$4,600
Petaluma, California
Category
-
Length
-
Posted Over 1 Month
FYI - this van will likely only be offered for sale thru Tuesday night (6/24). Van is in Petaluma, CA. You are looking at a '75 GMC 2500 (aka, Chevy G20) 3/4 ton van that was converted to a camper van back in the day, by Futura Industries, out of Gardena, CA. It's called the "Surveyor Astro-Van, Royal Series," It just doesn't get any more '70's than that. The Surveyor is a FULLY self-contained RV with propane heater, toilet, and even a shower! It sleeps 2 on the fold out couch, and 1-2 children (or thin adults, in a pinch) above (there are 2 more slide-out boards, not shown, to make the upper bunk. It needs a paint job, true. The body work is done, though (professionally). It is also as clean and tidy as any you will find in this vintage. It just received a PAINSTAKING spring cleaning by yours truly. Anyone's mom would be proud. The bathroom and kitchen are spotless. The holding tank was flushed and de-oderized. Door jambs, plastics, engine, wheels, window tracks, all cleaned. No funky smells anywhere, now or before. This van has not been lived in, but you certainly could. Driveline and chassis: 350 V8 - starts and runs GREAT. Uses 1 quart of oil / 1000 miles (measured this month), not bad. TH350 auto trans (3-speed), no overdrive. Shift perfectly, fluid VERY clean. 3.07 final drive. 54k miles (or 154k). Many RV's have low miles. Honestly, it could be either. Steering is tight (for this vintage) with no drift. Brakes work very well and van stops straight. Suspension checked and good, yet ride is jarring on rough roads. Nature of the beast? Tires have good tread, but are older all-terrain tires. This may be part of the harsh ride on bumps. Equipment: NEW STEREO (not pictured). 7" touchscreen, DVD, bluetooth, backup camera ready (very handy!) NEW white rear view mirrors (not installed), like the one on the passenger side, but white. Dash AC - working and blowing cold Cruise control - working perfectly All lights (inside and out) - working All doors, windows, and locks work well. Power door locks, too! Not available on vans in '75. Wipers work, washer pump does not (will repair before sale) Shower, sinks, and toilet work great and are VERY CLEAN. No leaks in plumbing. Hot water heater (3 gallon) works well. Manual start (outside). Shut-off inside. Stove and oven work well and are both very clean. Refrigerator (AC power only) works, but smells musty. I would replace with 2 or 3-way fridge. TV and DVD/VHS - working AC outlet in kitchen - works on AC or inverted DC Small power inverter - working Built in 2/6/12 amp battery charger for coach batteries - working 4 coach batteries (6V) - holding good to very good charge 5-watt solar charger and charge controller for coach batteries shows working Propane coach heater (auto igniting) works great. Set thermostat and get heat, just like at home. Propane tank in good shape - no leaks anywhere in system12 gallon fresh water tank12 gallon grey/black water holding tank Repairs and improvements: Replaced speedometer and cleaned instruments Added 5.25" CDT midrange and tweeter speakers Installed Dynamat-type soundproofing to doors and engine cover (doghouse) Installed central locking (power door locks) Serviced water heater Upgraded propane coach heater Serviced power steering Added 2" lift to front and rear to provide better ground clearance Full tune-up by expert technician. Tuned for best MPG and drivability. Rebuilt distributor. New cap and rotor. AC service Etc, Etc. What it needs or may need (this is literally everything I can think of) (see photos): A paint job. Much of the paint is still holding up well, but I think it's time. New door and window rubber everywhere (except the fixed windows). All available and cheap. Rust repair will need to be done above the windshield when it's time to paint it. Roof drip-rail garnish moulding is mostly missing. Replace after paint job. Roof vents need to be re-sealed. Nothing is leaking yet, but the seals are old and sloppy work. Light surface rust is evident in some spots. The left back door is the only real significant place. Driver's visor needs new vinyl or replace Driver and passenger steps / rocker panels need new rubber mats. Cheap and easy. Washer pump needs repair (will do before sale) A couple of snaps on window shades need re-sewing New tires - maybe within a year or so Upgrade / tweak suspension for a softer ride on rough roads, or live with it. Nothing is worn out. Side door power door lock still needs to be installed (will do before sale) The plastic dashboard has a bump in the middle from getting hot. There are also cracks on both sides (see photos). Replace, repair, get a dash cover, or leave it be. It's not really an eye-sore like a cracked padded dash would be. I've owned this van for 2 years, and LOVE it, but my interests keep changing. I don't need to sell this at all, so if I don't get my price, it's going to the paint shop on 6/25 for a full paint job. Then, I'll keep it for a while and enjoy the endless barrage of compliments and thumbs-up. ;) Mileage: I'm getting 13.56 mpg highway at 60mph, 11.75 mpg highway at 70mph, which is not bad for this vehicle. City mpg is probably 10-12, depending on how you drive. Put summer radial tires on it, and you'll probably get another 1 mpg. Convert to an overdrive trans, and you'll get another 3-5 mpg. History: The guy I bought it from took out all of the dark wood cabinetry and wall panels (that 98% of all RV's from that era had) and replaced it with some period-suitable lighter wood (which I think warms it up nicely). He also put in a plywood sub-floor, some shag carpeting, and linoleum flooring. Other than that, it's mostly original, including the shower and pull-down toilet. All in all, I think it looks pretty darn good. The shower, the cheery wood, the smart, spacious layout (in a normal length van) and the GM "Light Green" paint is what sold me. I am a gearhead at heart and an antique car and motorcycle enthusiast. When I buy a new vehicle, I immediately start getting all the kinks out that the previous owners neglected or messed up. I have had my hands and head all over this van, spending countless hours getting it more up to speed. You are buying a vehicle that has been used and cared for. The tune-up alone cost me about $1000. I just returned from a road-trip to L.A. No issues at all. It has seen the hills of San Francisco many times. Again, no issues. Buy a van from someone who knows it and has given it a lot of proper attention, or buy something that has been sitting around neglected. Pay a little more now for a road-trip-ready solid driver (with all working appliances), or buy a cheap van and keep pouring the money (and time, and frustration) into it. The choice is yours. This van is by no means perfect, and it still needs some things, but I've just laid it all out for you. No surprises. Come see for yourself, and feel free to have a mechanic inspect it. By the way, no low-ball offers will be accepted. I have more invested in this than I am asking, plus tons of my own hours working on it. Thanks for looking!
