What did you do to/with your van today?

[WoodButcher]

51st Van Nationals 2024 are over and I'm home. Got home in 1.5 hrs and 2 days recovery. The heat is just butt kicking this old man.
I still had a blast.
5 days camping in blazing sun and thunderstorms. Folks lost canopies, tarps and I saw a tent the size of a van flip over with the owner inside. I had no issues but didn't use the hatch cover I made for the back after that first storm Wednesday, it leaked a little with the wind so It was much easier / faster just to pull the hatch closed when the storms came. The side door canopy blew like a banshee but stayed put. These are 2 pics just after set-up.

I photo bombed the gallery w/ 11 pages, 150+ pictures.

[MountainManJoe]

I'm really like the hatch + barn doors they put on those Astros. It seems so practical. Such a shame they stopped using those.

[sixsix]

Woody, went thru your album - The Paint... just something !

And Joe, I thought you were / would be familiar with the "Barn Door" ( 2 full doors ) vs "Dutch Door" ( 2 short doors w/ hatch ).
Was the "Dutch Door" option used on any other Van.


oops... mighta' just showed my "Van Ignorance Value". LOL

[MountainManJoe]

I've seen plenty of them in photos, but I've never owned it. My Astro had full barn doors. I've never seen dutch doors in any Gm other vehicle other than the Safari/Astro.

[WoodButcher]

Shame they stopped the astro safari line.
Personal preference for me are the barn doors. The hatch useful for a grocery getter but that is something I don't do often.

[WoodButcher]

Woody, went thru your album - The Paint... just something !

Yep, the guy that did my kids "bumper sticker" did much larger artwork on several vans while he was there. I talk with him on other forums and have seen his other work prior. Awesome to see a skill like that,
The blue van camped behind me won 2 plaques one of which was "first place mural" for his airbrushed van. All those vans in one place was exactly what you said, just something.

I didn't enter the show only because I didn't want to break camp to move and park in the middle of a field in the sun. As it turned out there were only 3 astrofari there so I'm sure I would have gotten a plaque myself.

The weather for the week sucked as a whole. It was either hot and humid or storming. I did watch a couple cool sunsets and the vans were awesome but the people were the best part. Most of them,,,
Folk from all over the US, Canada and even one group from Finland.
Camping out of my van was inconvenient but not uncomfortable so I enjoyed the camping but if I go camping again it will be in a trailer. With that the wife might even go.

[chevymaher]

I've seen plenty of them in photos, but I've never owned it. My Astro had full barn doors. I've never seen dutch doors in any Gm other vehicle other than the Safari/Astro.

Tahoe yukon suburbans have them for a option. My buddies suburban has them.

[MountainManJoe]

Tahoe yukon suburbans have them for a option.

You mean current models?

[chevymaher]

Tahoe yukon suburbans have them for a option.

You mean current models?

No mine and his are 2001.

[WoodButcher]

Remember the suburban w/ a roll down window like the station wagons?

[MountainManJoe]

who remember the swivel triangle windows?
Just twist them out to bring in lots of air. No power required.
It was a bit of a break in problem though.

[sixsix]

Spousal Unit calls them "cozy wings" and they did add a button on most - but alas those criminals became Masterminds...
Our late 80s Lincoln Signature had a 5" x 4" triangle that went down first before the main glass. Very smart, cool &... cozy.

[chevymaher]

who remember the swivel triangle windows?
Just twist them out to bring in lots of air. No power required.
It was a bit of a break in problem though.

My chev has them. They were always called cozy wings in my family. Used with a floor vent it was practically ac.

[MountainManJoe]

nice car

[WoodButcher]

I never understood why the manufacturers went away from the floor vents. The chevys had a stamped sheet metal door with a 5 cent sheet metal latch that worked a charm. Instead they added another complication to a hvac system that already had issues. I don't remember a "vent" in the later chevys that did anything at all.