Shasta is one of those semi-household names that I’ve heard about for years. Known for its van conversions, the company still exists today as a manufacturer of camper trailers, the sort you pull behind a heavy-duty pickup truck. At one time, the company made its name taking existing van models like the Chevrolet G20 and giving them the full miniature RV treatment. These rigs are somewhat hard to come by today, so to discover a survivor like this 1979 Chevrolet G20 Shasta conversion like this one here on eBay is a rare find.
Bidding is currently sitting at $4,100 with the reserve unmet. While vans are sometimes tricky to assign value to, I can understand the seller wanting to see more than $5,000 (or better) for this clean conversion. The original decal stripes are in great shape, and the turbine-style wheels on white-letter radials are the perfect fit for a van like this. The paintwork looks quite nice, as do the chrome bumpers and the spare tire cover. Every van seemingly has a different window configuration than the next one; this Shasta van features a large single window on the left along with three narrower windows that appear to have sliders.
The inside is quite clean for a camper conversion. As we’ve covered before, you never know what you’re going to get with one of these in terms of the previous inhabitants. The orange shag carpeting pairs nicely with the blue upholstery and what looks like a matching fabric covering on the mini-fridge. The seller notes that the Chevy is also equipped with a sink and water hookup, 120-volt power hookup, four swiveling captain’s chairs, and a dual bench dinette that converts into a bed at the rear of the cargo area.
The aftermarket gauges are interesting to me – they are very cleanly installed and suggest both a high level of attention to detail as well as perhaps a conscientious owner who wanted to be sure to keep an eye on critical engine readings. The 5.7L 350 is said to run quite well and is paired to a three-speed automatic transmission. The mileage is said to be just under 70,000 and the seller reports he would drive it anywhere tomorrow. The market for a vintage van can be a fickle one, so we’ll be watching to see if this cool conversion manages to sneak past the reserve.
Sold.
G-series vans are one of those hidden marvels. I had a 1996 long 1 ton G30. It was known as a “Classic” as only the 1-ton vans were still the old design in 96.
Now, that means most of them are 1995 and older. We’re talking vehicles that are at least 27 years old. The next time you’re out driving, start looking and see how many of these are still going down the highway and often going to work. 70,000 miles? Drive it anywhere? yeah, I’d say so! I lost a hubcap for mine and went to see my buddy who runs the salvage yard. “Yep, got the twin to yours” I went back and yes, it was just like mine but it showed 400,000 miles on the odometer. I mentioned that when I got back. “Yeah, and he drove it in here too…” I replaced the G30 with a Sprinter and I like it, but I sometimes wonder if getting rid of the Chevy was a good idea. Current owner loves it as much as I did and sends photos of it from all the places he goes. Seriously, start looking.. they are everywhere…
Tough old van. My 78 ran for 78K before I sold it. New owner racked up 210K more before he tried to sell it back to me for what he paid for it. The only thing he did to it was change oil every 3k miles, and the only thing he did to it was replace the brake shoes, and a minor tune up.
Can’t beat a G20 van! I had a 1986 G20 Beauville that I loved. I’d snap this one up in an instant if I could!