There’s no one perfect track day van for everyone—but this one built by Rick—the motovlogger who goes by the name ‘CycleCruza’ on YouTube—might come pretty close. He took a Chevy Express and built it into his perfect bug-out van, both for dirt bike weekends and for all-out cross-country road trips. It fits him, his bike, and everything he needs to live comfortably on the road. What more could you ask for?
The Great DIY Outdoors:
You probably have plenty of questions as you watch this video, whether you’re new to traveling with your bike on board like this, or you’ve done it a bunch before. Sit back, relax, and watch the video, because chances are good that he’s answered most (if not all) of those questions. To start, the basic size question: He chose a Chevy Express because it’s a lot more practical to live with than a Sprinter, including basic issues like height clearance going through drive-thrus and parking garages. For the record, he also says that finding parts and service is easier, as well.
There’s something incredibly impressive about well-used space, to my mind. I’ll forever be in awe of ingenious tiny space solutions that make the most of what’s available, rather than simply upsizing just because. For example, Rick’s comfy memory-foam fold-out bed securely straps into place to hold the TV—and also has a magnetic tool strip, secure storage for his laptop, and plenty of space to hold his clothes underneath. It’s pretty sweet.
Everything here is extremely well thought out, from the sink and faucet unit that can transform into a hand-held shower with the help of a pop-up shower tent, to the solar panels that not only power everything but also provide convenient cover against the elements for the roof vents.
Rick’s solutions obviously aren’t going to be for everyone, but they’re impressive and cool to see. More importantly, it demonstrates the kind of thinking that provides tons of inspiration for your own builds to suit your specific needs. He’s even got an entire separate YouTube channel about the specifics of building this van, which you can check out here.
Also, in case you’re wondering, he says the total for this project came in at around US $10K. That’s including the cost of the actual van, before he outfitted it with all the various accessories seen here to make it a useful place to live with his bike on a cross-country road trip. You could easily spend a whole lot more and come away with a lot less. If you’re happy staying here instead of in cheap hotels, you could save an awful lot of money for fun stuff like bike builds and track days.
Source: YouTube