Re: Astro van and their owner's retirements..kinda quiet
Posted: Sat Aug 22, 2015 8:42 pm
Hello to All,
I still love to enhance the features of my 2003 Astro AWD.
A couple weeks ago i found nice leather bucket seats from the second row of a 2003 GM front wheel drive mini van. These are manual seats that recline and fold flat for cargo. They were used in Pontiac Montana, Saturn Relay, Chevy Venture,and Ols Siloutte vans with the premium interior package. Anyway the good new is that they fit the pedestal of Astro Safari vans. The OEM metric bolts are the same. The outer bolt holes of the seats line up with Astro fwd/aft slide rail. The only minor tweak is to drill new inboard holes in the seat frame for inner bolts, and to use hex nut on inner bolts since there is no threaded insert.
2. I have long ago remove the rear bemch seat. This weekend i made a cardboard template over the left rear wheel wheel. I will mount a piece of 3/4 inch plywood to the side of van and secure it by means of the rear seat belt bolt which is 12 mm metric.
This piece of plywood is about 20" high by 36" long. It will act as a hard point mount to allow a hinged folding sleeping platform to be installed. The plywood single bed is 18" x 55 " 1/2 inch plywood. To camp solo i just fold flat front bench seat to its cargo mode and use a second thin piece of plywood to bridge the gap to bed. Then cover with nice thermarest or camping pad.
AP
I still love to enhance the features of my 2003 Astro AWD.
A couple weeks ago i found nice leather bucket seats from the second row of a 2003 GM front wheel drive mini van. These are manual seats that recline and fold flat for cargo. They were used in Pontiac Montana, Saturn Relay, Chevy Venture,and Ols Siloutte vans with the premium interior package. Anyway the good new is that they fit the pedestal of Astro Safari vans. The OEM metric bolts are the same. The outer bolt holes of the seats line up with Astro fwd/aft slide rail. The only minor tweak is to drill new inboard holes in the seat frame for inner bolts, and to use hex nut on inner bolts since there is no threaded insert.
2. I have long ago remove the rear bemch seat. This weekend i made a cardboard template over the left rear wheel wheel. I will mount a piece of 3/4 inch plywood to the side of van and secure it by means of the rear seat belt bolt which is 12 mm metric.
This piece of plywood is about 20" high by 36" long. It will act as a hard point mount to allow a hinged folding sleeping platform to be installed. The plywood single bed is 18" x 55 " 1/2 inch plywood. To camp solo i just fold flat front bench seat to its cargo mode and use a second thin piece of plywood to bridge the gap to bed. Then cover with nice thermarest or camping pad.
AP