My partner Christina coined the term... I used to do a lot of "VanGazing" when I was researching what I wanted to do with my van. Still do now and then... I always get excited when I see what other people are doing with their rigs.
Been following the build, you make everything look so easy and doable!, totally love how you explain stuff and include links to all the parts you've used.
Thanks! I really wanted to put together a video of the install on the lift, but I really had my hands full with it. Its definitely coming together. Lots more work happening over the winter/spring... getting ready for more adventures next summer!
@@billybobbob3003 most lifted Astros that are running anything larger than a 29 inch tire will.be missing that trim piece. There just isn't the clearance there as it is pretty tight quarters and no room to trim or attach a fender flare. Once I do the front axle conversion the front axle will be shifted forward an inch or so...then I'll be able to get the trim pieces put back on.
I have a 96 and I love it! Mine is still the soccer mom van but I am planning on camping in it so mods will be done. Wish it was AWD. I put in LED in mine and to go from yellow to bright is amazing. I am in Victoria BC SO driving in lots of rain etc. Your rig rocks. The area looked so familiar just like Vancouver Island where I am but Washington is just across the pond.
Just a days drive away! Ellies 1st Astro was a 95 Safari, those are great vans! Most of the stuff we do with ours could be done with a 2wd rig... getting out and finding adventure is the important part! Would love to see your build someday!
Hey.... youre local to us! You should connect with us on Insta/Facebook and join our newly forming Offroad Astro group. We're going on an outing this weekend!
Awesome! I'd definitely recommend the Journeys 3"-5" kit. If youre in the PNW hit us up on our Facebook or Instagram page so I can add you to our group!
Awesome information, I just bought my 05 AWD Cargo. Trying to decide on lift, tires all the things you mention. Thanks. I'll be subscribing and watching you videos. Keep it up.
Thanks! I think its really about seeing what others have done (as we call it "vangazing") and start to create your own vision of what you want.... and then go for it! Welcome to the channel!
So far I have zero complaint. They've done great on snow, sand, rocks anything we've thrown at them. They've taken some abuse... air down with no issues even when I'm over GVWR.
Its been, so far... the most expensive modification... but well worth it in my opinion. I've got some bigger investments coming up though. The roof rack is coming next month its gonna be a similar investment
Nice Rig. I am right down across the river in NW Oregon. I have an 02 AWD with all the parts for a 2-5" kit from JOR with body mount bushings, bump stops and shocks also. The new wheels/tires on their way. I also have the JOR skid plate. Just like you, I am having a difficult time finding someone to do it for me. Thanks for the powdercoat lead in BG! I think the bumper is going to be one of my next purchases as well.
Hey two resources for you! The guys at Lolo Overland can do the lift. Also look up AJ's 4x4 Vans in Hillsboro. Get that lift in and come out with us sometime! It'll be a blast and most of the stuff we do, you can manage in a 2wd if you've got the clearance
Fantastic. I’ll hit them up tomorrow. I went ahead and pulled the trigger on the same LED headlights as you and went ahead and picked up euro style headlights, markers and LED taillights. I went with 265/75/15 toyo AT3 and AR Baja wheels. I didn’t want to go big yet because I didn’t want to change the gears in the rear.
On the schedule at Lolo Overland for September 27th. Would have been sooner but we have a trip to the Wallowas and to the Alavord Desert coming up in September.
Had to postpone my appointment due to materials not arriving on time but back on for the 21st. Changed to LEDs throughout vehicle and added euro style clear lenses. I also picked up a Rig’d Ultraswing and table for the full size spare.
So far we really like the ride... it is not bad at all... but we've not put a load on it yet... once we add the roof rack, tent, and the overland storage build out in the back... we may need to consider a rear suspension upgrade.
For me it's about form as well as function. I know I can't fabricate something as nice as that bumper and I don't feel confident that I could trim a stock bumper clean enough that it wouldn't look like a hack saw job. I don't mind investing in my van to make it into the rig I want it to be. So I only hesitated for a second before putting down a whole two weeks worth of paycheck for it. You get one chance to do it right, or you have a lifetime of "I wish I would have...."
Yes, we did the lift ourselves. Mostly myself and my 17 year old daughter. It was very much a two-three day project for us. Just FYI... @lolooverland out of Troutdale will do that lift for you if you're interested.
