It's a slippery slope, this online searching stuff. There I was, minding my own business, simply toying with the idea of perhaps sometime owning one of these VW campervans, and I see this. I admit, I have been seduced by the idea of owning one of these, just like I was the last time I tracked one down (the one that the x now has).I'm a pretty practical person, and I think that is a large part of the appeal of a vehicle like this. It's got all you need to take your home wherever you want to go (roads permitting).
Anyway, I've talked on the phone with the owner of this one, a really nice looking 1989 that is in Boulder (about an hour away) and he's agreed to let me come down tomorrow and take it to my mechanic up here in Fort Collins to go over it and let me know what he thinks. I trust Tom the Mechanic on all things car, so if he says it's sound for what it is (a 21 year old van) then I'll likely get it.
Gotta figure out financing, sales tax, insurance, tags, etc., but I think this is what I want. In the worst case, I'd be out a bit of money for those items, but I could turn around and sell it for basically what I paid. They ain't making any more of them.
As an aside, it makes me think about the blogs I follow of people who have small livestock as part of their lives (yes, Jordan, I'm thinking of you). And I thought about how, even when I dream of having my own small farm, I see cut flowers, I see herbs, I see vegetables, I might even see a raspberry bush or three, but I don't see keeping animals besides pets. I don't know, my urge is to have the home base and be able to pick up and go for a weekend without having to make arrangements to having anything fed in my absence. Not sure why.
Visions tend to evolve! Three years ago I felt the same way as you. That VW van looks like a no-lose choice.
ReplyDeleteGosh, I'm jealous, and you remind me so much of me, re the priorities.
ReplyDeleteI love being able to pick up and go. And I've had my eye on a camper van for three years or so. I kept picking them out online, learning about the specs, and finding they were sold when I finally thought I decided. Since I wasn't deciding fast, I figured I'd take it off the "to do" list until the burning desire came along again.
I hope it all works out for you!! I can't wait to hear all the details!
I say 'go for it', Linda. Looks like fun, not difficult to operate (like a tent-trailer) and you can keep it stocked and ready to go. Plus, if something goes wrong with your car you have a ready alternative.
ReplyDeleteI'm liking the van. And I think Jordan spent a bit of time trotting around and sometimes that gets old...and sometimes staying home gets old. You just have to see what brings you joy for today. with just 1 or 2 of you to jump in and take off, it's a great idea. I have kids and hubby with all the activities and obligations of them and tripping is not an easy thing. I'd probably be better with Jordan's chickens and goats right now, than your van!! Good luck and a good mechanic you can trust is worth his weight in gold...
ReplyDeleteIt feels a little like walking off a cliff, but I kind of know what I'm getting into, so that's good.
ReplyDeleteHey, Jordan, visions come back too!
ReplyDeleteOver and over, I just kept sensing the main thing wrong in my life is not hitting the road and seeing new places and people.
And I wondered about that, and gosh it made sense. I am the fourth of five kids. My parents had a practice of taking off for every school vacation and every summer when Dad could get time away -- battle fields, cemeteries, concert halls, baseball stadiums, the Grand Canyon, San Francisco.
I have the same DNA, and I am not feeding it.
Got to get a camper van for my dog and me.
kate - It's interesting to me how we do come back to what we did as kids and revisit it with our own twist. Good luck! Do you have a blog?
ReplyDeleteLinda, I have old and abandoned blogs, covering different things -- it was all too scattered. I have a bunch of different interests which can make blogging tricky. It's much more enjoyable to visit other people's blogs!
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