Filmmaker Living in a All Wheel Drive Chevrolet Astro Van - Walk Around
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- Опубликовано: 5 фев 2025
- I have always had a secret love the Chevrolet Astro Vans. I even seriously considered getting a Chevrolet Astro van as my first van build. The All Wheel drive Chevy Astro is actually quite simple to convert to a standard 4 Wheel drive with a low range transfer case. In this video we meet up with Brian Bear Butler who is a outdoor filmmaker who lives full time in his All Wheel Drive Chevy Astro Van and he takes on tour of his van giving us some insight to how he lives comfortably in his Chevrolet Astro.
Brian Bear Butler
/ brianbearbutler
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Your Primal Outdoors - Camping and Overlanding, I am living the van life in my Ford E350 4x4 Van traveling around the remote public land system in Oregon
Honestly, I've never had much interest in Astro Vans in my life till recently but here I am in less then a month about the fly across the country from Central Oregon to FL to pick one up from a close friend. I'm beyond stoked! An immaculate '05 Astro. This will be the first van I've ever owned in my life and I can't stop thinking about it. 🤣✌🏼 Cool build, thanks for sharing!
Best of luck with it!
Did you get it? I’m in Oregon too and thinking about gettin one, Im 6’2 though not sure if it would be too small for me or not though, I have camera gear and snowboards I need to pack in it too
Thanks for the feature Jason! I'll see ya in Oregon!
Yes an Astro!! I have a 2000 GMC Safari AWD van build.
I grew up with an astro van my dad had a couple that ran for 400k miles back when chevy built quality products.
That vortec V6 💪
@@VQSeries one of the best v6 gm ever made👍
@@daneboro6847 I hear their 3800 series V6 were durable too, but were relegated to sedan & minivan duty
The Astro has always appealed to me and it was definitely in the running to replace the totaled Forester. In fact, a certain well-known vanlifer repeatedly tried to convince me Astro was The Way. :-) An Astro build posed a number of issues for me as a daily driver/kid hauler and it ultimately made more sense for me to go in a different direction, but I love these little vans...totally legit rig.
I’m doing a 2 month cross country trip in September. I watched this video and the NEXT DAY I found and bought this same van, except it isn’t all wheel drive. But..same color, same back doors, low mileage. I am beyond thrilled ! Thanks.. now I know what mine will look like. Can’t wait ! Always loved the Astro, and looked for 6 months...
I keep an 18 mm deep socket w/ ratchet in that netted area on the passenger side because I unbolt the passenger chair quite often and flip it around. So much so I typically just put 2 nuts back on the thread to hold it in place in this configuration. Opens up a lot of space and gives an additional seating option when I am not on the bed.
Excellent build! I'm hunting for an Astro van and you've helped with some build decisions. Thanks so much. Stay safe out there.
Love this kind of Vanlife.
When I was a kid, my parents had an Astro van with the 4.3 v6. Body on frame. A decent van. Interesting you can easily convert it to 4x4. I didn’t know that.
I have a 96 and it looks exactly the same and this build is perfect. I have so,any plans in my head so this has definitely helped, thank you for that. I am not a permanent van dweller but I do want to travel. I have had mine for 7 years. I love it!
Lived out of an astro 2 times . It was about a year each time . Did it with a dog too . It was on the east coast so you had to be a little more under the radar .
How was that if you don’t mind me asking? I bought an 04 Astro off of an auction site last year for $700, only issue was a wiring issue but easy fix. Haven’t gotten to do much with it but was interested in maybe trying something like that
I have wanted an AWD Astro for years, but my wife has some sort of childhood hatred for vans. LOL!
Great vid bud simple build fit for purpose with going over the top. Love it. Nice fella as well.
I always thought the Astro's were a great way to get your feet wet with Van life. The smaller buy in, better fuel economy, and ease of parking and driving would be good for someone not used to driving full sized trucks/vans.
Plus like you said, it's based on an S10 so the AWD models can be converted to 4WD with low range.
Which at that point the rest of the running gear might be suspect for rock crawling but it would certainly be nice to have going up some hill sides!
