I like your philosophy on life, death, and minimalism. Regarding heat in the summer, I put a gutter roof rack on top of the van and laid down a piece of 3/4 plywood painted white covering the whole roof. I attached 2 large solar panels on the front part and have the back as a deck for sitting. Even in temps above 80F it still gets warm inside. I then bought an Arcturus reflective blanket on Amazon large enough to cover the roof and windows. I use heavy magnets to hold it down. That did the trick! Keeps the van very cool.
Thanks, I am still early in the journey but have made extreme progress from where I was 😅 That is a good setup! I will look into the Arcturus, I have been meaning to get something quality to make a diy awning with. Nice to be able to make your own shade and then keep the panels in the sun soaking up the juice 🌞 I was hoping the solar on the roof would help out more, the metal underneath them is much cooler than in direct sun but the windows seem to play a big part as well, luckily the seasons change quick around here.😁 Appreciate the comment!
What a great chat! Agree with everything you talked about - downsizing hits the heart. On the other side of the coin though, the memory of what you got rid of sticks with you - if that makes sense lol I'm changing my grand caravan interior design a bit. Have a black lab and a little pug mix. Present design is fine but after a second winter, I know I can do better. Good roads to you and c'mon back down to the eastern side of Ontario anytime. 👍
Thanks Jaycee 😁 It definitely does.. there is growth in letting go, helps to make it clear what is truly important and best use of energy and time. Experiences, relationships, family (furry🐶and not) health and peace are what really matters. Good luck on the design change! I was thinking I may have to tweak my van to be more dog friendly with more floor space, and not so narrow. You give me hope that I can make a bigger dog happen in an astro Hope you and the pups are enjoying the summer 😎🌞
Minimal living is easier than I thought it would be. And learning how to fix my vehicle has been huge. It is a fun way of living without all the financial burdens of living what is no longer attainable.
Thats it! I forgot to say once in the van, you realize how little you truly need.. it is eye opening! I have stuff packed away in the van I haven't even touched in 10 months😅..which tells me I still have a few levels to go in this minimalism journey. That is awesome that you are tackling repairs yourself! tons of info and helpful folks online, I can honestly say without youtube and the make/model specific forums, this van would be in the junkyard right now 😬
@@alwaysgoodinthewoods absolutely. YT vids have been a life saver on fixing my car. I just replaced my alternator or cleaned my throttle body amongst other repairs. It is challenging but definitely builds confidence.
Letting go of all the small random little things is so nice. As you said, sure it’s nice to look back on but it’s easier to take a picture of that letter/yearbook/etc. in your phone and recycle/trash the stuff.
Exactly, digital pictures weigh nothing and take 0 room! I do it now for paper clutter, if someone hands me a piece of paper I take a pic and hand it back to them 😂 The trinkets and knick nacks have served their purpose to you long ago and now it is just taking up physical and mental space. It truly is freeing, a hidden benefit of the van is there is only room for useful stuff that brings you joy, all the baggage and non sense simply does not fit. Thanks for the comment! Happy trails!
Nice, Vans-the new canadian real estate market... your vans looking good, I really like that kinda smokey blue, you got all your lug nuts? maybe two different types, if you need some amazon has sets cheap. S10 springs with factory shackles in the rear and 3" pucks up front will give clearance for 30" or 245/75/16 tires with no cutting in the back and minimal in the front and no rubbing, you can get a longer brake line that drops down to the rear axle off rock auto listed in the blazer parts they have many different lengths for the blazers. Keep on keepin on
Yep, you nailed it, I like the term "wheel estate" 😆 I feel like a king in my astro when I see people in cars and trucks. Good eye on the lugs, there is 3 closed end and 3 open per wheel 😅 the previous owner had light up lug covers that threaded onto the exposed studs.. He was doing some questionable things to this van that's for sure but his intentions were good 👍 I agree on the paint it's my favorite color for the astro, which is a bummer on the wrong match, but we will see what the future holds. I would love to get the whole van rhino lined or some type of coating. Appreciate the tips that is pretty well the rough plan except the wheels on it now are 17" and I would like to keep them, even though it's a terrible size for all terrains. Already went with 2" blocks in the front I am hoping I can squeeze a 30" in the front with the lower offset of the aftermarket wheels + lots of cutting/hammering then my only limiting factor should be the subframe when turning 🤞 Then hopefully get away with either aftermarket rear shackles or swap in s10 springs once I see how bad the rake is front to rear. Good call on the blazer parts it's awesone how much stuff crosses over even the older stuff, the poly sub frame mounts are listed for the old 80s blazer/c10 chassis, good ole GM 😊 Thanks for the comment! Happy trails!
