Notes From The Road 1.1
Notes From The Road 1.1
A few days ago I was sitting in my truck outside a restaurant in Watertown, NY, waiting to join my grandma and aunt for breakfast. An elderly man approached the drivers window and motioned for me to roll it down.
What followed was a 5 minute conversation about his former camper, a 21 foot Winnebago. Oh how he loved her so!
He told me stories of his 1999 trip to Montana, the 2003 voyage to the Smoky Mountains, her lovely interior, her smooth handling, their Sunday drives together. They parted ways a few years back when his wife (possibly joking) told him it was either her, or the Winnebago.
As we said goodbye he wished me safe travels with the most wistful look in his eyes.
Notes From The Road 1.0
Notes From The Road 1.0
(Let's bring the internet a little love rather than hate, shall we?)
I'm hanging out tonight at a highway rest area somewhere in the eastern US. It's dark out. One of the drivers from the big rigs parked behind me has brought a LOAD of groceries and is holding the most joyful solo BBQ on one of the little picnic area charcoal grills next to the restrooms. The man looks so happy. He made me so happy.
Chinook Demolition Part 1, Not That Simple
"And the shag, oh the shag! Simultaneously glorious and revolting, classic seventies, with long red-orange fibers, like an army of cancerous sea anemones refusing to surrender. This “wall to wall” rug was protected by clear plastic floor covering of the type you’d have found under a nineties rolling office chair. What was hiding in that ancient shag?"
Chinook Demoliton Part 1, Not That Simple
November 2015 - January 2016
The first time I looked inside the Chinook, perhaps the first hundred times, I planned to keep the interior intact for my upcoming travels. I would update a few details but leave the camper in all it’s seventies majesty! The couch cushions were original brown faux tweed, untouched by mold or mildew, the walls were in good shape, the “kitchen” on the driver’s side, though it had been edited to make room for an air conditioner, cooler, newer propane furnace, and tiny chemical toilet, was mostly intact, with fake wood and orange countertops, a little sink and stovetop.
And the shag, oh the shag! Simultaneously glorious and revolting, classic seventies, with long red-orange fibers, like an army of cancerous sea anemones refusing to surrender. This “wall to wall” rug was protected by clear plastic floor covering of the type you’d have found under a nineties rolling office chair. What was hiding in that ancient shag? Would I be able to keep it clean and dry, living in the little truck full time with my dog? We’d be outside running and hiking daily, and in such a small space keeping a rug clean seemed an impossible task.
It was clear after my first overnight voyage in Boots Kimiko, as the Chinook would affectionately become known, that the bed design was far from ideal. A table and extra panels set into the couch area to make a wide bed. During travel, these were stored above the cab, on a “birds nest” loft area which was originally an upper bunk for a child. These pieces were out of the way during the daytime, but were heavy and bulky to move around. Performed on a nightly basis, turning the couch into a bed would be at the very least a small annoyance, or more likely, a huge hassle. Fully assembled, the bed took up the entire interior of the camper, but folded away, the bench itself was not wide enough to sleep on. If I just wanted a nice afternoon nap by the beach, I would end up sleeping in the sand. Not a bad thing in itself, I support nap sites in any location, but it did seem to defeat the purpose entirely.
Still, it was only upon making up the bed for friends after a rather alcoholic thanksgiving celebration at my home in Seattle, that I decided to make a change. The following weekend, holiday guests gone, I spent an afternoon tearing out the bench frame and pulling up the rug. I thought that would the end of it. Build in a new bed, lay down some bamboo flooring, and hello, this truck would be ready for adventure! Well. That is not what happened at all.
Every task led to another. Beneath the bed was a steel frame with ancient seat belts for passengers to sit sideways, which I would never use, and had to go. The seat belt bar, and in fact the entire camper body, were attached to the underside of the Toyota’s frame with massive carriage bolts. They were rusted and unruly and would need to be replaced. The bed was out, but what about the closet? It made sense to rebuild the entire passenger side to fit my needs, using lighter materials and utilizing all available space. Pulling out the closet I found my first evidence of water damage and mold, and discovered the walls did not extend all the way to the rear, they were a flimsy wood composite, held up only by the window frames and ending abruptly behind the cupboard area. In some areas, between the fiberglass shell and the wall panels, blocks of stiff foam were adhered to the shell, but for the most part the Chinook was not insulated at all.
The carpet was a process, some pieces came up nicely in big swaths, but most didn't. Underneath the fibers, glue and padding had disintegrated over the years, clouds of crusty seventies dust went airborne. I pulled hundreds of individual fibers with pliers and scoured them off the plywood floor with a chisel scraper. It was 6 months later and I was already in Montana, before I pulled the very last of the shag.
A major turning point came after I gutted the bulk of the passenger side (bed) area, exposing the rear floor and door frame. I could have chosen to leave the opposite side essentially alone, twiddled with a few electrics, and moved along to building the new bed, rear closet and floor. However, the carpet extended under the cabinetry on the kitchen side, and I suspected the water damage that I’d found on the lower floor was not limited to one area. Boots Kimiko sat idly in my driveway for a few weeks, this was the rainy season in Seattle, I was working long hours at my job as well as finishing a few other projects. But the transformation had begun, and I would continue to pull apart the Chinook bit by bit.
The Chinook - An update
Before I dive into remodeling and adapting Boots Kimiko to my needs, I want to make sure everyone has a chance to see just how gorgeously well maintained she is.
Her convertible bed/bench is in excellent condition with original cushions, and the 1976 shag carpet preserved by clear plastic. The canvas of the pop up is rather delicate around the zippered windows, but otherwise free of mold and operates well.
