Brown Sugar Is an Absolutely Delicious and Insane Chevy Lowrider Campervan

November is autoevolution’s Chevrolet Month, and the Chevy we’re taking a close look at today is one that would be perfect for social distancing and remote family vacations. In fact, it would be the perfect getaway vehicle slash mobile home forever, given how absolutely delicious and tastefully done it is. If you could afford it, that is.

This lowrider campervan is actually a SEMA creation, presented at the 2019 edition of the show in Las Vegas by River City Roads, out of Davenport, Iowa. River City Roads makes superb lowriders out of the most surprising vehicles but, this one stands out even by their usually high standards.

Meet Brown Sugar. Brown Sugar started as a salvage vehicle of sorts, a 1983 Chevrolet C30 RV camper, a Coachman that had seen far better days. River City Roads bought it for some $1,400 off Craigslist, with the idea of flipping it for profit. But then, they started talking about turning it into a SEMA project.

The result is the most bonkers lowrider of recent years, one that, to this day, still gets custom enthusiasts raving with delight. It’s a campervan that’s been rebuilt entirely by hand, with retro touches and a heavy dose of recycling / repurposing, plus an eye-catching paintjob in the most delicious shades of chocolate brown - from caramel to dark brown, burned sienna and lavish gold.

Before starting the build, the shop stripped the C30 of its camper, added an extra-long pickup bed and a bigger camper on top. Power comes from a 5.3-liter GM LS1 V8 engine mated to a 4L80E four-speed automatic transmission and, while everything has been brushed, polished, and painted to perfection, the shop says they kept most modifications at a minimum. They wanted to show that a SEMA campervan could top expensive RVs in terms of looks and style, without the massive budget the latter entail.

There’s GSI air suspension to turn Brown Sugar into a lowrider and, conversely, a functional living space for the owner not afraid of taking it out. At the time it was listed for sale earlier this year, it had only 80 miles (129 km) on the odometer, which means it didn’t see much use.

Inside, there’s a symphony of brown, plaid and more retro touches, which turns Brown Sugar into a fitting tribute to the grooviness of the ‘70s, minus the sense of second-hand embarrassment for the tackiness.

In a project that could have easily veered into tacky, River City Roads crafted a campervan that looks quite comfortable and homey, thanks to a combo of leathers and wood. There’s a kitchen sink made of a repurposed Coca-Cola cooler and a retro refrigerator. The sub-woofers are made from wooden whiskey barrels, while the ice chests were handcrafted from scratch.

Highlights also include a pull-out couch, generous countertops, quite enough storage space (all things considered), as well as a small toilet and running water. There’s even a TV in the space above the cab, along with a narrow sleeping space. It might be cramped, but this campervan was made for living in.

At SEMA, Brown Sugar won a 40 Battle Of The Builders title, was a Street Trucks Top 10 pick, as well as one of the most photographed vehicles at the show. It also took home the Peoples Choice award at the QCCA Expo Center Rod & Custom Show.

This explains why, when it was listed for sale on eBay earlier this year, it failed to meet reserve even though bidding reached $100,099. At the same time, it was listed with another site for $179,990. As of the time of writing, it’s still with River City Roads, but you can check it out virtually in the gallery and the videos attached.