I'm getting tired of saying "OK, change of plans." but that seem to be how it always is. The only thing constant is change.
A few months ago we took our first road trip in the van since we Demetri was born. A long weekend to visit family in Asheville NC. The trip went well but felt very rushed and forced. I was pretty tense the whole way down because I was in quick-have-a-good-time-before-its-too-late mode. There isn't nearly enough travel in my life these days and it tends to make me a nervous wreck about the rare moments when I am able to get away. Plus, travel is my time to share the most important things in my life with the most important people in my life. Not getting to do that often enough dosn't make me a happy camper. Infact, it usually dosn't make me any kind of camper and thats the problem.
At any rate, the coming fall is looking like it will be pretty intense work-wise. Major building projects and an abundance of side jobs won't leave much time for road tripping. Thats frustrating spiritually, but it looks like it could be a fairly comfortable winter financially. Plus it will help me save up for my new van.
New van?!?!
Yea, thats the (latest) change of plans in my personal vanning world. The Casual Turtle 5 has endured 29 years of mistreatment at the hands of the previous owner and 3 years of driving the hell out of it and not being able to afford the repairs it needs by yours truly. It's got plenty of miles left in it, but it's in pretty bad shape. Major rust issues on the body thanks to the p.o.'s pop rivet repairs that just trapped more water in, the constantly malfunctioning electrical system, and the aging motor mean quite a bit of time and money to get it where I really want it. So, the Casual Turtle 5 will become a full time work van to replace WorkingClass Zero which met it's fate this past winter. Out come the cozy bits and in go racks and parts bins. I plan on trying to leave the folding couch in there in a less obtrusive position so that it can still be taken camping if the opportunity presents itself. Then, come winter, the hunt will be on for a candidate to become (regal trumpets sounding) The Casual Turtle VI!
OK, so I have been through a few vans in my time.
I have learned much from each of my vans and a fairly complete picture of exactly what I want out of a traveling van is established. This next van will be dedicated to travel only (and some cruising too) and will not have to make sacrifices in the name of being a commuter or work truck. The new layout is well underway and maximizes space while providing comfort and openness. This will be the van built with the express purpose of making those big trips and taking us across, and out of, the United States. It seems like it's forever away for someone who so badly wants to leave tomorrow but I have a chance to do it right from scratch, so I will just dream (and plan) for now...
Showing posts with label Updates. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Updates. Show all posts
Sunday, August 1, 2010
Sunday, May 2, 2010
One van wrecked and another reborn.
Well, its been a while since I worked on the old blog. A lot has happened with my vanning situation since I last took the time to write.
Firstly, I had to bid farewell to my trusty work van "Working Class Zero". During the last big snow of the year, some klutz in a big SUV was going far too fast for conditions and slammed into me totalling my van. Even though it wasn't my fault, I ended up with the short end of the stick since the insurance company decided the vehicle that I counted on for my livelihood was only worth about 600 bucks. I was in a pretty tight spot and had to bum a lot of rides and borrow a few different vehicles to get where I needed to be for a while.
I had long standing plans to get down to S.C. and rescue my GMC van from storage at my aunt's place and now was the time. My mother arranged for the van to be taken to a shop down there to have the electrical problems fixed. When we got word that the repairs had been completed, we piled the family into my wife's Volvo, left from Pittsburgh and headed south. Only after the shop had been payed, the van picked up and we headed back home did I come to realize that the mechanics had done only the bare minimum of work possible to fix a handful of visible problems but totally ignored my requests to fix the bulk of the problems. In addition, the work that they actually did do was very shoddy. Their craptastic workmanship ended up causing a lengthy breakdown on my return trip and, after returning home, necessitated my having to redo some of the work I had payed them to do including replacing the junk alternator that they they had installed. The moral of the story is if you have car problems in Charleston SC, avoid Eagle Automotive in West Ashley at all costs.
