2 months ago was my first post. Nomad Vin living in a van and running on diesel power. Since that post there have been some changes. I wanted to show more about life in a van and some of the interior. Unfortunately, the van is hiding under a roof of a Portuguese garage. The old damage from the last owners, the damage I created myself and the damage caused by being in the salty ocean breeze for months...it's all part of the current situation. In this story I will share something about patience. in Portugal, because you will need it in this country.
The camper van I bought a year ago was owned by a Dutch surfing couple. They drove in it for a few years all the way to Africa and painted it green with a roller. I still find some African desert sand in the van. There was quite some visible damage on the front and the back door. The interior and electronics were created b the former owners. For my planned roadtrip through the south of Europe I wanted my new home to work properly. I did a few adjustments on the interior to make it look super cosy and avoid stuff flying around (I will share some images when the van is ready to hit the road again). The technical status of the camper van wasn't as good as I thought. Of course I checked the paperwork, repair invoices, history and yearly checks before I bought this van. But as I know in life...always be prepared for the unexpected. Just a list of surprises that had to be fixed before the start of an amazing trip;
- Automatic Gearbox revision (completely burned through)
- Starter Battery (almost dead)
- On-board Battery (almost dead and laying loose under the seat)
- Condenser (airconditioning didn't work because of 3 holes in the condenser)
- Electronics (wrong use of cables, fuses, fuse box, destroyed original wiring behind dashboard, multimedia screen sucking battery power while turned off)
- Replace Reversing Camera (rusted, taped and not showing a good image)
- Replace Multimedia Screen (no visibility during sunny days and it was hanging loose in the dashboard after using it)
- Replace Brake Pedal
- Replace Window Wipers
- Fix Passenger Chair (it didn't turn around anymore, because of wrong usage of bolts)
- Replace Backdoor Hinges (metal fatigue)
- Replace Tires (just a bit of profile left and cupping in some tires)
- Replace Gas Hose (damaged, leaking gas)
Just some financial numbers: 18.500 EUR for buying the camper van + 6.500 EUR for repairs + 3.000 EUR for interior adjustments and getting all the gear needed for this roadtrip.
Focus
During this roadtrip I mostly travelled through Portugal. I added some extra damage to the van, after driving already 12.000 KM with it. In both situations I wasn't focussed in a split second while I was paying attention to my passenger.
Once my Hive friend @vincentnijman got his hand smashed between my passenger door and a road sign. That scared me a bit. I lost focus when I was on a hillside and didn't put the van in parking mode directly. When I released my foot from the brake pedal, the van rolled backwards. Although I was quite fast with the brake, my passenger door hit a road sign and an electricity pole. Result: huge kink in the door, braken hinge and my friend's hand got some damage. Luckily I have nice and helpful friends in this area. They helped me out with a last minute visit to a garage in the mountains and translated. The Portuguese garage did an emergency fix for just 10 Euro's, so the door would kind of close against the rain. In the Algarve an Ukrainian garage tried to fix the hinge, but it had to be replaced for 95 Euro's. On the Silver Coast they finally fixed the door for 45 Euro's.
The other accident was around Christmas. I was talking to a girlfriend while driving out of a small parking lot at the local supermarket. I hit a Portuguese car that was parked. I waited for the owner to come and arranged the paperwork, I am happy with good insurance. I am not that happy with the increased fee I need to pay next year. The old woman called her son to help with translating, the police came and I actually had my first alcohol test. Mercedes Benz seems to have a strong ass, I only had a bit of missing paint off one hinge at the back. The Portuguese car look more like a wreck (although a lot of them look like that here).
Fix It
I knew I had to fix all the issues with the van at some point. Although I never thought about the influence of salt. After spending months on the cliffs and beaches of Portugal (the climate can be pretty amazing here in winter), I discovered quite some rusty dots on Vin Diesel.I was trying to fix it myself, but realized that there could be more under the plastic parts and the bumpers. After visiting several garages for their thoughts, my changed relationship status forced me to leave my van somewhere in the hillside of middle Portugal. After taking parts of, the list of things to be fixed;
- Fix all dents (3 doors and complete front)
- Remove all rust (all around, roof rack, check bottom of the van)
- Bottom wax treatment
- Replace all rusty bolts and screws by stainless steel
- Save the hood (heave rust damage underneath)
- Fix front and back bumper from old damage
- Replace front light (mounting points are broken off)
- Fix holes at back lights with epoxy
- Repaint black parts around the van and bumpers
- Repaint front doors on the inside (still has the old color of the van)
- Fix particulate filter
- Fix back doors and sliding door (not closing properly anymore)
- Replace mud guards
- Replace missing and broken mounting point in the front
- Add aluminum grill (to protect condenser)
- Repaint rusty tow-bar
- Replace broken door rubber
Well, this posting is taking just as long as the fix of Vind Diesel in the garage. It has been there for 4 weeks, and there is no clear indication about when it will be ready. There is hardly an indication about the costs, except the hourly rate of the mechanic and the costs for the front light and mud guards. A lot of hidden damage popped up during Vin Diesel's sleepover at the garage. The owners speaks English, the other mechanic not even a word. If you see the size of the garage and the number of cars inside you would expect some mechanics, but at this moment they are running the place with just 2 persons. Overloaded in work, mostly from insurance companies. I decided to help them. I have no experience with car repairs, but willing to learn. So they let me work in my own van, and if I need some advice they will tell how to do it.
Patience and the 'system'
My patience in Portugal is tested with many things. The situation at the garage I see as a nice way to learn something: How to fix a van, how to speak Portuguese and learn something about the local culture. It's funny that I stopped working last year to experience life 'out-of-the-system' and now I am working full-day again in another country. Half a day in a garage to fix my camper van and learn more about Portugal. The other half of the day I am working at a local Quinta for free accommodation (some kind of WORKAWAY); fixing stuff, building stuff and farm stuff. Having nice people around me, all sharing experiences about moving to Portugal. At the Quinta I also learn more about flying a drone and playing a guitar (stuff that was still on my to-do-list).
As you can see, I take things as they are. I am not stressed of freaking out about uncertainties. I see good opportunities in everything and have no fear. ENJOY LIFE!