Back in the day, it wasn’t uncommon for aftermarket conversion companies to take existing domestic work vans and convert them into something that combined the acres of space afforded by your typical Big 3 van product with the 4×4 capabilities of a Land Rover. The whole concept of “overlanding” that has taken the modern van culture by storm really isn’t anything new, as the adventure set has long known that cheap vans make epic platforms for exploring the unknown. This is a former 1967 GMC Savana that was converted by a company still in existence today by the name of Sportsmobile and is listed here on eBay with a Buy-It-Now of just $3,900.

I knew the name “Savana” didn’t come about until fairly recently, as the seller incorrectly labels this GMC model. More accurate is the term “Handi-Van”, which was the rebadged nomenclature for a Chevy G-Series, and when you research that nameplate, what comes up? This same oddball, written up by our own Scotty G when it was a craigslist find from two years ago. Not much has changed since then other than a slight bump in the price tag, despite the fact that not much work has transpired since it first appeared for sale. This doesn’t surprise me at all, as since listing my 1981 Toyota HiAce for sale, I’ve been besieged by people who have wild dreams of living the van life but basically zero concept as to how to maintain and otherwise live with a vintage vehicle.

I have a feeling I’m not alone in this regard, and it actually makes me want to be fairly strict about who potentially tries to buy my HiAce. I could see the same possible fate for this Sportsmobile convert, as it was originally in Iowa and now resides in North Carolina with essentially no progress made since it first appeared for sale. One thing about van life: it may seem boring to use a late model GMC or Chevy product to go soul searching across the desert plains, but you’ll be doing that self-assessment far sooner than if you attempt to convert a vintage vehicle with no prior automotive experience. Sorry, it’s true. Your Chevy van may not look particularly exciting on Instagram, but if you really are all about that lifestyle, it shouldn’t matter which vehicle you ultimately choose.

Still, I’m sure this seller is hoping someone comes along who wants to try on this oddball Sportsmobile conversion for size, and an enthusiast with the right know-how could absolutely create an epic overlanding vehicle out of this once low-lying GMC. The listing notes the van currently features a “Blazer drivetrain” with a 305 out of a Chevy Caprice included as a backup option should that engine go bust. The suspension is quite obviously lifted with a set of Super Swampers, and the listing curiously states “…proceeds benefit people in poverty.” I’m not sure what to make of that, other than it seems to affirm my earlier statements that not all van life dreams are as realistic as those suffering from wanderlust may realize.