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For sale: Ruggedized AWD 1999 SAFARI MICRO MOTORHOME CONVERSION
After 7 months in Mexico and the US, my custom built ruggedized 99 AWD Safari Tiger CLONE is now back home on Vancouver, Island Canada. It will take a few days to clean it up, replace the windshield, and repair any small issues. Then it will be ready and available for sale.
http://i690.photobucket.com/albums/v...psmhjyyc6o.jpg THE LITTLE BLACK BOX http://i690.photobucket.com/albums/v...psicselnwo.jpg CUSTOM FRONT BUMPER AND GRILL GUARD ... THE MEXICAN DRIVERS ARE VERY POLITE WHEN THEY SEE THIS (;-[) I originally built this TIGER inspired Micro Motorhome for long term / full time living, while wandering along the road less travelled, into remote places. For that life style, it is ideal. Big enough to prevent claustrophobia, tough enough to survive the Mexican potholes and cobblestones, yet still small and nimble enough to get around on the narrow, tight Mexican streets. And with AWD, Updated EVERYTHING, HD suspension, and Gnarly Duratrac tires, it is quite suitable for rough roads, and some light duty OVERLANDING. However, I have decided to use rental homes for my future SNOBIRD/Wintering in Mexico, so for my bi-annual road trips back and forth between Canada and Mexico, I will only need an ordinary travel van with a bed inside. So reluctantly, MY 99 AWD MICRO MOTORHOME WILL BE FOR SALE. LOCATION: Registered and licensed in BC Canada. Currently in Victoria, BC I would prefer to sell this vehicle to a local buyer, HOWEVER, I am willing to deliver to just about anywhere in Western Canada. NOTE: After the motorhome body conversion a BC Provincial mechanical/safety inspection was required and passed. By BC provincial registration, this vehicle is still legally defined as a VAN, CONDITION: I spent about $8000 purchasing, repairing, upgrading, and customising the chassis and mechanicals on this unit. Bills for most of the work are available. I intended to live in this unit full time, long term, and take it to remote locations over rough roads. In some cases, no roads at all. Just about everything that could be done to improve durability and overlanding capability was done. The van has about 20,000 kms since prepping it for long term travel, with a total of 245,000 kms. This van is in excellent mechanical condition, but since the conversion, it has been on the road for two years and has been lived in for a few months as well. CHASSIS: ALL NEW brakes, including OEM front hubs/bearings, HD one piece rotors, HD pads, rear drums, wheel cylinders, and shoes, replaced proportioning valve, NEW BRAKE LINES BILSTEIN SHOCKS all around 700 lb addaleaf extra springs into re-arched rear springs, with HD urethane bump stops. The rear spring setup provides near stock height with much improved control and weight handling. 2" body lift with NEW Urethane spacers 1.5" front fender cut outs Alloy rims with DURATRAC LT 235/75/R15 tires and McGard wheel locks Recent wheel alignment With this arrangement of body lift and extra clearancing at the wheel wells, the big wide heavy gnarly Duratrac tires give excellent control on the hiway, without bottoming out in the rough ... if you drive slow and sane. NOTE: NO TORSION BAR LIFT WAS REQUIRED. The torsion bars are set at HORIZONTAL, for best steering, wear, and control, with the center of gravity kept as low as possible to minimise wind wander with the massive side and frontal areas. The van drives straight at 75 - 80 mph on a good hiway, and handles well at low speeds in the rough stuff too. ELECTRICALS: NEW HD battery, alternator, idler pulley with bearing, serpentine belt HD head lights custom RV style tail lights and running lights FUEL SYSTEM: NEW FUEL PUMP, locking gas cap, regular fuel system flush with STARTRON additive COOLING: NEW water pump LUBRICATION: RECENT TRANSMISSION FLUSH & service, Transfer Case, Front and Rear diff TUNE UP: recent tune up with NEW wires, distributor cap, rotor, and spark plugs KNOWN MECHANICAL DEFICIENCIES: A/C system has a slow leak - probably inside the heater box assembly oil cooler has slight leak at radiator fitting heater fan is noisy at high speed [ good used replacement is on board Radio is missing a knob BODY: I spent about $6000 AND over six months of full time labor building the motorhome body. Many EXPENSIVE RV windows and doors were used, including a roof vent/escape hatch, and a huge rear escape window, these RV rated pieces are not cheap. The body structure was built using a stressed skin design that concentrates weight inboard, instead of on the two outside walls. The body is plywood screwed and glued on to 2X2/4/6/10" structural SPRUCE members, with over 2000 deck screws and other fasteners. I built it tough because this was intended to be my only home for months at a time. The roof is ONE PIECE of tough, durable Grey checkerplate garage floor plastic covering. The exterior is covered with tough, durable, 1/8" thick Black rubber checkerplate material, with aluminum angle iron reinforcing all the corners. The interior is real OAK panelling. The bed is Queen size, with 4" of foam and an extra 2" memory foam topper. There is a NEW/UNUSED removable/pull out porta potti under the bed. There is a removable/pull out 12 V cooler under the kitchen counter, and a NEW/UNUSED STAINLESS STEEL propane powered portable barbecue. The water tank is huge, 20 Gals, designed for long term camping at remote BAJA beaches, and runs into a HAND PUMP and SS sink. There are interior lights over the bed and kitchen counter. INTERIOR Storage is available over the bed and the cabover section, and IN VARIOUS CUPBORDS AND DRAWERS. EXTERIOR storage is available under the bed, and in locking compartments around the exterior. The gas cap is locking. Inside the exterior storage is a set of most likely needed maintenance and replacement parts, extra fuel, water, oil, and other fluids. Also available are most of the camping accessories any one could want, including a solar shower, 5 gal folding water containers, pots, dishes, cups, and cutlery. These can go with the van if wanted. PRICE: NEGOTIABLE, BUT, With about $14,000 and six months labor invested in this unit, it WILL NOT GO CHEAP. COMPARE THE CAPABILITIES OF THIS UNIT AGAINST AN EQUIVALENT AWD TIGER, OR A VW QUATTRO CAMPER VAN, and you will see it is a bargain. Asking price is $15,000, depending on where and when delivery takes place. If I have to drive it to you, the price is fairly firm. But if you pick it up after my return to Vancouver Island, we can negotiate. THANKS FOR YOUR INTEREST, LAZ 1 (;-[) |
Hi Laz1
How about some photos of the inside ? Moodybloo |
1999 AWD SAFARI Micro Motorhome conversion INTERIOR PICTURES:
http://i690.photobucket.com/albums/v...psaa10fazz.jpg
Sink, cabinets, drawers, fold out kitchen table, 12 V cooler on slide out, NEW/unused Stainless Steel portable propane barbecue http://i690.photobucket.com/albums/v...psidc7pnfk.jpg Upper Left side with Clothes closet, book shelf http://i690.photobucket.com/albums/v...psqfyytyeq.jpg BIG Storage above bed at rear Storage at Right side above bed http://i690.photobucket.com/albums/v...ps6rif1akw.jpg http://i690.photobucket.com/albums/v...psc4dr22iq.jpg RIGHT side SLIDING window with storage along head of the bed http://i690.photobucket.com/albums/v...psh0n8m8fh.jpg STORAGE OVER CAB http://i690.photobucket.com/albums/v...ps1rg2a2pn.jpg RIGHT Corner View http://i690.photobucket.com/albums/v...psqgli8wef.jpg LEFT side close up .... note missing propane cylinder. It disappeared first week I was in Mexico http://i690.photobucket.com/albums/v...pspgssjit6.jpg 240,000 KILOMETERS = 150,000 MILES, VERY well maintained |
Lessons learned along the way
THE MICRO MOTORHOME IS GREAT, but ...
