The Rare Rides series has touched on recreational vehicles twice in the past, when it featured a BMW-powered Vixen, and the custom fiberglass hodgepodge which was the MSV.
Today’s RV is smaller than either of those, but it can also fit into normal parking spaces. It’s the 1991 Provan Tiger GT.
Before this Rare Ride had a bathroom on board, it was a Chevrolet Astro van. The Astro and its twin the GMC Safari were produced for two decades. The vans debuted for the 1985 model year, and remained relatively unchanged until the last one rolled of the line at Baltimore Assembly (during the plant’s closure) in 2005. The Astro was the first minivan from General Motors, and was introduced in response to Chrysler’s wildly successful minivans.
GM used the S-10 truck platform for their vans, in contrast to the front-drive car basis of Chrysler’s offerings. The Astro was initially available in standard wheelbase only, in cargo and passenger versions. Seating totals ranged between two and eight. All-wheel drive became an option in 1990, and coincided with an extended-length version which rode on the same wheelbase. Power was provided by the unfortunate Iron Duke (98 hp), or more powerful 4.3-liter V6 (165hp). A manual transmission was available through 1989; after that, a four-speed automatic was the only option. A visual refresh and some updates in 1995 carried the Astro through to the bitter end. Let’s talk RVs.
Provan produces a line of recreational vehicles under the Tiger name, and continues doing business today. Retrofitting trucks in Columbia, South Carolina, Provan deals only in domestic one-ton trucks. They’ll build your truck into an RV to suit your requirements, so long as it’s American-branded and one-ton.
Today’s Tiger GT has one large room at the back, and features a convertible bed which will sleep as many as the owner cares to stack. Meals can be prepared via the propane-fueled range, and eaten on the fold-away dining table. All Provans (then and now) come equipped with a full bathroom, this one in particular lined with faux wood paneling.
All the extra living quarters add quite a bit of weight to the Astro. Fortunately, this one has the 4.3-liter engine, which the seller estimates will net 20 miles per gallon (no way). Front airbags are also indicated, so perhaps attention to detail isn’t a priority here. One thing’s for sure: It’s very clean. Other promises included a one-owner history, and 15,000 low miles. This van’s for sale on eBay for an easy $22,999. Adventure awaits!
[Images: seller]
I absolutely love it! But then I owned a full sized ‘disco’ van (shaggin’ wagon) in the late 1970’s.
And to this day I see Astros/Safaris on a daily basis in the GTA, generally in the use of contractors. So they have earned respect as a robust vehicle.
What a comfortable nice way to see the country, I like it :)
I didn’t realize there was a four cylinder Astro, all the ones I saw had that “three quarters of a small block” V6. A friend of mine had the Iron Duke in a Grand Am, and it truly earned the sobriquet “Grand Ma”.
I imagine the Duke was paired to the manual trans in super basic fleet W/V instances.
It’s probably nostalgia, but I love how clean the first-gen Astro looked. And I know we’ll probably never have a truck-based van this “compact” again, but I think the Astro name still has some cachet. Would much rather see GM resurrect this than what they’re doing with the Blazer and Trailblazer names.
I feel the same about the Aerostar, that was a great truck-based minivan
The Transit Connect fulfills many of the same roles as did the Aerostar, but can only tow a Class 1 trailer. I had a ’91 Aerostar, and it could pull a Class 2.
I forgot about that weird fake-digital hockey stick speedometer that GM used in those days.
And that window A/C unit is terrific, but how is it powered when the van’s not running?
There will be an accessory battery (ies) or maybe a generator?
Doesn’t pretty much every RV have some kind of window or roof A/C unit meant for camping? It runs on external power or a generator. They’re not on when you’re driving, if that’s what you mean…
That window unit was something added, not a factory piece, the factory units would have been roof mounted.
This is for when it is parked and plugged in at a camp site, doesn’t work while in motion and no onboard power source. Though that is the case with the roof mount units too, unless you have the onboard generator and are running while driving.
May have been factory even to this day some small RVs still use window units in cabinet s to save money and weight. Some class B’s in the 90s had them hidden in the upper fiberglass shell in the rear.
https://twitter.com/keithwanderlust/status/962474733555142656?s=20
Their current builds are no joke.
Yeah, that thing is great and so is this…
https://uncrate.com/p/2017/12/earthroamer-xv-hd-1.jpg
I see that and raise you both all the way:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/1985_gripen/37043830573
Looks like you get a 6000 SUX thrown in for good measure.
Lol, oh my
That was quite a show, love the Hill Valley police car
Looks like they had one of the flying “Blade Runner” cars too. I’d like to know where this place is.
Are you touring the world or attacking it?
Love it but that is a crack pipe asking price.
Mildew awaits!
I like the thought of having to go to the bathroom to “sit a spell” with your whole family just sitting right there in the van. “Honey, please turn the radio louder and open the windows”
Seems like the Astro’s unibody-with-front-subframe construction would have made it a bit awkward to put an RV body on it.
Corey how about a VW Type 3 or Type 4 ‘Rare Ride’? There has to be very few left running in North America.
Wish granted!
https://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2018/08/rare-rides-a-rear-engined-volkswagen-412-wagon-from-1973/
Broening Highway General Motors Plant
3,200,000 Astro/Safari left the plant.
In LA this would be considered a starter home
https://la.curbed.com/2019/7/19/20699894/los-angeles-sleeping-in-vehicles-ban-enforcement
“The Astro was the first minivan from General Motors…”
Ahem…
https://www.corvair.org/chapters/corvanatics/Greenbrier.php
The Dodge A100 and first generation Ford Econoline were minivans too, no matter how you define them. They were unibody vans based on compact cars and with lengths in around 170 inches. The A100 lasted through 1970, which really wasn’t that long before the ‘revolutionary’ Caravan and Voyager.
The Covair vans were based on a compact car, but the Ford and Dodge were not. Yeah they were unibody like the Falcon and Valiant they borrowed engines from. However the suspension on the vans were straight axles on leafs all around while the cars had IFS. Not even the rear axles were shared as the vans got bigger and beefier units.
Considering how the three were meant to compete they were three totally different applications, rear engine compact (Corvair)/compact car (Falcon)/truck based (Dodge)
I don’t really remember how they did against each other originally, but I would think the Dodge would have been the real workhorse of the three
Dodge came to the game pretty late: 1964, vs. 1961 for Chevy and Ford, and of course VW beat them by a decade. An entertaining “CORVAIR RAMPSIDE Vs FORD ECONOLINE advertising video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q6RNp153JSw
Check out the unloaded panic stop for the Econoline @2:30. I bet they had a fat driver and passenger in that Econoline.
Everyone seems to forget about the Greenbrier, it just proves that you can have the right vehicle, but if it’s not the right time no one will be interested. AMC Eagle and Aztek know what I mean
” GM used the S-10 truck platform for their vans ”
No. No they did not. Only the engine and transmission are shared between the two.
1) The S-series uses a full ladder frame where the Astro/Safari are unibody with a bolt in front subframe.
2) The rear axle, while a 7.5″ as in the S series, is a completely different width/lug pattern. It has as much in common with the S-10 axle as one from an 80’s Camaro does.
3) The front suspension of the RWD Astro/Safari shares no major components such as A-arms or spindles with S-series. Those components in the Astro/Safari are more closely related to the GM B-body full size cars. The AWD Astro/Safari suspension is unique to those vehicles only.