Anyways, the Casual Turtle 5 has made its return to driving status. It ended up needing a transmission rebuild and some other adjustments but its driving better than ever. It's still a ways off from being where I want it but at least its drivable and fairly sturdy. Many improvements lay ahead for the ol girl including some much needed body work, a new interior and a healthy dose of tuning and tweaking.
My original enthusiasm for using the big Vandura as both my daily driver for work and also as my road-trip vehicle has dwindled. Life as a contractors work truck is a tough one. In only a few months of driving my van to work I have had to load lumber and pipe across my couch, plop my dusty, sooty butt down on my tan captain's chairs, and haul pails of scrap metal and recycling on my "living room" carpet. Making this van work for a living will be quite hard on the interior, especially considering my future remodeling plans. Single digit gas mileage in stop and go Pittsburgh city driving isn't doing much to endear the hulking van to me as a daily driver either. It will do for now, but near future plans include a small pickup for work and returning the van to cruising/traveling status.
At any rate, I am happy to have my beloved van back from its slumber and back on the blacktop. In a few weeks we set off for Asheville NC for a very special occasion, my son's very first vanning road trip. It's something I have looked forward to since shortly after I learned he was on the way. Never am I more at home than when I am on the road. Being on the highway with my wife and my dogs is as happy as I get and the opportunity to introduce my child into this wonderful adventure is as good as it gets. Things are moving forward and the future is looking bright.
Firstly, I had to bid farewell to my trusty work van "Working Class Zero". During the last big snow of the year, some klutz in a big SUV was going far too fast for conditions and slammed into me totalling my van. Even though it wasn't my fault, I ended up with the short end of the stick since the insurance company decided the vehicle that I counted on for my livelihood was only worth about 600 bucks. I was in a pretty tight spot and had to bum a lot of rides and borrow a few different vehicles to get where I needed to be for a while.
I had long standing plans to get down to S.C. and rescue my GMC van from storage at my aunt's place and now was the time. My mother arranged for the van to be taken to a shop down there to have the electrical problems fixed. When we got word that the repairs had been completed, we piled the family into my wife's Volvo, left from Pittsburgh and headed south. Only after the shop had been payed, the van picked up and we headed back home did I come to realize that the mechanics had done only the bare minimum of work possible to fix a handful of visible problems but totally ignored my requests to fix the bulk of the problems. In addition, the work that they actually did do was very shoddy. Their craptastic workmanship ended up causing a lengthy breakdown on my return trip and, after returning home, necessitated my having to redo some of the work I had payed them to do including replacing the junk alternator that they they had installed. The moral of the story is if you have car problems in Charleston SC, avoid Eagle Automotive in West Ashley at all costs.
Anyways, the Casual Turtle 5 has made its return to driving status. It ended up needing a transmission rebuild and some other adjustments but its driving better than ever. It's still a ways off from being where I want it but at least its drivable and fairly sturdy. Many improvements lay ahead for the ol girl including some much needed body work, a new interior and a healthy dose of tuning and tweaking.
My original enthusiasm for using the big Vandura as both my daily driver for work and also as my road-trip vehicle has dwindled. Life as a contractors work truck is a tough one. In only a few months of driving my van to work I have had to load lumber and pipe across my couch, plop my dusty, sooty butt down on my tan captain's chairs, and haul pails of scrap metal and recycling on my "living room" carpet. Making this van work for a living will be quite hard on the interior, especially considering my future remodeling plans. Single digit gas mileage in stop and go Pittsburgh city driving isn't doing much to endear the hulking van to me as a daily driver either. It will do for now, but near future plans include a small pickup for work and returning the van to cruising/traveling status.
At any rate, I am happy to have my beloved van back from its slumber and back on the blacktop. In a few weeks we set off for Asheville NC for a very special occasion, my son's very first vanning road trip. It's something I have looked forward to since shortly after I learned he was on the way. Never am I more at home than when I am on the road. Being on the highway with my wife and my dogs is as happy as I get and the opportunity to introduce my child into this wonderful adventure is as good as it gets. Things are moving forward and the future is looking bright.
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