The built was finished about month ago (mostly) just before we departed for NW Overland Rally and week later for Europe (not with Astrid). We are currently spending our time in Europe and enjoying summer (fall?!).
So sorry for delays in updates, nevertheless this is the Astrid v2.0 or v0.2
The goal was to have personal inside space where we could mainly hang out in case weather was bad or we just wanted to be in enclosed space + to have a fridge as we are planing on resuming or travels south in Fall when we return to Canada.
What we ended up adding to Astrid v2.0:
#1 Bed that also transforms into a couch (we don't have a queen size bed anymore, but it's still around 50 - 51 inches in width and 80 inches in length);
#2
ARB 37QT Fridge/Freezer with tie down system and threaded socket;
#3
NorthStart Group 31 AGM battery (According to my research and other overlander suggestions these are very reliable and quality product);
#4 100W Solar + MPPT Charging Controller;
#5 T-MAX 47-3800 Dual Battery System (Great post on How-To-Install:
http://forum.ih8mud.com/threads/t-max-dual-battery-install.607791/);
#6 Fan-Tastic Model 1250 Roof Vent;
#7
ARB CKMA12 Compressor.
As all the build was done by us with limited space and knowledge, there is a lot of place where to improve, but overall we are very satisfied.
Compressor (#7) was not necessity or requirement at all, but I just wanted something reliable so that I can have peace of mind when we air down tires.
Outside of van hasn't changed much - except for solar panel that is very low profile and Roof Vent. I think we still don't attract to much attention, which is nice and something we wanted to achieve.
Our storage bins are going to be 3x times smaller, which is nice as it will force us to have less stuff.
New bed is nice and comfy, and fan provides plenty of fresh air even in the hot weather. Really glad we have one that can move air around.
When bed is transformed into a couch we have nice amount of private space away from elements. Also because we have fridge we built counters, and counter top can be used for cooking small meal or putting heater on top of it etc.
Part we don't like to much about it is having the fridge and battery on the same side where we have fuel tank (makes one side heavier), but unfortunately with this door configuration there isn't much we can do about it.
As I said before overall we are very satisfied with the result, and are really looking forward getting back to traveling South again in Fall 2015.
There are couple maintenance items we need to do before we depart - install new ball joints, swap passenger side front differential axle seal.
And the big one - buy new tires (as you already might know how much we "love" our old ones...). We are looking at getting BFG All-Terrain KO2, but there hasn't been final decision yet.
If you know somebody from BFG or General Tire let us know - maybe they can help us by giving discount or something like that... Being able to spend more on traveling, rather then other things is always nice
Let us know if you have any questions or suggestions!
