Week 2 Sept 16 - 22

Sept 16, 2019

The GMC Dealership in Fort St, John fixed my truck.  There were some concerns that the catalytic converter might be damaged from the faulty spark plug wire and the fact that I had to limp 686 kms. After paying just over a grand for repairs, I decided that to continue driving the GMC Sierra aka The Wee Beastie would not be wise especially driving long distances.  I started to look for trucks and vans I might be able to afford.

The Wee Beastie when she was new! (2014)

Wookie and I spent one more day at the hotel, and I figured going to Alberta I might be able to find a good deal on a lightly used vehicle.  Contacted my friend Arlene and told her to expect me the next day.

I was looking forward to finding an alternative to my ailing 5 year old truck.  She had been an amazing workhorse for me - pulling apart houses, hauling lumber, hauling water and generally just being ready to head down any highway. But it was time to move into something with less mileage.

Sept 17, 2019

Woke up early, eager to get on the road, but I knew I had said I wouldn't be there until mid afternoon.  So, Wookie and I took our time.  We even stopped at the Mile Zero Marker of the Alaska Highway in Dawson Creek. We stopped at random pull outs and generally just enjoyed ourselves.

I got to Arlene's in the mid afternoon and met her partner Les. We got talking about vehicles and what I was looking for. He found the perfect cube van for sale in Grande Prairie.  I drove in and talked to the dealership, crawled around the cube van and left a deposit. Because it was already almost closing, that was the best we could do.  Curtis said he would call me in the morning to finish the deal.

Got back to Arlene's, I was pretty excited.  Could it be possible that in a day I would have the vehicle I had been dreaming about for two years!  I tried to sleep, but I was listening for Wookie to start barking or having issues with the farm dogs.  I eventually got up and moved her into the back seat of the truck.  She loves being in the truck - she knows I won't be leaving her behind. I finally got a bit of sleep.

Sept 18, 2019

Curtis from Marshall Chev called right at 9AM, the financing went through and the 2017 GMC Savana is mine.  I hadn't carried any debts in a long time, and my bills per month were ridiculously small.  I jumped up, cleared out the rest of my belongings from The Wee Beastie and drove 30 km into Grande Prairie to trade vehicles. After finishing all the paperwork, signing several forms, Wookie and I jumped into my new van and immediately went to a hardware store.  I knew right away I needed to build a wall to divide the box into the living space and the garage. I hastily bought some 2X2X8, and styrofoam boards and heading back to the farm.

I once I had experienced driving the van on the highway I knew that building that wall was really important.  The back roll up gate rattled and was quite noisy.  But the truck was smooth and quite comfortable. Wookie settled in immediately and claimed the passenger seat as her own along with a space on the other side of the hatchway.

Sept 19, 2019

Worked on building the first wall, which divides the living space from the garage. The wall is up, secure. It was a good day for working on the camper conversion.  Also had to inquire about insurance and registering the vehicle back home. Got to remember to get everything legal and protected.  Drove into a small town called Beaverlodge to get some more building supplies.

Wookie really perks up when I get the truck keys and her leash.  Loves being the co-pilot.

Sept 20, 2019

Arlene, Les, Wookie and I drove back to Fort Nelson to pick up the trailer. It was a good trip, and it was good to be able to pick up all the things I left in the trailer and to know that the trailer was going to be used by my friend and her family. The trip was uneventful, except the following morning we noticed that we lost a hubcap along the way.

Sept 21, 2019

Time to get busy. I need to build a bed, unload everything that belongs to me out of the trailer, and start to settle into the van.

My very sturdy bed frame, just need to add the corner braces - which will keep the mattress from shifting while I am driving.

Sept 22, 2019

My last day in the Grande Prairie area.  I want to be on the road heading south first thing Monday morning.  Today's plan is to make a kitchen space, and do a little "nesting," getting some things organized and finding the most logical place to store and place things.

First things first, add the tongue and groove wood to the interior of the wall.  Got have some class, right?  Next was to build a kitchen counter out of cut ends and bits and pieces from the previous projects.  The shelf is a little narrower than a standard counter but fully functional for what I have in mind.  I will make more shelves and storage as I travel.

A view of the garage.

The view from the garage doorway. Right now, everything is stashed to prevent too much shifting.

View from the front hatchway.  Looks pretty comfy to me.

My second week of this road trip was much more successful than the first, a tad more expensive than I expected, but I am grateful to be back on the road as of Monday Sept 23, 2019