Day 1: The Acquisition

During our long-distance conversation this summer while I was southbounding on a Pan-American Motorcycle Adventure, Sarah and I began imagining how we would go about our adventures together. The idea of a camper van crafted itself...all amenities in a single unit, keeping in mind both maneuverability and personal comfort. We swapped many photos and bounced ideas off of friends.

Then, there was the lull of getting back from PAMA and finding the groove again...remembering it was a rut...and the linked reminder that the best thing about ruts is that they can be gotten out of.

Last week, I began exploring the idea of the camper van anew. After a couple online searches, I found a '92 Roadtrek 190 Versatile going cheap. I hadn't expected to find something so fast, though having been burned by unpreparedness before (ask me about the missed opportunity for a juggling commune sometime), I kicked myself into gear. The van was old, so due diligence was required.

Fast forward to yesterday when I found myself on a flight to Washington, DC, to pick up said camper van. Sion (for the uninitiated, such as myself, it's pronounced "Shawn"), the previous owner, was kind enough to pick me up at the airport and let me test-drive the Roadtrek back to his place. He then gave me a full and complete tour, including all the bits that may be issues or potential issues in the future. Satisfied that the van was as advertised, I sealed the deal, of course allowing him the opportunity to verify the validity of the bank's check. (Auto transactions with strangers through eBay are scary for both parties.)

In the end, I came away not only with a camper van, but also with the sense of having found new friends in Sion, his wife, and their two kids.

From there, it was westbound toward KC. I picked up I-70 near Frederick, MD, and enjoyed 430 miles in the new-to-me Roadtrek, stopping at a Walmart parking lot in Dayton, OH, for the night. And now: 9 more hours to go to get our Adventure Van home.