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Sleeping in an Astro/Safari?

6K views 23 replies 11 participants last post by  bentwanderer 
#1 ·
Im sure some of these vans get used for adventures, camping or travel so who has slept in them and how does it work out.
Have you done any mods or added convenience items to make life more comfortable?
 
#2 ·
When mine still had second row bench seats I would camp in it.Take the seats out.A coleman twin air mattress,A decent TV and DVD player extension cord and a fan.Open the back windows put the the box fan in the passenger seat to draw air through.A cooler and your at the hilton.10 bucks at the campground got toilet and shower, electric, hike and fish all day.At night comfortable as being at home.Drink a brew, tie them flies while your watching a movie.
 
#3 ·
i just complained to a friend that these astro vans are going up in price by the day. He claimed people were probably buying them to live in. Why would you want to sleep in a van? Lose your job? Or just for fun? These vans beat a short bed s-10 anyday.
 
#5 ·
Lumpy said:
chevymaher said:
... I would camp in it.Take the seats out.A coleman twin air mattress,A decent TV and DVD player...
Ah nothing like camping out under the open sky. The fresh air, the newly released DVDs,
the sound of someone's generator and TV running.

:poke:

Lumpy
Lumpy, your probably one of those jerks that just sits there tending you fire, drinking a beer your keeping cool in the river and won't even lift a finger to help a guy get the Sat dish on his camper aligned properly :roll: :poke:
 
#6 ·
Lumpy said:
chevymaher said:
... I would camp in it.Take the seats out.A coleman twin air mattress,A decent TV and DVD player...
Ah nothing like camping out under the open sky. The fresh air, the newly released DVDs,
the sound of someone's generator and TV running.

:poke:

Lumpy
No generator just plug in at the campsite like everyone else.My idea of roughing it is not that rough.If I want it rough I can just sleep on the pile of sticks and brush in my back yard and let the bugs eat me.Then walk to the lake and fish in the morning. :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :poke:
 
#7 ·
The nerve of some people!! :lol:
If you get the right camp site, you don't need the generator.
 
#9 ·
Jasen said:
Lumpy, your probably one of those jerks that just sits there tending you fire, drinking a beer your keeping cool in the river and won't even lift a finger to help a guy get the Sat dish on his camper aligned properly :roll: :poke:
Naw. I just sit under my camo netting, wearing my camo gear and face paint, and sharpen my K-Bar while my neighbor is vacuuming their astro turf and operating their electric roll up mosquito netting.

:character-jason:

Lumpy
 
#10 ·
I'm actually going to take my daughters old twin bed mattress which happens to be 100% foam and turn that into the van mattress. Depending on fit, I may take and cut it to shape and reupholster it for camping.
 
#11 ·
Practice camping at home. Sleep in it in your driveway. Get a feel for how the bed/cot
situation works. Which direction should you point when parking so that the morning sun
does/doesn't hit you in the face. What kind of little creaks and clicks happen to your van
at night as it cools that you will hear when camping and think it's a scary monster. In
chevymaher's case, find out how long your extension cord needs to be so you can run
your DVD player.. :mrgreen:

Lumpy
 
#12 ·
It seems to me a great place to catch some shut eye while traveling, it beats leaning back the drivers seat, done that to many times.

Yes alot of people in hard times live in there car, truck, camper etc. It seems a few on here are Grumpy for no reason, Why? I was taught if you have nothing good to say, say nothing and move on! Have a cold one or 4 and relax!.

Sleeping in a van during a storm or a really cold night beats a tent anytime. I traveled the country one year in a van pulling my bike on a trailer, it was a great time met alot of nice people in tents and motorhomes. Its universal campers are usually in a good mood and friendly. More than once i had tenters say i wish i had that warm dry bed to sleep in...... :cheers:
 
#14 ·
I've slept in my van- but never in the bed. the bed must be made for kids or something. I'm 6 foot and even if I lay diagonally, my feet hang off the end (hitting the wall) and my head is hitting the wall of the van. it's not very comfortable. so pretty much I sleep in the drivers power captains chair. since the back doesnt recline very far, I end up tilting the seat base all the way back.
I've found some decent power beds, but unfortunately they're always in a full size van, which means its a little bit too wide for a safari. I can't say I've ever found a usable bed in a safari, which sucks because I'd really like to have a usable bed in my van.
 
#15 ·
Drifter,
I recently spent 3 1/2 weeks camping in the Astro after a quickie camping conversion. Here's a link to my thread on the work I did:
viewtopic.php?f=127&t=12268

It seems to me a great place to catch some shut eye while traveling
There were several times I got drowsy on the road; it was really nice to be able to just pull over, draw the curtain, lie down and catch a power nap.

This video is for Lumpy... :D
 
#16 ·
We're not grumpy, just being smart arses. :mrgreen: I've camped in mine a few times in the Florida Keys on lobster diving trips.
For the record, I've also been known to put a small window AC unit on some blocks blowing into my tent during the summer.
 
#23 ·
Kenny, some nice ideas you had there, i really liked the roof vent...sweet! Yea cutting that hole in the roof is a do i really want to do this moment... :think: Looks like a great trip, did you haul a bike or 4 wheeler?

I did the same adventure with a full size van towing my bike back in 99, gas was 77 cents then could not afford the fuel today..that old girl got 15 down hill on a good day. We only have about 80 laps around the sun so we have to enjoy life while and where we can!!
 
#24 ·
I left home July 31st 2006 and have been sleeping in my van a large part of that time. Except for a 3 year bicycle trip i have slept in it pretty much all the rest. I removed the 2 rear captains chairs and the electric pygmy sofa and built a bunk behind the drivers seat. At over6'3" and 228 pounds the so called full sized bed was not get'n it. but with my 4" tempurpedic mattress and a full lenth body pillow it works nice. I did have to put air shocks on the back and low profile tires on the front because of severe acid reflux; but now she cooks with gas. :dance:
 
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