Lol.... the question is not... "if you can".... with some fabrication skills you can DO anything. The real question is... "if you should?" I had a K5 Blazer that had 42's on it and it was ridiculously unstable and WAY under powered. This thing travels well with 30's.... still gas decent power, no loss of fuel mileage, goes down the highway with no issues... it does what I need it to do... But yeah.... im curious, if you got it... share it brotha
I did it myself yes... but only I could not find anyone to do the install for me. It wasn't terribly difficult, but I spent about $600 in tools that made the job a lot easier. I wouldn't even attempt to tackle this job without a good impact gun and deep metric sockets, a Floor Jack, a high lift jack... and a helper. I've since learned of a couple of local shops that would have done the lift for me... and I've been sending people their way. I'm a firm believer in there are certain things that should be left to professionals... this would have been one of them.
I have air shocks on mine, and love them. At 50psi, they have great ride quality and they make the rig very stable. You have the G80 rear locker in that rig? Looks great!
I've not started to look into axle upgrades yet... although I'm seriously considering the 4x4 swap and doing the solid front axle conversion at the same time. I may go with beefier axles then... just because I tend to overdo EVERYTHING lol. Definitely will be entertaining lockers in that mix too.
@@thisoledad1946 I think you're asking about the air shocks... Honestly it's a big reason why I won't use them. My dad had major problems with his freezing up in the wintertime. Although a LOT of overlanders swear by them... so idk 🤷♂️
No, but my pressure line developed a Crack and started leaking (common even on non-lifted Astros) when the shop replaced it, they used an upgraded hose with a flexible elbow
Love the video and the content. Now for some Criticism. When you're narrating some of your footage it sounds as if you are reading from a script it does not sound organic I know that sounds like a dumb complaint but I think its the diffrence between a good video and a great video. Hope thats helpful. Keep up the great work!
Appreciate the feedback. Working with video is a bit of a new endeavor for me, so it's a huge learning curve. As I've been editing our latest video I'm realizing it's a bit flat... so I've started doing some research and found some online sources to help me improve.... I'm gaining a lot of information, and I think as the channel grows you'll see a huge improvement between now and next summer. I love the creative process... and learning new skills... and these first few videos are definitely marking the beginning of the journey. I hope you hang out to see where this leads...
@@LoveTribeOverland I want to see more of the build videos. How you mod the van.. like a custom front bumper or roof rack or spare tire Carrier. Or a lightbar or cube lights in the back or some tow mirrors from a newer model truck. Stuff like that. Keep up the good work
@@reowhite4862 There will definitely be more of that. I'm currently working on a mod video about our new roof rack... that will come out sometime in January.
Not a whole lot of trimming but I did have to hammer down the pinch weld and the rear portion of the inner firewall had to be hammered back to have clearance when turning under compression. The only rub I get in the front is at full turn the tire rubs a little on the subframe. The back axle is another story. At full compression I'm getting rubbing on the fender that is actually starting to cut tread. I'm hoping an extended bump stop will help, but probably need a spring upgrade to replace these 20 year old springs
Thanks! Believe it or not... I didn't really experience an appreciable difference in mileage. However, at the same time I did the lift I also had my brakes serviced... and I think I might have had a brake dragging before... so that could account for the zero net difference. I was getting about 13-14 mpg around town before, and get about 12-13 mpg around town now even before I factor odometer miles vs actual miles. If I factor in the 8% circumference difference back in I'm getting 14 mpg pretty consistently (actual miles). These vans aren't known for their fuel economy, but when you compare against a full size 4x4 van.... 13-14mpg is pretty awesome in my book.
I want to build something similar Do you have a build sheet I want the 3-5 inch journey Rear s10 leaf springs 31/10.5 tires . Offset rims . But still want to still open the sliding door 4x4 transfer case kit from journey I’ll want to go further but only have 10K$ for this year
I'm closer to 15k into mine but $4k of that is the rack and another $1500 in the winch bumper from JOR... so you're pretty close to being right on track. I went with HD Astro springs because of the weight I frequently carry. S10 springs are gonna give you some lift... possibly more than you can compensate for with the Torsion Bars if you also use the JOR 3-5" lift brackets. I'd definitely give JOR a call and get some feedback from them. Their customer service is top notch... they'll get you pointed in the right direction.
Led bulbs inside stock reflector housing designed for halogen? Bad idea. The do not work. You'll get super bight illumination right in front of the car but terrible out far where u need it...
