95 astro trailer??

[Alaska_AV]

Thinking of cutting up my 95 astro into a trailer.

I'm pulling the front frame and some interior for parts for my 97 safari. so if I cut off the front fenders/hood and firewall out. pull the windshield. Wrap some sheet metal around the wound. add a hitch bar out the front, bolted to the body in the body mount holes- 4 out of 6.... paint it to match the safari....

[Astrofarian]

You'll end up with a trailer that has a hitch weight of like 5-600 pounds. The axle needs to come forward or a second axle is needed in front of the factory one to take some of the weight off. Or, just use a weight distributing hitch? This may look cool in a parade or something and others HAVE done this but it would make for a really impractical trailer. But find a way to make this work and I'm sure people will want to see it! Just don't expect it to be easy......
-M!ke-

[MI_Ghost]

I have seen it done where the front is cut off at the front of the slider. Then the back door section from another van is grafted on. As you would lose a good share of the weight by eliminating the engine, trans, and subframe. I don't see the tongue weight being unmanageable with a weight distributing hitch.

I have always thought that two rear sections grafted together at the rear of the slider would look cool. The tandem axle setup would eliminate the need for a load bearing hitch. Maybe!

For a new tongue. Look at how a normal trailer hitch is installed. Bolted to the underside of the boxed frame rails. It would take little extra work to come up with some form of subframe that will act as as tongue also.

[Alaska_AV]

haha found this on a local craigslist add



Home Made Utility Trailer. Was a 04 chevy Astro Van. Multi purpose, Camper... even fits a 4 wheeler. Tows like a dream. $2099 OBO please serious inquiries only. Thanks

[Astrofarian]

.....but no cup holders? Seriously, though , it looks great and seems well-executed but I still think it may have an extremely heavy hitch weight. It looks exactly like what you described inasmuch as having a fabricated hitch "subframe" attached at 4 of the 6 mounting points. The "observation deck" is a nice touch, too!
So does this mean you're gonna go ahead and build your own?
-M!ke-

[Alaska_AV]

If I build it, the wife may find out I bought another car....

[markmitch]

It was done by a member of another site I am on and done very well.