Zach and I have been living out of a rental car for the last 6 days and we’ll be giving it back today. We’ve camped at 3 different parks north of Hilo and have been having a great time. The problem was that we had a week to figure out what happens next and if we didn’t decide fast we and our belongings wouldn’t have a place to go except an expensive hostel. In considering so many options, I decided to get a van. I had thought about it even before Zach came and it seemed like a great way to tour the island at my own pace. Zach is a pro at van living and has agreed to help me convert it to a living space. The picture is us camping next to the rental next to my 1997 Ford e350 club wagon. (The vans aren’t pulled even so my van looks even longer than it is.)
It was a really good find considering we had a week to look. I would have opted for another path if a good van didn’t present itself. It runs really well, has minimal body and interior damage and meets the requirements for the smog test. It’s a 15 seater, so there’s ample space. Zach and I spent almost all of yesterday cleaning every surface. Today we’re going to treat the rust (it has a few good sized but superficial rusty spots). We’re also going to get rid of the extra seats and look into installing a wood floor. We have to move all our stuff in by this afternoon, so we’ll see how far we get :)