@@alwaysgoodinthewoods lol never heard that "wheel estate" I like it. Ya I really like the wheels you have I would think 245/70/17 would be a good size, just a little bigger than than a 245/75/16 but should fit ok, you can squeeze that little extra you need from the 2" blocks with the torsion bars most likely. I believe the factory rear shackles have bushings in them where the adjustable don't so there may be a little more road noise transferred to the body. I put in new s10 springs and couldn't be happier they worked great and ride great, they were about five hundred locally, I think I got right at 4 inches lifted with them. The parts interchangeability with gm is great its almost like lego lol.
Thanks man! this one definitely caught an updraft, just wanted to warn everyone about the review vid and tried speaking from the heart. I think looking sassy in the thumbnail with a dirty van might have done something 😅not the typical hippy minimalist vanlifer 🤣the mention of a dog is usually a safe bet as well haha Not looking to get rich but a bit of usd in the mail every month wouldn't be the worst thing haha, nice incentive!
@@alwaysgoodinthewoods I don't BS people you got potential man. Your views are strong because you have knowledge. One of my friends disapointed me. He is up to 1500 subscribers and he can't crack 4000 watch hours. Really disappointed me when he said yeah it's cool I get some nice comments and made some friends here but I'm not doing this for free and another 10 months of uploading not being paid isn't worth it. I made videos for 5 years not getting paid and not thinking I would ever get paid. I feel really blessed that I got to this level. The secret is do it because you like it the money is a bonus. My friend who quit is stuck at 2000 watch hours and he tried making a big run for a month. Content everyday but since he left a big gap of no uploading his previous uploads are not rolling over and the 365 days expired. You don't upload much and the fact you are so close to 4000 tells me your older videos have a ton of value and they are search topics.
@@JohnDrivesAnything Appreciate the kind words! You were on of the first "vanlife" channels I watched, you have been consistent for a very, very long time. I know my videos aren't really that good considering, and I agree I started making them way before there was any chance or thought of getting paid for it. Just having a free spot to upload videos was worth it alone, and 100 views was pretty damn good haha When youtube cracked down on the copy written music pretty much all of my biking videos got muted or flagged, it was 2014 abouts and all of the creators like yourself I followed were uploading vids about how they were all getting partnerships and what not. Checked my channel and it was a completely different story lol Really should have left them up because yt changed the rules shortly after but I just deleted them and planned to change the music and reupload but never did. Tried my hand at being an automotive youtuber when I started doing a ton of work to my 240 but the cameras I had were terrible back then and hd storage was expensive. I made a few videos but the lighting was so bad in my work space you couldnt see or hear anything so I got discouraged and just started working on the car without the filming. Then spent way too much time messing with subars and after 3 of them I decided I wanted a van again and I told myself I absolutely have to film it or I will regret it and here we are lol I think your friend should definitely keep going, if he has the subs that means there is something there and the watch hours seem to be what gets a lot of channels. I know for about a year or so youtube would not show pretty much any of my old content. There were about 4 videos that would get consistent views over 48 hrs but the rest were completely taken off the table. I thought well I have been partially shadow banned or those other videos must be even worse than I thought lol but then something "clicked" and now all of a sudden pretty well all of my vids get a range of views all over the place. All that is to say it might not take him as long as he thinks but like you say if he is not enjoying it then it will never be worth it. I honestly like being where I am right now because I am not really under anyones thumb, anyone who is viewing the vids is there because they want to be generally. I get pretty well 0 negative comments, its been really enjoyable overall. I know the tricks and I could make a "Why I quit being a mechanic" video or a tool box tour or even a walk around of the 240 and pull the 50 subs I need but I am playing that long game haha
@@alwaysgoodinthewoods I'm at 8 million views life time and I've gotten maybe 20-30 fucked up comments out of 10,000 and I respond to everyone. Bad comments I just say God Bless You. They normally leave forever after that. I look at it like it's an extra comment for the algorithm. I watched your 1 hour video in its entirety about Astro Elitists on forums. I hate Forums/groups! That's why I started doing youtube videos. You said it people are generally nicer on youtube. Your long videos break it you into 10 minutes and make it an extra topic. Play with titles. Like you should make getting rid of all your stuff a separate topic. It's admirable man. I cant do that yet and I'm still want to aquire 2 more rides lol. My dream is to have 6 cars at once. Maybe when I accomplish that I'll down size. But yeah man I think you have so much potential because you are living it and sharing the full time thing. I'm still figuring out the algorithm and constantly studying YT. Last month 17,000 of my views out of 60,000 were youtube recommendations. I need to figure out how to get youtube pushing me by 100,000 views. But seeing I got 17,000 extra because youtube pushed me makes me want to figure this out. I don't make too much on here. $180-$300 a month but it's fun. I make $6.00 per 1000 views so man if I can figure out how to get those 100,000K view algorithm pushes it would be a life changer.
