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Old 07-10-2014, 08:39 AM   #1
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2001 7.3 4" Ujoint to Overland America's Adventure Vehicle

We wanted to go ahead and start a thread about our build and what it is being intended for. We are the couple that purchased RallyPanAm's previous van and drove it back to Florida in April. For six years we've been planning a sabbatical and we have finally reached the point where we are going to do it. Our plan, which isn't much, is to travel North, Central & South America for 4-5 years or until we're broke. We'll probably attempt the Pan Am but aren't focused on it as a must do. Letting go and just living for some time is our priority so we'll get to and end up where ever.

Enough of that... on to what's been done to the van. We've really just started so not much has been accomplished. We replaced the existing two windows with CRL awning ones. We planned to outsource this but no one in our area was willing to do it so we jumped in a did it ourselves. We used pictures of builds from this forum and received some much needed guidance from Sportsmobile Texas. We have a blog entry on our website, which needs to be redesigned, so as we get a chance we'll add some of the details here.

Mostly we've stripped the van (I think we found your missing wardrobe Robb ) and have been preparing it to be built-out for our adventure. We are weekend warriors so progress will be a bit slow but we are hoping to have the majority of it completed for Overland Expo East in October. Our van already has a Sportsmobile penthouse top so as long as it has seats in it we're mostly good to go.

Our build is very basic, we'll get some type of rendering up soon - might be in the edgy new wave kindergarten scratch, as we don't want to have permanent on board systems. Jerry cans, Porta potti, Engel fridge, flexsteel couch/bed, single 4D, Solar... you get the idea. As of right now A/C and heat are off the table but we may leave a space for an Espar. The back of the van will have a couple shelves spanning it for storage. Our WW kayaks might not make the cut so a roof rack is also out, for now.

We decided to drop the Renuel bumpers, gonna list them for sale soon, and have ordered some Alunminess goodness. We have also purchased new captains chairs and are on Ramsey's list for a R.I.P. (Ahem, if you guys want one for people to see at Overland East we'll be there... not trying to move up the list or anything.)

More to come but if you want to see what we've done so far please visit our blog at http://www.johnandmandi.com/pages/blog

-John and Mandi (.com)

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Old 07-10-2014, 10:15 AM   #2
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Re: 2001 7.3 Quigley to Overland America's Adventure Vehicle

Hi John and Mandy,

Welcome here. I just discovered your blog and I agree with your decision of changing your past life for travellers life ! I did about the same some years ago, with a last step (for now at least) by building VivaLaVida. I enjoy it every day, really ! If you want, take a look on my blog too: http://www.instants-chosen.com/blog... There is a (poor) English version made by my bad English..!

Feel free to ask question here, they are many good advice here with all the forum members... ;-)
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Old 07-10-2014, 10:40 AM   #3
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Re: 2001 7.3 Quigley to Overland America's Adventure Vehicle

Hi
welcome to this great forum.
@ John, Mandy and Pschitt....hope we all will see us one time on the road. Me and my girlfriend have to wait one more year to start for the travellers live. But we are counting the weeks ;-)
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Old 07-10-2014, 11:00 AM   #4
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Re: 2001 7.3 Quigley to Overland America's Adventure Vehicle

Keep going Didi, with such a project, the year will go fast...
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Old 07-10-2014, 12:49 PM   #5
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Re: 2001 7.3 Quigley to Overland America's Adventure Vehicle

@Pschitt - been trying to check out your blog but work keeps getting in the way

@schluchtenflitzer - most definitely. Before, during or after... meeting up with like minded folks is always something we like to do. Keep at it. If we would have planned better, planned at all, we would be taking more time for our build. We hope to launch at the end of October but we'll see. Our house is under contract but who knows in today's market anymore. We could tool around the US a bit before dropping down to Baja or wintering in Baja then coming back to the U.S. then going back to Baja for the actual trip South. We may end up in the same overland rat pack.

-John
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Old 07-24-2014, 09:22 AM   #6
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Re: 2001 7.3 Quigley to Overland America's Adventure Vehicle

I can't wait to see what you transform it into!

Here's my old van (John and Mandi's new van) within a year of me getting it.. with a mere 150,000 miles.



Also, did Chris (UJOR) mention that I purchased this van from a friend of his at his old house in LA? Got help from his neighbor's Chinese gardener to help load my Honda in the back to drive home to SF.
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Old 07-24-2014, 09:59 AM   #7
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Re: 2001 7.3 Quigley to Overland America's Adventure Vehicle

Wow! It's great to see a picture of it all Green. There's very little of that left now and she'll be under going another color change. I need to take a picture of the driver's door. It started life as white, turned blue, then silver and is now slated for our color choice(s). Reusing/Recycling and a 4x4 van, who says these things are bad for the environment.

When it's all done it may not be your taste but we'll be happy. Elated probably better describes how Mandi will be. It's definitely cool to see how these vans evolve over time.
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Old 07-24-2014, 10:02 AM   #8
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Re: 2001 7.3 Quigley to Overland America's Adventure Vehicle



It was great to meet you guys yesterday. Good luck in your adventure!

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Old 07-24-2014, 10:30 AM   #9
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Re: 2001 7.3 Quigley to Overland America's Adventure Vehicle

Quote:
Originally Posted by JohnandMandi
Wow! It's great to see a picture of it all Green. There's very little of that left now and she'll be under going another color change. I need to take a picture of the driver's door. It started life as white, turned blue, then silver and is now slated for our color choice(s). Reusing/Recycling and a 4x4 van, who says these things are bad for the environment.

When it's all done it may not be your taste but we'll be happy. Elated probably better describes how Mandi will be. It's definitely cool to how these vans evolve over time.
I think the passenger door was once red, then green, then silver.

And it's your van, do want you want!
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Old 07-24-2014, 11:44 AM   #10
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Re: 2001 7.3 Quigley to Overland America's Adventure Vehicle

@86Scotty - Likewise! We'll see you again in October.

@RallyPanAm - We haven't pulled that door apart yet but the red is peeking through. We know... just preparing you for the Oh Gawd or Hell Yeah moment. Our interior design will probably be a hate or love thing and very different than the exterior. In our minds it ties together.
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