1.] I cracked the windshield, lost a front clearance light lens, and cracked my skylight PUSHING THROUGH LOW BRANCHES. I eventually put cables from the front grill guard to the cabover beak, which act as BRUSHCUTTERS. Wish I'd done that before I left. 2.] I originally skinned the body with the usual thin white aluminum RV type siding. But it looked "wimpy" and "ordinary" and "boring". So I removed the aluminum siding, and recovered with the RUGGED looking 1/8" industrial real rubber Black Checkerplate hallway floor runner . The Black rubber checkerplate material DOES get hotter than White aluminum, but I have 1.5" of foam insulation in the walls, so the interior heat is manageable. The Black rubber checkerplate stands up better in the shrubbery. I GOT A FEW SCUFFS on the Heavy Duty aluminum angle iron corner protectors, which really earned their keep. I noticed a few spots where the Black rubber is bubbling away from the plywood sub-surface. This is happening because I originally glued down some sections of the rubber when it was cooler, and in the hot HOT heat down here, the rubber expands. Next time, glue up all the rubber on a HOT day. Or spend more time in ALASKA. (;-{( 3.] The Cobblestone roads, deep pot holes on the hiways, and un-marked speed bumps everywhere, are ROUGH on any suspension, especially considering my RV weighs in at about 6000 lbs. There was a near new front suspension rebuild in the van when I bought it, and after 20,000 kms, and four front end inspections, all the usual front end stuff is still good and tight. When I started to get noise and vibration in the front end, I replaced the front hubs/wheel bearings with OEM equivalent parts [ VERY expensive ]. I also replaced the flimsy/flexy original two piece brake rotors, which were also contributing to flex, with premium Heavy Duty solid rotors. 4.] Along with all new HD brake components front and back, and BILSTEIN shocks all around, with re-arched rear springs enhanced by 700 lb ADDALEAF inserts, the rig rides great, and it SURVIVED the rough roads nicely. I did however, crack an end off the front sway bar, which is quite a common problem with the HOLLOW bars used on these vans. The sway bars break even on 2wd units. I have been driving around town without the sway bar, and at slow speed in the rough stuff, it actually feels better. But I do notice a bit more wind sensitivity on the hiway. So a HEAVY DUTY SOLID replacement sway bar is on the menu, as soon as I get back to the US. 5.] The 235/75/R15 LIGHT TRUCK RATED Duratrac tires were the perfect choice for this rig, and my driving life style. At 50 PSI, they ride great on the hiway, and are GNARLY enough for most off road conditions. BUT, in soft sand, at 50 psi, if the unit is stopped, they can dig in. They are OK while you are rolling, but stopping in soft sand means airing down, or digging out. 6.] The BIG box living quarters are just right for two friendly people, and the vertical walls help minimise any claustrophobic or cabin fever tendencies when camping through long, rainy stretches. I have more storage space than I needed, even with storing my custom built folding bicycle inside. That dam FOLDING bike cost more than $1000, and I surely did not want it hanging outside as a thief magnet. I have noticed a few time that my LOCKING storage compartments have been fiddled with, and I lost a propane tank from the locking ring on an outside accessible storage compartment with no door. Out of sight, out of mind. I keep a few thou worth of tools, mechanics and carpenters, inside the RV, so LOCKS are a good thing. If I ever build another rig like this, I WILL ELIMINATE THE CABOVER SECTION. I did not need the extra space, and the gas mileage dropped significantly with that big snout pushing against the wind. Next time a simple ANGLED roof line at the front. LAZ 1 BTDT lived to tell the tale (;-{) |
If it hasn't sold by then, bring it to the BC Overland Rally at Mt Hemlock near Vancouver in June.
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Good Idea ...
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We will see if sentiment wins out over practicallity, or more likely, it will be decuded by which rig sells first. (;-{) LAZ 1 |
After another Summer on Vancouver Island, I ended up in Ajijic Mexico for this Winter. AGAIN! I guess this officially makes me a SNOBIRD. It has been nearly three years with my little AWD SAFARI VAN CONVERSION motorhome. It has been a great rig, but realistically these days I do not wander much except between Van Isle and Ajijic. The rig has been parked in Ajijic since last October, and I get around on my bicycle or the excellent inexpensive Mexican buses.
I am seriously thinking if leavig the Safari AWD motorhome in Ajijic full time. I have a ten year TIP for the unit, and secure storage is inexpensive. But this srems like a waste of a great little overlanding rig. Unless sone one wants to buy the Safari for a reasonable price, its rambling days may be over and it might become my full time immovable casita. If interested send me an Email and I can send pics and details. Can deliver any where from Mexico to Canada. |
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non of your photos are visable...
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rehostinh photos from photobucket.
Not trivial. |
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In Las Vegas first week in MARCH
Anyone local to Vegas want to connect while I am there?
Larry Z |
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