@@JohnDrivesAnything Those are good numbers! there are alot of channels that dont comment or barely at all or stop at some point and claim to not read the comments but they surely do lol I agree from everything I have heard a bad comment and a dislike is still seen as engagement and helps. Haha yeah that dude is actually a known problem hes been tossed from that group and is in the second largest astro fb group now doing the same shit. A friend who understands this all a lot better than me said he was probably trying to get me to say some wild shit so he could get me tossed from the group, which makes sense and is why I didnt defend #vanlife or call anyone old or whatever he was trying to make it about. Had a few weird comments on fb since that happening so I wanted to put it out there where it started and show my side of the story. I have 0 problem with older folk and actually prefer their company and the funny part is I fully consider him a part of the whole "vanlife" thing and if anything I think I had a case for "ageism" haha most of those astro group veterans legitimately do not like "young" people or "vanlife" or even canada so I have an uphill climb with most of them but I like the challenge lol Part of that is my fault it takes 2 to tango for sure and I even said early on in my videos that I wanted to get into the general "van" side of youtube instead of model specific enthusiast cars because I was sick of bs dick swinging and gate keeping like this lol with the 240 folks its waaaay worse if you dont have 4k wheels, a drift comp title or 2, or have legitimately owned 10+ no one cares about your opinion lol and if you ask questions they tell you to google it or intentionally give wrong info to try and get you to mess your car up. Some of the guys are hilarious though and the inside jokes and what not are top notch. There is definitely some stuff I should chop out or reshoot and expand on, that video has been bottom shelved, gets a couple views a week, probably was reported a bunch or youtube picked up on the swearing lol I was hoping for a rebuttal in the comments and had part 2 partially ready to go but I never heard boo about it, it did pull in about 20+ subscribers so let it ride I guess. Oh man dont do it unless you want to haha but it does feel good to downsize and better utilize the quality items you have. I still have regrets sometimes but it needed to happen. I was in accumulation mode for 15 years and it got to a point where I had so much stuff crammed everywhere, 4 vehicles, a trailer, a four wheeler. I stripped a parts subaru and had damn near half a car boxed up, engines, transmissions, random scrap piles etc etc. endless boxes of hardware/bolts/nuts/clamps etc. then 3 of every tool, one for work, one for my place, one for at the papretns house, all the gear for 5 different hobbies etc etc 3 vehicles is the number for me until I have a big shop space. Even with that number I can feel them getting neglected. 240 is the project/peach, van is the home/work horse, forester is back up for the van so I am not homeless lol The full time vanlife thing does seem to do well on youtube but I gotta find my style. Too many channels making coffee and doing laundry when I try and make those vids I feel foolish lol I was totally down to film the build and what not and an adventure here and there but now that this is my legit everything it is daunting to film, its like if someone was like hey give us a tour of every nook and cranny of your house and whats in all your drawers lol I follow a few channels that live in vans but rarely talk about it and the channel is about something completely different. I would love to do that and just pop in clips of the van here and there. Keep going man! you have had really good growth as of late, I still remember the push to 10k you have proven you are here for the long run and are clearly not in it just for the money. There really isnt many channels left that started doing this when you did and continue to upload, that alone should get you some type of boost in the algo, but I doubt it works that way..
Just discovered your channel tonight (TH-cam suggested). Watching your past videos and looking forward to your upcoming content. You said you lived near Ottawa, where ? I’m in Orleans. Anyways take care and stay safe.
