So the old van sold...and I bought a replacement project.
Old van: 2004 Ford Transit, Long wheel base, mid-height roof (updated to high), 2.1L turbo diesel with over 560k/km's on the clock, manual, no cruise.
New Van: 2011 Mercedes Sprinter, Long wheel base (1100mm longer), full height roof (100mm taller), 2.1L turbo diesel with 260k/km's on the clock, auto, has cruise.
It's a little rough and needs lots of cosmetic touch ups, but so did the Transit. I paid a premium and most certainly did not snag a bargain. It was a concrete cutting tradey vehicle, and was not loved at all *except* for a complete Mercedes Dealer service history right up to the current date. People like me don't care. People who want to buy a camper however...need these cosmetic assurances.
Garrick and I pulled 300kg of steel trash out of the rear of the van, then I spent several days rough-cleaning it to the point where I can *START* actually cleaning it properly so I can set a zero-start-point for the van and begin planning the camper phases. I've treated all the surface rust with phosphoric acid, then given it a splash of some Rust-Guard paint primer. It'll all be covered later, but now I don't have to deal with rust plague on my shoes every time I step in there. I'll clean up the cab soon.
Garrick is working on a tiny arcade cabinet. He's got some joystick, button, and screen hardware ready to install after he gets a nice gloss finish completed on the case.
Mindy sent some pictures of Oreo being a cat. :)
