Whether you’re a doomsday prepper or you just like the idea of getting off the grid for a while, you’ll probably be interested in today’s Autotrader Find. It’s a 1998 GMC Savana 3500 that’s been heavily modified into a very serious overlanding rig. Just add fuel, clothing, food, and water and you’re ready for some long-term, long-distance off-road adventures.
What is Overlanding?
Overlanding is kind of a general term for traveling to a remote location for an extended period of time. Think of it as an extreme form of camping that’s about the journey more than the destination. Overlanding can be done with a Jeep, an adventure motorcycle, or even the right bicycle.
Serious overlanders who want to go weeks, months, or even years without seeing a building or a power line use big trucks and vans that are modified to carry enough supplies for long-term adventuring.
Get Off the Grid
That’s what we see here with this GMC Savana. It’s been turned into an off-road-ready camper with a bed, food storage, a generator, a pop-up roof, an awning, and off-road modifications to the suspension, tires, and some bodywork.
Interestingly, this van did not start its life as a passenger van. Rather, it’s a cargo van that’s had more windows added to the passenger side. Note that only one side of the van has windows and they don’t look factory.
The seller claims this van achieves up to 20 mpg, which would make it the Prius of overlanding rigs. This is thanks to the 6.5-liter Detroit turbo-diesel V8 under the hood shared with the old Chevy C/K trucks and Hummer H1. It’s a sturdy engine that’s good enough for military use in the Humvee which makes it a good fit for this beast. Naturally, it’s equipped with four-wheel drive.
This Savana is appropriately located in Reno, Nevada surrounded by plenty of desert land to explore. With an asking price of $135,000, it’s the only GMC Savana on Autotrader with a six-figure price tag. To the right adventurer, it’s worth every penny. Find a GMC Savana 3500 for sale
