Thanks man, yeah H-town got hit pretty hard but I didn't get it as hard as most. Just glad it's over but the clean up...

Oh, I can imagine the clean up is a mess, but worse than flooding?

BRO I OWN THIS VAN NOW, NO WAY, SAME EXACT VAN BRO.

Sure thing. Hello Calgary! 👍

Cool deal! There are many ways to arrange the interior. For my build…I was trying to fit as many things as possible and still have some room to move. These 40 sq ft interior vans fill up fast. Good luck with your build. 🤙

Bro, im the current owner of this van now

Excellent! The cargo with high top sounds like a GREAT improvement. That’s awesome! I’m still in my Astro, after 8 years, but have plans to go with a truck camper next. Safe travels!

Thanks! Yeah, I bet this layout would be very roomy in a large cargo van or a Sprinter van. 👍 Glad the ideas helped. Thanks for watching. ✌️

Only difference is bed folds up against wall, so i can carry a dirt bike :D I hope to get some exploring done this year. Im in Northern BC, so those places you live looks like a pipe dream.

Thanks! I’m not a neat freak, but being in a small van with clutter, gets on my nerves. 😉 I can do a lazy day or two, but then it gets to me. Thanks for watching!✌️

Good tips. I’ll keep this in mind. I’m considering going without a sink set up in my next build. 👍

Thank you. Glad the video was helpful. 👍 Eliminating car and home payments sure does cut down on the stress….but vanlife has low level stress issues to deal with as well. I’ll take it over payments. 😁 Thanks for checking out the video.

Agreed

Thanks Marc. The setup has worked well for me. My Dad and I spent a lot of time in that empty Astro van thinking and planning out how we would fit everything in the tiny 40 sq ft. 😁 Thanks for checking out the videos.

Thanks Tina. 😁 Yes, I wanted to document my water storage, so when asked, I can point people to this video. 😉 Surprisingly, 38 gals in this small 40 sq ft van and the water containers are not in my way. Of course, I rarely open my sliding door and use the driver’s door for entering/exiting. More videos coming. Thanks for hanging with me. ✌️

BULDE!! Hey bud! Yeah, 1st road trip was to hang with you and the bro at Big Bend - Jun 2015. Good times. I often think about the mountain lion cave we explored, when I’m now out hiking solo and come up on a similar scene. 😳 Hope you’re well. ✌️

Excellent Bob. Great to hear the ideas were helpful. 👍 Thanks for watching and have a great weekend. ✌️

Hi there, James. Yes, I’ve been to that Traders Village and my Dad camps there when he visits Houston. I was last in Houston for a week back in late May of 2020. I’ll probably be heading that way this Spring or Summer for a few weeks, later this year, to visit friends and family. Thanks for the feedback on the videos. I think over the 9 years I’ve had my KZfaq channel, I average about 1 video per month. I would like to make 1 video per week, but then you upload a video and get 300 views and wonder if it’s all worth it. LOL! 😁✌️ Thanks for following along. 👍

@@TravelingTroy ok thanks for the information 👍

Thanks Sal! I hope you made it out ok, back in Houston. I normally spend my winters in Houston, but it seems like I missed quite a deep freeze this year.

That’s awesome! I’m glad the videos very helpful. Here’s hoping you get that 2002 out on the road in 2021. 👍✌️

Excellent! Congrats on getting an Astro. I’m doing well, thanks for checking. Good luck with your van. I have completed 6 yrs in my van and just started year 7. 🤙 Thanks for checking out the videos. 😉

Hi there! Thanks for the feedback. 👍 Well, there’s no right or wrong way to do van life, and those fully decked out Sprinter vans are gorgeous. 😮 It’s all about building a van that meets your comfort level vs your bank account or line of credit. My next video is actually on the cost of van builds. Stay tuned...thanks for watching. ✌️

Hi Karen. Just bought an Astro van? Cool! I’ve enjoyed mine now for many years. I hope you get a lot of use out of yours. Well, I gave away my 2 liter pressure cooker and now have a 3.5 liter. Cooking bigger meals and storing leftovers in the fridge for quick re-heats. 😁 Thanks stopping by and checking out the videos.