Appreciate the comment and welcome! Very nice! That is a nice area and a lot closer to the city than I was, I grew up just south of Ottawa, Kemptville - North Augusta, have family all over there down to the St. Lawrence and some in upstate NY. Really appreciate the kind words, lots of different videos coming out soon, hopefully be a little something for everyone! Thanks for watching and the comment, take care!
Great stuff man.. 🤘 My wife and I recently bought an 05' Astro and are looking forward to some adventures in it.. How big is the lift kit on your Astro ?
Thanks! + Welcome👋 I bought everything separately, the lift pucks are generic 2"x 3" plastic blocks, found the best price on amazon, but they are all over places like eBay and such. Then, for hardware, I went to a local fastener shop and bought bolts 2" longer than stock. The body mounts are poly prothane brand for an 80s chev pick up, not typically needed for the lift, but my stock mounts were shot and all twisted up so no better time to replace. The rear as it sits is some unidentified replacement rear leaf springs, with 4 leafs over the stock 3 pack. Installed by a previous owner at some point. I'm undecided how to lift the back or not. I may just put tires on and see how much cutting I can get away with. With these vans the lift(ground clearance) is all dictated by tires(slight torsion bar adjustment for the front) but tires are the major thing that lifts the rear differential and the front subframe components. Once you max out on tire size (wheel well space or gearing) more suspension and body lift just puts more strain on everything, makes the van less stable, and hurts mpg... In the research phase for your van? Appreciate the sub and comment! I may make a video bringing everyone up to speed on all this as there is a lot to consider..
It's hard even with a job 😅 With hyperinflation and stagnant wages, folks with good jobs are struggling. I have been gainfully employed since age 15 and the only debt I ever had was student loans that are long paid off. Thanks for the comment!
I like your philosophy on life, death, and minimalism.
Regarding heat in the summer, I put a gutter roof rack on top of the van and laid down a piece of 3/4 plywood painted white covering the whole roof. I attached 2 large solar panels on the front part and have the back as a deck for sitting.
Even in temps above 80F it still gets warm inside.
I then bought an Arcturus reflective blanket on Amazon large enough to cover the roof and windows. I use heavy magnets to hold it down. That did the trick! Keeps the van very cool.
Thanks, I am still early in the journey but have made extreme progress from where I was 😅
That is a good setup! I will look into the Arcturus, I have been meaning to get something quality to make a diy awning with. Nice to be able to make your own shade and then keep the panels in the sun soaking up the juice 🌞
I was hoping the solar on the roof would help out more, the metal underneath them is much cooler than in direct sun but the windows seem to play a big part as well, luckily the seasons change quick around here.😁
Appreciate the comment!
What a great chat! Agree with everything you talked about - downsizing hits the heart. On the other side of the coin though, the memory of what you got rid of sticks with you - if that makes sense lol
I'm changing my grand caravan interior design a bit. Have a black lab and a little pug mix. Present design is fine but after a second winter, I know I can do better.
Good roads to you and c'mon back down to the eastern side of Ontario anytime. 👍
Thanks Jaycee 😁
It definitely does.. there is growth in letting go, helps to make it clear what is truly important and best use of energy and time. Experiences, relationships, family (furry🐶and not) health and peace are what really matters.
Good luck on the design change! I was thinking I may have to tweak my van to be more dog friendly with more floor space, and not so narrow. You give me hope that I can make a bigger dog happen in an astro Hope you and the pups are enjoying the summer 😎🌞
Minimal living is easier than I thought it would be. And learning how to fix my vehicle has been huge. It is a fun way of living without all the financial burdens of living what is no longer attainable.
Thats it! I forgot to say once in the van, you realize how little you truly need.. it is eye opening!
I have stuff packed away in the van I haven't even touched in 10 months😅..which tells me I still have a few levels to go in this minimalism journey.
That is awesome that you are tackling repairs yourself! tons of info and helpful folks online, I can honestly say without youtube and the make/model specific forums, this van would be in the junkyard right now 😬
@@alwaysgoodinthewoods absolutely. YT vids have been a life saver on fixing my car. I just replaced my alternator or cleaned my throttle body amongst other repairs. It is challenging but definitely builds confidence.
"We are the universe experiencing itself." - Just rewatching the video because I love this line and conversation. Hope you're doing well.
would be nice to get an official tour, love the rig man!
