This colour doesn't cover very well so I see lots of coats in my future.
Thursday, August 31, 2017
Yellow! - August 26, 2017
Donnie didn't care for the cream coloured paint I was using to seal the raw wood. I don't mind it but I'm happy to have a new colour too. We took the plaid upholstery in to the paint store and they matched a paint to the yellow part. Richard at Colour Your World on Tacoma was a big help and seemed interested too. We ended up chatting about what tunes I'm going to play on my first drive once the bus is one the road!
This colour doesn't cover very well so I see lots of coats in my future.
This colour doesn't cover very well so I see lots of coats in my future.
Wednesday, August 30, 2017
The 1st Order Arrives! - August 25, 2017
We always like to see the courier van coming up the long driveway but today was especially nice because we were pretty sure he had our busdepot.com order. Sure enough, everything but the tent arrived. We checked the packing and order slips and compared to the contents of the box to be sure. We have a whole new work plan ahead of us now.
Removing the Pop Top - AUgust 19, 2017
With a new tent coming, the old one has to come off. This is just as well since the flocking on the pop top is requiring a lot of elbow grease to clean and it's hard work reaching over head to do it. So everything comes off and will get a good cleaning to make it ready for the new tent. What a difference the cleaning makes!
Ordering parts - August 17, 2017
We're to the point that we have a pretty good list of all we need. Donnie ordered some parts from busdepot.com including lower body panels and rubber seals. A few were on back order but customer service was great and they got in touch and we confirmed we'd prefer to have them hold everything and send one package when it was all available.
Then we did a little research into having our tent replaced locally. The existing tent is in need of extensive repairs or replacement. The cost was surprisingly high but busdepot.com came througha again and was the best price online. We added it to our order and foudn out it was all being shipped very soon. A courier will bring most of the pieces but the tent will come by Canada Post due to the weight of it. Just too expensive.
I also ordered all the foam pieces for the seats, hatch and pop top. Eventually we'll have to tackle the front seats too but I'm not there yet.
The expenses are getting bigger. We're in it for another $1000 now.
Then we did a little research into having our tent replaced locally. The existing tent is in need of extensive repairs or replacement. The cost was surprisingly high but busdepot.com came througha again and was the best price online. We added it to our order and foudn out it was all being shipped very soon. A courier will bring most of the pieces but the tent will come by Canada Post due to the weight of it. Just too expensive.
I also ordered all the foam pieces for the seats, hatch and pop top. Eventually we'll have to tackle the front seats too but I'm not there yet.
The expenses are getting bigger. We're in it for another $1000 now.
Look What Landed in Our Yard! - August 12, 2017
This bay made its way to our yard this weekend. It's been in the woods not far from us for a long time by the look of it. The bus was packed to the gills with garbage and I'm still not sure what parts are intact and what its purpose is!
To Paint or Not to Paint? - August 10, 2017
So the cabinets look clean and the laminate smells good but the raw wood parts start to smell musty again soon after they are cleaned no matter what product has been used on them.
I had a chat with my Aunt who has done a camper before and she thinks I should paint the raw wood and seal in the smell. I think she's probably right. Purists may not like it but I think I'm going to end up with a clean looking and clean smelling camper so how can that be bad?
I also decided to remove the upholstery on the seats and small pieces that don't zip open. That meant pulling out about a million staples and washing the plaid and removing the foam. It needs to be replaced. It's in decent condition with very little break down but it smells old and it seems silly to not replace it at this point.
I'm painting the wood with an oil based enamel that I have left over from the interior of my kitchen drawers. I'm already happy I decided to do it. The laminate will still look the same.
I had a chat with my Aunt who has done a camper before and she thinks I should paint the raw wood and seal in the smell. I think she's probably right. Purists may not like it but I think I'm going to end up with a clean looking and clean smelling camper so how can that be bad?
I also decided to remove the upholstery on the seats and small pieces that don't zip open. That meant pulling out about a million staples and washing the plaid and removing the foam. It needs to be replaced. It's in decent condition with very little break down but it smells old and it seems silly to not replace it at this point.
I'm painting the wood with an oil based enamel that I have left over from the interior of my kitchen drawers. I'm already happy I decided to do it. The laminate will still look the same.
A Family Affair - July 30, 2017
I've been deep cleaning the interior cabinets out in the sun while Donnie searches for more rust and starts a plan to fix what he's found.
