For Sale: “The Gunnison”
SOLD
Taking inspiration from the colors and textures of Black Canyon of the Gunnison in Colorado.
Taking inspiration from the colors and textures of Black Canyon of the Gunnison in Colorado, The Gunnison was designed by a professional female engineer and constructed by a skilled vanlife veteran, integrating insight gained from our combined 15 years of full-time vanlife and skills developed over 3 years of building camper vans professionally. At its core, vanlife is about maximizing life experience, providing a mobile base camp that simplifies your life for the sake of adventure. The layout of The Gunnison was originally designed around hauling mountain bikes inside the van. That design was then optimized to be comfortable and convenient enough for full-time vanlife, yet durable and practical enough for adventures on the road less traveled. We tested the first iteration of this van conversion on thousands of miles of Sierra high desert dirt and Baja’s notoriously-rough coastal roads. We used lessons learned on those trips to perfect the lightest and most robust version of our van build design yet. Don’t let the simplicity of its look fool you - a lot of thought and work went into making the conversion as clean as possible. This van has it all, and the Gunnison is ready to be packed with gear and filled with all the personal touches that make it feel like your home.
The van
Brand new 2021 Ram Promaster 2500 159", high roof, gas, 6-cylinder chassis. The Promaster is front-wheel drive, making it easier to handle in the snow. Extra overhead storage, backup camera, parking assist, bluetooth connectivity, OnStar and GPS capabilities are OEM options that make it enjoyable to drive. With less than 2000 miles, this van is brand new and is still under its original transferable 3-year (36,000 miles) factory bumper-to-bumper and 5-year (60,000 miles) powertrain warranty. The miles are from driving it from the dealership to our shop - cargo vans are hard to come by these days!
The build
We designed this conversion to provide everything you need for camping or full-time living, while minimizing build weight and focusing on quality of construction for maximum safety. Many of the self-built van conversions advertised today are framed in 2x4s and constructed of particle board, creating potentially hazardous conditions in the event of an accident. All structural components of our build are made of aluminum, and everything in the van (ceiling, walls, cabinets, bed) is bolted directly to the van structural ribs, because we believe the contents of a moving vehicle should be as solid and secure as possible. The van was also designed keeping personal and environmental health in mind. All-natural, low-VOC, or non-off-gassing products and methods were used as much as possible. Such products include wool insulation, natural latex mattress, locally-sourced and milled wood, as well as reclaimed urban timber. The power system can be fully disconnected at night to sleep EMF free, if desired.
The living space
The interior is equipped with the essentials for living and working comfortably on the road. Perfect for a couple or solo traveler. The living space is sleek and quiet, with padded wall panels covered with the same foam and durable Marathon fabric used in Outside Van conversions, and insulated with all-natural Havelock wool for thermal and sound insulation. The kitchen cabinets have solid extruded aluminum framing and durable veneer panels. The floating bed frame is welded aluminum. Having none of the typical wood construction in the van completely eliminates all noise from vibration and movement of the build while the van is in motion. The window bench provides a great place to eat a meal or “work from home”, and the convertible table - crafted from reclaimed black acacia timber with a black resin inlay by San Diego Urban Timber - is fully removable, swings around to create extra counter space, or can be moved to the secondary mount to create an outside bar or standing desk. A large sink with running water, gas stove, Dometic fridge/freezer combo, Dometic Sanipottie toilet, two-zone dimmable LED overhead lighting, various AC and DC outlets, natural latex queen mattress, plenty of lower and overhead cabinet storage, and privacy curtains make the living space very comfortable. A Dometic ceiling fan and AM Auto all-glass-look sliding window provide ventilation to cool the space at night. A Webasto EVO altitude-ready petrol heater keeps the living space toasty in freezing temps, even at ski resort elevations, sipping only 1 gallon of gasoline from the van's tank for every 24 hours the heater is run.
The garage
The storage area is sized to fit multiple mountain bikes on axle mounts, and/or all the additional luggage and outdoor gear you need with you. The large garage area under the bed, accessible from the back doors, has its own overhead lights, as well as extra AC and DC outlets. The van’s 20-gallon fresh water storage tank and electrical components are safely covered by removable carpeted boxes, separating them from your stored gear. A gas instant hot water heater provides a comfortable outdoor hot shower or a quick way to rinse off after a ride. Plenty of leftover wall space leaves options for hanging helmets, packs, climbing gear, etc.
