Returning to the fold, soon I hope

[kingbee]

Hello to all. I used to lurk around here (and the other AS forum) quite a lot, back when I owned a '94 AWD Astro. I learned a lot from all the great members on here, and figured I'd always have an Astro or safari- the '94 was our 2nd. But the family was shrinking and my wife was tired of driving vans so we traded it towards a Honda CR-V. I thought about keeping the '94 as a work/camping van but I already had a company work truck, and the van was part of our down payment, so off it went.

But times change. The Honda is a great car, and the wife loves it, but she does admit she misses the space in the van sometimes. We trailer our dirtbikes out into the boonies a few times a year, and the Honda doesn't have the towing ability the 'Stro did, nor will it carry all our gear as well. We used to sleep in the van, now we're on the ground. On top of that, I'll be losing my work truck soon- company has to cut back on perks- so I'm considering another astro or safari.

The van won't be a grocery getter- the queenbee has her honda car for that- it'll be MY truck. Primary use will be to get me to work, and as a camper and bike hauler on weekends. I'll also need to haul tools and materials for the occasional side job. Perfect job for a van, hey?

I have thought about a full size van- all that room would make for a nice camper, and I have to say, the idea of hauling 3 dirtbikes in the back, and still having room for myself, my wife, and our daughter sounds pretty nice. BUT, I live in the upper peninsula of Michigan, and we get a lot of snow here, so AWD is real nice. My '94 was unstoppable in snow. AWD fullsize vans are rare and way too spendy for me, so I've started to look for a '96-98 awd AS. I'm looking for those years to get the newer style dash, the BW transfer case, and the possibly more reliable F.I. than the '94 had.

Long term plans are a mild lift, just enough for 235's. I have some ideas for a simple camper interior, just a place to sleep and get out of nasty weather. Add a tent or screen room to the side and back, and I'll have a great base camp for our trail riding excursions. TLows pop top is awesome, but out of my price range.

I'll be watching the classifieds here, as well as CL and fleabay. If I could get a van that's already lifted all the better.

Anyway, it's good to be back, and I'm glad to see so many of the same folks here. Keeping the AS torch lit!

Cheers,
Dave

[1Gary]

Good luck on your search for a new Astro/Safari.Welcome back Dave.Looking forward to pic's of your buy and of the work you want to do to it.

[LiftedAWDAstro]

Welcome back Dave. Sounds like a good plan. When you do the 2" lift for fitment of 235's, do the add-a-leaf in the rear.

[astroturf]

Welcome back Dave. Sounds like a good plan. When you do the 2" lift for fitment of 235's, do the add-a-leaf in the rear.

I agree the shackle lift just doesn't seem natural. Oh, glad to have you. Jim

[kingbee]

Thanks for the welcome. I tend to agree about the add a leafs- should keep pinion angles the same, less hassle there. I don't need or want a gnarly offroader- I prefer 2 wheels for that- just want to give it a better stance, and room for a size up on the tires.

I'm talking like I already have the van. Have been checking CL, found some that look okay. Problem with living in the sticks as I do is that car shopping usually involves a long drive. Also, I live in the "rust belt" so a lot of the cars that show up around here have cancer. Darn iron moths!

No big hurry yet, I'll keep looking till I find a good one. We're originally from LA and I have friends & family out there- I've thought about having a buddy find me a rust-free van there and then doing a fly-n-drive to get it back here. Not as many AWD's in southern Cal though. And that would add a lot to the price.

Cheers,
Dave