I did it myself in my driveway... I would have much rather had it professionally installed but none of my local 4x4 shops wanted to touch it if it wasn't a Taco or a Jeep. The lift itself came from Journey's Offroad. It was pretty reasonable to install, but i definitely had to lay out some money for an impact gun, sockets, and a floor jack, hi-lift jack etc... It did take me all day to do each end... so it was a two weekend job. (I needed Sundays both weeks to drink and recover) lol.... I consider myself to be moderately mechanically inclined, but typically would defer bigger projects to a pro.
@@teodiaz3158 they are MB Legacy wheels. Both wheels and tires (245 75R/ 16 BFG KO2's) came from Discount Tire. I think a set of 4 cost me about $1600 if I recall correctly.
@@teodiaz3158 Journeys Offroad sells 3 or 4 different lifts for our Astro Van's. Mine is the 3"-5" lift. I went with the full 5 inches to get the most clearance for these 30 inch tires
Чем больше смотрю на этот вэн, тем больше влюбляюсь. 👍😉
I know what you mean... I feel exactly the same way!
Dude you are literally me in the sense of this van! “Van gazing” and all. Want something old school looking but can handle a dirt path if need be!
My partner Christina coined the term... I used to do a lot of "VanGazing" when I was researching what I wanted to do with my van. Still do now and then... I always get excited when I see what other people are doing with their rigs.
Today, she accused me of VanGazing... AT MY OWN VAN! (I was... lol)
Been following the build, you make everything look so easy and doable!, totally love how you explain stuff and include links to all the parts you've used.
Thanks! I really wanted to put together a video of the install on the lift, but I really had my hands full with it.
Its definitely coming together. Lots more work happening over the winter/spring... getting ready for more adventures next summer!
@@LoveTribeOverland fix the front fenders get fender flares for it something lol
@@billybobbob3003 most lifted Astros that are running anything larger than a 29 inch tire will.be missing that trim piece. There just isn't the clearance there as it is pretty tight quarters and no room to trim or attach a fender flare.
Once I do the front axle conversion the front axle will be shifted forward an inch or so...then I'll be able to get the trim pieces put back on.
I have a 96 and I love it! Mine is still the soccer mom van but I am planning on camping in it so mods will be done. Wish it was AWD. I put in LED in mine and to go from yellow to bright is amazing. I am in Victoria BC SO driving in lots of rain etc. Your rig rocks. The area looked so familiar just like Vancouver Island where I am but Washington is just across the pond.
Just a days drive away!
Ellies 1st Astro was a 95 Safari, those are great vans!
Most of the stuff we do with ours could be done with a 2wd rig... getting out and finding adventure is the important part! Would love to see your build someday!
Love love this video. Just what I needed
I'm a mom with a lifted Astro van. I like your video!
I mean.... the two Mom's in my family LOVE driving it now too...
We love our van!
Now I'm off to go check out your lifted Astro!!!
Hey.... youre local to us! You should connect with us on Insta/Facebook and join our newly forming Offroad Astro group. We're going on an outing this weekend!
Awesome van!!
Thanks! It just keeps getting better and better!
Going to do the same
Beautiful Van!! I just got an Astro AWD and I plan on lifting it.
Awesome! I'd definitely recommend the Journeys 3"-5" kit.
If youre in the PNW hit us up on our Facebook or Instagram page so I can add you to our group!
@@LoveTribeOverlandI certainly will. :)
Awesome information, I just bought my 05 AWD Cargo. Trying to decide on lift, tires all the things you mention. Thanks. I'll be subscribing and watching you videos. Keep it up.
Thanks! I think its really about seeing what others have done (as we call it "vangazing") and start to create your own vision of what you want.... and then go for it! Welcome to the channel!
BFG KO2's are a great tire. I run them on my Silverado
So far I have zero complaint. They've done great on snow, sand, rocks anything we've thrown at them. They've taken some abuse... air down with no issues even when I'm over GVWR.
I do love the bumper
Its been, so far... the most expensive modification... but well worth it in my opinion.
I've got some bigger investments coming up though. The roof rack is coming next month its gonna be a similar investment
Astro Van owners need to stick together lmao !!!!!
Nice Rig. I am right down across the river in NW Oregon. I have an 02 AWD with all the parts for a 2-5" kit from JOR with body mount bushings, bump stops and shocks also. The new wheels/tires on their way. I also have the JOR skid plate. Just like you, I am having a difficult time finding someone to do it for me. Thanks for the powdercoat lead in BG! I think the bumper is going to be one of my next purchases as well.
Hey two resources for you! The guys at Lolo Overland can do the lift. Also look up AJ's 4x4 Vans in Hillsboro.
