Gallivanter: An Ominous Beginning and an Optimistic Future
- Thread starter Backcountry Pursuit
- Start date
Sounds like a great start. You had me thinking about what made me realize the joys of vans and honest it mostly came from build threads here and at ADV. I agree with your thoughts on what makes them so cool and how they express ourselves. Mine is a '15 Transit I bought last feb - road trip VT to MI with a buddy to get it, after nine months I have got siennas in the back, a floor and insulation.
My build also is all consuming in time, $ and thought. I am obsessed. I have a build thread on the T forum but not here - not sure if it is because I don't want two threads to update or a case of van naming anxiety. Currently goes as Yellow Bird, as named by my six year old. The name works but hasn't stuck like I think it should.
I look forward to your thread. You have already pointed out things I have known but never realized if that makes sense.
My build also is all consuming in time, $ and thought. I am obsessed. I have a build thread on the T forum but not here - not sure if it is because I don't want two threads to update or a case of van naming anxiety. Currently goes as Yellow Bird, as named by my six year old. The name works but hasn't stuck like I think it should.
I look forward to your thread. You have already pointed out things I have known but never realized if that makes sense.
Backcountry Pursuit
Risk Taker
It's not just the water. It's the mountains and the desert and all the outdoors opportunities that are available in Boise. Someday you and I will drink a beer together. Whether its in Oregon at your place or if you come over here, we'll get to meet someday and I very much look forward to it.
Backcountry Pursuit
Risk Taker
Great thread BCP!!! Funny to hear people talk about Boise then hear/read Nampa being thrown out there, my family is from Payette, I was born in Caldwell, we used to go to McCall and Brundage, Boise was the "BIG CITY" lol I have not been in many, many years, time to go pay the old homestead a visit. I share your sentiment about not having the stones to work in the snow and cold, mine is born out of tooooooo many days doing the same as you, breaking my back laying tile and stone just over the hill in Vail. There is nothing more depressing than walking into yet another lame Mt. McMansion to set tile in subzero temps, saws and buckets frozen, fingers numb to the point of wondering if the feeling would ever come back, nope, no sir don't like it, not one bit!!!! Your story could be coming from my own head it sounds so familiar, the obsession, the relentless drive, the craziness of it all, maybe it is a van thingyeah that's it, I shall blame the van
Oh all that time working laying tile. Your description made me remember about all those cold, late nights working on some d-bags house that we only wish we could afford. Those frozen fingers working on that wet saw. In fact, I remember one particular night. It was Christmas eve in 2004. I was working a late night because the home owner was coming up to check progress and ski. I finished about 9 pm and then had to walk out to hwy 9 to hitchhike home (the van) since I didn't have a license. A cop stopped and it turned out I had a warrant out for missing an alcohol class or something. Nothing over and above the the DUI, but protocol meant I spent x-mas morning in jail. Holy crap I've been though some hell in my life. I spent X-mas morning in jail cause I was busting my *** to make some money and do a good job for some rich guy. Granted the DUI and the warrant were my fault, but still. Ahh memories and lessons learned.
The Treasure Valley has changed a ton. All for the better. You'll be blown away when you come here the next time.
Saw you posted your van for sale. Best of luck with the sale and the new adventures with the wife whatever they may be. Thanks for following along.
Backcountry Pursuit
Risk Taker
I could understand that. I even got that feeling. Can't wait to run that river.
Backcountry Pursuit
Risk Taker
More snow today....
I was seriously bummed to look though my ADV thread and see a ton of the photo links are broken. Photobucket is gonna get hell from me. I have always paid for PRO membership so this exact thing doesn't happen. Ugh. Technology or lack thereof rather. Most of the pics are still there and the stories still def are. There are some good ones in there.
Backcountry Pursuit
Risk Taker
I can't wait to get this thing on the road! So much hard work and money....
Backcountry Pursuit
Risk Taker
It does and that is what I hope to accomplish with this thread by digging a little deeper into the background and feelings of a build. It's not just all technical info that goes into these things.
Backcountry Pursuit
Risk Taker
My little brother and I have always been involved in a game of one-upmanship. We have led fairly similar lives as far as interests go and have been best friends since he was old enough to get involved with vehicles. I was the ******* older brother before that and I will always regret it. We will never get those early years back. However, now we have many, many more years as friends over the start of our lives when I was a ********. My brother is Petrolburner on this forum and many others. His name is Trevor and he plays a pivotal role in this story.
Trevor gets an Integra, I get an Accord. His was still cooler, but mine was newer. Trevor gets a 2001 Tundra Access Cab, I get a 2005 Tundra Double Cab. Trevor gets a KLX 650C, I get a KLX 650R. Trevor gets a snowmobile, I get a bigger one. Trevor gets a van, and here we are. I have copied my little brother for most of my adult life and with good reason. He finds really cool things to get into and I follow. It's not that I am unoriginal; he just seems to get to the cool stuff first that I would have eventually found. I've got my own stuff I am into that he is not and vice versa. It's not completely tit for tat, but there is a van involved and her name is Gertrude.
