After an unsuccessful attempt to return to the less expensive (and more pure) form of camping (tenting), MnJ were again ready to "get up off the ground". They'd been very happy with their Volkswagen Camper and it had fit their style of travel and budget so well that when they began to look, they never considered anything else.
A friend told them about a used diesel camper he’d seen in a dealer's lot some distance away in Pennsylvania and suggested they might be interested. They were and made a three hour trip to take a look.
That visit revealed a wrath of improvements introduced over the years, the most impressive of which was how much more roomy the interior had become. The sink/refrigerator had been moved to the street side getting it out of the doorway. And the passenger seat could be turned around backwards really opening up the floor space – not to mention a comfortable seat.
The galley was like those found in the big guys, a sink with running water (supplied by either electric pump from a respectably sized tank or by hose from a campground tap), a real stove fueled by a permanently attached propane tank, and a 3 way refrigerator (110 volt AC shore power, or 12 volt DC battery power or propane). Although there was no dinette, the two adjustable tables provided more than enough surface space. The hammock over the front seats was gone but it wasn't because the kids were on their own now. The full sized double bed "upstairs" (on the roof under the pop-top) looked to be roomy and comfortable but a bit hard for two adults approaching middle age to get into. No problem - the "downstairs" bed would do just fine.
Although they weren't too happy with the pumpkin orange color, they invited me into the family and brought me home.
With the additional storage (larger cabinets, and a new one over the sofa), a smoother ride, better fuel mileage and higher top speed (I could do over 65 MPH if there was no head wind) I was a vehicle that came close to meeting anyone’s traveling needs. They didn't mind that I had no on-board toilet; they'd never had one before. Nor was the lack of a furnace often a problem - warm sleeping bags did quite nicely. The refrigerator was a little small and a little too close to the floor but it didn’t need periodic shots of ice. The pop-top was a little heavier to lift than they liked, and I was a bit slow on the upgrades but I had what they needed for comfortable travel and camping. I was a "motor home", a diesel pusher no less, that could go anywhere a car could go, park anywhere a car could park, and at 28 mpg, burned far less fuel than most.
I provided them with many years of happy camping memories and many miles of adventurous wandering. They would have been happy with me in that form for many more years except I developed a $5000 problem in my engine. Replacing the van made more sense than rebuilding (or replacing) the engine so again the search was on.
A friend told them about a used diesel camper he’d seen in a dealer's lot some distance away in Pennsylvania and suggested they might be interested. They were and made a three hour trip to take a look.
That visit revealed a wrath of improvements introduced over the years, the most impressive of which was how much more roomy the interior had become. The sink/refrigerator had been moved to the street side getting it out of the doorway. And the passenger seat could be turned around backwards really opening up the floor space – not to mention a comfortable seat.
The galley was like those found in the big guys, a sink with running water (supplied by either electric pump from a respectably sized tank or by hose from a campground tap), a real stove fueled by a permanently attached propane tank, and a 3 way refrigerator (110 volt AC shore power, or 12 volt DC battery power or propane). Although there was no dinette, the two adjustable tables provided more than enough surface space. The hammock over the front seats was gone but it wasn't because the kids were on their own now. The full sized double bed "upstairs" (on the roof under the pop-top) looked to be roomy and comfortable but a bit hard for two adults approaching middle age to get into. No problem - the "downstairs" bed would do just fine.
Although they weren't too happy with the pumpkin orange color, they invited me into the family and brought me home.
With the additional storage (larger cabinets, and a new one over the sofa), a smoother ride, better fuel mileage and higher top speed (I could do over 65 MPH if there was no head wind) I was a vehicle that came close to meeting anyone’s traveling needs. They didn't mind that I had no on-board toilet; they'd never had one before. Nor was the lack of a furnace often a problem - warm sleeping bags did quite nicely. The refrigerator was a little small and a little too close to the floor but it didn’t need periodic shots of ice. The pop-top was a little heavier to lift than they liked, and I was a bit slow on the upgrades but I had what they needed for comfortable travel and camping. I was a "motor home", a diesel pusher no less, that could go anywhere a car could go, park anywhere a car could park, and at 28 mpg, burned far less fuel than most.
I provided them with many years of happy camping memories and many miles of adventurous wandering. They would have been happy with me in that form for many more years except I developed a $5000 problem in my engine. Replacing the van made more sense than rebuilding (or replacing) the engine so again the search was on.
0 comments:
Post a Comment