writing, the seller is asking for $47,000 for this 76,200-mile rig ($49,000 on this specific Facebook ad). That’s significantly cheaper than any new 4×4 camper van on the market by a margin that’s not even close. It also looks pretty clean underneath and not riddled with the horrible rust you get in the rust belt. Heck, a brand-new Ford Transit costs $47,165 before you add the roughly $12,000 Transit Trail package and before you spend even more on building it out. But, it’s also been for sale since July, so maybe this price is still too much.
Of course, the downside is not having a warranty and dealing with someone else’s handiwork. But for the right person, those downsides might be okay. Maybe the van for you might not be this one. But the next time you’re looking for a camper van, maybe you might want to consider one of these workhorses over something spiffy and new. I just love the fact that there are people out there converting work vans into 4×4 beasts.
(Images: Facebook Seller, unless otherwise noted.)
For that kind of money, I’d look at at an actual RoadTrek MH with the factory Quigley 4×4 conversion.