WE GOT A NEW VAN!!!...well, kind of!!

I have been putting this post together for quite some time, and for this reason or that, it wasn't ready to post...but now I feel like it's ready to be turned loose!

So...with no more hesitation

I introduce...

Joon van Spirit 2014 Edition

[caption id="attachment_5292" align="aligncenter" width="502"] made ya look...[/caption]

C'mon...you think I'd give up all this hard work that easily? I think not...right away...  tee hee

Pressing the refresh button on Joon, had much involved, with James doing about 98.9% of the work. For those of you that might have missed the post I did about some of the updates to Joon, here is a snippet of that post:

• New Radiator

• New Water Pump

• New Rancho shocks (front)


• Suspension Belt


• AC Pump (done in the shop)


• Power Steering Pump (done in the shop)


• Put “pucks” in front, lifting it about 5 inches

•  New shackles in back

[caption id="attachment_5240" align="aligncenter" width="350"] Before & After Shackles[/caption]

•  New Leaf Springs (5 instead of 3)

[caption id="attachment_5241" align="aligncenter" width="350"] Before & After Leaf Springs[/caption]

•  New Rancho shocks (back)

[caption id="attachment_5243" align="aligncenter" width="350"] Before & After Shocks[/caption]

•  All three components together on back of van

[caption id="attachment_5242" align="aligncenter" width="350"] Shocks, Springs, Shackles[/caption]

The last 2 1/2 months of our upgrade were dedicated more to working, saving, buying, then waiting for our purchase. Those items included:

• FRIDGE ~ 33 qt. Dometic by Waeco

Fridge link~ http://www.amazon.com/Dometic-CF-035AC110-Coolmatic-Control-Refrigerator/dp/B0017YFDGO

We got a fridge!!!

• All NEW bedding: 4 inch, 4 lb. density memory foam, that sits on top of two (side by side) self-inflating, sleeping pads. We bought a pump that can inflate and deflate the bed much better and faster than we can, and everything rolls up together now!! (see picture below)

Air Pad Link ~ http://www.amazon.com/ALPS-Mountaineering-Comfort-Series-Air/dp/B000MQ80DG

[caption id="attachment_5262" align="aligncenter" width="350"] Rollin' in my dream[/caption]

• Replaced the windshield

[caption id="attachment_5264" align="aligncenter" width="245"] Merry Christmas to my face![/caption]

• Motorcycle hitch that fits the van perfectly with a 600 lb. tow capacity, and will carry the dirt bike & bicycles...oh did I mention we also got a dirt bike!?!

[caption id="attachment_5271" align="aligncenter" width="573"] vroom...vroom[/caption]

and last but not least...

• TIRES!!!!

[caption id="attachment_5283" align="aligncenter" width="574"] Joon gets new treads[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_5287" align="aligncenter" width="224"] Our Big O ![/caption]

 In between the buying and the receiving of the big items, James tightened up a few last things:

New back brake pads and drums

[caption id="attachment_5295" align="aligncenter" width="474"] No more popping![/caption]

 Applied square U-bolts to back doors; 4 on driver side for chairs & 2 on passenger side for gas can

[caption id="attachment_5301" align="aligncenter" width="586"] Square U-bolts in action![/caption]

 And other than a couple of other small changes, that we've made since getting back on the road, that's about it!

Joon's "junk in her trunk" (the big hump on top of the van) has lost some of her height, but her curves remain! Once we were back on the road, we did even more rearranging, reorganizing and even tossing some more things out... just these little things have made our journey much more manageable.

So, NOW...

I introduce to you

the NEW

Mack Daddy version

of our Joon van Spirit

✦ ✦ ✦ ✦

[caption id="attachment_5305" align="aligncenter" width="384"] Joon van Spirit[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_5306" align="aligncenter" width="384"] 2014 Joon van[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_5307" align="aligncenter" width="384"] Joon van Spirit[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_5308" align="aligncenter" width="384"] Joon van Spirit[/caption]

My tribe is pretty stoked on what we shall conquer in 2014 with Joon van Spirit.

The van, The Man and the girls are all pretty happy campers....can't ask for too much more than that!

