Brewtus: 1987 Astro Aerolite Rebuild

[Brewtus]

**Photos Updated to this Post Regularly**

Greeting fellow Astro-nauts,

December 7th marked the beginning to an exciting new endeavor for Vivian and I; converting a 1987 Chevy Astro Aerolite to a stealthier and more efficient spaceship.

The Good:
- Virtually Rust-Free
- Decent Fuel-Economy (16MPG Highway)
- Modest Size
- Gorgeous Looks (Exterior)
- Seems to Run Well
- Has Power-Steering

The Bad:
- Redundant/Inefficient Appliances
- Poor Layout
- Soggy/Leaking Roof
- Broken A/C (Van & RV Systems)
- Water Damage
- Layers & Layers of Wall Coverings
- Power-Steering Leak
- Weight

We drove 6 hours into the middle of Oregon from Boise, ID to pick up this rig (since named "Brewtus") and plan to spend the next few months demo'ing & rebuilding the camper portion with hopes of a creating a functional and aesthetically pleasant home to live in. I hope to document the tear-down & rebuild process in this thread as well as produce a video series to accompany it for anyone interested in following the project.

We would love to connect with those interested in the project through this thread and look forward to your ideas and help! I hope to update this thread weekly with frequent photo updates.


Warmly,
Dylan

[scorean]

Looks awesome, congrats! Boise... that's where I bought my van a few yrs ago! (Currently undergoing a bit of an overhaul: https://www.astrosafari.com/viewtopic.p ... 7&t=112066 )

[Brewtus]

Looks awesome, congrats! Boise... that's where I bought my van a few yrs ago!

Thank you haha. The outside of Brewtus looks awesome to me! The inside is in desperate need of love, though.

How far was your drive to Boise for your van? Thanks for sharing your link. I checked out your project and photos. You have done a tonnnn of work! It looks great!

~Dylan

[scorean]

Not too far for the initial leg. About 4 hrs over to idaho falls. After a brief stay there, I've pretty much took it all over the place. Southern CA, all over the southwest, east coast, key west, etc. It's seen some miles.

[Astrofarian]

Hi and welcome from the centre of Canada. Nice starting-point, you should be able to build a lot of function into a space like that. As for it being pre-OBD2....concentrate on what you CAN do to it, not what it can't tell you as far as diagnostics. Worst thing is some places won't register anything OBD1 that's been a total loss on insurance; title gets branded "Irreparable" and you got a parts vehicle. Most places have an arbitration process and exceptions for seasonal and recreational vehicles.
Make sure you can title/register it before putting a dime into it. Hope this thing treats you well!
-M!ke-

[markmitch]

welcome and nice starting point. I personally prefer OBD1 its easier to work on less computer crap. When your ready to get into the engine side of thing I can get some info on the fuel system mods and such from my records I have an 89 and I kow a few tricks to get it running better bit more horse power and better fuel economy.

[Brewtus]

Not too far for the initial leg. About 4 hrs over to idaho falls. After a brief stay there, I've pretty much took it all over the place. Southern CA, all over the southwest, east coast, key west, etc. It's seen some miles.

Idaho Falls is a decent jaunt. Do you live in Idaho now? It sounds like you have been all over the place with your van.

~Dylan

[Brewtus]

Hi and welcome from the centre of Canada. Nice starting-point, you should be able to build a lot of function into a space like that. As for it being pre-OBD2....concentrate on what you CAN do to it, not what it can't tell you as far as diagnostics. Worst thing is some places won't register anything OBD1 that's been a total loss on insurance; title gets branded "Irreparable" and you got a parts vehicle. Most places have an arbitration process and exceptions for seasonal and recreational vehicles.
Make sure you can title/register it before putting a dime into it. Hope this thing treats you well!
-M!ke-

Thank you for the warm welcoming, Mike! I really appreciate your information regarding OBD-I vehicles. I will be sure to register before Vivian and I invest more money into it. I'll also avoid ever having it be "totaled" if there is an accident to avoid the issue of not being able to register it.

