Our Trusty Westy

I've said several times 'There are 4 of us making this journey: Mike and I; Chettie (our 6-year old Chesapeake Bay Retriever), and The Farf'.

The Farf is a 1986 VW Vanagon Westfalia Syncro. She goes by many different names, including The Burly Beast (because of how well she does in off-road situations) and The Beagle (think Darwin's ship). But 'The Farf 'has kind of stuck.

Never mind that 'Farf' is a complete corruption of the term Fahrvergnügen, which someone politely pointed out is a verb, not a noun; and that the spelling is waaaay off, we like it. And we love her.

We bought her in Aspen in June and she quickly became the object of our affection. Initially thinking we'd do just some minor repairs and eventually deciding that if she was to take us where we intend to go that she may need some more extensive work, Mike has spent quite a bit of time getting her road-ready. We joke that he knows the underside of her better than the inside. Perhaps that investment of his time and labor will pay off down the road.

He's replaced springs and shocks, CV joints and drive axles, brakes, the viscous coupling (which makes her a Syncro: all wheel drive), the clutch, had the transmission and differential rebuilt and replaced all of her hoses and radiator. New tires all around and  new bumpers so that we can carry a second spare tire and fuel can.  We have an awning for shade and rain protection and will have the canvas pop-top tent replaced for better ventilation and bug proofing.  A new solar panel and aux. batteries will be installed in California to power up the refrigerator.

Of course, here we have to give a shout out to all the guys on the Samba--the online community of VW enthusiasts on which we lurk often and post infrequently. We've learned almost as much as we've laughed.

In a week we get to put the new systems to the test. Our plans call for driving through Colorado to Utah, heading south through Utah with a stop in Zion NP. Continue south to the Grand Canyon and then west to SoCal for the solar installation. Then, south into Baja for 3 weeks or so of beach and desert exploration. Three purchases are planned for Baja: a surfboard for Trish, Hammocks for Mike and Trish and window tinting for the Farf.

If all four traveling companions are still on board, we'll head through mainland Mexico and on to Central America.

Despite all the preparations on the vehicle, let me take some of the suspense out of it right now: we fully expect to run into some mechanical problems along the way. The Farf is, after all, a 23 year old vehicle. We take this on as part of the experience.

Likewise, we know traveling with our dog will present some challenges. But leaving her behind was too hard to fathom. So the four of us will set off to see what adventures await.

More (lots more) on the Chetster in subsequent posts.

Trish

Westy Road Trip: "Are you ready?"

We've heard that question a thousand times and well, psychologically, yes, we are ready.

But physically, boy oh boy, do we have a lot to do before we are ready to take off. In my defense let's not forget that I was working full time up until a week ago. Yup, seven short days....seems like a lifetime ago. 

Our days have been filled with packing boxes, sitting at the computer changing the few remaining bills to online payment, packing boxes, canceling the myriad of services that will no longer be relevant after next week, packing boxes, making trips to the storage unit, working on the van and packing more boxes.

At some point, currently targeted as Sunday, November 1st, we'll 'leap'. Many of the van logistics will be easier to work out once we are underway than trying to imagine what it will be like while parked in the driveway.

Really, where is the best place for the dog food? Camp chairs? Dry goods? How much can I fit in the back closet (designated for my clothes, linens and toiletries)?

We've also enjoyed several 'last suppers' with friends. We think people fall into two categories: those who love the idea of our adventure and want to come with us and those who think we're crazy.

Our first stop, once out of the US, is the Baja Peninsula. I've been reading a lot about Baja and it sounds great. Why haven't we ever been?? Let us know if you have a favorite beach or general area so we can add it to our itinerary.

Trish

P/S Thanks to Sharon Rowe for helping us set up this blog. Apparantly, you can sign up to be notified by email when we post. Don't ask me how to do it...remember: "Rec, not tech".  ;-)