Lighter, Stronger
& Quieter

More Days on the Road
& More Years of Adventuring

Click below to learn about:

All Aluminum Cabinet Frames

  • TIG Welded Joints
    • Designed for the sheer forces produced in a moving vehicle.
    • Rigid structures to prevent collapsing.
  • Cabinet panels are fastened with machine screws
  • Aluminum frames are mounted to the body of the van for SAFETY

The Stowaway Fold Up Bench (Seats 2)

  • Meets FMVSS (“Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards”) rating for United States & Canada
  • Installation method has been Pull Tested, & exceeds all safety standards

Inspected & Certified

  • All Grit Overland Van Models are inspected, certified & receive a serial number.  (Our manufacturing exceeds all fire safety, electrical & plumbing industry standards.)

Aluminum: We use throughout our builds.

  • Not all aluminum is equal. We use aerospace grade alloys & increased wall thickness when needed to create the perfect balance of durability, strength & lightness.

UV rated marine board

  • Stands up to the elements without absorbing moisture.
  • Doesn’t require edge band finishing or coatings to seal it & make it look good.  (These are 2 major points of failure we totally avoid.)

Top of the line vinyl flooring

  • We’ve tested dozens of flooring materials & this is the best we’ve found thus far.
  • The flooring material is only half of the durability equation. We also consider the compatible methods for adhering it.
  • Will it stay adhered under extreme conditions? (Like: cold, heat, direct sunlight).
  • What does it look like after heavy use? (Scratched, dented, under heavy items, after wet items, etc.)

Marine grade upholstery material

  • Even our tweed includes a water proof layer, to prevent moisture from penetrating into the underlying substrate.

Lighter panel material

  • Because our framing creates the needed structural support, we can use lighter panel material in many places.

Insulation (3 layers)

  • Sound Deadening: We apply sound deadening on every flat open area in the empty van. We even pull down the Factory over cab ceiling/shelf & sound deaden & insulate behind it before putting it back together.
  • Radiant heat break. We use a closed cell foam with foil on both sides to create a radiant heat break all around the inside of the van cargo area.
  • Comfort insulation: We install 2″ to 4″ of anti-microbial non-water absorbing insulation, with a fabric backer, everywhere we can fit it.  The fabric backer helps it stay where we put it, instead of vibrating down the walls & gathering at the bottom of the wall cavities.

Infrastructure Welded Joints:

  • No fasteners needed for joints in the infrastructure.

Bolted to the body of Van for Safety.

  • We bolt infrastructure directly to the body of the van. Using nuts, bolts & rivets.

Single sheet of upholstered aluminum

  • Our overhead cabinets are made from a sheet of upholstered aluminum.
  • Additionally, we attach UV rated marine board with machine screws directly to this aluminum.

We use machine screws tapped straight into the aluminum,

  • For attaching our cabinet panels, hinges & drawer slides.

What you wont find:

  • Wood cabinet infrastructure with nails, screws and/or glue attaching cabinet panels, These cabinets, under normal driving conditions (vibrating vehicle, accelerating, braking, etc.) will rattle loose the fasteners to:
    • At Best: Cause squeaking & rattling noises.
    • At Worst: Causes a serious Safety Hazard.

Real World Example: This is a peek into our design consideration process.  Below you’ll find a list of materials we considered using for cabinet infrastructure.

We were seeking material & assembly methods that would provide: lightweight, strength, sound deadening & 20+ year durability… Under the extreme forces of a driving vehicle that can be taken off-road. 

(Read about sheer forces on wood cabinets installed in a moving vehicle below)

 

TIG WELDED ALUMINUM: Is the best we’ve found thus far.

  • The Lightest
  • Strength far exceeds all requirements
  • Rigid tube structures are safer
  • Non-corrosive
  • All Machine screws are on the outside panels. Easily accessed for tightening & maintaining. (No wood screws/nails that will rattle loose & no machine screws at inside joints to rattle loose.)
  • Our Experience: TIG Welded aluminum infrastructure is the best material & assembly method we’ve found thus far.

 

8020 ALUMINUM: Heavier & impossible to maintain.

  • Heavier
  • Strength far exceeds all requirements (With proper aluminum alloy & while all screws are tight/secured)
  • Can make rigid structures (while all screws are tight/secure)
  • Non-corrosive
  • Machine screws at every joint, make it impossible to maintain.
  • Our experience: These screws come loose over time riding in a vibrating vehicle. Yes, even when using Loctite type screw adhesives.
  • Big Challenge: When they do come loose, they are impossible to find and/or maintain/tighten again.
  • EXAMPLE: Every joint inside a cabinet like the Galley, has 4 to 6 screws.  Our galley would need 150+ screws just to assemble the inside joints.
  • Once loose, these hidden screws can: 
    • At best: cause rattling noises
    • At worst: cause a safety hazard 

 

STEEL: Corrosive & heavier than aluminum.

  • Can be the heaviest (depending how it’s used.)
  • Strength far exceeds all requirements
  • Rigid tube structures are safe
  • Corrosion causes rust & a break down of structural integrity. (Every tapped screw is an exposed steel corrosion point)
  • If you use thick-wall steel, Machine screws can be tapped directly into the steel.  But thicker means heavier.
  • Our Experience: Thin wall steel can be used for certain purposes, as long as it is coated properly & the coating is not likely to be damaged.

 

WOOD: When assembled with wood screws & nails is heavier & less durable than all other material/assembly method.

  • Can be the heaviest. Especially when considering all wood cabinets need thicker wood panels to be equally rigid.
  • Not very strong or durable under normal driving conditions. Under normal vehicle accelerating & breaking, the side to side sheer forces loosen wood nails, screws & glue.  Forces in a home are top down, but forces in an adventure van are top down when stopped & side to side while driving.
    (Example of force in a moving vehicle: A 100 pound item in a vehicle moving 30 mph, that comes to a sudden stop, becomes a 3000 pound force.)
  • Wood joints with screws/nails are the least durable/safe
  • Absorbs water & becomes damaged.
  • Wood screws/nails will vibrate loose & damage the wood structure. Not maintainable/tighten-able over time.
  • Once loose, these wood nails, screws & glue can: 
    • At best: cause rattling noises
    • At worst: cause a safety hazard
  • Our Experience: Wood can be used as panels.  It is easy to work with & can be easily machined.  Don’t use for infrastructure & protect from potential water damage.

We’ve been making warranty repairs happen in DAYS NOT MONTHS!

 

Designed Different:

  • Our Electrical System is like no other!
    It includes:
    • Smart system: All components are interconnected
    • Built-in Remote Diagnosis (beyond the component level)
    • Designed with high quality, readily available, off the shelf parts.
    • All of these design features mean:
      “If you have trouble, we can diagnose it remotely, source parts quickly & repair it in days . . . not months.”

Warranty & Service

  • We strive to provide warranty repairs in days not months.  
  • Every Grit Van Owner gets:
    • Direct Phone Support with a Technician, not a customer service rep. (Includes: After hours emergency phone support)
    • GRIT Exclusive FORD Chassis 100k mile bumper to bumper warranty with roadside assistance.
    • GRIT Hassle Free Warranty 24 month Unlimited miles, (On non-chassis items).
 
GRIT PROMISE: “More Days on the Road & More Years of Adventuring!”
LONG LASTING DURABILITY

We are constantly refining our systems & materials. 

 

We measure success by: 

Days per year you are out using your van . . . & How many years your van functions like new. 

 

Less time fixing stuff & more time adventuring in awesome places.

GRIT PROMISE
More Days on the Road &
More Years of Adventuring
Exclusive GRIT Warranty: