Australian driving Astro from Alaska to Argentina

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PatAus
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Australian driving Astro from Alaska to Argentina

Post by PatAus »

Hello Astro clan.

Im very happy to have found this group so many thank to all involved. Im running a 2002 Astro, AWD. 140k mi.. its been a great vehicle.. actually its surprised me how well its handled the back country but the obvious issue there is low clearance ! So ill be on here talikng about mods and setting up the rig for a long overland journey with an intended destination beig Argentina.. I hope to connect here with people who have doen mods, such as lift and transfer case. Ill be instaling an auxiliary battery as well...

Happy monday everyone
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Re: Australian driving Astro from Alaska to Argentina

Post by okie1 »

Welcome & luck to you. Let us know about your progress. :supz:
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Wiley
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Re: Australian driving Astro from Alaska to Argentina

Post by Wiley »

2guys1truck.com: 2004 AWD Chevy Astro from California to Colombia!
want to follow along, or think our paths may cross, Facebook kjswiley

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Re: Australian driving Astro from Alaska to Argentina

Post by PatAus »

Thanks..

Im liking this page already. A lot of useful stuff on here :)

Wiley > Nice rig man.. Just out of interest, Has your Astro been lifted ? Hard to tell from the pic!

Man i love Latin America. Ive done it overland a bunch ! cant wait to get back down there..

Im crossing at Juarez this time and aiming for Barrancas de Cobre (copper Canyon)

while im on the topic. Did you do any mods to your van before going south ? im putting in second battery on a switch to run my fridge and accessories...

would love to hear more..

kind regards
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Re: Australian driving Astro from Alaska to Argentina

Post by Wiley »

Man be careful what you ask for, I can ramble on for hours. Just told work today that I plan on quitting, so now the travel bug is back!

I bought the van specifically for the trip. Threw on the overland 2 in lift with the pucks, and an add a leaf on the rear springs. Think I put on some larger tires, I definitely trimmed the fenders so they would fit, did not get too much rubbing overall.

Left the AWD as is, added a solar panel, second battery, fridge, and rebuild the front end with new parts, filled the van with a bunch of crap, and hit the road for just under 2 years. Did not touch torsion keys/bars, but will probably replace them now while I can. Also want to put in a 4x4 transfer case, but the AWD was plenty sufficient 99% of the time.

I would also make or buy some screen as I brought supplies to make my own, but they didn't work so I didn't have screens, which sucked. I did not have a roof vent until I was in Colombia, which was way too late, those things make a big difference regarding heat as well.

Copper canyon is on my list, that place looks amazing, make sure there is a trip report.
2guys1truck.com: 2004 AWD Chevy Astro from California to Colombia!
want to follow along, or think our paths may cross, Facebook kjswiley

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PatAus
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Re: Australian driving Astro from Alaska to Argentina

Post by PatAus »

haha yea well i dont mind. Its all solid first hand info.. im stoked !

So far having toured around Alaska, Canada and Baja in my current van ive not had any issues other than low clearance. I have bottomed out too many times to be ignored. Even when i knew i would and tried anyway and yep bottomed out ! So the clearance is top on my agenda. Im leaning towards 4" although it will put a dent into the travel fund. Then goes with that the new tires and of course longer shocks ! so its adding up there a bit.. My question here is... Was your 2" lift enough?

Where did you decide to mount your second battery ? Ive kept my van stock. I was never going to keep it.. It was just by chance i got to go to Alaska and i bought it there with the intention to sell it after. Well this is the third year ive been back to travel further in the van. So, now ive finally decided to keep it Im looking at some mods !!

Well im also going to hold off on the transfer case for now. Its a cool mod but it can come with complications and the AWD is sufficient enough.. re assuring that you were fine with it as well

So by screens im assuming you mean some kind of curtain to block the windows ? I had a glance at roof vent. It looks like a simple install. Sounds like it was a good mod to have done >?

Rambling back at you

cheers
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Re: Australian driving Astro from Alaska to Argentina

Post by Wiley »

Man, THIS is the van for you! I will head north someday, that trip looks amazing. Astros will require some fairly constant up keeping, but they are cheap to keep going. I curse my van constantly, but in the long run I love it, and would only switch to something else due to space more so than the van itself.

I also bottomed out often, sometimes not paying attention, but sometimes being careful like you mention. I even have a few bolts on my transmission pan that are jacked up from hitting the pan, so it can be an issue. Nothing leaks so I ignore it, but I should ix that now while I am thinking about it. Problem is you are only lifting the body, so while this lets you put on the larger tires, even a 4 inch lift only lets you do so much to protect the goods. Plus the front end wears quicker with the torsion bars maxed apparently...Bottom line 2 is sufficient, 2 and a skid plate is probably the best bet, but there are plenty getting by with 4 in. I would like to put on a skid plate, lower on my list but it would be nice down south (there are free plans stickied on this site :supz:).

