In keeping with my original endeavor from this thread earlier this year:
www.astrosafari.com
I found a hitch and put it on although not without my life's doctrine of required difficulties.
Sep 6, 2022
Found a hitch at a local salvage yard. A Reese 31042 multifit that was on the back of a Safari. A picture was sent to me. I decided to go for it.
Sep 7, 2022
Picked it up, brought it back to base, spent the early evening cleaning it up with a stripper wheel on a disc grinder to remove the rust. Had dinner, then went down to start priming it, at least the parts I have space to lay out for now, so that I can hit it with some fresh paint before installation. I will also need to get some fresh hardware, as what it was originally installed with, was quite rusted and therefore cut off by the yard man. I already have a kit priced and located online at etrailer.com for little over $50. I'm going to see what I can find for how much local tomorrow. Also, I don't keep the van with me. It is remotely parked at a safe location, at least for now, in case I need to bug out from where I am.
Sep 8, 2022
Half painted already. Got started on looking for local hardware.
Sep 9, 2022
I had to pick up the van and bring it back. I had to take my bike up, reconfigure everything in the van so it can be driven without everything flying, go get a trailer, address the fiasco that I have a flat five wire and not a flat four,(which by the way for anyone needing to know, I found out later on the 5th blue wire is for trailers equipped with reverse lights. If you don't have them, you don't need it.), go back up, get my bike, and bring them both back. I took the 2” ball off of my subi's hitch to switch the 1 7/8” ball on the bumper mount hitch on my Astro to get that done.
Sep 11, 2022
Hitch of course, in keeping with my life's curses, isn't listed as a fit. I started painting the outer frame attachments first the other day. Yesterday they were coated and dry enough to try to place and see how to assemble & what I need for hardware. It didn't quite line up as easy as I expected, so I finally found a PDF of the installation manual, and saw that it's only designed to fit the extended chassis of my year model. I didn't notice if the van it came from was extended or not. I could go back and look, but it doesn't really matter.
At any rate, I think I can get it to work. After looking at some Youtube vids, through the manual, and what I have underneath the van going on that was messing up my fitment, It really amounts to that the frame brackets on a direct fit model have a notch in the frame side that wraps around the bumper bracket in the front. At least in the vids I saw.
Mounted on an extended model, maybe even a different year. I think I pulled this pic from another thread. If you recognize as yours, I don't mean to steal your pic. I had to use it for reference. Let me know if you want it removed. Note the difference in shape of the bumper brackets? Also note that there are no notches on that hitch either?
![Motor vehicle Automotive tire Hood Wheel Tire]()
This one does not. I can cut that notch out, paint and that should be fine. All of this even though the Curt direct fit model I was looking at new online does not show to have those notches, but it is either I cut the notch, or remove the bumper and mount the hitch between the bumper and chassis, which would bring the height of the bumper down, and I know it's not supposed to be done like that.
THEN, I will have to hope I clear my spare in its current position. If not, I will have to find another spot for it. The door mounts are an option I've been looking at for some time, but figured since I don't have a full size spare, it should be fine where it's at, according to the site I was looking at if I had to buy a hitch new. If I do have to move the spare, I saw the 3 point mount model by Sureco. Here is a pic sent to me from the yard before I got it.
![Automotive tire Road surface Asphalt Wood Gas]()
You can see that notch is not cut out on this model. I might take a ride back there sometime just to get a better look at what was going on there with this. I bet it had different brackets like the pic above.
Here are better pics of what I have going on with my brackets.
![Wheel Tire Automotive tire Vehicle Tread]()
![Hood Automotive lighting Motor vehicle Grille Bumper]()
![Automotive tire Motor vehicle Bumper Tread Vehicle door]()
I did go and check the van it came from. It had the bumper, inside the van, and no brackets in sight.
The modified brackets cut, fitted, repainted and drying
![Automotive tire Bumper Automotive exterior Motor vehicle Gas]()
![Automotive tire Bumper Wood Rim Automotive exterior]()
The main cross member is there in the back drying as well. Much of the roughness showing up around the cut is heat bonded diamond and steel sparks that were flying, landed and cooled there attaching to where they are now. None of this is precision fit so it won't be in the way of anything, nor visible. That one spot in the corner isn't the paint bubbling. I thought it was when I looked at the pic and took another look at the piece. It's a play of the light on some of the roughness.
