I have been searching for an anonymous looking, comfortable, practical camper van to travel across Canada for the past 2 months - ever since I lost my strong, funny, gruff, bigger than life dad, Sterling Robert Adams, to COPD and congenital heart failure. (more about dad in a later more emotional post). I finally found this gem in Calgary 2 days ago. I was so excited - all the signs pointed to this van. The person selling it to me was names Stephen and is a carpenter (like my amazing deceased brother Stephen - same spelling and same trade), Stephen just finished converting the van and was heading out to do some camping when he got the terrible news that his father was dying of cancer. Stephen cancelled his plans, put his newly finished camper van up for sale on Marketplace so he could make it back to Ireland and be with his da. I thought, this is meant to be.
My neighbour Chuck and his wife Delrose agreed to come to Calgary with me and pick up the van. Chuck is a heavy duty mechanic and I wanted him to test the van by driving it back - and straight to the car doctor at Weidner Motors in Lacombe, Alberta. Chuck said, “well it drives well, it is old, has a lot of kilometres on it, the wheel alignment is okay, there are problems with the lights, the steering is too loose but it should be okay to take you to PEI.” I am thrilled until I hear back from the car doctor that it is a rust bucket and not road safe!
So, I am in a panic, frantic, freaking out. I already bought insurance, got it registered, was euphoric and now…what?
Chuck kindly comes to the car doctor shop and with a piece of cardboard to protect him from the ground, looks under it. He says, in a nutshell, “yeah Kloie, there is a lot of rust but nothing that won’t stop you from your journey, and any mechanic would drive it so don’t worry about it, just get the essentials fixed - the lights and the steering wheel, an oil change, the drivers door (someone tried to break in at some point), the rear doors need something, some patching up here and there - and you are good to go.”
Monday the body parts guys from Popow & Sons Body Shop Ltd will be taking a look, giving me their diagnosis and we will go on from there!