Built a box and put my battery directly behind the drivers seat, most end up putting it there, the options are a bit limited. I am going to leave it there and build a bench over it this time, it works well enough there the 1st time.

I am going to add 4x4, but I only got stuck once, maybe twice. The time I remember was in an RV parking space of all places, it was ridiculous, we were just turning around, and it must have been 2.5 maybe 3 feet deep...but it was night time and the park was empty besides us so we just left it, and got pushed out the next day. I didn't push the limits often though, and didn't deal with much mud, but dirt roads, and beach sand were manageable with the air down. Expensive, but I loved my tires, used BFGoodrich AT 235/70 R16.

I used reflectix and velcro to block the windows since I had it from the insulation...but I am going to try and get some sort of curtain thing going, as it was annoying to have the giant reflectix laying around when not in use. It worked well enough if I don't figure something else out.

By screens I meant for the windows, another member Herbie has good things to say about skeeter beeters so I recently picked up a pair. There were times I roasted in there rather than deal with those bastards, again roof vent would have helped. That is a must have, just measure twice, its not bad....Anyone can do it, I did mine on a beach in Colombia, literally. Funnily enough, since I am currently tearing my van apart, I rewired my fan vent tonight. What do I find when I pull out the old wires, some cut extension chord I soldered in the middle to extend the wires. Oops, completely forgot about that corner I cut in my time of need. Safety 1st!

I must have had one of the best views in roof ventin' history.
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2guys1truck.com: 2004 AWD Chevy Astro from California to Colombia!
want to follow along, or think our paths may cross, Facebook kjswiley

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PatAus
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Re: Australian driving Astro from Alaska to Argentina

Post by PatAus »

Gday Wiley..

So ive just been out of range for a week or so watching the eclipse and camping out ! back online now and sourcing some parts. going to keep it fairly simple though as i dont really want to spend a fortune. I know Astros are common in Mexico so im not too worried about finding parts should i need them as i go !

So im ordering the pucks for the 2" lift off Ebay for a 5th of the price of Overland Vans but will still be using OV for the shackles and the bumper spacers.

I want to run bigger tires as well so i want to go for the maximum hight which i think is the 235/75R15 if im not mistaken. ? Along with that mod ill aim to get a skid plate made in Mex for pesos at a little mechanic shop on the roadside !

Ill do a big service and grease and lube everything, change fluids and filters other than that i think ill be alright with what ive got..

Im looking to purchase some idler arms also so ive found Moog sell them for about $80 through Amazon !?

best regards

Pat

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Re: Australian driving Astro from Alaska to Argentina

Post by AstroWill »

PatAus wrote:Im looking to purchase some idler arms also so ive found Moog sell them for about $80 through Amazon !?
Look at rockauto.com you can often find them on sale quite cheap.

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Re: Australian driving Astro from Alaska to Argentina

Post by PatAus »

What kind of fridges are people running ? I just have a coleman cooler (not a refrigerator) its 12v and just plugs right into the outlet in the back ! It works ok at keeping things cold but not so great at cooling them down !

With an Inverter for DC 12V to 110V AC Car Converter it could be better to use a normal small fridge ? or i see that ARB have a base model 12v for about $150 that acts as a refrigerator.
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Re: Australian driving Astro from Alaska to Argentina

Post by Herbie »

PatAus wrote:What kind of fridges are people running ? I just have a coleman cooler (not a refrigerator) its 12v and just plugs right into the outlet in the back ! It works ok at keeping things cold but not so great at cooling them down !

With an Inverter for DC 12V to 110V AC Car Converter it could be better to use a normal small fridge ? or i see that ARB have a base model 12v for about $150 that acts as a refrigerator.
The coolers like you have use a peltier device and have two major disadvantages: they use a constant amount of current (not small), and they can only cool ~40degrees F over ambient. This means on a very hot day, your beer is borderline warm and your sandwich meat isn't safe to eat.

Most people serious about refrigeration are running a swing/compressor fridge. These are sold by a variety of companies (like ARB, Edgestar, Engle, Norcold, Truckfridge, etc.). They tend to come in two form factors: Chest (looks like a cooler), and Upright (looks like a dorm fridge).

I'm running an upright TF-49 from Truckfridge, mounted in a custom cabinet. I found it wasted less space after I ran an Edgestar 43qt chest fridge for several years.