I haven't seen an Astrovan in years. Great build !
Ha! We were just talking about these! Cool that you saw one 😎
That's Awesome. I remember the first time I saw one of those and thought to myself...."that's cool". But many years down the road and I ended up with a CRV.
Cult classic now. Gotta have it. Bought a 2001 Astro today will build it. True American camper
Hey Brian and the Big guy,looks dam good.i have a 2003 Astro van and i love it..Same color as yours...lol....i took the seats out and made it into ma full camper van....If ya get over round ohio feel free to stop in ...And do an oil change...WhatEver.. I got a good mechanic too if ya need anything done...Any of you van life travelers..Stop in a few days...I am the Astral Traveler...
Bummed I missed Brian at OEW, was good to meet you... Hope to see that Astro Van Tribe sticker somewhere.
ASTRO IS MOON ROCK..What i ment is it fell from moon all the way here. So its very strong .big engine big axles 6lug.all wheel drive big 10ply tires for. Air up air down. You can really enjoy beautiful pick s to camp
Cozy!
Thanks for another interesting episode.
I really enjoyed it.
I’ve always liked the looks of the Astro vans, and learning that you can convert them to 4WD could be a game-changer.
Brian has got it going on!
Go Far, Have Fun
Reminds me of mine. It was a 2001 Safari. It was rear wheel drive. Definitely would look into an AWD version and do another build. 🐸
Thanks for sharing this video.
Really enjoy the presentation, and how you have moved from one to another to find this one. You mention cutting away the medal on your rear door.,.wouldn’t that weaken or damage the I r gritty of the doors. I will be watching you going forward, stay safe.
basiclly my dream goals but with my lowered honda civic lol. i wanna travel an do photography for cars an hiking and my dads scale rc car community. he passed from cancer yesterday. battled for 3 years. eventually id love a honda van but my sedan is what i have to work with already lol. im trying to get my self outta a rutt ive been for a long time. i need to for my dad and myself
Thank you
Yay!!!
I lived in one while going to college after getting laid off back in 2007. It was 19999 I got from my mom to help her out get money to go back to Fort Collins from toledo. I was in my 30s which was odd for the young college people. Easy for a backpacker.
Cool rig, sub'd Brian, thanks
Love it ! Awesome van!
Ya That Was Cool 👍
How do you sleep across? Mine is too narrow and I am 5'9'... I recommend dumping the Jack and get a Bluetti
I sleep at a slight angle
The second generation Astro vans (95-05) are actually mid-size vans.
are those jackery solar panels permanently mounted to the roof, and if so, how do they hold up to the elements ?
I was looking for an astro or Safari when I found my uplander..which I bought today one year ago
Hello Jason
Hi! What did you use to mount your propane tank? Thank you :)
18-20 MPG 😳 that’s nice
What about insulation ?? And condensation ?? Everybody says to insulate ,and cover all bare metal , is it necessary ?? Does he handle these two problems some other way ??
I follow good weather and have good blankets
@@BrianBearButler Hi Brian, what’s the best year for the Astro van in terms of reliability? I’m searching for one but don’t know much about it. Thanks for sharing yours!
My buddy has such a bitchin Astro, I have some good clips of it. AWD ones are actually super capable
Nice 🙏😅👍
All he needs is some better tires like some BFGoodrich or k20.👍😀🇺🇸🇺🇸🥃
Where are his clothes stored? I didn’t see any storage for wardrobe
Check out his channel he goes more in depth on that.
Jason
@@PrimalOutdoors thank you! I’ll go check that out then
👍👍👍👍👍
👍🏻
Me and my fiance have over landed in our for about 5 years now
check out my van its an awd astro with a 16 inch hightop im planning and designing the build and collecting parts now dometic drawr fridge and sink/stove combo. airtop 40 (gas) heater. and a lift bed.
Could I live in it? No, because I own a Safari and it's a great vehicle, but not big enough for a taller guy to comfortably inhabit.
I think if my wife ever kicked me out I'd sell my econoline and get an astro
Assalamualaikum..
nope ,overbuilt , not fully functional, ...no pun intended