Quick Look at Wanda.

I've been having a little play with the camera the last few days and trying to work out how to use it properly so there may/probably will be a few videos on my blogs.

Don't worry, the phase will pass.

Or I may get so good at it that they'll be everywhere.  All the time...

I realise that the wind is a nuisance, please bear with me while I am learning.

Eventually I will do a better one, one where I show a bit more and explain things better.

Van Naming.

I.have named my van. 
Hubby rolled his eyes and thinks I am nuts.
Her name is "Wanda" 
And together, one day, that is what we will do. 
Me and Wanda, we will wander.

She is booked in to have the starter motor looked at next week. 
I have been driving it around, usually it starts but a couple of times we have had to get out and give the SM a few bangs before it will start, not a big deal but it is easier when there are 2 of us.  Getting it fixed though will mean I wont have to worry about it.

I still haven't emptied it completey or thought about what to put in the back but I am going to make a list and make a start next week.  Once the mechanic has looked it over and given it a good report we will take it away, maybe just overnight but we might wait until the school holidays are over.  That will make more sense I think, so really, that gives me around 4-5 weeks to get it ready for an overnighter. That should be plenty of time, even for me.

One thing I REALLY need to do is find out how to get to the engine.  We have looked but haven't worked it out yet and as there is no book with it...I need to have a look on the internet, or ask someone.  If I haven't worked it out by next week than I will get the mechanic to show me but I really should find out before then and before I drive it too much, just in case...

I Looked. I'm Back.

I rang, it was still there so we left.  Fremantle isn't very far from here, maybe an hour and a half...give or take...
We ummed and aahed about whether to take my car or his and finally decided that we'd take mine because if we did buy the van I'd rather drive mine home than an unknown one.  He drove up and we did call into Woodman Point and that area will stay near the top of the list. 

Found our way to where the van was parked and looked it over and talked about it.  It wasn't set up as a camper but had a mattress and some wooden stuff in the back.  A shower cubicle like the two we had bought before was in there.   The body was a bit rough, after all it is nearly 20 years old.  No rust but you could tell some had been cut out and the body repaired.  Bit of a dent.  It had a roo bar but no towball.  .  The bloke was asking $3800.

Because it was a bit rough I thought I'd make an offer of $3500.  If it started OK and the inside wasn't too rough.

So we rang the guy, arranged a time for him to come meet us and went and had lunch while we waited. 

He came, we looked, he opened all the doors and we could see a couple of batteries and an inverter under the bed.  It had seats in the back and the bloke said that they come out or can be turned around.

We are thinking it would be OK to get so ask to start it.  It wouldn't start...he banged on the starter motor and it started but me and Hubby had already decided I think.
I pretended that we were looking at it for our daughter and were a bit concerned about it not starting so he said he'd drop a few hundred off.  Down to $3200.  We have had 2 cars that had to have the SM banged on sometimes before they would start.  Not a big deal, easy enough to replace if needed so I thought his amount was fair.  We were going to get it but something made me say "if we took it now would you take $3000"  He said yes so, done deal. 

He had said he would put 6 months rego on it too so, better deal.  He said we could follow him somewhere and get it licenced and changed over so he drove the van and we followed him about 15 minutes away.   We were behind the van so could see if the flickers were working or if smoke was coming out.  It looked fine.

Got to the licencing centre and the car is now mine!!!

Hubby drove home and says it drives good.  I took it for a drive once we got home but thought it had a very slow take off and pickup but he says that is because it is diesel  But it is a turbo diesel so I just had to put my foot down more.  It will take some getting used to having a very short front but shouldn't be too hard.

I have Ultimate RAC cover so if it conks out while I'm driving it over the next couple of weeks I'll be right but will get it looked at and serviced before I go off in it alone.

Hopefully there wont be any major dramas with it.

We will pull out the bed and all the framework, get it cleaned and decide what we will do on the inside.

I'm Going To Look At A Van today.

It is under my budget and fits most of the criteria.
It is automatic.
power steering.
under 200,000km though that wasn't on the list it is good mileage.
Less than 20 years old, also not on the list but we have always had old cars, 'cept for the one I bought near new and always have trouble with...
It was advertised as a campervan but didn't say anything about the setup so that is something that I will see about today.  If it has nothing in it it is not that important, we can do that ourselves but it may affect what I want to pay.

It isn't far away and I rang the guy last night and it was still there so I will ring him again this morning to confirm and we will be off.

If nothing else it will give us a chance to check out some places to stay at Woodman Point.  That place is up the top of our list of places to go and see so this will tell us if it stays there or gets knocked off.

I will be back...

Converted Bus That Wasn't.

We had lunch at a sisters place yesterday and they had some friends there that have a campervan/motor home thing.

I had heard about this bus that these people had bought and converted and had in my head a picture of a...well, converted bus.  Well let me tell you, this was no *in my head converted bus* this was luxury on wheels, a motor home to beat all moter homes.  This bus was better decked out than my little house.  And nearly as big!

They bought the bus intending to convert it themselves but didn't have enough time so got people to do it for them.  Custom designed, it took 2 years to complete.

They intend "doing the block" in it, in stages next year.

Now while this thing was very impressive it is definitely not what I want.   I liked it but was not envious at all.  Maybe a little shocked at the thought of the cost to own and run such a machine.

As they say though, "it takes all kinds" and I am still looking for a small van that I can camp in.

I will up the looking next year but in the mean time must play the nice wifey thing and get Hubby to take me somewhere.

I've Started Looking At Vans.

We went looking at vans on Monday.  Drove to Perth as we were told of a place that sold camper vans but they only had big and expensive, to us, motor homes.  So what's the difference between a CV and a MH?  To me a CV is a small van while the MH are big and flash and cost more money than I have.  CV's probably wouldnt have a toilet or shower and aren't as fancy.

We also looked at vans that we could *convert* ourselves.  Mainly we would build a base for a bed and storage. Maybe a sink...I have too many ideas and need to be more realistic.

Vans that fit my budget are old and have heaps of km's on them so I need to find out what is too old and how many k's is too many.

I spoke to my mechanic this morning and he suggested 2 makes that were reliable and 1 that he wouldn't bother with so I probably won't get a Nissan.  One make that he said were good was the same as a van we looked at on the way home yesterday.  It was a 7seater, automatic, power steering, duel fuel...but old with lots of k's...but enough room if we took out the back seats...and it fits my budget...
If it is still there next week I will take it for a test drive.

This same place had a manuel van going *as traded* real cheap and I did really like that and took it for a test drive but because I have *health issues* I really do need an automatic.