Get that lift in and come out with us sometime! It'll be a blast and most of the stuff we do, you can manage in a 2wd if you've got the clearance
Fantastic. I’ll hit them up tomorrow. I went ahead and pulled the trigger on the same LED headlights as you and went ahead and picked up euro style headlights, markers and LED taillights. I went with 265/75/15 toyo AT3 and AR Baja wheels. I didn’t want to go big yet because I didn’t want to change the gears in the rear.
On the schedule at Lolo Overland for September 27th. Would have been sooner but we have a trip to the Wallowas and to the Alavord Desert coming up in September.
Had to postpone my appointment due to materials not arriving on time but back on for the 21st. Changed to LEDs throughout vehicle and added euro style clear lenses. I also picked up a Rig’d Ultraswing and table for the full size spare.
@@Jimiscarving I'd love to see it... are you going to the Iron Man 4x4 Event tomorrow?
Really nice! And also I recommend for your rear shocks to instead look into Monroe Coil overs. Really changed my ride
So far we really like the ride... it is not bad at all... but we've not put a load on it yet... once we add the roof rack, tent, and the overland storage build out in the back... we may need to consider a rear suspension upgrade.
I installed a 5 inch journey lift kit on my Astro, what size coil over shocks do I need for the rear?
@@jairramos88 I didn't use coil over shocks. I ordered the Monroe gas shocks through Journeys
Think you just sold me.on that bumper. Beats having to trim the original.
For me it's about form as well as function. I know I can't fabricate something as nice as that bumper and I don't feel confident that I could trim a stock bumper clean enough that it wouldn't look like a hack saw job.
I don't mind investing in my van to make it into the rig I want it to be. So I only hesitated for a second before putting down a whole two weeks worth of paycheck for it.
You get one chance to do it right, or you have a lifetime of "I wish I would have...."
Did you do the lift yourself? I presume you had another set of helpful hands? I'm in the Portland area, love your videos man.
Yes, we did the lift ourselves. Mostly myself and my 17 year old daughter. It was very much a two-three day project for us.
Just FYI... @lolooverland out of Troutdale will do that lift for you if you're interested.
@@LoveTribeOverland Thank you for the advice. Greatly appreciate it.
Nice van. You can fit 48" tires on that with a little work. Ask me how I know..
Lol.... the question is not... "if you can".... with some fabrication skills you can DO anything.
The real question is... "if you should?"
I had a K5 Blazer that had 42's on it and it was ridiculously unstable and WAY under powered.
This thing travels well with 30's.... still gas decent power, no loss of fuel mileage, goes down the highway with no issues... it does what I need it to do...
But yeah.... im curious, if you got it... share it brotha
So with the lift kit. Did you do all the work installing it yourself? Love your van!
I did it myself yes... but only I could not find anyone to do the install for me. It wasn't terribly difficult, but I spent about $600 in tools that made the job a lot easier. I wouldn't even attempt to tackle this job without a good impact gun and deep metric sockets, a Floor Jack, a high lift jack... and a helper.
I've since learned of a couple of local shops that would have done the lift for me... and I've been sending people their way. I'm a firm believer in there are certain things that should be left to professionals... this would have been one of them.
@@LoveTribeOverland Thanks so much for your reply! Appreciate it! Take care.
I have air shocks on mine, and love them. At 50psi, they have great ride quality and they make the rig very stable. You have the G80 rear locker in that rig? Looks great!
I've not started to look into axle upgrades yet... although I'm seriously considering the 4x4 swap and doing the solid front axle conversion at the same time.
I may go with beefier axles then... just because I tend to overdo EVERYTHING lol. Definitely will be entertaining lockers in that mix too.
How would those do in Colorado/Utah when it gets below freezing?
@@thisoledad1946 I think you're asking about the air shocks...
Honestly it's a big reason why I won't use them. My dad had major problems with his freezing up in the wintertime. Although a LOT of overlanders swear by them... so idk 🤷♂️
Did you have to lengthen the power steering to hydroboost line?
No, but my pressure line developed a Crack and started leaking (common even on non-lifted Astros) when the shop replaced it, they used an upgraded hose with a flexible elbow
Love the video and the content. Now for some Criticism. When you're narrating some of your footage it sounds as if you are reading from a script it does not sound organic I know that sounds like a dumb complaint but I think its the diffrence between a good video and a great video. Hope thats helpful. Keep up the great work!
Appreciate the feedback. Working with video is a bit of a new endeavor for me, so it's a huge learning curve.