The electrical system
All electrical wiring and components are exclusively marine-rated products, and the electrical design follows marine standards. 200 amp-hours of deep cycle AGM 12-volt battery energy storage, charged with 340 watts of rooftop solar via an MPPT charge controller. When the van is running, the alternator also charges the batteries (through an isolator/charging relay). The system is pre-wired to accept an additional solar panel, if desired in the future. A 2000 watt Renogy true sine wave inverter efficiently feeds 120-volt loads like laptops, hair straighteners, blenders, etc. Outlets for 12-volt and 120-volt loads are installed in several places throughout the van cabin and garage. The power system station has a master disconnect and solar panel breakers, to easily shut off the flow of electricity for van storage.
The details
For a complete list of features, select a category to the right, and read more about our design and construction methods, as well as what is included in this van.
-
2021 Ram Promaster, 159", Sandstone Pearl color, high roof, 3.6L 6-cylinder, gas, front-wheel drive3.6L, FWD. Brand new van and build.
<2,000 miles, all original manufacturer warranties applicable.
RV prep package, swivel seats, tow package, upsized alternator, Premium Appearance Group, backup camera, parking assist, bluetooth connectivity.
-
Two Renogy 100 amp-hour deep cycle AGM 12-volt batteries.
-
one Panasonic 340 watt HIT mono panel (19.7% module efficiency). Pre-wired for future second panel in parallel.
-
Charge controller - Victron Energy smart solar controller with bluetooth capabilities.
Battery isolator/relay for alternator charging - Blue Sea Starting Isolation Dual Sensing Automatic Charging Relay.
Inverter - Renogy 2000-watt power inverter, 2000 watts of continuous true-rated power, 4000 watts surge power.
Battery tender - Promariner ProSport 20 heavy duty marine battery charger for shore power charging and maintenance of battery bank
Outlets - three 120-volt and three 12-volt outlets located throughout cabin and garage.
Additional - Blue Sea distribution panels, disconnects, breakers, junctions, etc. Marine grade duplex wiring, oversized for safety.
-
Refrigerator - Dometic CRX 110 refrigerator/freezer. 4.8 cu ft.
Stove top - Dometic two-burner propane cooktop with cast iron grill and 12 volt lighter, 5 gallon propane storage in garage space.
-
Webasto Air Top EVO 40 gasoline heater. Designed to work effectively at high altitudes. Pulls fuel from an auxiliary tap on the van's gas tank. Uses 1 gallon of gasoline for every 24 hours of operation.
-
Dometic Sanipottie 976 (easily accessible in its own compartment in the bench)
-
Portable Propane Outdoor Tankless Water Heater with adjustable temperature/flow, Shurflo pump and handheld shower head (gets really hot, really fast!).
-
20 gallons fresh water storage.
3 gpm Shurflo electric pump, with filter and accumulator.
-
4-ft bench with cushion provides eating/work space. Beautiful reclaimed black acacia table top with custom resin inlay crafted by San Diego Urban Timber sits on a Lagun table mount, making it convertible for multiple functions, and has a dedicated space for removing and storing the table out of the way. The table can also be moved to the secondary mount to create an outdoor bar or standing desk.
-
Two lower kitchen cabinets, upper cabinet storage above eating area and bed, bench storage, “attic” above cab, additional custom built-in storage nooks throughout. Cabinets are framed with 1-inch extruded aluminum, with custom durable veneered panels, Blum European soft-close hinges and locking latches. All cabinets are attached to the van’s structural ribs for maximum stability and safety.
-
Natural talalay latex and foam mattress from SleepEZ USA, shortened queen bed sleeps wall-to-wall (74” sleeping length with built-in recessed wall). Plenty of space to comfortably sit up in bed! Floating welded aluminum bed frame, removable, can be raised in the future for additional garage storage height. The bed frame is attached directly to the van’s structural ribs for maximum stability and safety.
-
Two separate lighting zones (kitchen and bed), dimmable LED recessed lighting, separate LED lighting zone also in garage.
-
All-natural Havelock wool provides thermal and sound insulation.
Custom individual wall panels make any future required maintenance simple, padded and covered with the same Marathon tweed durable fabric used by Outside van, to keep the space warm and quiet.
White pine tongue and groove ceiling. Finished with a light varnish. Ceiling wood is attached directly to the van’s structural ribs for maximum stability.
-
Powder coated unistrut roof rack runs the full length of the van and is customizable for installation of additional solar panel, ladder, surfboard rack, etc.
-
The van comes with a custom manual for how to operate and maintain everything in the living space. And we will always support you with any questions you might have as you get used to your new home on wheels!
-
Buyer is responsible for shipping or pickup. We are available to drive the van to the buyer - deposit as well as additional travel fees would apply.
