At Camping World - Lulu insisted on banging the sales gong.
At the work site - our "new" 2002 Road Trek at sunset.
It could not have come at a worse time. We were right in the middle of pouring 81 yards of concrete. But when opportunity calls you must respond. He who hesitates is lost.
Lulu and I love Class B Campers. We have had several. Lulu has spent many snowy nights on the road and campus in one. She felt like a turtle carrying her home on her back - she called it the suitcase you never have to unpack.
The top of the line of Class B's is a Roadtrek - built by Home and Park Motorhomes in Ontario - Canada. Some people call them conversion vans - others call them camper vans - officially they are called Class B Motorhomes. They are manufactured to the highest standards and weatherized for winter in the Yukon.
We have owned 3 Coachmen Class B's. We had an Argosy Airstream Class A. We had a two travel trailers - and a pop-up tent trailer. We even converted two buses into "motor homes."
For the record - we do not camp. We do not go to a site and sit there for a week. We use them as vehicles to get somewhere to see the sights. We have spent more nights in Walmart parking lots and at parking meters in strange places than we can recall. We sit outside Doak Campbell Stadium 7 times a year.
About two years ago we went to Camping World - 10 miles west of town - to look at a one owner 1999 Roadtrek with 100,000 miles on it. We negotiated it down to $12k. Then we went home to think about it. We went back the next day and it was gone - poof. Every now and then - after a drink or two - we often lament our hesitation. We are now in the middle of a big project and spending a lot of money. We did not need another distraction.
The phone ran - it was Rusty Sykes at Camping World. He said he just took in a local trade - too good to be true. I quickly got a shower and Lulu and I headed west. There it was - not even cleaned up yet. A 2002 Road Trek - one owner - 28000 miles on it. We both drove it and were smitten. Then I asked the price and was shocked at $25000! I told Rusty he was wasting my time - the last one was $12k. So Rusty - a kid about Drew's age - did the little dance going back and forth to the manager. Although I am a retired man and usually wasting other people's time - this time I wanted to get back to the "job." I was just about ready to bolt - I swear they are watching you thru one-way mirrors - Rusty appears with the numbers. He slides it to me -- about half price. A new one cost $117000 with options and this one was about 10% of that.
add options.
I asked Rusty to do a Carfax report. He did. It came back - one owner - true 28000 miles - no wrecks - it spent every day of its life in Tallahassee. We wanted the owner's name - but they do not give it out without permission. But a Super Lube bill left in the glove box gave us the owners ID. We searched on the net and it belonged to a plastic surgeon in town. He just bought a new diesel pusher motor home and traded this in. I called him - left a message - and he called back. He loved talking about the camper and said they used it to go to the mountain vacation home. They never camped in the van nor used the shower. - It turns out there are all the maintenance records in the camper and it was well kept.
Lulu and I asked for another 24 hour delay to talk to the owner. The big guns came in and told us about how another guy wants it - all the canned lines I refused to use as a car salesman back in the 1970s. I would have walked again - but Lulu said "I think we will take it." She did this once before on our red Ford motorhome (bought it out from under me) and it was one of the best purchases we made. It was her Cocoon at St Johns. We bought it as is.
We did go home to get our license plate - insurance card - and a check. They wanted 3% if I used American Express. 15000 travel miles are not worth that much. So we wrote a check - doing that a lot lately. :-(
Lulu followed me to a local Steak and Shake for a celebratory supper. Then we returned to the work site - it was silent - the workers took off all the concrete forms - cleaned up - and in the sunset we saw our beautiful new foundation - ready to hold our dream house and love nest. The camper will sleep in the barn out back wrapped in swaddling clothes - lying in a manger.
We bought it "as is" - it looks like someone broke a piece of glass to enter.
All the fabric is in great shape - it does not smell. Camping World said the people used it to travel - not camp. The shower - toilet - stove - sink - frig - looked unused.
The vents are for the air conditioner. Other campers hang the AC on the top. This way the camper can fit in our garage.
In the back van door - under the sofa/bed is a big storage area. Maybe our folding bike can go there.
Looking in the back van door you can see the double bed. The flat TV and VCR fit in that hanging box.
Cooking vent - gas stove - stainless sink - microwave - frig below.
Toilet on left - closet on right. Shower controls next to toilet. Ingenious walls come out to make private bathroom and shower stall. Hot and cold water.
The driver and passenger seats rotate and combine with the second pair of front facing seats with belts - to make a two single beds.
The second pair of seats open to make 2 beds. All cushions are clean and do not smell - a big deal in campers.
In the back you see the AC - on top - the roof vent goes on and off with a thermostat. The black controls run the generator - porch light - coach power - and tell you the levels of fresh water - gray water - black water.
The second seats turn into two single beds. The camper seats 10 people as a van - for trip to the football stadium to tailgate.
In the side there is a big storage bin under the dark cover. I do not golf but clubs would fit there. It has a big gas tank - they brag 15 to 20 MPG but do not count on it.
The dashboard is excellent. The passenger has good leg room.
The low stream lined shape gives better MPG. The floor is sunk 6 inches to give you more head room without making the van taller. Chrome wheels have excellent tires.
This box contains a flat TV and VCR. Who knows if any of this stuff works. We did a poor job examining things. Note the stainless steel around the stove.
The double bed is tight. It is 6 feet long - maybe 54 inches wide. All windows have curtains and screens. There are tons of lights inside - like 10 of them - that run on AC and DC power.
Those controls are for an inside shower with hot and cold water. There is a second outside showers for cleaning up after the beach.
This closet would hold lots of clothes. It is about 18 inches wide.
Two burner stainless stove. The sink has a steel bowl for cooking and a plastic insert bowl for washing hands.
This coach was not cleaned up. I will have fun detailing it. I can work inside with the AC on. The camper has along cord to plug into an AC outlet.
There are two big cabinets in the back above for the bedding. There is also storage under the beds for more stuff.
It had a Dodge 318 V8 engine. Automatic with overdrive transmission. Power steering. Power brakes. Radio - CD - Cassette - Engine AC - separate from coach AC. Cruise control - power windows - power mirrors - power door locks.
The back full bed turns into a dinette that could seat 6 people tightly for a short trip.
The floor is sunk 3 inches to give you more headroom. That is also the bowl of the shower stall. It has a drain in the middle - a carpet covers it during the day. Two more cabinets are under the middle seats.
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