Cool! Thanks!

Sure thing. Thanks for watching.

Thanks! Yeah living in my Astro van was a fun 8 years. I’ve recently used portions of the Astro build on a truck build I’m currently working on, so the Astro van build lives on…..but in a truck bed. 😁 Thanks for watching. 👍

Hey Charlie, thanks for checking out my videos. I did not mention the toilet in this video because I think I’ll be doing a video on that topic one day soon. In this video, I did mention my office setup and the desk I use, well inside that desk/box is a hidden porta potty. The porta potty does make a few appearances in my videos, but this one was the first: (6 or 7 mins in is the construction of the box and reveal of the potty) kzfaq.info/get/bejne/qZtynMaosZbOpo0.html

Sure thing. Thanks for watching. ✌️

Indeed! I do plan to add some “Cooking with Troy” segments in my future videos. 👍 I was just picking up supplies at the store yesterday and planed to make and film myself cooking a meat and potato stew in the pressure cooker, but the store was completely out of beef stew meat. 😳 I opted for pork stew meat. Never tried pork stew. 🤔

He has a video on repairs and such on his channel!

True, it’s not an “easy” lifestyle and my van is small. I just couldn’t stand paying $2 per sq ft for an apartment back in Houston when I really only used about half of the available space. Vanlife really teaches you how to manage your space and your resources.

Did you go for it? I understand your position. I went back and forth a number of times before I finally pulled the trigger. It was a great decision for me, but not everyone enjoys vanlife for the long haul. 🤙

@@TravelingTroy I test drove and put an offer on it but it sold before I made up my mind about doing so. I’m still looking though. Not necessarily for an Astro but a van in general to convert.

Cool deal! Have a good trip/weekend. ✌️

@@TravelingTroy it was a good trip to Seilgman, AZ (historic route 66). Such a cool town. Hey Troy, do you still have any of those Adrian Steel shelving? I could buy. I would drive to Texas to buy them. Please let me know. Scott saunders.scott@aol.com

Hey Scott. Cool, I’ve driven thru SeIigman, but don’t recall stopping. I actually sold the ladder rack, partition and shelves when I pulled them out of the van. I sold, donated, gifted or just got rid of all my possession except for what I have in the van. It was a good feeling to empty out my storage unit. 👍

@@TravelingTroy awesome bro

Yes, to live this lifestyle, you do need some sort of income, or a savings like you mentioned. I always tell people interested in Van Life to take a look at their current expenses, eliminate rent or mortgage and the expenses that come with living in a home, then see what is left for expenses. Eliminate as many expenses as possible, then you don’t need as much of a monthly income to survive. You should start thinking & planning how you will earn money on the road before you move into the van. For van repair problems, you need to have an emergency fund or know how to do repairs on your own. Good luck if you convert the van. You might want to do a basic build with a cot, sleeping bag, cooler, cook stove and some battery operated lights, then go out camping for a weekend or a full week to see if you like the lifestyle. Some people go through all the trouble of doing a conversion, only to find out Van Life is not for them. Thanks for checking out the video. Glad it was helpful. 👍✌️😁

@@TravelingTroy you want to survive get a job and come home to your van go to work next day

Hi there, Jason. Good luck with your Safari build. Glad some of my ideas have been helpful. 👍 My tires are BFGoodrich LT215/75R15 Mud Terrain. BFGoodrich has a couple LT (Light Truck) options. As far as internet goes, I tested the 4 major carriers this past summer and settled on one. Verizon. Not because it is the best, but because I found the best “Unlimited” deal. Yahoo Mobile and Visible use the Verizon networks and have similar unlimited plans. I stream Netflix, KZfaq TV and Amazon Prime video all I want for $40/month. No data cap, but there is a data transfer speed limit, capped at 5 mbps which keeps you from sharing your data with a whole RV park for instance, because speeds would be pitifully slow. This doesn’t bother me, since I use my data solo. The only other issue is Verizon is popular, so you might camp in a Pro Verizon campsite where everyone is hitting the tower at the same time, which slooooowwwws it down. Hope this helps. Thanks for checking out the videos. ✌️

@@TravelingTroy Thanks for the info. I'm wanting an AT tire but concerned about clearance/rubbing (not lifting van).

