Holy crap - that happened fast!!! We bought the van in Calgary that we looked at yesterday!
Those of you who know Dan, are probably in shock at this news. For those who don't, let me explain that Dan is a world class researcher. He puts more effort into investigating all of the pros and cons of any purchase than anybody you'll ever meet. He is painstakingly thorough. That's not a bad thing, he reigns in my "It's pretty, I'll take it" instinct, and he's saved us a lot of headaches with his diligent investigations. We have friends that don't buy anything new without consulting Dan first because they know that he's read every scrap of information available on the subject. What kind of laptop should you buy? Ask Dan.
So, that being said, you'll know that it's VERY unusual for something this big to happen this fast in our house.
We're quite excited about it, considering that yesterday we didn't really care one way or the other. Dan's only complaint is that we bought & installed the new awning for Old Vincent and didn't even get to use it. We don't pick up New Vincent until tomorrow night, so no photos yet.
Here's a little known fact about Vincent van Gogh (yes, the painter). He was given the same name as his older brother (stillborn) as was the custom at the time. In keeping with that old tradition of re-using names, (and because we have limited imaginations and can't think of a new name) the new van will also be known as Vincent.
Welcome to our blog. Dan & I are hoping to use this method to keep in touch with family and friends while we're away this winter. You'll have to bear with us through the learning process - neither of us have ever done this before. If it works the way we hope it will, we'll keep you updated with our where-abouts and share pictures. We're hoping that you'll use it to keep in contact with us too. The most recent entry will always be at the top of the page, so if you're new here, scroll down to the bottom to start or use the archive list. Our apologies to anyone who found the Travelpod blog only to have it disappear on them, but this site seems easier to use and like I said - we're beginners, so the easier the better.
Random photos:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/lovestotravel/
Random photos:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/lovestotravel/
Sunday, September 7, 2008
Saturday, September 6, 2008
Travels Without Vincent???
Uh oh! Do I have to change the whole blog now? We've been looking, just looking, so far, at other vans. Still VWs, just slightly newer. The newer models (all things being relevant, newer means '97 - 2000) are about a foot longer and have a few added features that we like. I know, I can hear you "Did she say a foot longer?" It doesn't sound like much, but the interior feels like a dance floor compared to "Little Vincent." My favourite part is the easy access fridge. There's nothing wrong with Vincent's fridge; it keeps the wine perfectly cold, but it's a chest style. That means that no matter what you want - it's at the bottom! There's also a handy-dandy shower spray on the outside for "cleaning soiled items before entering the van" (Like large dogs, f'rinstance) Dan, of course, is more interested in the V6 and things like propane guages and waste water reservoirs... We've looked at a couple in Calgary, and have been in contact with the owners of two others in the US, and one in Halifax, but haven't made any decision yet. We're not exactly on a mission to find a replacement, in fact we're somewhat ambivalent about the search process - more curious than anything else. If the right vehicle falls into our laps, that's great, but if not, well, we still love our little van - short-comings and all.
Monday, September 1, 2008
A tour of Vincent
The front.
The after-thought furnace installed by the previous owners cuts into the already limited storage space.
Not huge, but big enough to prepare a meal and wash the dishes.
This covers the stove portion to make a drainboard for dishes.
Fridge.
The after-thought furnace installed by the previous owners cuts into the already limited storage space.
Fair size counter top. The big portion hides the sink and stove.
Not huge, but big enough to prepare a meal and wash the dishes.
This covers the stove portion to make a drainboard for dishes.
Fridge.
Lots of headroom when the pop top is raised.
Sunday, August 24, 2008
Saturday, August 23, 2008
New awning for Vincent
The new awning for the van arrived about a week and a half ago and it's been lying across the fireplace hearth since then. Last night it finally made it on to the van. The instructions said that mounting it to the van was an easy DIY job, and that might be true if you're 6 ft 9 or so and have 4 arms... Anyway - it's on and it's bigger than I thought it would be. (Yay) We need some practice operating it before November. It took about 20 minutes to set up the poles and hook it up last night. I know all you fancy 5th wheel types are wondering what I'm talking about because all you have to do is push a button and the awning zooms out right?
The Plan
For those who don't know - Vincent is the name of our '94 VW Westfalia. (Full name is Vincent Van Go) In November 2008 we plan on packing up the Westie and loading up the dog for an extended vacation...
I read somewhere that planning is the key to a successful vacation, so we've come up with a very detailed itinerary: We're heading south. We're leaving sometime in November and returning sometime in late March.
Yep, that's the whole plan....Stay tuned to see if all this rigorous planning works out for us.
I read somewhere that planning is the key to a successful vacation, so we've come up with a very detailed itinerary: We're heading south. We're leaving sometime in November and returning sometime in late March.
Yep, that's the whole plan....Stay tuned to see if all this rigorous planning works out for us.
Did I mention the dog? Taz is a great dog (just a bit neurotic), but she's not exactly "Westie size" Two adults and a very large dog in a very small space for a very long time....How could that be a problem?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
