
Snickers, oh you tricky old bus
When the topic of our bus comes up in conversation, it isn’t a lie when I mention that just over a year ago I didn’t even own a set of spanners. The initial plan with Snickers, this 1990 VW T3 Caravelle, was to refurbish it and make it available for readers to hire out and embark upon a mountain road trip.
If you’re following on from my last email, the bus recently presented us with a pretty big issue. The head gasket and/or cylinder head has started to break. Beyond the spanners, my tool kit is a lot more comprehensive today, but I’m still learning on the job. Quite frankly, the thought of repairing this on my own makes my palms sweat. But equally as problematic is the fact that a repair like this costs thousands at the garage.
So, what options are on the table?
1) we sell the van, recoup our costs and shed a tear
or
2) dig in, take ownership of this beautiful vehicle that ceased production some four decades ago, and continue the plan.
Imagine this
Advanture Magazine HQ is on the fringe of a beautiful little mountain town in the Spanish Pyrenees. We’re only 900m away from the French border, and the famous ski destination of Andorra is a short 30 minutes drive along one of the valleys.
This trifecta junction puts any visitor on the map of adventure. Here on the Spanish side fill up with a “cheap” tank of fuel and revise your plan. You head north and into France to stock the fridge with great cheese and meat, then continue following one of the mountain rivers and gain some altitude. This happens to be my top fly fishing location out here, and once you see it you’ll understand why.
Continue travelling West and towards Andorra. White capped mountains are present for at least six months of the year and the gently winding roads are a pleasure to take slow. After crossing the border, you can stop for some duty free. That whiskey will taste great by the fire in the evening.
And this is just day two of an experience that we think will entertain so many van lifers in the near future. It’s a dream Mascha and I have had for quite a while now, and this cylinder head issue can’t stop the show before it even begun.
I’ll undoubtedly share the ups and downs of owning this old Volkswagen in plenty more newsletters to come. To be honest, I think it comes with the territory of owning such and old vehicle. But do stick with me. It’s now become part of the story after all.
Today’s “up” was delivered to me by James Barkman. He’s keeping the dream alive on board an old bay window. His story is legitimate, his cause is genuine. Take a few minutes to see why in the video at the bottom of this email (not sponsored at all, I just think it’s really cool).
See you on the road, Alex.
Editor of Advanture Magazine
@alexbrowndop