Chevy & GMC Vans

Don't have an Astro yet but I did put a deposit on one. Should be in my possession by mid week.

I've been looking for a good overnight capable vehicle that could also handle some dirt roads. I think I've found my weekender after a years search, bang for the buck I don't know if I could do any better.
Got a low mileage 04 AWD that is the extended version with towing package and some sort of limited slip rear. A don't plan any rock crawling so the extra 19" of length should do me more good than harm. Time will tell if this turns into my perfect "escape pod"..
Well, it would take a Cummins 4BT conversion to get close to "perfect"..

I'll be scouring the forums for camper conversions and probably asking a lot of silly questions. Hope I can eventually contribute something as well. Arlon in Midland Tx.

Welcome! You just about can't go wrong with an AWD Astro/Safari. When you look up multi-purpose in the dictionary, you'll find a picture of our vans....

(And if you look up procrastination... you'll find a pic of my van....)

Nice work. 2002's an up are the best of the bunch IMO, and the posi rear is good for getting you out of tricky situations. I'm looking forward to your conversions too. Welcome.

After looking around on here I see it has a G80 differential and 3.73 gears (part of the tow package I assume). Anything else to look for (good or bad) on the build codes?

Any thoughts on what tire sizes will fit the std wheels and still work with the 3.73 gears? I think tires are going to have to be replaced pretty soon.

Do the extended vans have a longer wheel base or are the boxes just longer?

arlon wrote: Do the extended vans have a longer wheel base or are the boxes just longer?

Technically, the 04's are not "extended" vans. GM used to offer a short body and the EXT but stopped around 1992-1993. All Astros and Safaris since then have been the longer body and they dropped the EXT designation.

Welcome to ASV.

I thought it looked a lot like all the others I'd seen. It was just advertised as extended.. Hope I can still fit some kind of mattress in there. After looking around on here a little, I have a lot of inspiration.

arlon wrote:Any thoughts on what tire sizes will fit the std wheels and still work with the 3.73 gears? I think tires are going to have to be replaced pretty soon.

Welcome !!

Here is my opinion on tire sizes.

215/70R16 are the standard size.

235/65R16 for a wider tire footprint. This size has the same diameter as the standard 16-inch Astro tire and will fit on the factory wheels.

arlon wrote:Hope I can still fit some kind of mattress in there.

There is room for a queen above the wheel wells.

arlon wrote:Anything else to look for (good or bad) on the build codes?

Nah. Pretty standard stuff. If you have rear heat and/or A/C you will be able to tell.

I would say that with the 3.73 gears, you have room to go bigger if you want. But I recommend sticking to the metric sizes because it will give you more tires to choose from. You may be able to go up to 245's. I don't think you can go any taller without a lift.

Van made the drive home (500 Miles @ 16.7 mpg) with out a hitch. A few rattles and squeaks but nothing serious. The side door squeaking about ran me out of the car, I assume there is some adjustments or lubes to help that. That's going to be the first problem that gets addressed. Tires have some dry rot, looks like the van may have sat for a long time (dry rot, new battery and a few other clues). Guess that's why it only has 42k miles on it.

I'm official now..

Congrats.

Nice! Since it has low mileage, it's time for some needed maintenance. Do the transmission first thing...drop the pan, change the filter, clean the pan, re-install and put in fresh fluid. No need for a complete flush. Then figure on the t-case Auto Trak 2 fluid. Then it's whatever else is needed.

Now throw up some pics of her!

Van on day 2..





Very expensive looking "boulder buster"!

My thoughts exactly.



Your van looks very pristine.

Hmm, that's just what I was thinking. I'm in rock country and I think a skid plate of some sort will be high on my priority list.. What were the Chevy engineers thinking??

As to "pristine", I would guess it would be as close as one might be able to find. It sure hasn't been abused..

Nice van! Good color too - looks like Cadet blue, just like my 2005 Astro RWD, only mine isn't two tone. The silver on the lower part goes well with the dark blue upper part. Wish my mine had the posi rear end! I don't think it does. When I get stuck in snow, one wheel spins while the other stays still. Sometimes I wish I had gone for AWD. Maybe I'll see if I can upgrade the rear end sometime. Enjoy your van! BTW, I agree a Cummins diesel swap would make for one sweet van!