Yes, we're still here. No, we haven't been lazy in updating this blog. It's just that we haven't done anything lately. Since we were able to extend our visas until Jan 2010, we've put the project on hold a bit since the big road trip won't start until early next year. There's a big camper and caravan show in Melbourne this coming May. The plan is to infiltrate it and sneak out with some ideas in how we'll go about setting up SAM. As we've said before, there isn't a lot of space to work with in the van, so we have to be as clever as possible.
We did manage some final prep work this past weekend though. We'd been procrastinating on cleaning the front cabin area for weeks, but we finally got around to it. A surface wipe wasn't going to suffice. Dirt and grime had settled deep into the cracks and recesses of the dash. We made the decision to take it apart, piece by piece, to give it a thorough cleaning. It was addicting. The steering column led to the display, which led to the stereo console and then the vent control area. Plastic was flying out and screws were being jumbled together.
There was no plan. I was scared we wouldn't remember how it all came together. It was back to the tub with the scrub brush and sugar soap. A couple hours later we were reassembling the dash. We did manage to fit it all back together and had no screws left over, so I think that's a good sign. In the process, I broke a couple Robertson screwdrivers from the K-Mart kit. So that brings the casualty count to three tools: one socket wrench and two screwdrivers. We are re-thinking our choice of tool kits (although, I still think that telescopic magnetic thing for screws was worth it).
We also finished ripping all the soiled carpet out, so for now it's just foamy underlay until we decide on the floor.Given the state the van was in when we purchased it, there is a lot of satisfaction knowing how far it's come. It's been quite a bit of effort just to clean it up, but it's also been a big learning process, seeing what good ol' SAM is made of. There probably won't be much in the way of updates for the next while, but if you need something to read, please visit us at our other blog!
