Test Run Pt. 2 - The Fixer Upper
The idea of buying a van is easy and pretty exciting. You start to look around for what you want and try to find something that’s fitted out the way that works the best for you. You try to ensure that the van is livable and that it will accommodate everything you need to live comfortably and then you check out how well it runs and if it will need any further maintenance after purchase. Other than that it seems like a simple enough task. That’s what we thought too.
Justin and I had been talking about our cross-country tour for a while when our friend Mitchell told us about a guy on Instagram who was basically doing the same trip that we were planning. He posted about tips and tricks for van life, along with beautiful photos of his adventure. His girlfriend, also somewhat “insta-famous” has a blog which detailed their life on the road and all the gear and tools they needed for their trip. We followed them closely and with every post we learned more about their way of van life, which inspired new plans for our trip. After spending a couple months searching for our own van, they posted that their 2002 Toyota Hiace was for sale. It felt like fate. Both of us jumped at the opportunity to find out more about their incredible van. It came completely fitted out with beautiful wood paneling and cabinetry, along with some other key amenities. They would provide a fridge, two-burner stove, gas tank, solar panels and the comfort of a homey little space to make our own. The van was a little over budget even after negotiating a new price, but considering all that we were getting we decided it was worth the extra couple bucks.
A much needed cold beer after a hard day of working on the van!
Finally I arrived in Australia and met our van. Boy was she beautiful. The interior was even better than the pictures made it out to be and there was so much more storage space than I had originally imagined. Unfortunately there were also some things that we were not made aware of before picking up the van, but since they were such small fixes we didn’t really pay them much mind. Justin had already put a little work into the van when I arrived and after getting our roadworthy, registration and insurance we were both ready to get on the road and take advantage of our new home. When we got back from our first little trip around the east coast and inland we took the van in for a routine service just to be sure it was suitable for our big lap around the country. The service turned into three days in the shop and with every phone call there was more that needed fixing. Thank goodness for Chrissy, Justin’s mom, who works in the auto-shop and was able to get us a better rate on all the repairs or we might have really been screwed. We ended up needing new breaks, tires, wheel barring’s and last but not least we needed our break lights fixed. Needless to say it was an extremely rattling couple of days. Of course there’s not really any way to know all these things before buying a van, especially when buying one that has done as many kilometers as ours. We realized quickly that this van was going to be a lot more expensive than we had originally anticipated. Extremely frustrated and somewhat disappointed we forked over the cash and paid for the repairs. Fortunately I have a pretty incredible man with some wonderfully handy friends who were able to fix the break lights free of charge.
Our last day in Brisbane!, Mt. Coot--tha
Moral of the story is that there will always be complications and added expenses when deciding to buy a van and make a huge lifestyle change. Although it sucks and might not bring out the best in us, these experiences teach us that we must take the good with the bad and try our best to see the bigger picture. Finally we’re ready to head out on our big adventure. With the Ol’ girl all fixed up and ready to run we are so excited to take advantage of our new home and make this year one to remember.