They say everyone should have a hobby, but when you live in a Class B RV, it will have to be small. My hobby is outside my RV and into a different camping and travelling experience. Vanning is my hobby, and RV living is my lifestyle.
How my hobby came to be
Custom vehicles have been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. Owning one was a dream. Almost 40 years ago, I made that a reality with my first custom van purchase.
I was always in love with the smooth lines of an old sedan and the simplicity and design of an old roadster. I always knew I would own a custom vehicle someday. It never occurred to me that it would be a van.
It all happened one night when I was invited to a party. When I pulled onto the grounds where it was being held, there had to be 50 custom vans there. I walked through the vans, admiring both the interior and exterior of these beautiful vehicles. From old panel vans to current vans with fancy paint and cozy interiors. It was amazing!
Little did I know that evening would lead me to a whole new world to explore and open the door to a world of friendships.
My First Van
Within six months of meeting these people and their pretty toys, I knew I wanted a van. My first van event was Van Canada in Welland, Ontario in 1986. What a great time. I can say that about every van show and event I have been to since. It was around that same time I met Barry and Edie. They had a 1974 Econoline that needed a little work. Ok, maybe a lot of work. It started and drove and was within my price range. Sold!
Driving it reminded me of driving my Dad’s 1973 Ford pick-up. Three on the tree shifting and Armstrong steering would bring me back to my childhood days of learning how to drive.
The van needed some body work. It was all kinds of pretty primer colours. I would save my money until I could get it painted. A vanning friend, Mike, owned a paint shop and said he would do it for me. Choosing a colour was harder than I thought. There are no side windows, so there is a lot of area to cover with one colour. I have always loved blues and purples. Mike suggested a deep blue with a pearl clear coat. I will admit I did not really know the effect of the pearl in the clear coat when he suggested it, but he said I would love it.
He was so right!! I did love it. The pearl would change the hues of blue with the sun and the shade. As you walked by, it would almost wave with colour. I installed blue light tail lights to complete the theme of colour.
The Fun I had with that van
I had that van for 26 years and oh the places we went. Everywhere she went, she made heads turn. Even at the US border crossing.
The van had just come out of the paint shop, and although I had seen the paint wave a purple colour, I had no idea the effect light would have on her. I was with my ex-husband at the time, and we were headed to a van show in Beaver Dam, Wisconsin (about a 15-hour drive from where we lived). Pulling up to the border, I stopped, and the border guard asked the usual questions. When he asked where we were going, I told him to go to a van show in Wisconsin. He replied, “With your pretty purple van?” Ummmm, it is blue.
The border guard disagreed and asked me to get out of the van. I thought, uh oh, I am in trouble. Even back then, they did not ask you to exit the vehicle at the booth. He turned me around and said, “Look at the van. The yellow lights of the overhead canopy had turned the entire van purple. “How cool is that???” Was the only answer I could come up with. It was a with a laugh and a safe trip he sent us on our way.
That 1974 shortbox Ford took me many places across Canada and the US. Foraging friendships everywhere we went.
My Second Van
I cried crocodile tears when I was told my blue van could not be fixed. She had given me 26 years of vanning pleasure. It was time to find another. I knew I wanted a 2nd generation Ford van. I came across this little black van and settled for that. Lol.
It was an ugly little thing, and the inside looked like a strip joint. All black with jaguar colour carpet. It even had red interior lights. All I needed was a pole. That was later when a bunch of friends at Vanfest gave me a pole to put in the van. I laughed so hard. I knew I either had to change it or sell it and get something else. Midfords (1968 -1974 model) are hard to find.
My Dream Van
My friend Annie called one day and told me about a van she had seen on Kijji (an online marketplace). When I looked at it online, it looked pretty good. A 1969 Ford Econoline Supervan. Immaculate shape and original parts. I did not realize it was ALL original! I knew I liked it when I saw the pictures. Enough that I took money with me when I went to see it.
I can tell you that when I pulled up and saw the van, my heart melted. The factory paint, the Chrome grill, and the original interior were something I thought I would never see. I knew right then that she would be mine. The interior is a step back in time. Wood paneling walls and orange flower curtains make it feel like my Mom and Dad’s rec room.
Her story
The gentleman I bought her off of was the 3rd owner. The original owner was from British Columbia. The story of how she came 1/2 way across the country is fascinating.
In 1969, a couple in British Columbia purchased a brand new Supervan (the camping model) for $2,500. Big bucks in those days. They created the interior and drove the van all over Canada and the US. One day, a young man from Ontario was visiting BC and spotted the van. Striking up a conversation with the gentleman, he gave him his card and told him if it was ever for sale, please call him.
In 1975, the gentleman who owned it had a medical incident and could no longer drive it. Still in perfect condition, it was put in a heated garage on stilts, started and cared for until 2005 when the gentleman passed. Going through his possessions, his wife came across the Ontario gentlemen’s business card and called him.
A Train Ride to Ontario
Surprised to hear from her, he accepted the offer to buy the van. It was put on a train and brought to Ontario. Soon after, he found he could not keep it and sold it to the gentleman I bought it from. The van has original paint and original engine and is in showroom condition. She had never seen winter and still has not. I bought the van with 73,000 miles on it in 2013. She and I have travelled many miles together, including a tour of the Smokey Mountains in 2019. We started in Ontario and travelled to seven states that year. It was an awesome cruise.
The People that keep me coming back for more
My love of vanning is more than just about the pretty vans. It is also about the people who drive them. I have met so many people from so many places. Not just in North America but England, Germany, and Australia, to name a few. It has opened my world to more places than I could drive.
Over the almost 40 years I have been doing this, I have bonded many lasting friendships. Friendships that I have treasured for years. When I go to van events, I look forward to hugging old friends and making new ones.
How my hobby helped me adjust to RV living.
Travelling in my custom van is nothing like travelling in my Class B RV. It is a lot harder. Lol. Travelling and staying for sometimes weeks in my custom van to the many events across the country, I was already comfortable in a van. Moving into my Class B was just like travelling in my custom van, but I could stand up and make coffee.
I chose a Roadtrek because it had all the comforts of home but is still a van. The house being built on Chevy 3500 base gives it entrance to van events and keeps it maneuverable on the roads.
I love both my vans! Whether I am traveling down the road in my 1969 Econoline or my 2002 Chevy Roadtrek, it is a sweet song.
What is your favorite hobby? Let me know in the comments.
Thanks for coming along on my Chipmunk Adventure. See you next time.
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Love this blog! I can always use a coffee! 👇
