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New 2001 GMC Savana Van Conversion

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    The DroThe Dro
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      I recently purchased a used 2001 GMC Savana 3500 to transport my wolfdog. I purchased an RV almost two years ago so that I had a vehicle large enough for her to be comfortable in but unfortunately there were a couple of leaks that rotted some of the wood in the wall frame. I have decided to take it apart and rebuild the frame but I do not have a garage unfortunately atm so I’m dealing with only being able to work on it while the weather is decent outside. I’m also alone, so this project is going to take me much longer than I’d like. In the meantime, I decided to get a large van so I can take her on some trips and go hiking in the mountains but before I go too far there are some things necessary to be replaced and built within the van.

      First, I am adding some insulation for the floor and walls and I also need to build a partition to keep her from trying to jump up onto the dash while I’m driving. If you’ve ever been in a vehicle with a wolfdog before, you know that they do not do great in vehicles. There’s some anxiety they display from being excited to go out for a hike but also being trapped in a moving metal box probably freaks them out a bit as well.

      The van had a large piece of plywood bolted down over the rubber mat with insulation but when I pulled it up last night I noticed there were some big dents from the previous owner transporting heavy gear. I guess it wont matter much once I add some insulation and plywood but I’m worried about condensation trapped under the foam boards and creating issues down the line. I was thinking about getting some denim insulation to fill the gaps under before laying down the foam but any suggestions are welcome. I really don’t feel like purchasing a slide hammer and spending days trying to get out all the dents and then adding bondo to the holes.

      The other issue with the van is that the brake light is on in the dash. The person I purchased the vehicle from mentioned that the rear brake lines were partially replaced but the metal lines that run across the differential seem to be rusty and falling apart. I don’t see any leaks and I tried filling the brake fluid to see if the light was just on from being low but the light did not shut off. Do I need to reset the computer by unplugging the battery and touching the wires together? I heard this was one way to do it on some vehicles but not sure about the GMC Savana. I looked online for a new break kit and I’m afraid of ordering one online and receiving an aftermarket part which I’ll have to buy new tools for in order to properly install since they’re not always an exact fit when you order aftermarket stuff. I don’t have a ton of experience with break lines personally but I do fully understand how the system works.

      Again, any suggestions are welcome. I’m not far from Salem, OH, anyone near by that would like to help me with any of these projects? I’m fully capable of doing these alone, but of course it’s easier with an extra pair of hands. I also have a youtube channel where I have been documenting some of these projects with over 250k followers atm. So of course anyone who’s willing to help out would have to be okay being on video and live streams. I have also been considering renting out a warehouse or space to do all this stuff, but haven’t found anything worth it near me just yet.

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