Stories like this are why I subscribed to vanagon.com ...

Dick Taylor <hetchins@MONTANADSL.NET> wrote:
Maybe this is a bit out of date, and maybe too long, but I offer it for what
it's worth.

For our honeymoon, back in 1972, wife (Jane) and I, and our dachshund
(Zelda), travelled and lived in, Brother Abraham, our '69 bus (just a
straight bus, red and white, not a conversion) for a year. Drove across the
US twice and Canada once. Drove down the Left Coast on the coast highway,
from Port Angeles to San Diego. Got cooked in Yuma in July.

Bought our bus on Cape Cod pretty cheaply because whoever had just rebuilt
the engine had missed getting one of the main bearing locator pins in the
hole in the crankcase. When I pointed out the thumping sound to the seller,
the price came way down. Rebuilt and balanced the engine myself (new crank,
new crankcase, new lots-of-stuff). Put in a Porsche oil cooler (which
probably saved our asses in Yuma). Sewed curtains for the windows (myself,
wife doesn't sew) (and one to go behind the front seats) (paisley of
course). Used spring-hangers from the hardware store and pop rivets. Built a
bed platform with plywood and screw-in table legs, and bought a queen-sized
foam mattress. Stored our worldly goods in dynamite boxes under the bed.
Kept things cool with ice in our Igloo. Carried water in a Coleman water
jug. Cooked soup and made tea with a MSR stove. Put screens on the windows.

Always made the bed up with real sheets, pillows, and blankets. Always
flossed and brushed our teeth at night. Always slept in proper pajamas and
nightgown. Pissed on the ground. Used rest stops for everything else.
Sometimes stayed at campgrounds where we could shower. Always changed the
oil every 3,000 miles. Had a resident mouse who lived with us in the bus for
about four months.

Parked and slept in lots of places. Always kept a very low profile when it
seemed wise. Sometimes slept with the curtains open. Got plowed-in by a snow
plow in downtown Montreal. Had to use my entrenching tool to dig out in the
morning. Parked at VW dealers a few times. Just pulled in between a couple
of VWs and went to bed. Mostly parked in out-of-the-way places; gravel pits,
dead-end roads into the woods, on the beach, etc.

We were suspicious-looking folks back then (still are). Long hair. Weird
clothes. Too much jewelry, feathers, and beads (and that was just me!) Very
freaky. Shop keepers used to follow us around to make sure we didn't steal
anything.

Never had any problems. Was only hassled by the police once in that whole
year, but they let us stay where we were for the rest of the night, after
they checked our IDs. US Customs searched us pretty carefully when we
crossed over to the Canadian side of Niagra Falls for the day and came back,
but we had left everything they were looking for with some friends before we
went to Canada.

I guess the point of all this rambling is this: just do it! You will find
what you will find, and you will have the adventures you will have. You
can't plan away the possiblity that you may park in the wrong place or that
something may go wrong. That's what makes it an adventure I guess.
Otherwise, you might as well stay home and rent some travel videos.

Dick Taylor
Missoula, Montana

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