Thanks! I keep thinking I will do a full tour once its "done" but I keep working on it 😅
Appreciate the comment!
Cool setup!
Thanks! Its nothing fancy but thanks to youtube it turned out better than expected 😁
Appreciate the comment!
Great Video! Looking forward to the next one.
@morebeer2410 Appreciate it! and thanks for the comment! Workin on one now 😁 Cheers 🍻
Letting go of all the small random little things is so nice. As you said, sure it’s nice to look back on but it’s easier to take a picture of that letter/yearbook/etc. in your phone and recycle/trash the stuff.
Exactly, digital pictures weigh nothing and take 0 room!
I do it now for paper clutter, if someone hands me a piece of paper I take a pic and hand it back to them 😂
The trinkets and knick nacks have served their purpose to you long ago and now it is just taking up physical and mental space. It truly is freeing, a hidden benefit of the van is there is only room for useful stuff that brings you joy, all the baggage and non sense simply does not fit.
Thanks for the comment! Happy trails!
Nice channel
Thanks, appreciate the comment!
Nice, Vans-the new canadian real estate market... your vans looking good, I really like that kinda smokey blue, you got all your lug nuts? maybe two different types, if you need some amazon has sets cheap. S10 springs with factory shackles in the rear and 3" pucks up front will give clearance for 30" or 245/75/16 tires with no cutting in the back and minimal in the front and no rubbing, you can get a longer brake line that drops down to the rear axle off rock auto listed in the blazer parts they have many different lengths for the blazers. Keep on keepin on
Yep, you nailed it, I like the term "wheel estate" 😆 I feel like a king in my astro when I see people in cars and trucks.
Good eye on the lugs, there is 3 closed end and 3 open per wheel 😅 the previous owner had light up lug covers that threaded onto the exposed studs.. He was doing some questionable things to this van that's for sure but his intentions were good 👍
I agree on the paint it's my favorite color for the astro, which is a bummer on the wrong match, but we will see what the future holds. I would love to get the whole van rhino lined or some type of coating.
Appreciate the tips that is pretty well the rough plan except the wheels on it now are 17" and I would like to keep them, even though it's a terrible size for all terrains.
Already went with 2" blocks in the front I am hoping I can squeeze a 30" in the front with the lower offset of the aftermarket wheels + lots of cutting/hammering then my only limiting factor should be the subframe when turning 🤞
Then hopefully get away with either aftermarket rear shackles or swap in s10 springs once I see how bad the rake is front to rear.
Good call on the blazer parts it's awesone how much stuff crosses over even the older stuff, the poly sub frame mounts are listed for the old 80s blazer/c10 chassis, good ole GM 😊
Thanks for the comment! Happy trails!
@@alwaysgoodinthewoods lol never heard that "wheel estate" I like it. Ya I really like the wheels you have I would think 245/70/17 would be a good size, just a little bigger than than a 245/75/16 but should fit ok, you can squeeze that little extra you need from the 2" blocks with the torsion bars most likely.
I believe the factory rear shackles have bushings in them where the adjustable don't so there may be a little more road noise transferred to the body. I put in new s10 springs and couldn't be happier they worked great and ride great, they were about five hundred locally, I think I got right at 4 inches lifted with them.
The parts interchangeability with gm is great its almost like lego lol.
Looks like a lot of your videos are catching the algorithm man! Dude ride the wave! Hope you get monetized soon.
Thanks man! this one definitely caught an updraft, just wanted to warn everyone about the review vid and tried speaking from the heart. I think looking sassy in the thumbnail with a dirty van might have done something 😅not the typical hippy minimalist vanlifer 🤣the mention of a dog is usually a safe bet as well haha
Not looking to get rich but a bit of usd in the mail every month wouldn't be the worst thing haha, nice incentive!
@@alwaysgoodinthewoods I don't BS people you got potential man. Your views are strong because you have knowledge. One of my friends disapointed me. He is up to 1500 subscribers and he can't crack 4000 watch hours.
Really disappointed me when he said yeah it's cool I get some nice comments and made some friends here but I'm not doing this for free and another 10 months of uploading not being paid isn't worth it.
I made videos for 5 years not getting paid and not thinking I would ever get paid. I feel really blessed that I got to this level.
The secret is do it because you like it the money is a bonus.
My friend who quit is stuck at 2000 watch hours and he tried making a big run for a month. Content everyday but since he left a big gap of no uploading his previous uploads are not rolling over and the 365 days expired.