I totally agree…only buy what you have cash to buy. 👍 Staying out of debt is smart.

Yes, they appear to be a thinner plastic, but are holding up great. No issues. 👍

Yes, the vent hood is like a shell over the opening for the fan. It keeps water out, but stays open for constant fresh air. No issues driving it like this. 👍

Hi there. I actually plan to make a common questions video soon and these two question will be included. My tires are BFGoodrich LT215/75R15 Mud Terrain Tires. Over the past two years, I tended to drive short distances on pavement to camping areas, then I’d be on rock/dirt roads for 7-14 days. Mud terrain tires seemed logical. Bought them in April 2020. As for leaks, I’ll show what I did in one of my next two videos. Easier to show than explain. 😉

Not even from a Chevrolet dealer?

@@wildeyedherman3102 Nope, NLA.

Hi there, Patricia. I was over at Saddle Mountain BLM camping when I filmed this video. 👍

That is AWESOME Thomas!! I had car payments most of my life. It has been a less stressful past 6 years with no payments. 👍 Congrats on keeping that 86 on the road and running…✌️

I look into making a video on this topic…. 👍

Im not Troy, but close to 6' and have had three Astros. They are only about 1-2" taller inside headroom that any of the soccer mom minivans, the floors are high since there's still a drive shaft under them. BUT, the floors are totally flat like full size vans. (Soccer mom Minivan" floors are all F'd up). Driver position is like a full size van. Walls are more vertical- less wasted space that a soccer van.

Hi Mathew. I am right at 6’. The cargo area of my van is about 8’ length by 5’ wide, so you get about 40 sq ft in build area. I have my 6’ long bed pushed all the way up to the driver’s seat, which gives me room in the back for the kitchen or some people use that area for storage. There are SO many ways to arrange an interior. 😳 Good luck with your search.

Excellent response! Thanks. 😁

Mathew ... I am 6' and the Astrovan works well even with 1.5 hard pink insulation.

Hi there. The white spigots come with the 7 gallon containers. Unfortunately, they are not interchangeable. 😕

Hi there, Mike. Cool deal. Good luck with you future van life. I just left Colorado after a 4 month stay. Great place to explore during the summer months.

Indeed! 👍✌️

Hi there, Tony. I bought the van at 106,000 miles and it currently has about 157,000 miles. Although I’ve traveled through many of the western states, I typically find long term camping and stay for a week or two. I’ve only traveled about 1400 miles in the past 4 months. The engine is the same, but I did have transmission work done about a year and a half ago. Thanks for checking out the video. ✌️

I have 300 watts of solar on the roof and a 100 ah lithium battery. I mainly use it for the fridge, fantastic fan and a number of electronics. Plenty of amps for what I use if for, but on cloudy/rainy days, like I’m experiencing now, it’s nice to have the extra amps. 😁👍 I also have a battery isolator to charge the battery when I drive, when needed. Hope this helps. Good luck with your build! Awesome to hear another Astro is getting built out. 🤙

@@TravelingTroy Thanks. I've been following you for a few months now. You're an inspiration!!

Yes, I have 3 of the 100 watt Renogy solar panels. Here they are: www.amazon.com/dp/B07GF5JY35/

@@TravelingTroy thanks Troy!

Security. I urban camped in my van for the first couple years on the streets of Houston. Sometimes, shady folks would snoop around.

Oh, I bet there are cheaper alternatives. Remember, I started my van build 7 years ago in 6/2015. Luckily, my Domestic fridge is still doing just fine. I look forward to having more available options on my next build, due to the explosion of new manufacturers in the diy build market. Not, just the fridge either, but more options for the whole build. Thanks for the comment. Which fridge did you go with?

No, I didn’t turn on the inverter to charge my devices. The inverter was plugged into my 12 volt cig outlet, so it just passed the power on to the USB devices, without turning on the inverter.

True…unless you use the water. Haha! Going up in the mountains heavy, coming back down light. 👍