still amazes me

[chemist]

It still amazes me how strong these vans are. My wife still wants to get me a pickup truck--I'm not all that sure I need one. Here's why I say that: So far my van has hauled home multiple hardware items--including 1/2 ton of playsand bags plus lumber for a sandbox at one point. Other trips have filled it with insulation, lumber and drywall. It's even towed home a cord of cut and split wood. It's also dragged trees (on the order of 1' thick by 30' long) out of the road, and even pulled a Dodge Caravan out of a snow/ice packed driveway.

But this week, it really earned it's keep. I towed home (30 miles) one of these: Click Here (4800# with 350# on tongue, on a standard 2" ball). Then after using that amusement park ride from hell to top two huge trees, the Astro with a rope on the trees and the hitch helped direct the fall of the tree trunks against their natural lean as they were cut (2' thick by 25' high oak trunks). If all of this didn't hurt it, nothing I throw at it will.

I'd be curious to know what kind of stuff others are throwing at these vans... Am I nuts for doing this kind of stuff to mine?

[ihatemybike]

My worst load has to be my MTB riding road trips. 8 guys, 10-11 bikes, all our gear, and a bunch of beer. Definitely overloaded. I've also towed other Astros and pulled parade floats.

[dunedog]

Every winter I'm amazed !

[meetthespeakers]

I became a master of packing after doing many road trips with the band. It was great to still have the middle seat in and still fit everyone comfortable for 8 hours rides. If you know musical instruments I was able to fit 2 half stacks, bass rig, 5 piece drumset, 4 guitars, 1 bass, luggage, and other misc stuff. Can't beat the Stro! Everyone is always surprised at how much it can fit. I got a really large sectional couch with a chase in there a few months ago. The sellers mouth dropped after they saw me strategically wedge it in there.

[potskie]

Am I nuts for doing this kind of stuff to mine?

Nope. My old work van and my own van before we got company vans carried upwards of a few hundred bundles of newspapers every day..... Usually enough to completely squat the suspension to the point where it rode like it didn't have one. Never gave me a problem..... That same van ( my personal one ) has been offroaded stock RWD with the prefered method being STOMP on it and just smash through or across everything...... It went through a half dozen accidents.... Towed my trailers on a very regular basis the largest load being my 90 safari on a dolly.. Also extracted my old 90 suburban from mud that it sunk into upto the axles ( 7500 LB truck in thick mud ).... I even tried to grenade the engine in it at one point to have an excuse to buy another one... went over a year towing all those trailers and hauling papers without an oil change or any fluid changes and a blown head gasket... Just would not die. When I moved I sent it off for scrap and it was still running........ You definately are not nuts..... Sounds almost like you might be babying your van .

[dj_joker_2002]

Well last week I loaded mine with scrap wood to take to the dump- I had so much in it that it ripped my head liner. and then I had a 8 foot trailer loaded with the same junk wood towed behind it. The guy at the dump asked me if I was trying to ruin my van - I promptly told him
if I was I came up short cause this van didn't even breath hard with this load and laughed.
GM really screwed up when they stop making these.

[phr1$k37]

Does hauling 7 teenagers or 7 elementary children + me and gear count??? I am sure the 7 kidz adds a lot of stress ... ok to the driver

Off-road, pulling trees (need new d-shackle hitch thingy now), usually hauling soemthing inside (add leafs really helped!) and the occasional 24' Bayliner Cruiser ... without electric brakes!!! Gonna fix that up soon.

[Water Boy]

It still amazes me how strong these vans are. ...I'd be curious to know what kind of stuff others are throwing at these vans... Am I nuts for doing this kind of stuff to mine?

Read my sig........

[dunedog]

Yep,....everyone in that neck of the woods hauls "Bottled water"..

[knucklehead]

well its not much but i hauled a 10 foot trailer with 1000lbs of equipment in it while having a kayak on top of the trailer and the van and every seat full in the van with some people averaging over 200lbs each plus gear on top of them. my dad has taken both bench seats out and the front passenger seat out to fit 2 motorcycles IN the van to drive up to nova scotia which is about 1500kms.

[LiftedAWDAstro]

I hauled 7 full square of architectural shingles plus a few rolls water and ice. Thankfully I had the very rear seat out and had the 5" lift on it at the time! The extra leaf springs and extended bump stops came in handy.