MyStar typically doesn’t do new car or truck stories, but this 2017 Chevy camper stood out like a neon sign.
This was at a car show with ever 400 entries so that was a feat.
The people factor made this big van an instant MyStar owner’s story because you have to learn why someone would build this massive, fiery-red, vehicle with lights at every corner.
Jerry Sutherland
Kim Gault is the owner/builder of this Chevy he nicknamed ‘The Van’. He admitted he didn’t have a defined game plan when he built this RV/post Zombie monster vehicle. Kim said he just wanted a place to stay on one of his many road trips back and forth between Alberta, Canada and Michigan. Kim said he was, “tired of sleeping in his truck”.
He started by gutting the interior of the brand-new Chevy and sleeping on a cot while he built a game plan for the van. That was eight years ago, and the process took every minute of five years.
This is 6-liter-powered van, with a 6-speed automatic and a 4:11 rear end, because it did tow a trailer for its early years while Kim mapped out the custom van side of the equation. He also wanted to build it to high safety and quality standards because that’s the standard Kim sets.
Kim started by converting the van to a four-wheel drive because he knew he’d face some serious weather on some of his numerous road trips. In fact, Kim admitted he was “pushing snow” on one run in Montana, so the 4×4 conversion paid for itself that day. His only regret is not making the truck a little higher during the process. Kim even has a shotgun seat for this faithful dog Sparky.
This van is a big adventure in wiring because of all the add-ons like extra air conditioning (factory system couldn’t keep up), mega-lights and a massive sound system set in a big toolbox. Kim said he “likes music and this system is pretty loud”. That makes sense because something with a massive presence like this big Chevy van should aggravate the neighbours.
Kim loaded this van with stuff you’d never see on a factory 2017 Chevy van. There’s a bank of lights on the grille that would blind astronauts on the International Space Station. Kim gets asked about the red paint and said, “Most people think it’s a fire truck or some kind of emergency vehicle’.
The truck also has the world’s only tribute to the nuclear bomb seen in the movie “Doctor Strangelove”. Kim added it to the driver’s side to “balance out” the canopy on the passenger’s side–it definitely adds to the mystery behind this van.
Kim gets asked about the gas mileage on this 9000-pound van—it gets a surprising 13 miles per gallon on the highway and an okay 11.5 mpg in town. Kim thought the massive (and tall) Chevy handles great even in a high wind.
He runs it at a respectable 70 miles per hour for a reason. Kim said when you’re rigged out like this you adopt a different attitude on the road as explained.
I can run it at 80, but I got time to get there. Why do I need to speed?
Kim Gault
By: Jerry Sutherland
Jerry Sutherland is a veteran automotive writer with a primary focus on the collector car hobby. His work has been published in many outlets and publications, including the National Post, Calgary Herald, Edmonton Journal, Ottawa Citizen, Montreal Gazette, Saskatoon StarPhoenix, Regina Leader-Post, Vancouver Sun and The Truth About Cars. He is also a regular contributor to Auto Roundup Publications.
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