Things looked a lot better this morning. Most of my numbness and aches had passed after a night in my own bed. I walked down the driveway to take a look at The Beast in the morning light, and it seemed much more benign. I decided that maybe it wasn't so bad after all.
Of course, it would need a few amendments. First and most immediate was cruise control!!! This was even more important than gasoline. Which gasoline, by the way, The Beast consumed with a voracious appetite! We calculated the first two tanks that ran through it and I was more than a little bit appalled by the 8.9 mpg we were getting.
I posted some of this blog earlier to my van dwellers group and got a suggestion that I scrounge junk yards for a similar van with the by-now-mandatory cruise control, which I will be doing this week. Somewhat later I cleared out a spot on our parking pad for the RV and got it backed up the driveway and parked. Our house is on a hill and at one point the driveway probably assumes a 7-8 degree rise. I was concerned that the rear overhang would foul on the hill, but it cleared just fine. Our driveway also makes a nearly constant curve to the left, but I've been using the mirrors to back up forever. So, with a little straining on the steepest part of the driveway, and careful monitoring of the mirrors, I got The Beast back into place next to the brick planter that lines the south side of the parking pad. Success!
Some time later wife and granddaughter came out to examine The Beast. While they sat at the table and colored, I assayed getting the awning unfurled (this was the one thing the seller hadn't shown me). After a few fits and starts, and with some help from wife and kibbutzing from the granddaughter, we got it opened and secured. We also opened most of the windows and the roof vents to get a little fresh air inside. After all, it had spent the winter in a barn in Michigan. I also fixed the cab-over bed so that the center portion didn't slip down when weight was applied.
Around 1630 our youngest daughter arrived for a viewing, She left after a while having issued her judgement: Nice.
I got out some of my trusty WD-40 to lube the awning supports, which majorly helped when we folded it up for the night..
Tomorrow we're going to get it registered. We also need to get the seller's plates back to him, and schedule an appointment with our mechanic to get all of the fluids checked/replaced and a few other minor tweaks. My ex-son-in-law is going to a pick and pull on Wednesday to look for a cruise control. Much as I doubted it lst night, it seems that all is well with the world.
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