Astro Camper

Bought this van a few years ago with the intent to turn it into a camper van. The plan was to build it, sell it, then use the money and knowledge learned from building it to build myself a nicer one. When I first got it, it was pretty well worthless. I replaced the transmission and all the associated gaskets: oil pan, rear main seal, etc. Then it was still having issues, so I replaced the spark plugs and wires, fuel injectors, water pump, and probably some other things I’ve surely forgotten by now. I wanted to know that it would run well before messing with the aesthetics of the interior. Once it got running well enough, that’s what I focused on. Lined the inside with red carpet, thinking someone in Athens or an Atlanta Falcons fan would appreciate it. I built a box to go on top of the van, big enough to fit my bicycle as well as increase surface area for 8 solar panels, wired and sealed to two deep cell batteries inside the cargo space. I have a cabinet mostly built to hide the batteries and inverter, with a walnut/epoxy river table top and a sliding electric fireplace heater in the front. Started working on a bed to cover storage and a microwave, behind a mini fridge big enough to hold a couple gallons of whatever. When I bought the van, one of the rear windows was busted and finding a replacement that matched the tint was more of a headache than it was worth. So I built another box to fit in the space, where I placed a small window unit A/C. The smallest one I could find is intended for an actual room in a house, so pretty overkill for the space here. I started building smaller cabinets into the doors of the van, and was almost finished with it before I moved to Indiana. The plan was to take it with me and continue working on it, but then I diagnosed it with a cylinder misfire that didn’t seem to respond to other remedies. The plan now, once I have some time, money and energy, is to swap the engine with something cheap from the junkyard. Not sure when that’ll be, but money talks if someone wants it before I get there 😜