~Dylan

[Brewtus]

welcome and nice starting point. I personally prefer OBD1 its easier to work on less computer crap. When your ready to get into the engine side of thing I can get some info on the fuel system mods and such from my records I have an 89 and I kow a few tricks to get it running better bit more horse power and better fuel economy.

Thank you for welcoming us, Mark. I am starting to think I will enjoy the simplicity of OBD-I the more I read, especially with less computer crap, as you mention. I really want to install a device similar to a Scan-Gauge (for fuel economy and other readings), which is my favorite device for OBD-II vehicles. I did a bit of searching and came across the MPGuino and SuperMID but have had troubles finding anyone still making them. I would be open to creating one myself but am not familiar with coding/programming. I will be ready to get into the engine soon. Vivian and I purchased a new OE Bosch fuel pump w/strainer and ACDelco fuel filter to start on the fuel system. I would love to know more about your mods as I may end up returning those items, depending on the nature of your advice haha. Fuel economy is certainly a driving force with this project.

~Dylan

[Brewtus]

Hey there everyone,

Here are some update photos on the demolition! So far Vivian and I have gutted out nearly all of the interior of the RV. After removing many layers of wall-coverings, discovering major water-damage, and breathing in plenty of 30+ year old dust, we have an almost empty interior. Another day of work and I should have the rest of the appliances and water tank removed. Then, I can begin on removing the rest of the interior wall-coverings as well as the flooring. Each and every bit of material we have taken out of the van has been weighed and recorded in Google Sheets to provide a sum of the weight removed (we know there are easier ways of accomplishing this, but this is the method we chose). As of now, we have removed a total of 1,648.9 lbs and hope to reach 2,000 lbs before we finish the demolition. Our new floor-plan will be minimal and constructed of much lighter-weight materials. I can not wait to see how much of an impact the weight reduction has on fuel economy and handling. The rear suspension looks and feels bottomed out, so I foresee a suspension upgrade in the future. Any tips or ideas are greatly appreciated! Thank you!

~Dylan

[AstroWill]

AWESOME!

I am definitely subscribing to this thread to watch your progress. Probably won't watch the videos, but it looks like there will be lots of pictures to be posted!

Love seeing older rigs like this being saved!

[scorean]

Looks great! Demo is always fun and tons of great progress can happen quickly. You guys look like you're having a blast!

[Brewtus]

AWESOME! I am definitely subscribing to this thread to watch your progress. Probably won't watch the videos, but it looks like there will be lots of pictures to be posted! Love seeing older rigs like this being saved!

Will,

We are happy to feel your shared excitement, and there will certainly be plenty of photos for you to follow along with! I am excited for this beauty to be reborn and live a meaningful life.

~Dylan

[Brewtus]

Looks great! Demo is always fun and tons of great progress can happen quickly. You guys look like you're having a blast!

Thank you, Sam! The demo has been a lot of fun so far and progress certainly flew by! We have been having a good time so far and are eager to start redesigning and building!

~Dylan

[scorean]

...eager to start redesigning and building!
~Dylan

Careful what you wish for...
Sam

[Brewtus]

Careful what you wish for...
Sam

I hear you, Sam... We were on the road heading to the DMV and a large roof panel began peeling away. I had to stop, climb up there, and tear it off. I nearly fell through the roof while I was up there! The roof is a sponge.

~Dylan

[AstroWill]

That stinks, going to be a bit of a project in itself to get that roof back into shape.

[scorean]

And there it is... I'm telling you man wishes like "I'm eager to start building" are like something straight out of the monkey paw! Good luck dude, that's going to be a bit of an undertaking but you'll get it!

[Leeann_93]

Ooof.

A lot of guys on the RV.net forums have gone to the EPDM rubber stuff for the roofs on their Class Cs. I doubt you'd be able to find a premade plastic skin for that particular rig at this point, but you never know.

[Brewtus]

That stinks, going to be a bit of a project in itself to get that roof back into shape.

Absolutely! Vivian and I plan to remove all the old material (wood, insulation, & paneling) before heightening the metal ribs by 6 inches to make room for my big head in there. Then we have the opportunity to use much more efficient materials.