SOLD PENDING PICKUP
CHEVY SUBURBAN 2005, 4X4 1500 Camper
Excellent condition and camping fit out. Currently ~ 202,000 miles
What a fabulous time us two Aussies have had exploring the USA and Canada in this Suburban, with stints of 3, 5 and now 3 months over the last 3 years. It has been a very comfortable and reliable home away from home and was just so perfect for our needs.
Before departing Australia and researching campers that best fitted our needs, I became convinced a 2000 – 2006 Suburban 4×4 would the perfect vehicle for us. Not too old and not to new with all the inherent problems of each. Many believe this 5.3l V8/4speed auto is one of best Chevy’s ever made. Suburbans are a vehicle most mechanics and parts stores across the continent could easily have back on the road quickly, for most eventualities.
When this vehicle came up online, we bought her while still in Australia, as this Suburban was in excellent condition, had no rust and no accident history, with a good service record and fabulous fit-out.
It has proved to be very comfortable to drive on and off road, as well as being very tough and reliable. It has never missed a beat, started instantly every time and used no oil between changes and cruised along like a dream. We were never let down anywhere in over 20,000 miles of travel, much of which was remote from Alaska to New Mexico. Maintenance was easy, and parts readily available to keep our Suburban running in top condition. In the 3 years of our ownership and travels we haven’t hesitated or skimped on providing the best quality oils and parts when required by the manufactures schedules or as needed.
With the 4 x 4, high ground clearance and without the size of a larger camper, every night we were able to find a wonderful place to securely spend the night, rain or shine. Out on the freeway or going through the towns and cities our Suburban was both easy to drive and park.
Check out www.suburbancamping.com/why-suburban.
The opened back hatch door provides immediate protection from sun and rain to cook up a feast or make a quick espresso. The removeable custom-made kitchen camping unit has slide out tables, stove, 12v frig, water and basin, pots and pans and drawers for all the immediate necessities. The hatch door has LED lights installed and adjacent are outlets for 12v and 110v appliances. Cooking and prepping are made easy and with no floor to sweep! A separate table with fold out legs sits atop the timber kitchen unit and can be setup on the ground when you really want to settle in and spread your wings.
Lots of storage space is available under the flattened seats. Cargo nets in the rear hold a huge amount of stuff which remains visible for when needed. With a door and window open it’s easy and safe to climb up on the full-length heavy-duty roof rack to access the large Mountaineer Thule roof box even when the side awning is erect and in use.
The folding double bed mattress is very comfortable and of good quality.
The We Boost Reach (new July 25) cell phone booster really makes a difference when in more remote areas to being able to make calls and access the internet. The custom timber front console has all the outlets for keeping phones, computers and gizos working as well as storage for all numerous travel bits and pieces.
Features of Note:
• The back seats fold to provide a flat platform for the double mattress. The original Suburban 3rd row of seats has been removed. All up there are 5 legal seats with belts, with plenty of room behind the seats for the folded mattress and gear.
• Full-length heavy duty roof rack
• Thule Mountaineer Cargo Roof Box
• 8ft Awning which is quick to erect and roll back up
• Dometic CF18 12v fridge w/insulated cover to improve performance
• Window vent-visors – all 4 windows – so you can leave the windows cracked for ventilation when sleeping in the vehicle without getting rain inside.
• Cell phone booster – ‘WeBoost Drive Reach’ in center console (new 7/25)
•4 LED recessed puck lights installed in rear hatch, wired to secondary battery to light up the meal-prep area at night
•Tinted side windows – inside hanging all around for towels & clothes for privacy & drying
•Trailer hitch
•Cruise Control
Power System details:
• Dual battery system with smart disconnect – Starter Battery new July 2025, Auxiliary July 22
• 1000w Xantrex pure sine inverter in custom center console with dash switch & monitor – outlets in center console and at rear hatch
• Dual wireless phone chargers in center console
• Renogy 100w solar panel (with quick disconnect) mounted on roof rack
• Renogy 30a solar charge controller in custom timber ceiling mount with display
• 12v outlets wired to secondary battery in center console, as well as rear back hatch (for fridge)
• USB outlets wired to secondary battery in center console, as well as USB outlets wired to main battery for rear passengers
The solar panel keeps the auxiliary battery topped off when parked to run the fridge, lights, charge our phones, power the inverter to boil water for a coffee with the plug-in heater element, and charge our laptop. The auxiliary battery auto-disconnects from the main battery when you turn off the vehicle, to prevent accidentally draining both batteries and reconnects when the vehicle is running, so that both batteries charge off the alternator.
Vehicles Upgrades:
• 2” lift with Bilstein front & rear (front pair new 8/2025)
• Larger tires/rims (about 33”) 285/75 R16 BF Goodrich AT KO2
• Z71 heavy duty rear coils
• Gauge cluster and dome converted to LED
Maintenance:
• Documented service history. All manufacturer scheduled items attended to as required and more! Regular oil changes (Engine, Transmission, Diffs and Transfer Case) Top quality fully synthetic oil and filters. Engine Oil and Filter, Transfer Case and Rear Diff just completed (8/2025 – 201,000mls)
• New Disc Pads, front and back 187K miles
• New Edelmann Steering Box and Pitman Arm 193K miles
• Reconditioned Hydro Brake/Steering Booster 195K miles
• New front Bilstein Shock Absorbers 119K miles
• New starter battery (7/25)
Also included is an array of tools to enable the ongoing DIY maintenance and repair of this Suburban – Plus pots and pans, utensils and some other camp gear you might need.
Sadly, it’s soon time for us to return home. We are currently in Sacramento before flying out of San Francisco.
With international banks/currencies for us, we would require a cash settlement at the time of handing the clear Title over to the new owner.
For foreigners like us, we can’t recommend enough – Matt at web site: visitor.us whose business makes it easy, possible and affordable for non-residents to buy and own a vehicle in the USA.