As I've been editing our latest video I'm realizing it's a bit flat... so I've started doing some research and found some online sources to help me improve.... I'm gaining a lot of information, and I think as the channel grows you'll see a huge improvement between now and next summer.
I love the creative process... and learning new skills... and these first few videos are definitely marking the beginning of the journey. I hope you hang out to see where this leads...
@@LoveTribeOverland I want to see more of the build videos. How you mod the van.. like a custom front bumper or roof rack or spare tire Carrier. Or a lightbar or cube lights in the back or some tow mirrors from a newer model truck. Stuff like that. Keep up the good work
@@reowhite4862 There will definitely be more of that. I'm currently working on a mod video about our new roof rack... that will come out sometime in January.
How much trimming did you do to the front wheel wheels?
Not a whole lot of trimming but I did have to hammer down the pinch weld and the rear portion of the inner firewall had to be hammered back to have clearance when turning under compression. The only rub I get in the front is at full turn the tire rubs a little on the subframe.
The back axle is another story. At full compression I'm getting rubbing on the fender that is actually starting to cut tread. I'm hoping an extended bump stop will help, but probably need a spring upgrade to replace these 20 year old springs
Awesome build. may I ask what is your average MPG after the lift and bigger tires? Thanks in advance.
Thanks! Believe it or not... I didn't really experience an appreciable difference in mileage. However, at the same time I did the lift I also had my brakes serviced... and I think I might have had a brake dragging before... so that could account for the zero net difference.
I was getting about 13-14 mpg around town before, and get about 12-13 mpg around town now even before I factor odometer miles vs actual miles. If I factor in the 8% circumference difference back in I'm getting 14 mpg pretty consistently (actual miles).
These vans aren't known for their fuel economy, but when you compare against a full size 4x4 van.... 13-14mpg is pretty awesome in my book.
@@LoveTribeOverland Thank you so much for this info. Enjoy your cool overland camper van \m/
I want to build something similar
Do you have a build sheet
I want the 3-5 inch journey
Rear s10 leaf springs
31/10.5 tires . Offset rims .
But still want to still open the sliding door
4x4 transfer case kit from
journey
I’ll want to go further but only have 10K$ for this year
I'm closer to 15k into mine but $4k of that is the rack and another $1500 in the winch bumper from JOR... so you're pretty close to being right on track.
I went with HD Astro springs because of the weight I frequently carry. S10 springs are gonna give you some lift... possibly more than you can compensate for with the Torsion Bars if you also use the JOR 3-5" lift brackets. I'd definitely give JOR a call and get some feedback from them. Their customer service is top notch... they'll get you pointed in the right direction.
Led bulbs inside stock reflector housing designed for halogen? Bad idea. The do not work. You'll get super bight illumination right in front of the car but terrible out far where u need it...
Your experience definitely doesn't reflect our result. We have a much greater field of visibility. :)
What rims did you get? Stock configuration or what offset?
These are a zero offset... don't recall offhand what make model they are but we got them from Discount Tire..
Found them MB Legacy zero offset
www.discounttire.com/buy-wheels/mb-wheels-legacy
Where did you install the lift?
I did it myself in my driveway... I would have much rather had it professionally installed but none of my local 4x4 shops wanted to touch it if it wasn't a Taco or a Jeep.
The lift itself came from Journey's Offroad. It was pretty reasonable to install, but i definitely had to lay out some money for an impact gun, sockets, and a floor jack, hi-lift jack etc... It did take me all day to do each end... so it was a two weekend job. (I needed Sundays both weeks to drink and recover) lol.... I consider myself to be moderately mechanically inclined, but typically would defer bigger projects to a pro.
Congratulations the van looks great! And were can I get the tires and the rims ? It looks amazing on the van
@@teodiaz3158 they are MB Legacy wheels. Both wheels and tires (245 75R/ 16 BFG KO2's) came from Discount Tire. I think a set of 4 cost me about $1600 if I recall correctly.
I have 2002 Astro van and like you said no body want to do the lift and less is a pick up truck how did you get the journey lift ?
@@teodiaz3158 Journeys Offroad sells 3 or 4 different lifts for our Astro Van's. Mine is the 3"-5" lift. I went with the full 5 inches to get the most clearance for these 30 inch tires
шины какого размера?
I'm sorry I don't understand.
@@LoveTribeOverland what size of tires?
@@user-rl8yp6it7s 245/75R- 16 BFG KO2's