Hello from Bellingham. Love the site, lots of pertinent information and nice to see the great rigs out there.
Since my buddy introduced himself and his van, I suppose I better back him (or make him look worse?) by saying hello, too.
After almost 20 years of paddling and mountain biking, I finally went on a quest for the ultimate shuttle rig that would most suit
my personal needs: After researching since last June, I finally came up with the idea of a mini-me Sportsmobile for my mini-me budget: an All Wheel Drive Astro van.
Bought an 03 in mid January, and it has so far met or exceeded my expectations. Thanks to the gracious and talented people over at
http://astrosafarivans.org/bb2/viewtopic.php?f=21&t=8 , I realized all the potential of this mid sized rig (its the Dodge Dakota of vans). In the 3 months Ive owned it Ive installed an Overlandvans 4-5" lift kit
http://www.overlandvans.com/0104_gallery.html, and Rancho 9000s adjustable shocks with indash remote, and Kelly Pathfinder All Terrain 255/70 R16. (also changed from one stock Chevy wheel to another).
I thought the van was going to be the shuttle rig to get me and my gear to the places I need to go; (my Fiancee calls it The Sherpa). But now I find that Im looking to just get out in the van and do some exploring. Looking forward to getting to know Vancouver Island better, eastern Washington, as well as western Washington and suddenly find myself open to all sorts of road trip ideas (link to my Easter Weekend get away for an idea of who I am and what I like to do:
http://astrosafarivans.org/bb2/viewt...hp?f=38&t=1873)
Look forward to building my van (enhancing its off raod capabilites a little more and adding a minimal amount of camperization to it) and getting out and exploring. Realistically, my expedition days are probably over for a long while, but my days of exploring will be interrupted only by work and other obligations here and there.
Cheers and thanks,
Tom L.
