Funny how things work out...

Funny how things work out.

When  we were tentatively looking  to buy a four wheel drive, Lady cruiser came up before we were ready to actually commit to a purchase and at a good price and in good nick. We had to get her.

Actually we had asked Greg’s brother in law, Trevor, who used to be in the used car game to keep his eye out for what we wanted. We thought we would be only able to afford a Prado but no sooner had we asked ex Truckin’ Trevor to ask around his old traps about a suitable vehicle that our cruiser rolled into the yard of his ex employer and we had the chance to snap her up before she even stopped rolling. Trev took her for a test drive and said she was good. Lucky for us Trevor knows his way around cars really well. We don’t really.  This all took place in Melbourne and we live in Canberra so on his recommendation we bought a car off a IPhone photo, paid the deposit and flew down to drive her back.

So when it came time, with our new found wisdom about caravans – thus far, to start looking, for a suitable van we were inundated with well wishing folk who knew a friend etc who had a van for sale. None were suitable for so many reasons you could write a book.

We decided to go back to the caravan and camping show held at the racecourse in Melbourne to narrow down our choices and get another idea of prices blah blah.

Also it was a good excuse to see Trevor and Janece and the family again (all of Greg’s family live in Melbourne, actually, my sister too, as well as aunts, uncles and friends we could spend a month there and still not get around to seeing everyone) I digress. So we went down to kill two birds so to speak – tick see the family box and tick research caravans, in March.

Trevor who used to drive trucks, then sell cars and now sells caravans for Springvale Caravans who are the agents for Olympic Caravans amongst other brands. His boss Darren is also a top bloke. We have known Darren and his wife for years as Trev and Darren and their families have known each other for years and we have been introduced at their place or camping, I really can’t remember.

Anyway, we weren’t looking to buy a van – just on a research mission. Trev, because of the industry, and the fact Springvale Caravans had several vans on display, got us free tickets to the caravan show so that saved us money and Janece drove us there from the airport when we arrived in Melbourne. It was so nice to see everyone again. We looked at a van we liked the year before but then explained to Darren that we needed something that was more off road. Well what do you know, they had just the thing we needed, and it was going for a good price. (course it was) Introduced us to  - the only one here – for sale as it is – Olympic, Desert Series, ‘The Gibson’.

Gibson - love at first sight!

Like a swish inner city condo!

Gibson's bedroom. The bed is queen size and about a foot too small for Greg - never mind.

Sitting high off the ground with his lift pack and independent suspension, with twin 16 inch mag wheel shining in the sun, awning out and solar panels having a field day making power, he was pretty smick. On climbing the automatic stairs to his interior his modern walnut paneling, teamed with black leather looking upholstery contrasting with white walls, pull up roll blinds and modern appliances I was in love. Here was a van that no Nanna would want. He said ‘adventure on rough roads’ not potter around on a highway. With him you could free camp for a week thanks to a good size water tank, solar that charged 2 big deep cell batteries, a shower, a toilet and hiding under a bench so as not to be conspicuous a little top loading washing machine. A big pull out awning almost his full 21 foot length said party hard and he even had a television jack outside and speakers so you could watch the unmissable football game (personally most of them are extremely missable but I’m not much of a fan) But you could play music and be shaded or not rained on.

To me it was a no brianer – I had to have this one. So we played it cool – well Greg did as I find it hard to disguise any emotion, especially pure joy and excitement. Greg convinced me that it would be a VERY good idea if we walked around the show and checked out the rest of the off road vans. (Not before I said to Trevor to not show this van to anyone else.)

So for the next hour we found and walked through a dozen or more off road vans and I must say that for most of it, ‘off road’ means for many companies, ugly and basic and boring. Just because you want to go bush shouldn’t mean you have no taste or don’t want comfort. None came up to scratch. Well not in my opinion. Greg thought so too.

Returning to the Olympic caravan display, my dear husband and I entered into a negotiating chat with Darren. Darren gave us a deal we could not resist. Well I couldn’t resist. My husband was not convinced that we should spend money on a van that we didn’t plan to buy for another 12 months. But we had a bargain and it was the only one. So since it was getting late and Janece had to get back home, we left the show and all the way back debated (the best way to put it) whether or not to buy the van. God bless my sister in law as she was on my side and so it was 2 against one. Greg’s argument was that we had to pay everything off in 2 years and that we would not be able to go overseas. (However when your spouse suffers with Chronic Fatigue, overseas travel is nigh on impossible anyway or bad value as they spend an awful lot of time being asleep.)

Why we had to pay everything off in 2 years was a mystery to me. Why not take longer?

Anyway Janece and I wore away his illogical argument and before we had reached their home in Kilsyth, Greg was on the phone to Darren saying we would buy the van – and by the way can they get it ready for delivery for Easter (3 weeks away).  I’m sure he was sold all the time and just wanted me to earn it. … Males!

Woo hoo we owned a van – and a debt to go with it!

I was so excited.

Not so much about the debt.

Actually I had another small concern, I had re landscaped the front garden to include a place you could put a caravan. I was a little worried that it might not be quite big enough. ‘the Gibson’ was 21 foot long without the drawbar…

Could not wait to go home and grab a tape measure. No matter what, I would make it fit even if I had to remove several plants.

However, debt and storage concerns aside we called into the local grog takeaway and bought suitable celebrational bevvies for the evening.

Cheers to us, our van and our new adventures yet to be had and cheers for the people who made it all happen.

Janece and I named the van MR GIBSON – who gets pulled by Lady Cruiser.

My husband is appalled.