I would give up right now on the idea of using a "regular" AC fridge with an inverter. The AC fridges are already less efficient, then you throw in all the losses of converting from DC to AC and you'll be wasting a lot of power. A lot of low-budget builders insist on going this route, since they can get cheap dorm fridges off craigslist or whatever, but they ALL end up switching to a proper DC compressor fridge eventually.
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Re: Australian driving Astro from Alaska to Argentina

Post by PatAus »

Herbie

Thanks for the reply. Yea they really dont hold up for what i want to do and like you said. Beers not cold !!

I like your story of venturing up to get the donor Astro out of Canada. A good score ! i have been looking at pop up tops but have only hit dead ends so far. I guess its a matter of coming across one that is worth salvaging. The price of new equipment would add up to more than i paid for my rig to begin with !

Did you end up installing your pop up top in the end ? I already ordered a roof fan to install for now as i just built a bed straight in the back behind the drivers and passengers seats. So i still have room for my fridge and a bit of equipment to be stored in the far back! I have a gas cooker and it sereves my purposes well enough and tucks away when im not using it. Im trying to keep it simple but i keep finding cool mods people have done and i am tempted to gut the van and start a full mod project to convert to camper van haha. Wont be doing that this time though !

So actually im also putting in a second battery. I will only really be running the fridge and the roof fan. Im just linking in with a manual switch under the hood to start with. Probably the battery will live behind the drivers seat unless i mount it under the vehicle. Either way. I would like to know what battery you went with in your rig and what you might recommend ? Im looking at a 12V AGM, Group 24, 79Ah deep cycle ! do you think i need to go up a group or will that pull the load ??

Thanks a lot for your input.

greatly appreciated

cheers
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Re: Australian driving Astro from Alaska to Argentina

Post by Herbie »

Yep, I swapped the pop-top onto my van almost right after I got back. See the build thread in my sig. Pop-Top transplant starts on Page 2, I think.

Regarding full vs. partial conversion - I think you're right to just start using it. That was how we got rolling with our van, and I've been enjoying it for almost 8 years. We started with a simple bed and a bunch of plastic totes full of gear jammed under the platform, and have been slowly making improvements over time. Travelling solo or as a couple definitely makes it WAY easier, though. Between Wiley, and Peter and Dace (@re.discover on instagram), and several others, there are lots of examples of how a couple can easily and cheaply use the back of the van as a home and the front for travel. No pop-tops or even high-tops needed! Having a family of 3+ like we do makes it much more necessary to get creative in the use of space and all those "VW-like" efficiencies since we're using the back for both travel and living.

Regarding batteries: My first battery was a group34, 68AH Diehard Platinum (made by Odyssey). I was sort of forced into that size due to height restrictions of where I chose to put the battery (built a battery box, you can see it in my build thread). I had some problems with the Alternator/DC charging relay and didn't have a good AC charger for it, so it didn't last as long as it should have. After 2-3 years, it was starting to let me down on the third days of long-weekend camp-outs. (I could hear the fridge cycling on/off as it loaded the battery, etc.)

After that I relocated the battery and bumped up to a group 31 100AH (also made by Odyssey) and I've been much happier. I've also added a 60W solar panel that does a decent job, especially when I take the time to take it off the top an occasionally reposition it through the day. I only run the fridge and lights (and charge phones) off it.

Your proposed 79AH battery is right in between. It will probably be ok, but part of it depends on which company made it. One thing I've found with the big Odyssey batteries in particular is that they need a REALLY high current for the bulk charge phase. We're getting into the chemistry nitty-gritty, but the short version is that they work best if you can hit them with 40% of C. In the case of my 100AH battery, that means I need 40 AMPS during the initial charge phase. Needless to say, the Alternator doesn't provide that. I have a big dedicated AC charger now though, so the Odyssey works OK if I top it up at home, then keep it relatively topped off with Alternator and Solar charging throughout the trip. If I let it get down to 50% state-of-charge, it's really hard to bring it back to 100% on the road. (Unless I have a very long driving day so it gets 5+ hours of Alternator charging.) Most other deep-cycle batteries have slightly different chemistry and seem to work better with lower-charge currents, but it's worth checking with the manufacturer of your proposed battery before you make a purchase.

The newer Sears Diehard deep cycles are made by Deka/East Penn, I believe, which should work more "normally". (Though now that many Sears are closing, perhaps not the place to get universally replaceable batteries like they used to be!) Batteries Plus, or even CostCo are probably better places to look for someone who wants coast-to-coast warranty coverage, but for your planned route, you'll be in uncharted territory as soon as you hit Mexico, so investing in quality is probably your best choice.
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Re: Australian driving Astro from Alaska to Argentina

Post by Spdcrazy »

Awesome conversation here. I'm very new but bought my 03 for a very similar trip. Honey moon will be me flying my wife and I to Barrow Alaska from Homer AK. Them commercial flying to family in Denver. And driving to Tierra del Fuego!

Planning on many things similar to you.
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