Even Isaac got a little interested when he was here on the weekend. Both Donnie and Isaac have been cutting out the worst spots to prepare for replacing them. Reuben tends to stick with me and likes spraying the cabinets best. Natures Miracle and Magic Erasers have been my best friend lately.
Even Isaac got a little interested when he was here on the weekend. Both Donnie and Isaac have been cutting out the worst spots to prepare for replacing them. Reuben tends to stick with me and likes spraying the cabinets best. Natures Miracle and Magic Erasers have been my best friend lately.
A Visit with VW Ben - July 14, 2017
So while I've been cleaning Donnie has been stepping in to help where I need it and otherwise working away at determining what is needed for the body of the white bus and to get it running. He's identified a few areas of the floor that need replacing. A small area behind the passenger seat, around the sink drain pipe opening in the floor and a spot on the driver side floor. Not much. The body needs a bit more and we're working at deciding what needs to be replaced and what can be fixed. The engine from the green bus is running but the white one is missing parts and we'd like to have both running so we need to source some parts or a complete engine.
Just on schedule, the guy Donnie met when they were broke down on the highway got in touch with us. He knows of 2 engines for sale so we made arrangements to go visit him and he'd take us to the two engines.
We got to see a crazy collection of VW buses at Ben's place including a split window bus and an old bug he had picked up the night before. Now that was a story. He got 2 rigs home in his driveway and left one in a carpool parking lot. We drove by when we were going to see the engines for sale and his bus was gone! The engines weren't what we were looking for and we left Ben checking impound lots hoping his bus had been picked up and not stolen.
After leaving Ben to find his bus, we headed over to Stewiacke to meet a guy who deals in VWs and had a few older rigs around. When we got there he had just sold his old vehicles the night before. Guess who the buyer was? Our friend Ben!
All together it was a decent road trip, and a good chance for Donnie to see a few different engines and start to get an idea of what he's looking at and a bit of entertainment while we were at it. Ben showed us this book and said it kept his bus running all the way to Mexico. I saw the rig he took to Mexico and the book must be good! I thin Ben takes everything as it comes and isn't phased by much.
Just on schedule, the guy Donnie met when they were broke down on the highway got in touch with us. He knows of 2 engines for sale so we made arrangements to go visit him and he'd take us to the two engines.
We got to see a crazy collection of VW buses at Ben's place including a split window bus and an old bug he had picked up the night before. Now that was a story. He got 2 rigs home in his driveway and left one in a carpool parking lot. We drove by when we were going to see the engines for sale and his bus was gone! The engines weren't what we were looking for and we left Ben checking impound lots hoping his bus had been picked up and not stolen.
After leaving Ben to find his bus, we headed over to Stewiacke to meet a guy who deals in VWs and had a few older rigs around. When we got there he had just sold his old vehicles the night before. Guess who the buyer was? Our friend Ben!
All together it was a decent road trip, and a good chance for Donnie to see a few different engines and start to get an idea of what he's looking at and a bit of entertainment while we were at it. Ben showed us this book and said it kept his bus running all the way to Mexico. I saw the rig he took to Mexico and the book must be good! I thin Ben takes everything as it comes and isn't phased by much.
More to Take out?!! - July 13, 2017
As I was vacuuming and washing the interior walls of the bus I could still smell weird yuckiness. I tracked it down to the headliner. Sure enough there was disgusting mouse nests, droppings and stored mouse food up above it. The whole thing came out and I had to vacuum again but now I can really get this bus clean. This photo is of the headliner halfway pulled out. We had to stop and vacuum so all that stuff wouldn't end up all over the bus again. We've definitely seen enough mouse crap to keep us going for a long time.
Tuesday, August 22, 2017
Take it All Out - July 11, 2017
We decided that the white bus is going to be the first bus to restore. There's more to work with and if the engine doesn't pan out we always have the engine from the green bus.
Donnie pulled out the interior. This bus has been home to generations of mice and a mask was necessary and some serious cleaning is needed. Starting today. Natures Miracle is going to be my friend. Today I'm washing the interior. It didn't take me long to discover that the mouse crap and stored seeds were inside the body panels too. So out they came along with the insulation. All easy to replace or clean and put back in.
Check out the original plaid upholstery (chrome yellow I think) which is intact on everything. Also check out the hideous replacement red velour door panels and headliner. Yuck!
