Welcome to Build Thread #2 - My 99 Suburban overland camping rig.
Truck is a 99 GMC Suburban K1500, SLT, 4x4 w/ tow package. Started life as my father's work truck and spend most of its life hauling around paint and construction supplies until he retired. Some repairs were needed when I got it on top of the usual old-truck stuff: mainly a new injection spider and intake gaskets, along with a full new ignition system.
I then gutted the entire back half and turned it into a camper.
Everything from the B pillar back was gutted down to steel. Rear HVAC unit as been entirely removed along with the rear headliner. New carpet from AAC went in and, on top, my custom built drawer base/bed unit. It fits a normal house-sized Full mattress and has two full length drawers and two "bedside table" shelves that run full length under the windows.
Under the drivers side shelf where the spare tire was originally is a 100Ah lithium house battery and a battery monitor. On the passenger side where the HVAC unit was sits a 50A DC-DC charger for the house battery, rear fuse block, the main house ground and a 60A 12V power supply unit.
House battery can charge from the alternator while running, from a solar panel (which I haven't bought or needed yet), or from 120V shore power. In the rear the house battery powers eight USB ports, a 12v socket, recessed lighting in the new custom ceiling, and two exterior SAE 12V plugs which can power any external 12v load. So far I've used them to power a diesel heater during winter camping and a propane camping shower unit.
Up front, the center console has been removed and replaced with a custom wood unit that holds a 12v fridge/freezer, two deep cup holders, my SiriusXM radio mount and a phone mount, and two USB outlets. All powered by a feed from the rear house battery. In the future I plan to rework that panel to hold one of my VHF/UHF ham radios along with the above.
In the future I plan to put the running boards back on it and make some exhaust modifications, but unfortunately for now it's basically stuck in my yard due to a failing torque converter. I have a new torque converter, flex plate and hardware sitting in the parts pile but haven't felt like fighting a transmission out with it being over 95 degrees here lately. Will probably get to that sometime in October and hopefully get it out camping again in November.
Truck is a 99 GMC Suburban K1500, SLT, 4x4 w/ tow package. Started life as my father's work truck and spend most of its life hauling around paint and construction supplies until he retired. Some repairs were needed when I got it on top of the usual old-truck stuff: mainly a new injection spider and intake gaskets, along with a full new ignition system.
I then gutted the entire back half and turned it into a camper.
Everything from the B pillar back was gutted down to steel. Rear HVAC unit as been entirely removed along with the rear headliner. New carpet from AAC went in and, on top, my custom built drawer base/bed unit. It fits a normal house-sized Full mattress and has two full length drawers and two "bedside table" shelves that run full length under the windows.
Under the drivers side shelf where the spare tire was originally is a 100Ah lithium house battery and a battery monitor. On the passenger side where the HVAC unit was sits a 50A DC-DC charger for the house battery, rear fuse block, the main house ground and a 60A 12V power supply unit.
House battery can charge from the alternator while running, from a solar panel (which I haven't bought or needed yet), or from 120V shore power. In the rear the house battery powers eight USB ports, a 12v socket, recessed lighting in the new custom ceiling, and two exterior SAE 12V plugs which can power any external 12v load. So far I've used them to power a diesel heater during winter camping and a propane camping shower unit.
Up front, the center console has been removed and replaced with a custom wood unit that holds a 12v fridge/freezer, two deep cup holders, my SiriusXM radio mount and a phone mount, and two USB outlets. All powered by a feed from the rear house battery. In the future I plan to rework that panel to hold one of my VHF/UHF ham radios along with the above.
In the future I plan to put the running boards back on it and make some exhaust modifications, but unfortunately for now it's basically stuck in my yard due to a failing torque converter. I have a new torque converter, flex plate and hardware sitting in the parts pile but haven't felt like fighting a transmission out with it being over 95 degrees here lately. Will probably get to that sometime in October and hopefully get it out camping again in November.