Trevor sold his Tundra to buy a van. Like most folks, his first one was a starter van. He bought a stock E150 and quickly realized motorcycles don't fit well inside. Our step dad now owns that van and our parents do camp in it. What he really was after was an ex wheelchair van.
He found Gertrude in California and drove down to get her. He paid about fair market value and the big selling point was the fixed high top and tall doors in the back. My brother has built a different van than most and he calls his a “Moto Van” and not an “Adventure Van”.
The goal of his van has always been to haul bikes. Inside. He has built himself one hell of a rig and I hope he does a build thread for it because it is really impressive. He is a talented shade tree mechanic and modifier. Not really a fabricator, but modifier. I'm not going to delve into the details of his build because this is my thread. He can start his own or give a quick rundown here. What is really important here is how Gertrude relates to me ending up with Gallivanter. Jesus, I just realized I even named my van with same first letter has his. Crap.
Anyhoo, let's talk about Baja. Baja is special place for many people. My brother and dad spent a few months on motos there a few years back in 2012. I would have been there with Hobbes but that was the summer I was starting Backcountry Pursuit so I had adulting to do. Ever since they crossed back over the border they have wanted to get back. February of 2016 that was happening. Trevor invited me along in Gertrude and Hobbes could even come with. In fact, that was the point. Riding motos in Baja while having a little more comfortable living arrangement.
Now, I could make this into a trip report, but I won't. I got the first few installments done in The Adventures of Tyson and Hobbes, but never finished the story. Time, effort, blah, blah, blah. I should finish the story and maybe I will. If you want the first few days of a four week trip, check the end of my other blog. Actually, Trevor posted a really nice walk around of Gertrude there and you should watch it to see what he has done to her. But as far as this thread is concerned, the outcomes of that trip are the important part. Hint: It involves me buying a van.
Trevor gets an Integra, I get an Accord. His was still cooler, but mine was newer. Trevor gets a 2001 Tundra Access Cab, I get a 2005 Tundra Double Cab. Trevor gets a KLX 650C, I get a KLX 650R. Trevor gets a snowmobile, I get a bigger one. Trevor gets a van, and here we are. I have copied my little brother for most of my adult life and with good reason. He finds really cool things to get into and I follow. It's not that I am unoriginal; he just seems to get to the cool stuff first that I would have eventually found. I've got my own stuff I am into that he is not and vice versa. It's not completely tit for tat, but there is a van involved and her name is Gertrude.
Trevor sold his Tundra to buy a van. Like most folks, his first one was a starter van. He bought a stock E150 and quickly realized motorcycles don't fit well inside. Our step dad now owns that van and our parents do camp in it. What he really was after was an ex wheelchair van.
He found Gertrude in California and drove down to get her. He paid about fair market value and the big selling point was the fixed high top and tall doors in the back. My brother has built a different van than most and he calls his a “Moto Van” and not an “Adventure Van”.
The goal of his van has always been to haul bikes. Inside. He has built himself one hell of a rig and I hope he does a build thread for it because it is really impressive. He is a talented shade tree mechanic and modifier. Not really a fabricator, but modifier. I'm not going to delve into the details of his build because this is my thread. He can start his own or give a quick rundown here. What is really important here is how Gertrude relates to me ending up with Gallivanter. Jesus, I just realized I even named my van with same first letter has his. Crap.
Anyhoo, let's talk about Baja. Baja is special place for many people. My brother and dad spent a few months on motos there a few years back in 2012. I would have been there with Hobbes but that was the summer I was starting Backcountry Pursuit so I had adulting to do. Ever since they crossed back over the border they have wanted to get back. February of 2016 that was happening. Trevor invited me along in Gertrude and Hobbes could even come with. In fact, that was the point. Riding motos in Baja while having a little more comfortable living arrangement.
Now, I could make this into a trip report, but I won't. I got the first few installments done in The Adventures of Tyson and Hobbes, but never finished the story. Time, effort, blah, blah, blah. I should finish the story and maybe I will. If you want the first few days of a four week trip, check the end of my other blog. Actually, Trevor posted a really nice walk around of Gertrude there and you should watch it to see what he has done to her. But as far as this thread is concerned, the outcomes of that trip are the important part. Hint: It involves me buying a van.
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A Worth Effort!
Look forward to seeing how this project goes. Gallivanter is in for some serious good times. Sounds as if you are doing everything right, not cutting corners, making sure everything works well. Look forward to seeing the end result. Hint: Snag some MaxTraxx for the next time you run into quicksand....