I found that I have something to use for the blocks I have been looking for. I'll have to get some carriage bolts and so long as it works the way I'm planning, thinking, hoping, I should be good there. I may need to create some spacers for the bolts in front of the brackets. (There should be 3 for my class hitch.) I can use washers or stock I already have for them.
In this pic, you can see the clamp above the grinder wheel before I cut it into 6 pieces between the holes. I also removed the short portion of the L shape on both halves, not in that order. I did have to go back and knock some off of the 3 pieces of the wider half though. You can also see how much bigger the holes were made on the chassis mount bracket to accommodate whatever, thus my use of flat washers as described below.
I should and would have got an individual pic of it. I love taking pics of scenery, but when it comes to work it's an afterthought, as is also evidenced in this pic as I thought, maybe I should get a pic of this frame mount bracket before I cut it.
![Motor vehicle Automotive tire Bumper Automotive exterior Bicycle part]()
The 2 middle holes are 5/8", the four outer / smaller are 1/2"
And a bit punishing on my hands today. I actually caught myself with my disc grinder. Twice! I have never before. Not badly, just enough to remind me why I don't want to do that again.
Sep 12, 2022
I'm on a road block now with the hitch, as none of the hardware I originally thought would work will, nobody local has what I need, I tried to buy a kit from etrailer, and they called me back saying they can't do it because they don't sell this hitch, so I'm going to have to piece together what I can from other online sources now I guess. I wish I still had my welder!
Sep 14, 2022
I have confirmed fit. The spare will overlap the crossbar, but is not touching it. May or may not be a hassle raising and lowering. Will see after secured properly.
![Tire Vehicle Hood Automotive tire Automotive lighting]()
Still working on the hardware search. Found a parts list and discovered none of the original bolts are class 8. (I got the impression from my previous thread that this was needed) They are all 5, and not stainless or anything special, so that will be easier, and I have largely fabricated the blocks out of the clamp above.
I may need to keep searching for the two in the front that do not re-use the bumper bracket bolts, along with spacers. Spacers are easy. The holes do not need to be squared. I have two items I'm thinking of using for front blocks but the holes are larger (5/8 vs. 1/2")
![Tire Vehicle Car Motor vehicle Automotive tire]()
bumper capacity
There is no other support between the mount brackets. The standard full size tires are 215/75/15, the spare 145/70/16. Here is a comparison: (do your own here! Tire Size Comparison ) Mine is in the same boat with original air. One can imagine how much cleaner it is in there. My rim could use a...
www.astrosafari.com
Sep 6, 2022
Found a hitch at a local salvage yard. A Reese 31042 multifit that was on the back of a Safari. A picture was sent to me. I decided to go for it.
Sep 7, 2022
Picked it up, brought it back to base, spent the early evening cleaning it up with a stripper wheel on a disc grinder to remove the rust. Had dinner, then went down to start priming it, at least the parts I have space to lay out for now, so that I can hit it with some fresh paint before installation. I will also need to get some fresh hardware, as what it was originally installed with, was quite rusted and therefore cut off by the yard man. I already have a kit priced and located online at etrailer.com for little over $50. I'm going to see what I can find for how much local tomorrow. Also, I don't keep the van with me. It is remotely parked at a safe location, at least for now, in case I need to bug out from where I am.
Sep 8, 2022
Half painted already. Got started on looking for local hardware.
Sep 9, 2022
I had to pick up the van and bring it back. I had to take my bike up, reconfigure everything in the van so it can be driven without everything flying, go get a trailer, address the fiasco that I have a flat five wire and not a flat four,(which by the way for anyone needing to know, I found out later on the 5th blue wire is for trailers equipped with reverse lights. If you don't have them, you don't need it.), go back up, get my bike, and bring them both back. I took the 2” ball off of my subi's hitch to switch the 1 7/8” ball on the bumper mount hitch on my Astro to get that done.