Also intact: all the curtains are in great shape and accounted for, all the cabinets are there, the kids hammock is there, the jack is present in it's original little bag. The owners manual and camper manual are here too!
The interior still has the original Pastel White paint. The exterior is painted over with a flat cheap looking white which is no longer very attractive if it ever was.
The interior rust isn't bad but Donnie will soon get started on the spots that need repair - just inside the sliding door behind the passenger seat and around the sink drain. Probably the drivers side floor too.
Donnie pulled out the interior. This bus has been home to generations of mice and a mask was necessary and some serious cleaning is needed. Starting today. Natures Miracle is going to be my friend. Today I'm washing the interior. It didn't take me long to discover that the mouse crap and stored seeds were inside the body panels too. So out they came along with the insulation. All easy to replace or clean and put back in.
Check out the original plaid upholstery (chrome yellow I think) which is intact on everything. Also check out the hideous replacement red velour door panels and headliner. Yuck!
Also intact: all the curtains are in great shape and accounted for, all the cabinets are there, the kids hammock is there, the jack is present in it's original little bag. The owners manual and camper manual are here too!
The interior still has the original Pastel White paint. The exterior is painted over with a flat cheap looking white which is no longer very attractive if it ever was.
The interior rust isn't bad but Donnie will soon get started on the spots that need repair - just inside the sliding door behind the passenger seat and around the sink drain. Probably the drivers side floor too.
It's Home! - June 29, 2017
We bought the white one and it's home after a very very long day. Dad and Donnie headed out with truck and uhaul trailer around 8am to pay for and pick up the new bus. They knew it wasn't going to be easy as the bus hadn't moved in 20 years and the owner had to cut out a wall to access it. Little did they know just how bad the day was going to be. After getting it loaded and making it back out to civilization they decided to stop for supper. That's where they met our first VW guy. A nice guy who chatted to them in the parking lot and informed them that VW guys are just like that.
Soon after leaving the parking lot Dad's truck died. They called CAA and while waiting for a lift, VW guy came upon them stranded on the highway and waited with them til CAA arrived. A comical journey back to Truro with the truck, the trailer and the van ensued where a good friend met the guys and brought the bus and trailer the rest of the way home. Dad's truck had to stay. Isaac came up with Grampie's car to pick up Grampie and Donnie and our friend returned the uhaul.
Finally at long past midnight we had a look at the new bus in our own yard but it was too dark and we were too tired for photos til morning.
It's a 1978 bay window VW Deluxe Campmobile according to the original owners manual.
Soon after leaving the parking lot Dad's truck died. They called CAA and while waiting for a lift, VW guy came upon them stranded on the highway and waited with them til CAA arrived. A comical journey back to Truro with the truck, the trailer and the van ensued where a good friend met the guys and brought the bus and trailer the rest of the way home. Dad's truck had to stay. Isaac came up with Grampie's car to pick up Grampie and Donnie and our friend returned the uhaul.
Finally at long past midnight we had a look at the new bus in our own yard but it was too dark and we were too tired for photos til morning.
It's a 1978 bay window VW Deluxe Campmobile according to the original owners manual.
You Want to go Where!!?? - June 25, 2017
Around 2pm Sunday afternoon Donnie says to me, "Let's go for a drive? A guy I've been talking to has a bus for sale in good shape."
I'm always up for a road trip so I agree only to find out at 3pm that we're driving 5 hours to look at this bus. With a 7 year old. And I have to work tomorrow.
Oh well, a quick stop for some junk food and we're on our way. It's a beautiful day for a road trip.
We arrive around suppertime to find this gem trapped in an old barn. The owner is selling it to make room for a corvette or something. The body is in great shape for this area and the interior appears to be complete. It has two motors inside the camper, none actually attached to the bus. He's asking a good price and we decide to think about it and get back to him.
We make our way back home way past my bedtime but the adventure was worth it.
I'm always up for a road trip so I agree only to find out at 3pm that we're driving 5 hours to look at this bus. With a 7 year old. And I have to work tomorrow.
Oh well, a quick stop for some junk food and we're on our way. It's a beautiful day for a road trip.
We arrive around suppertime to find this gem trapped in an old barn. The owner is selling it to make room for a corvette or something. The body is in great shape for this area and the interior appears to be complete. It has two motors inside the camper, none actually attached to the bus. He's asking a good price and we decide to think about it and get back to him.
We make our way back home way past my bedtime but the adventure was worth it.
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