Look forward to seeing how this project goes. Gallivanter is in for some serious good times. Sounds as if you are doing everything right, not cutting corners, making sure everything works well. Look forward to seeing the end result. Hint: Snag some MaxTraxx for the next time you run into quicksand....
Backcountry Pursuit
Risk Taker
I'll make my first technical post. It'll actually be more of a to do list and status update of where I am at with the project. I made a punch list on December 3rd right before it got cold and snowed. I made this list in about five minutes and there is more that isn't here like rear axle install and drivelines. Here it is in its unedited form. Doing a 4x4 conversion is no joke and it's more than drilling a few holes for sure. Although, MG rocks and his kit is sweet as hell, but more on that later in the story.
Bump stops- buy tap
Track bar- remove and reinstall bolt
Order tie rod center
Differential service buy sucker
Plug in ecm
Trans service
Flush trans cooler
Trans dip stick
Call Greg front calipers
Brake lines
Abs wiring
Breather tube diff
Breather tubes brakes
Press out sleeve and bolt from shackle
Smooth out damage on rear shackle bucket
Remove paint from hubs
Remove numbers and paint from radius arms
Finish grinding out t case shifter
Cut carpet for t case shifter
Install t case shifter
Tighten cross member bolts
Order fuel tank filler rubber and breathers
Reinstall fuel tank breather and fuel pump
Order rear shock roost shields
Change fuel filter
Order bushwackers
Install front pass seat swivel
Trim front bumper
Wire speed sensor
Install rear shocks
Install spare tire carrier
Touch up paint on spring bucket cut for shock
Clean up and por15 rear axle
Install trailer hitch
Re list trannys on cl
Reinstall gas tank
Get alignment
Title and registration
Bump stops- buy tap
Track bar- remove and reinstall bolt
Order tie rod center
Differential service buy sucker
Plug in ecm
Trans service
Flush trans cooler
Trans dip stick
Call Greg front calipers
Brake lines
Abs wiring
Breather tube diff
Breather tubes brakes
Press out sleeve and bolt from shackle
Smooth out damage on rear shackle bucket
Remove paint from hubs
Remove numbers and paint from radius arms
Finish grinding out t case shifter
Cut carpet for t case shifter
Install t case shifter
Tighten cross member bolts
Order fuel tank filler rubber and breathers
Reinstall fuel tank breather and fuel pump
Order rear shock roost shields
Change fuel filter
Order bushwackers
Install front pass seat swivel
Trim front bumper
Wire speed sensor
Install rear shocks
Install spare tire carrier
Touch up paint on spring bucket cut for shock
Clean up and por15 rear axle
Install trailer hitch
Re list trannys on cl
Reinstall gas tank
Get alignment
Title and registration
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Backcountry Pursuit
Risk Taker
Let the obsession begin. After arriving back in the States from Baja in Gertrude, it was full on infatuation with #vanlife. Muscle memory guided my fingers to Craigslist on my phone without even thinking about it. I found places I never knew existed like government auction sites and Commercial Truck Trader. I dove headlong into the ExPo and the SMB forums. My girlfriend has even given this compulsive activity it's own verb: vanning.
I spent a ridiculous amount of time “vanning”. Morning, noon, and night. Sometimes I would read until 2 or 3 in the morning on the phone while my girlfriend slept next to me. Sometimes things at work suffered or didn't get done as expeditiously as was required because I was “vanning”. Sometimes I would reach for my phone as a first action in the morning just as a three pack a day smoker reaches for a cigarette before he is even conscious and his eyes are open. It was that bad. That is what obsession is like. Nah, scratch that. That is what addiction is like.
I have read hundreds of threads in this section of Expo. Perhaps thousands. I can tell you that I have no fewer than 50 bookmarked and filed in my web browser in categories like “Insulation” and “Heater” and “Solar”. I can tell you that I have looked through all 136 pages of threads in the 4wd (and 2wd) camper vans section here multiple times just in case I missed something. Tens of thousands of pageviews.
I have read amazing threads cover to cover like Lunchbox, VANdiana, all of Cole's, UJOR, MG's, Boomer and many others. Their skill, knowledge, ingenuity and willingness to share is astounding.
The Homebrew section on the SMB forum has been combed and gleaned. I have read all of Handy Bob's Solar Blog many times. I have Ujoint's website memorized and can probably quote you the prices of the individual pieces of his mod. I know what front bumpers I like and what it would take to modify some F-series style bumpers to fit my van. I know I will buy my insulation from Hein. I know what colors of Monstaliner I like because I sent away to get color chips in the mail. I know all of this now. But I knew none of it then when I got back from Baja in late February of 2016.