Before I dive into remodeling and adapting Boots Kimiko to my needs, I want to make sure everyone has a chance to see just how gorgeously well maintained she is.
Her convertible bed/bench is in excellent condition with original cushions, and the 1976 shag carpet preserved by clear plastic. The canvas of the pop up is rather delicate around the zippered windows, but otherwise free of mold and operates well.
The fridge was taken out at some point and replaced with a small air conditioning unit (connected to AC power) and a custom shelf for a plastic cooler. Part of the original cabinetry was remodeled to create a swinging counter that reveals a small chemical toilet. There was also a slight modification to the above cab mini bed area, a custom shelf built to hold the table and bed pieces.
The Chinook's original design made excellent use of a small space, and when I first purchased the rig in September I had no intention of an interior overhaul. Her previous owner was thrilled that I wanted to keep her authentic interior, so Phin, if you come across this post, I am sorry, but I have some necessary adjustments!
After spending a night with her out in the deep woods, many hours sitting inside thinking, getting the feel for the place, and a difficult late night set up for friends on Thanksgiving (read - after much whiskey) I've realized that the bed design is just not going to work for me. To move around various table surfaces, cushions, and legs in such a small space every day is defeating the simplicity of the Chinook. The design is such that the made up bed takes up most of the interior, so you can't logically leave it down all day. And the bench alone is not wide enough for an adult to comfortably sleep on.
Yesterday I dismantled the bench, careful to save any useable legs and hinges. I also hope to find a new home for the cushions with someone who still has the original seating in their Chinook.
I was sitting in a hotel room at 3 AM on the Oregon coast when I dreamed up a design for a new bed to bench that will make better use of the space. It will also set up much faster!
The 70's shag carpeting has been wearing on me as well. I mean what kind of disturbing stuff is living in 40 year old carpet...
Ideally I'd like to rip the rug out, lay down a layer of insulation, a new plywood base, and then bamboo flooring. I had hoped not to pull out the heater, sink and electrical AC system (not original, not sure how to use) until next summer when I am on the east coast and have more experienced hands to help. Those are all located along the left hand side of the camper, and also have carpet under and around them. Now that the bench is out it does seem like a good time to do the whole floor.
This month I put in a new engine battery and tightened some connections myself, but I wanted to bring her to more experienced eyes to feel out any major repairs coming our way. I was incredibly lucky to have been handed a folder with most of the Chinook's service history upon purchase. That information helped me find a willing mechanic, as my own shop doesn't service vehicles that old, nor do any of the other shops I called in the area. I found a receipt in my folder for West Seattle Autoworks, turns out they had seen my rig 4 years ago and were willing to work on her again.
I had the oil changed, some links added to the timing chain, and I have a list of small repairs to take care of before we set out in the spring. Otherwise she has new tires and a clean bill of health to tackle adventures this winter.
A Christmas and Farewell Wish List
This year I've been asking my friends and family not to gift me random things or "stuff". Not because I don't love all the handpicked items you've given me over the past years, but because I am in the process of gifting/selling/donating 95 percent of my belongings.
This spring I will be moving into a camper truck full time and taking off on a road trip around North America (and South...?) I'll be spending time hiking, running, painting, climbing mountains and visiting loved ones all around the US.
The holiday season is here!
This year I've been asking my friends and family not to gift me random things or "stuff". Not because I don't love all the handpicked items you've given me over the past years, but because I am in the process of gifting/selling/donating 95 percent of my belongings.
This spring I will be moving into a camper truck full time and taking off on a road trip around North America (and South...?) I'll be spending time hiking, running, painting, climbing mountains and visiting loved ones all around the US.
As promised to some friends and family, I've made a list of items I DO need and plan to acquire over the next few months, as well as some other gift ideas that would help me along on this amazing adventure. There is a link to an Amazon list at the end of this post with some of the more specific things listed here.
Please know that the only thing I REALLY want for Christmas this year is your love, friendship and support... And the use of your shower in the near future:)
xoxoxox -Mariah
***Update - Items that have already been offered are marked with stars***
THE LIST
SCRUBBA WASH BAG - 5 oz wet bag for washing clothes!
MANUAL LABOR - Come help me build stuff! Or take things apart, depends on the day. Do you know how to put in a new carburetor? 'Cause that would be excellent.
SOCKET WRENCH SET - For my mechanic gear. My Toyota engine is metric, btw. I'd love to pick up a used set! ***
ADJUSTABLE WRENCH - For the engine. ***
GAS CAN - Red and plastic, you know the drill. ***
COLLAPSABLE TEA KETTLE - Silicone awesomeness.
SILICONE WINE GLASSES - More silicone awesomeness.
DRINKING WATER HOSE - Water is life.
USED TRIPOD - Any chance you have one lying around? ***
SOLAR PANELS AND ADAPTORS - For the generator (Goal Zero Yeti) I will be outfitting "Boots Kimiko" with.
(There is also a packable solar panel (Goal Zero Nomad) on my Amazon list that can directly charge my phone while backpacking AND be used to power the generator. Technology these days is something else. ***)
12V DC LED BULBS - The back of the camper is lit with 12V light fixtures, I'd like to change the bulbs over to LED to save battery power at night.
EMPTY TIC TAC CONTAINERS - Seriously though, I'm using them to build a micro spice rack.
OIL PAINTS AND BRUSHES - I always need these.
ELECTRICIAN SERVICES - Do I have any friends with electrical skills? There is an AC charger and wiring in the camper installed by a previous owner that I don't understand.
GIFT CARDS - Specifically to gas stations, REI, Amazon, and Home Depot (or Lowes)
Find the Amazon wish list HERE