The Pick Up DAY! Part 1

On Tuesday we were scheduled to pick up our new HOME!! We were excited and terrified all at the same time! We have had some unusual and exceptional experiences traveling a camper, and all of them have wreaked havoc on our resolve to never worry! Unfounded and irrational fears are one thing, but we have a little track record of the unexpected and unbelievable happening... many times before the first installment is even paid on the vehicle! So needless to say, we were both a little sick to our stomachs uneasy. We were supposed to get there around 10:30 am which would allow for the plans we had for the rest of the day, but it was NOT going to happen the way we planned. As we are learning... few things do! 

Dan took the van to have the frame looked at. Kind of important to make sure it is all good after 8,000 lbs of camper get ripped right off the frame. You think?!? 

Well, there is a "frame specialist" guy here who took a look at it, and said it is fine- except a little spot (that is not a safety concern) and if Dan wanted him to he could weld a piece onto it to make it extra doubly safe. (umm... YES PLEASE!!) He then proceeded to look at some of the factory welds and also all of the lovely NYS rust-in-progress all over the under side, as well as the door hinges. (Our passenger doors have never closed right since we purchased the truck, and the left door hinges were just plain BROKEN!)  He said he could take care of all of it... as well as install the hitch and spray a special "bondo-black-change-rust-into-metal" stuff under the rear end... for an UnBEliEvAbLe price. This was Monday afternoon, and Dan said "SURE... if you can get it all done by Tuesday morning". (Remember our appointment to get the camper...?!) He gave Dan his word, and said "if everything was that easy he would sleep like a baby every night".  Famous last words... 

Dan got there Tuesday morning, and he was spittin' and bashing' and mumblin' and bangin' all over those hinges... AND the other things weren't even started!! WHAT?!?!? 

Arrange to come back in three hours... 

The hitch and other things are finally done, but the door hinges were barely half done. And there were some nice new custom work done on the paint job! We took the van to get the camper... ** look for a post on that next**... with the agreement we would bring the van back on Thursday morning to get the job finished "while we wait for it".  

This is now the new and improved easy to close "finished hinges"... 

Shored Up right hinge... still a little rusty but closing well! :) 

and after 12 HOURS here is the final product on the left originally broken and rusted hinge. BeLiEvE me when I say this looks AMAZING compared to what it looked like mid-progress!! (Well except for the gouges to the paint..!!) 

The New Hand Made Hinge...
and my Newly Pedicured toes in the reflection! Thank You Lovely DANA!! :) 

This also explains the reason for the original estimates we had received for this job. Several times what we paid!

It not only wasn't done on Tuesday morning, it wasn't done Tuesday afternoon. Or Thursday Morning when we brought it back again... and then finally THIS MORNING (Friday!!),  Dan waited an additional three hours to get the job completed. Not what we had originally expected to be sure, BUT... the frame is great, there is a new undercoat on the van, the hitch receiver is installed, some factory welds are shored up... and my doors close GREAT!! All in all... we SO are thankful for this vehicle! It certainly has been through a lot!