This Chevy Astro Van Got An RV Conversion In Japan And You Can Own It
We’ve seen plenty of custom Chevrolet Astro campers over the years, but only in the do-it-yourself realm. It wasn’t uncommon to see a raised-roof Astro equipped with little more than wood trim and a TV. That’s why we’re so into this proper Astro motorhome up for auction on Bring a Trailer, complete with a kitchen, bathroom, and a cabover bedroom.
There are only 28,000 miles on this RV – 27,950 to be specific – which averages out to just 1,000 miles per year. Going by the van’s history, most of its trips likely didn’t take place on US shores. It was built by a company called Greenland for sale in Japan. Its official name is the Matorun 190, and behind the front seats is a small but cozy full-service motorhome with a table, dual sinks in the kitchen, a small stove, a microwave, and a wet bathroom. It was imported to the US in September and is currently for sale in California.
There’s no mention of electrical output or tank capacities for this motorhome, something interested buyers have brought up in the comments section of the auction. The seller isn’t responding either, so sadly we have nothing to share regarding these stats. Furthermore, there’s no confirmation that these systems are functional, though the photos certainly show a spiffy RV.
And on that front, we’d love to know how the RV conversion was performed. The Astro is a unibody van with subframes versus a full-frame vehicle. As such, the Astro was never offered as a chassis cab, which is usually what upfitters turn to for a motorhome conversion. A unibody design makes such things considerably harder, which could be why we haven’t seen such conversions over the years. And it could be why this was created for the Japanese market, where small campers steal our hearts on a daily basis.
In any case, this one is said to be fully road-legal and ready for adventures with a clean California title. Sadly it doesn’t appear to be an all-wheel-drive model, but it’s riding on some aggressive off-road tires. They’re mounted to black tri-spoke wheels, which we suspect could be a holdover from its time in Japan.
As this article goes live, bidding is up to $9,000, with the auction set to end on December 12. Let us know what you think the final bid will be in the comments below.
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