[caption id="attachment_5315" align="aligncenter" width="384"] Happy Campers[/caption]

Peacefully wishing you blue skies & clear windshields!

[caption id="attachment_5314" align="aligncenter" width="567"] Enjoy the view, it goes by fast[/caption]

 peace ✦ tribe

So...we drove

First things first this morning...we had to take Joon to get one of her tires patched...man, what's up with our tires!? Ends up we had sprung a leak in one of the rear tires. *Thanks to Mr. Bicycle Man who rode by and yelled, "flat tire" to us yesterday. I'm sure J' would have seen it sooner rather than later but it's always nice to have people looking out for ya, even if you are strangers. To a Wal-mart we went, we had shopping to do anyway and it's nice to know that Savannah is in a cool, shady spot and she's not alone.

[caption id="attachment_4377" align="aligncenter" width="224"] Fixing, yet another tire[/caption]

Our plans were to disperse camp in the San Bernardino National Forest. We had done tons of research and for what we wanted...free camping still close enough to the beach...it seemed like a no-brainer. That was, until we got there! The National Forest is beautiful and there is some vast open land intertwined between the mountains, and there are roads...where the roads lead was another thing. We drove the roads, they were rocky but we've done much rougher roads so it wasn't a big deal and we could tell that these roads are used.

[caption id="attachment_4379" align="aligncenter" width="350"] Pretty drive[/caption]

At the same time, all of the roads (not many) that turned into a place to camp (or what other people would see as just open land), were 'blocked' off with "No Parking" signs and "No Trespassing" signs, even signs with fines on them due to parking in a wash. When we got to one of the numbered dispersed camping signs, that we had written down from our research, we couldn't do anything but laugh...

[caption id="attachment_4380" align="aligncenter" width="350"] No wonder it's free[/caption]

 Ummm, that's the side of a mountain!?! haha Now we were wondering if all of the "dispersed camping" areas were going to be signs, with the camp site number on them, stuck into the side of a mountain. And plan #B would be?? We drove on up the road a few more miles, only to see more of the same. We stopped to take a break, we had been driving and doing for quite some time now. We stopped to take in the scenery and some fresh air...and couldn't help ourselves but to admire our less depressed Joon!

[caption id="attachment_4381" align="aligncenter" width="350"] Admiration[/caption]

Away, we drive...back, the way we came.

Quite beautiful to drive through. No where really to park and camp.

[caption id="attachment_4383" align="aligncenter" width="350"] Cool as a cucumber[/caption]

 Driving along a few miles down the road we see a side gravel street, turn off and almost immediately start climbing the side of this mountain. The road was definitely maintained but at the same time was mostly made for one vehicle to be on at any time...no passing, period.

I was not having as 'great of a time' as I would have liked to, due to the high altitude we were gaining driving up this road. Not a huge fan of the heights! Most of my pics were just sticking my camera out of the window, still looking forward, white-knuckling the arm of my chair and holding my breath. Appealing, huh!

(I actually got a couple of good shots though...to enjoy for the first time later! haha)

[gallery ids="4384,4385,4386,4387,4388,4389"]

As beautiful as it was at the top, there is no place to camp no matter how ya slice it...so we drove back down. We thought Big Bear Lake may prove to have a solution for us, so we drove. Another totally rad scenic drive, lush and green mountains...a very cool change.

[caption id="attachment_4392" align="aligncenter" width="350"] We're not in Kansas anymore![/caption]

We are quite the funny pair now aren't we?

When we drove into Big Bear, J' started laughing, pointing out my window...I turned to look, there are people dressed in Winter clothes, sledding down a snowy hill! There are inches of snow on the sides of the road and down by the lake in the parking lot (now kicking ourselves for not sticking some in the cooler while we drive). We got out to throw some trash away and we have come to the conclusion that it was probably about 40 degrees outside. I don't think we left the coast to camp in snow...so, you guessed...

we drove...

actually we are driving. 

[caption id="attachment_4394" align="aligncenter" width="350"] ♥[/caption]

I think Victorville will be our resting place for the night. In the morning , we'll either choose to stay or choose to mush on.

PEACE