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Katie, yes if your Astro is a 2002, you definitely have the extended length body. The wheelbases are identical to the older "shorty" body style. The difference is that the body was extended an extra 10 inches at the back. Same wheelbase though, so that means we all have the same issues with...

Joey, I loved those pictures! Makes me excited to get going and hit the road and start cooking outdoors with my new (and hand-me-down) Lodge cast iron cookware. Good idea to use an extra frying pan as a cover. Nice Dutch oven! I've never had one before but I'm just itching to try mine out. Might...

<br><br>As mentioned, the Corolla is more aerodynamic. A LOT more aerodynamic than a motorhome based on a Toytoa truck. But more importantly, engine size. Not all 4 cylinder engines are created equal. I know you don't have a RAV4, but I can't find MPG stats for a Toyota RV. A 2012 RAV4...

Well, I went to Petsmart and got a Thundershirt for my dog. I was pleasantly surprised they had them in the store so I wouldn't have to order online. My mother had to go to a few stores too, so all three of us went in my Astro van. Normally I had the middle row bench seat for my dog, but now...

I thought the extended length Astros/Safaris were much longer than the regular length, but they're only longer by 10 inches. The wheelbases are identical - the extra space is all at the back, after the wheel wells. From 1985-89, only the "shorty" was available. From 1990-94, both the short and...

<br><br>(I wasn't going to go here, but since this thread has taken a political turn, here we go)<br><br>Well... I personally will NOT use any animal products. I've been pretty careful not to touch on that as everyone has been recommending using bacon, lard or other animal fat. It's a dilemma...

Wow, the Thundershirt looks like a great idea! I've heard of it before, but now I actually found their website and watched some of the videos, especially the one on car travel. I won't have room for a crate in my van, but if I need to isolate him, I can close my (soon to be made) blackout...

Thanks! Patrick, I found and read your thread on your van in the conversion forum. I have the extended length, so a bit more space, but I agree, you have to be pretty creative with space, as an Astro/Safari can get small pretty quickly. My bed is a bit bigger than yours, and not foldable as it...

I agree, the 12V fridge is better than an&nbsp;absorption&nbsp;fridge. And to think that I was actually ready to go with a new $250 Yeti cooler that I'd need to keep filling with ice. Granted, I would not have needed to get solar panels, a controller and AGM batteries right away. But in the end...

OK, so I'm all pumped about vandwelling. I'm getting my van ready right now and have already bought quite a few things to make it comfortable and livable. I plan to hit the road this summer, go out west and be a snowbird, traveling as the seasons change so I'm always in a place where it's not...

Forgot to add (and can't seem to edit my last post):<br><br><strong>Privacy</strong><br>Although my van has factory tinted windows, you can still right through them. I am adding very dark limo tint over top of that. I should still be able to see out a bit in daylight hours, but not at night. No...

OK, so I bought the fridge, yay! It turned out to be really clean. In fact, if I had to guess, I'd say it looked like it was maybe two years old, not 15 years old! The guy had it hooked up to a battery so I could see it working. It cools nicely. There's also a small freezer. The door has a pin...

Now that I've started to acquire some components for my camper van, I thought it would be a good idea to share the progress. This is my 2005 Chevy Astro passenger van. I've owned it for two years, originally buying it because I needed a practical vehicle to haul stuff around and have extra...

Maybe you could go to a used car lot and look at a cargo van. Just say you're in the market for one but want to be sure it will meet your needs. The car dealer doesn't have to know you plan on buying privately. If you get a really good deal, you may end up buying from the dealer after all. Just...

Hmmm... I can't seem to edit my post now so I'll have to reply again. Here's the 5 piece set of Lodge cast iron cookware I got at Bass Pro yesterday:<br><br>http://www.basspro.com/Lodge-Logic-5Piece-Cast-Iron-Cookware-Set/product/10230807/<br><br>It's got a 10.5" round griddle (should be good...

Yesterday I got the old cast iron frying pans from my dad. One is a Lodge, the other two are off-brands, one stamped "Made in Japan". They were all purchased in the mid 1970s. I think I'll keep the smaller Lodge pan. I went to Bass Pro and bought a set with a large frying pan, round griddle, a 5...

It's great to know there are other people here who agree with this kind of thinking. Some people are indifferent, others think it's silly. And there are some who are more than just serious and get totally carried away with it. I think it's good to strike a balance between those. Water is...

I'm going to see my dad tomorrow and we'll dig through our old camping equipement. He sold a lot of it a while ago, but there might still be some goodies, including the set of 3 cast iron frying pans. I hope they're still there. If not, I'll buy brand new Lodge frying pans, but I'd love to save...

<br><br>I take it that's good?&nbsp;<img src="/images/boards/smilies/crazy.gif" class="emoticon bbc_img"><br><br>OK, so it sounds like a decent fridge for a decent price.&nbsp;Not sure what the life expectancy is of these fridges, but for this price, if I get 1 or 2 years out of it, I'll be...

I'm not sure why he switched to propane. Maybe he wanted a bigger fridge and got a good deal on a propane or 3 way fridge. I'll have to drive a fair distance to get to his place in the city, but I just realized that I'll be near a Bass Pro shop, so at a minmum, I can go there and buy my Lodge...