Vans!

I have to say I love my aluminess bumpers and ladder. They really make the rig and are strong as anything. They are also really light for a bumper. The front and rear have huge storage areas for all my tools and recovery items. The front is a space for the winch which is completely lockable. The bumpers are not only functional, but have lockable storage space, and serve as a step or shelf, or a table (for my beer).

We go out there every October and spend a week exploring.

I try to get out there at least once a year.

pic of Bonnie Abbzug; just because.

There's more out there than you could see in a lifetime, can't wait
to get back out that way.

Had a pre-check today to see what the bus will need for safety and emissions tests, to register it.

Safety:
Wipers - got a new set up today and it works now
Horn - I'll be looking for a dodgy ground
Tires - Found the place that sells the ones I want at a good price, so just have get some money in to order them

Emissions:
Won't idle - CA-specific coil, vacuum hoses, engine to body seal, ignition electrical switch all on their way to hopefully sort that
He tested anyway - if I can get it to idle, it passes at both marks for HC and CO (idle and 2500rpm) which is good

Better than I thought, anyway

Oh, and going through the bus - my rear seat is actually a z-bed - if everything is there, I can pull out the seat base, drop the backrest into the gap and have a 5' x 6'3" bed. That saves some money

Is that a radio antenna on top Duke?
how well does it work?

It's just a magnetic CB antenna.

Very cool, but $412.00 is a bit much. There is a lot of cool but expensive stuff on that site.:eek1

I never said Aluminess stuff was cheap, did I?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=330686969286+&viewitem

WTF? As jacked up as your van is I thought it was 4WD.
Well, you like Dodge vans. Here’s an interesting 1969 4X4 Dodge Van for $3200 in Tennessee. It has overdrive! Takes 4:11 gears to 2:87. Now that’s cool.
http://econolines.ipbhost.com/index.php?showtopic=3445&view=findpost&p=42368

Haven't seen one of those in ages. My friends dad built one back in 79-80. Plans available in Popular Mechanic's & Popular Science magazines.

And that's probably a good thing.

At the time I thought it was the coolest van I'd seen and the van craze was in full swing. He modified the blueprints (One of the top GM Engineers) & Made it look wild & run even wilder with a turbocharged Corvair engine. Dual gullwing doors per side. bigguns for back & regular for the driver & passenger.
Everytime I saw it I dreamt of cruising North America with it. It was like a Boonie Bug on roids.

I think of 4WD like high deductible health insurance-rarely used expensive. I think if AWD like HMO insurance -used often and expensive.

It's fun to read the debates on any board about the need for 4WD on any board. I find it quite fun to go tearing through 1 foot drifts, go up pretty much any hill with any type of slickness underneath and generally find trouble where no trouble exists on a snowy day.

And race Subarus on snow days. Tell me that isn't fun 4WD not-needers?

Bring it....

Nice! Hah, I did something like that last week in the snow. Perfect 4 wheel drift until a curb appeared. The snow was a little deep and I didn't see the curb. Oh well, stock rims are easy to come by.

Team O'Neil Winter Safety School in NH. If you get out of shape:


No problemo.

the extent of our snow, but I rock it.

however, I did get stuck in wet grass not long ago.