Please feel free to point me in the right direction. New here. I have a 22 express cargo that I purchased a system from crutchfield to do a stereo install but unsure where to find the place to hook the backup camera from the dumb rear view mirror view to the Sony head unit I purchased.

Also my last truck was a Lariat and well appointed. Miss that truck just not the maintenance that goes along w an Ecoboost with 135k. I have located a heated/ cooled seat for a reasonable price and wanted to know if anyone has ever made that happen in a savannah. I cannot be the only one...

Has anyone installed a 12v vent fan that will withstand a carwash? This thing is an oven. Looking to do a wired unit that would automatically activate at certain temp.

One more thing. Ride quality is ****. This truck has less that 20 thousand on the clock. Factory Bridgestones and I have not up fitted for the general contractor job I currently call a career quite yet. Might happen next week. Will the extra weight make the difference? Too busy making hay while the sun shines...
But there will be time soon enough, just trying to get things ready when I have a minute.

Any input or direction would be appreciated. Looking to keep this thing till I retire and want to make it nothing fancy outside and just what it needs to be inside.

 

Find the GM upfitter manual for your van and it should have the wire diagram for the rear view mirror. Alternatively you might look at getting one of the 3rd brake light replacements with a camera in it and simply have 2 cameras to look at when backing up. It might come in handy having a different perspective sometimes (brake light obviously much higher than the door handle).

 

Extra weight will certainly play a factor. What PSI are you running in your tires? No need for 80 pounds if you aren't towing or hauling a lot of stuff just yet.

Also, consider a set of Bilstein shocks, they tend to make quite the difference. Not cheap, but worth it if you are using this for a living.

 

I would contact Crutchfield. They have great tech support.

 

I mounted one camera in the third brake light which gives a good view behind the van. The second camera I mounted above the licence plate and it points down to show my rear bumper and the trailer hitch when it's on. I can back right up to almost touching something or line up with the trailer on the first try. I have a switch on the dash to switch between cameras. Some of the touchscreen units have inputs for two separate cameras but it's not worth it because you have to go through a menu just to switch between them. The additional switch makes it fast and easy.

I just installed a 12 volt exhaust fan I got from Amazon. I used a piece of old radiator hose I had laying around and put it right up against the flapper vent that's behind the passenger side rear tail light. It moves a fair amount of air out of the van. I set it up with an on-off-on switch and a small dimmer to set the speed. One position on the switch will turn it on and the second on position on the switch will run it through a cheap thermostat switch that you can buy on Amazon. I haven't put the thermostat in yet. I'll be able to run it with or without the thermostat controlling it.

I also ordered a 12 volt automotive fan that's actually two fans and one. I attach magnets to it so I can stick it anywhere in the van. I have it wired with another on-off-on switch which lets me turn it on all the time or have it only come on when the rear door opens. That makes a big difference when you're going to the van to get something. Instant breeze.

Another nice addition was the LED strips on the rear doors just above the window. They give a ton of light for hooking up a trailer or something like that behind the van and if you open the doors all the way they throw a ton of light behind the van and light up the whole area. Makes a big difference when you're trying to pack out after dark.

I added a second battery and inverter to run battery chargers for power tools and all the 12 volt circuits I've added in the rear without affecting the start battery. I can run fans, lights, chargers and anything else all day long with no worry of killing the start battery.

I might start a thread with some of the other upgrades I've done to make the cargo van more livable and functional.

 

My 2011 1500 had the top of the line ladder rack and the heavy duty thick metal shelving throughout when I got it. It seemed to do just fine. I pulled it all out except for the partition. It wasn't light.

It was very bouncy when I first got it and the shocks were blown. I put some in that said they were the same as factory and it was still bouncy. I threw in some KYB gas-adjust shocks and it's been great for the last 20,000 miles.

Hellwig makes a rear sway bar that people really seem to like. It's not cheap but that's my next upgrade. There's no rear sway bar at all in these vans.

 

All the black plastic trim around the rear doors comes off easily and is hollow. Plenty of space to flush mount lights, cameras or anything else you may want.

Those panels can collect leaves and crap in the space behind them so it's a good idea to remove them and clean out the space. The leaves can hold moisture, break down and cause rust if left in there too long.

 

Good to know. Those will be coming off for custom tool storage/ tubes of glue, caulk and fasteners. Did that with an old Econoline I had years ago. Was great for easy access to often used items.

 

I was actually talking about the external panels around the outside of the rear doors where the brake lights are.

I put a handwash station in the rear drivers side door. It's really nice to have. It's a hacked together prototype of what I wanted but it works well so I haven' been in a hurry to redo it. I'll post some pics later.