You don't upload much and the fact you are so close to 4000 tells me your older videos have a ton of value and they are search topics.
@@JohnDrivesAnything Appreciate the kind words! You were on of the first "vanlife" channels I watched, you have been consistent for a very, very long time.
I know my videos aren't really that good considering, and I agree I started making them way before there was any chance or thought of getting paid for it. Just having a free spot to upload videos was worth it alone, and 100 views was pretty damn good haha
When youtube cracked down on the copy written music pretty much all of my biking videos got muted or flagged, it was 2014 abouts and all of the creators like yourself I followed were uploading vids about how they were all getting partnerships and what not. Checked my channel and it was a completely different story lol
Really should have left them up because yt changed the rules shortly after but I just deleted them and planned to change the music and reupload but never did.
Tried my hand at being an automotive youtuber when I started doing a ton of work to my 240 but the cameras I had were terrible back then and hd storage was expensive. I made a few videos but the lighting was so bad in my work space you couldnt see or hear anything so I got discouraged and just started working on the car without the filming.
Then spent way too much time messing with subars and after 3 of them I decided I wanted a van again and I told myself I absolutely have to film it or I will regret it and here we are lol
I think your friend should definitely keep going, if he has the subs that means there is something there and the watch hours seem to be what gets a lot of channels. I know for about a year or so youtube would not show pretty much any of my old content. There were about 4 videos that would get consistent views over 48 hrs but the rest were completely taken off the table. I thought well I have been partially shadow banned or those other videos must be even worse than I thought lol but then something "clicked" and now all of a sudden pretty well all of my vids get a range of views all over the place. All that is to say it might not take him as long as he thinks but like you say if he is not enjoying it then it will never be worth it.
I honestly like being where I am right now because I am not really under anyones thumb, anyone who is viewing the vids is there because they want to be generally. I get pretty well 0 negative comments, its been really enjoyable overall. I know the tricks and I could make a "Why I quit being a mechanic" video or a tool box tour or even a walk around of the 240 and pull the 50 subs I need but I am playing that long game haha
@@alwaysgoodinthewoods I'm at 8 million views life time and I've gotten maybe 20-30 fucked up comments out of 10,000 and I respond to everyone.
Bad comments I just say God Bless You. They normally leave forever after that. I look at it like it's an extra comment for the algorithm.
I watched your 1 hour video in its entirety about Astro Elitists on forums.
I hate Forums/groups!
That's why I started doing youtube videos. You said it people are generally nicer on youtube.
Your long videos break it you into 10 minutes and make it an extra topic. Play with titles. Like you should make getting rid of all your stuff a separate topic. It's admirable man. I cant do that yet and I'm still want to aquire 2 more rides lol. My dream is to have 6 cars at once. Maybe when I accomplish that I'll down size.
But yeah man I think you have so much potential because you are living it and sharing the full time thing.
I'm still figuring out the algorithm and constantly studying YT. Last month 17,000 of my views out of 60,000 were youtube recommendations. I need to figure out how to get youtube pushing me by 100,000 views. But seeing I got 17,000 extra because youtube pushed me makes me want to figure this out.
I don't make too much on here. $180-$300 a month but it's fun.
I make $6.00 per 1000 views so man if I can figure out how to get those 100,000K view algorithm pushes it would be a life changer.
@@JohnDrivesAnything
Those are good numbers! there are alot of channels that dont comment or barely at all or stop at some point and claim to not read the comments but they surely do lol I agree from everything I have heard a bad comment and a dislike is still seen as engagement and helps.
Haha yeah that dude is actually a known problem hes been tossed from that group and is in the second largest astro fb group now doing the same shit. A friend who understands this all a lot better than me said he was probably trying to get me to say some wild shit so he could get me tossed from the group, which makes sense and is why I didnt defend #vanlife or call anyone old or whatever he was trying to make it about. Had a few weird comments on fb since that happening so I wanted to put it out there where it started and show my side of the story. I have 0 problem with older folk and actually prefer their company and the funny part is I fully consider him a part of the whole "vanlife" thing and if anything I think I had a case for "ageism" haha most of those astro group veterans legitimately do not like "young" people or "vanlife" or even canada so I have an uphill climb with most of them but I like the challenge lol
Part of that is my fault it takes 2 to tango for sure and I even said early on in my videos that I wanted to get into the general "van" side of youtube instead of model specific enthusiast cars because I was sick of bs dick swinging and gate keeping like this lol with the 240 folks its waaaay worse if you dont have 4k wheels, a drift comp title or 2, or have legitimately owned 10+ no one cares about your opinion lol and if you ask questions they tell you to google it or intentionally give wrong info to try and get you to mess your car up. Some of the guys are hilarious though and the inside jokes and what not are top notch.