I have months of time being a sponge. It is really quite sickening when I think about it. All that time, and data and effort. All that blue light soaking my face late at night in bed and interrupting my circadian rhythm. And still, there is more to learn. I learn something new everyday about vans by continuing this ridiculous quest for knowledge. I wonder what it will be like once I actually get into the build. How things will change and how I will still be dumbfounded about the scope of this whole thing as I have to figure out yet another piece of the puzzle.
Starting from square one is daunting. After gaining all the knowledge I have, after all the time I have invested, I can understand why people start threads like “Which van should I buy?” all the while I am secretly scoffing at their laziness for not wanting to do the research themselves. Choosing, buying, planning, and building a van is no small task to undertake. You gotta have passion for this. Nobody is gonna make this happen for you but you. If you don't have the guts and fortitude to launch full on into this, I hope you can write a $120k check to Sportsmobile.
Now, that is not a dig at Sportsmobile nor the folks who have worked hard enough in their life to write that check. If I am honest with myself, if I had the money, I'd totally do it. You better believe me as part of my research I have played extensively on the SMB website and picked out all the options I would build my dream van with. If I had the money, I'd do it. I'd write the check or take on the monthly payment, wait for it to be built and then just get out and use the piss out of it.
However, my budget is less than that. Much less than that. Like I am a small business owner much less than that. Hell, I couldn't even afford a 10-15 year old used SMB with 200k+ miles on it with what people get for those things. No, I will have to build mine and it will take me years. I do have to come up with some money though. I shall have to part with my Tundra.
More later….
I spent a ridiculous amount of time “vanning”. Morning, noon, and night. Sometimes I would read until 2 or 3 in the morning on the phone while my girlfriend slept next to me. Sometimes things at work suffered or didn't get done as expeditiously as was required because I was “vanning”. Sometimes I would reach for my phone as a first action in the morning just as a three pack a day smoker reaches for a cigarette before he is even conscious and his eyes are open. It was that bad. That is what obsession is like. Nah, scratch that. That is what addiction is like.
I have read hundreds of threads in this section of Expo. Perhaps thousands. I can tell you that I have no fewer than 50 bookmarked and filed in my web browser in categories like “Insulation” and “Heater” and “Solar”. I can tell you that I have looked through all 136 pages of threads in the 4wd (and 2wd) camper vans section here multiple times just in case I missed something. Tens of thousands of pageviews.
I have read amazing threads cover to cover like Lunchbox, VANdiana, all of Cole's, UJOR, MG's, Boomer and many others. Their skill, knowledge, ingenuity and willingness to share is astounding.
The Homebrew section on the SMB forum has been combed and gleaned. I have read all of Handy Bob's Solar Blog many times. I have Ujoint's website memorized and can probably quote you the prices of the individual pieces of his mod. I know what front bumpers I like and what it would take to modify some F-series style bumpers to fit my van. I know I will buy my insulation from Hein. I know what colors of Monstaliner I like because I sent away to get color chips in the mail. I know all of this now. But I knew none of it then when I got back from Baja in late February of 2016.
I have months of time being a sponge. It is really quite sickening when I think about it. All that time, and data and effort. All that blue light soaking my face late at night in bed and interrupting my circadian rhythm. And still, there is more to learn. I learn something new everyday about vans by continuing this ridiculous quest for knowledge. I wonder what it will be like once I actually get into the build. How things will change and how I will still be dumbfounded about the scope of this whole thing as I have to figure out yet another piece of the puzzle.
Starting from square one is daunting. After gaining all the knowledge I have, after all the time I have invested, I can understand why people start threads like “Which van should I buy?” all the while I am secretly scoffing at their laziness for not wanting to do the research themselves. Choosing, buying, planning, and building a van is no small task to undertake. You gotta have passion for this. Nobody is gonna make this happen for you but you. If you don't have the guts and fortitude to launch full on into this, I hope you can write a $120k check to Sportsmobile.
Now, that is not a dig at Sportsmobile nor the folks who have worked hard enough in their life to write that check. If I am honest with myself, if I had the money, I'd totally do it. You better believe me as part of my research I have played extensively on the SMB website and picked out all the options I would build my dream van with. If I had the money, I'd do it. I'd write the check or take on the monthly payment, wait for it to be built and then just get out and use the piss out of it.
However, my budget is less than that. Much less than that. Like I am a small business owner much less than that. Hell, I couldn't even afford a 10-15 year old used SMB with 200k+ miles on it with what people get for those things. No, I will have to build mine and it will take me years. I do have to come up with some money though. I shall have to part with my Tundra.
More later….
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Glad to see you couldnt let go.....I have a bike with similar attachment (although I didnt buy it new) that I will likely never sell.
paddlenbike
Adventurer
Subscribed. I love me some pictures, but a well written story is far better. This thread is about your story and not mine, but I had some things happen in my life and I made major life changes that allowed me to put a new Sprinter in my driveway last week. I was cutting sheetmetal the next day with 46 miles on the odometer. Keep the stories coming.