GMC Safari AWD

[dlajoie]

Our Safari seems perfectly matched to our 2720SL. You should be OK for everything except extended high mountain driving with your heavier 3124. We use a dealer supplied brake controller (not as good as your prodigy) but it seems to work fine. We started by not using a WDH but now use a 600 pound version which seems just right for our loading patterns. You absolutely need extension mirrors on the Safari. We use the strap on kind which are a little tricky to mount just so but work OK when you finally get them right. Best of luck from frigid Maine.

Originally Posted by dlajoie

Has anyone heard of a good replacement for the Safari/Astro after GM stops production in 2005? We have had a Safari since 1990. Sold the first one after 12 years and 190,000 miles. Our 2000 will last for some years to come but we are at a loss to find a vehicle that has the combination of attributes that the Safari/Astro has. It is always fun to dream about what your next TV will be. To me, the Safari is the ideal TV for a 2720SL. Any suggestions out there?

I haven't heard of any van that will fill the shoes of the venerable Astro/Safari. SUV's are too tall & tippy and do not have the interior capacity of the Astro. We load our cargo van up with 2 mt. bikes, a large recumbent tandem bicycle and still have plenty of room for chairs, bedding, food and assorted camping gear.
I read in our local paper that GM was stopping production of the Astro, putting thousands of workers at their Baltimore out of work, because annual production was "only" 50,000 vehicles. In another article a manufacturer of a mid size SUV was pleased with reaching 50,000 units in their first year of production. Go figure.
I am going to hang onto our '96 model until something better comes along. I purchased it in 1999 with 75,000 on the odometer. It now has 135,000 and runs great. Oil consumption is nil. Engines and transmissions can be replaced for much less than the cost of a new vehicle. As Clark Howard, a popular talk radio financial guru says, "Drive it until the wheels fall off".
We have towed our 3124 out west and up into Canada with no problems. When we did our 3 month tour of the west in 2000 the Astro still had the stock economy axle gearing 0f 3:21. Our loaded for camping TM weighed 4800 lbs so we were actually overloaded relative to our gearing. Still we had no problem climbing the passes in WY,WA, OR, CA and AZ although the tranny did shift down to 1st on a few of the steeper ones. I had installed a transmission cooler before the trip which probably helped because the engine never overheated. When we returned home I had the gearing changed out to 3:71 which improved the towing ability but dropped the gas mileage by 1 mpg to 15 mpg.
It's a shame that GM is discontinuing production of the only rear wheel drive mini van left. A full size van is too big but the Astro is just right.

Bruce