I managed to snag my mom yesterday and we drove 175 miles north to go look at that old motorhome. I had the money in my pocket and I was ready to buy that thing, pending it's running condition. Well, I looked it over and talked with the guy for a while, took it for a short test drive. I'm a pretty indecisive person and I felt there was a lot of pressure on the situation, especially with it being so far away. I felt like I had to buy it RIGHT THEN, or pass on it. The main thing keeping me from buying it was numerous oil leaks. Just old gaskets and whatnot. Also just the fact that it is an old dodge. 1977. It's a cold blooded machine and it wasn't afraid to show it.
In the end we decided we'd go to eat and think on it before we left the area. I had pretty quickly talked myself out of buying it.
Then we got home, and it all set in. I was actually quite depressed that I had passed it up. I thought about it all night, and thought about it quite a bit today. At work I looked up the parts that I knew I would need for it to take care of most of the oil leaks. I'm looking at $20, and that includes a new fuel pump (mechanical, it's old remember) for $10! Keep in mind I work at an auto parts store and get a crazy discount.
Last night I posted a few things on Facebook about it and everyone was kind of cheering for the fact that I didn't buy it, which I found completely annoying. It feels like everyone wants me to live a normal life and that does nothing but frustrate me and encourage me to walk my own path.
So, tonight after letting things stew in my mind for a day and a half I decided this is it. This is the motorhome, for better or worse. Mistake or no mistake. I am buying it. I've already texted the guy to make sure it was still for sale and told him that I want it, that I'm buying it. He's holding it for me while I work on how to get back up there again. If all goes well I hope to figure out a way to get up there Wednesday.
Side note: I don't want to think like this because it's not the kind of thinking I need right now, BUT I'm also fairly confident I can get my money back out of it if I came down to deciding I DID make a mistake and had to resell it. Especially since I live in an area much easier for a larger amount of people to get to. Not that I'm going to turn around and sell it. It's going to be an amazing purchase.
Some other details. He claims everything works. I didn't check everything, I was more concerned with the engine/body aspect. I know the interior lights work. The water pump works. The engine charges the house battery. There actually is a house battery (awesome, since that will give me two house batteries now for when I get my solar swapped over from the van). The built in LP tanks are gone, which I'm not that sad about. Portable bottles (20lb or whatever) are way easier anyway. I didn't care if the stove/oven worked. I have, literally, 4 of them in storage. I also didn't check the fridge but he said it worked on DC and I'm really hoping it does. How fast that drains a battery would be a concern. I'm fairly confident a two battery system with solar panels would handle it though. As mentioned, the water pump works as tested at the main kitchen sink. I assume it worked for the shower as well. Yeah, a shower. One that I think would work pretty nicely for me. Both front seats swivel (AWESOME). I don't know. I'm sure I'll run down everything again once I buy it.
The guy I'm buying it from drove it to Los Angeles, and lived in it there for a year. He's probably around my age, and he's been pretty cool. That's another *cough* cosmic vibe *cough* that I tried to ignore. He drove it back to Michigan two summers ago. I feel good about buying it from him for some reason.
So stay tuned. Things will be changing, and my next update will probably be after I acquire the new motorhome.
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