Sep 11, 2022
Hitch of course, in keeping with my life's curses, isn't listed as a fit. I started painting the outer frame attachments first the other day. Yesterday they were coated and dry enough to try to place and see how to assemble & what I need for hardware. It didn't quite line up as easy as I expected, so I finally found a PDF of the installation manual, and saw that it's only designed to fit the extended chassis of my year model. I didn't notice if the van it came from was extended or not. I could go back and look, but it doesn't really matter.
At any rate, I think I can get it to work. After looking at some Youtube vids, through the manual, and what I have underneath the van going on that was messing up my fitment, It really amounts to that the frame brackets on a direct fit model have a notch in the frame side that wraps around the bumper bracket in the front. At least in the vids I saw.
Mounted on an extended model, maybe even a different year. I think I pulled this pic from another thread. If you recognize as yours, I don't mean to steal your pic. I had to use it for reference. Let me know if you want it removed. Note the difference in shape of the bumper brackets? Also note that there are no notches on that hitch either?
This one does not. I can cut that notch out, paint and that should be fine. All of this even though the Curt direct fit model I was looking at new online does not show to have those notches, but it is either I cut the notch, or remove the bumper and mount the hitch between the bumper and chassis, which would bring the height of the bumper down, and I know it's not supposed to be done like that.
THEN, I will have to hope I clear my spare in its current position. If not, I will have to find another spot for it. The door mounts are an option I've been looking at for some time, but figured since I don't have a full size spare, it should be fine where it's at, according to the site I was looking at if I had to buy a hitch new. If I do have to move the spare, I saw the 3 point mount model by Sureco. Here is a pic sent to me from the yard before I got it.
You can see that notch is not cut out on this model. I might take a ride back there sometime just to get a better look at what was going on there with this. I bet it had different brackets like the pic above.
Here are better pics of what I have going on with my brackets.
I did go and check the van it came from. It had the bumper, inside the van, and no brackets in sight.
The modified brackets cut, fitted, repainted and drying
The main cross member is there in the back drying as well. Much of the roughness showing up around the cut is heat bonded diamond and steel sparks that were flying, landed and cooled there attaching to where they are now. None of this is precision fit so it won't be in the way of anything, nor visible. That one spot in the corner isn't the paint bubbling. I thought it was when I looked at the pic and took another look at the piece. It's a play of the light on some of the roughness.
I found that I have something to use for the blocks I have been looking for. I'll have to get some carriage bolts and so long as it works the way I'm planning, thinking, hoping, I should be good there. I may need to create some spacers for the bolts in front of the brackets. (There should be 3 for my class hitch.) I can use washers or stock I already have for them.
In this pic, you can see the clamp above the grinder wheel before I cut it into 6 pieces between the holes. I also removed the short portion of the L shape on both halves, not in that order. I did have to go back and knock some off of the 3 pieces of the wider half though. You can also see how much bigger the holes were made on the chassis mount bracket to accommodate whatever, thus my use of flat washers as described below.
I should and would have got an individual pic of it. I love taking pics of scenery, but when it comes to work it's an afterthought, as is also evidenced in this pic as I thought, maybe I should get a pic of this frame mount bracket before I cut it.
The 2 middle holes are 5/8", the four outer / smaller are 1/2"
And a bit punishing on my hands today. I actually caught myself with my disc grinder. Twice! I have never before. Not badly, just enough to remind me why I don't want to do that again.
Sep 12, 2022
I'm on a road block now with the hitch, as none of the hardware I originally thought would work will, nobody local has what I need, I tried to buy a kit from etrailer, and they called me back saying they can't do it because they don't sell this hitch, so I'm going to have to piece together what I can from other online sources now I guess. I wish I still had my welder!
Sep 14, 2022
I have confirmed fit. The spare will overlap the crossbar, but is not touching it. May or may not be a hassle raising and lowering. Will see after secured properly.
Still working on the hardware search. Found a parts list and discovered none of the original bolts are class 8. (I got the impression from my previous thread that this was needed) They are all 5, and not stainless or anything special, so that will be easier, and I have largely fabricated the blocks out of the clamp above.
I may need to keep searching for the two in the front that do not re-use the bumper bracket bolts, along with spacers. Spacers are easy. The holes do not need to be squared. I have two items I'm thinking of using for front blocks but the holes are larger (5/8 vs. 1/2")