There is definitely some stuff I should chop out or reshoot and expand on, that video has been bottom shelved, gets a couple views a week, probably was reported a bunch or youtube picked up on the swearing lol I was hoping for a rebuttal in the comments and had part 2 partially ready to go but I never heard boo about it, it did pull in about 20+ subscribers so let it ride I guess.
Oh man dont do it unless you want to haha but it does feel good to downsize and better utilize the quality items you have. I still have regrets sometimes but it needed to happen. I was in accumulation mode for 15 years and it got to a point where I had so much stuff crammed everywhere, 4 vehicles, a trailer, a four wheeler. I stripped a parts subaru and had damn near half a car boxed up, engines, transmissions, random scrap piles etc etc. endless boxes of hardware/bolts/nuts/clamps etc. then 3 of every tool, one for work, one for my place, one for at the papretns house, all the gear for 5 different hobbies etc etc
3 vehicles is the number for me until I have a big shop space. Even with that number I can feel them getting neglected. 240 is the project/peach, van is the home/work horse, forester is back up for the van so I am not homeless lol
The full time vanlife thing does seem to do well on youtube but I gotta find my style. Too many channels making coffee and doing laundry when I try and make those vids I feel foolish lol I was totally down to film the build and what not and an adventure here and there but now that this is my legit everything it is daunting to film, its like if someone was like hey give us a tour of every nook and cranny of your house and whats in all your drawers lol I follow a few channels that live in vans but rarely talk about it and the channel is about something completely different. I would love to do that and just pop in clips of the van here and there.
Keep going man! you have had really good growth as of late, I still remember the push to 10k you have proven you are here for the long run and are clearly not in it just for the money. There really isnt many channels left that started doing this when you did and continue to upload, that alone should get you some type of boost in the algo, but I doubt it works that way..
Just discovered your channel tonight (TH-cam suggested). Watching your past videos and looking forward to your upcoming content. You said you lived near Ottawa, where ? I’m in Orleans. Anyways take care and stay safe.
Appreciate the comment and welcome! Very nice! That is a nice area and a lot closer to the city than I was, I grew up just south of Ottawa, Kemptville - North Augusta, have family all over there down to the St. Lawrence and some in upstate NY.
Really appreciate the kind words, lots of different videos coming out soon, hopefully be a little something for everyone! Thanks for watching and the comment, take care!
Great stuff man.. 🤘 My wife and I recently bought an 05' Astro and are looking forward to some adventures in it.. How big is the lift kit on your Astro ?
What lift kit you put on? new sub. by the way
Thanks! + Welcome👋
I bought everything separately, the lift pucks are generic 2"x 3" plastic blocks, found the best price on amazon, but they are all over places like eBay and such.
Then, for hardware, I went to a local fastener shop and bought bolts 2" longer than stock.
The body mounts are poly prothane brand for an 80s chev pick up, not typically needed for the lift, but my stock mounts were shot and all twisted up so no better time to replace.
The rear as it sits is some unidentified replacement rear leaf springs, with 4 leafs over the stock 3 pack. Installed by a previous owner at some point.
I'm undecided how to lift the back or not. I may just put tires on and see how much cutting I can get away with.
With these vans the lift(ground clearance) is all dictated by tires(slight torsion bar adjustment for the front) but tires are the major thing that lifts the rear differential and the front subframe components.
Once you max out on tire size (wheel well space or gearing) more suspension and body lift just puts more strain on everything, makes the van less stable, and hurts mpg...
In the research phase for your van? Appreciate the sub and comment! I may make a video bringing everyone up to speed on all this as there is a lot to consider..
Always going to be hard to purchase what you need when you don't have a job
It's hard even with a job 😅
With hyperinflation and stagnant wages, folks with good jobs are struggling.
I have been gainfully employed since age 15 and the only debt I ever had was student loans that are long paid off.
Thanks for the comment!