Van is ready

The van is ready for it's first trip. I installed a second battery to power the radio, interior lights, and anything connected to a cigarette lighter. The second battery is charged when the engine is running. I also bought a 12 watt solar cell array to help provide power on the secondary electrical power system. The bike rack has been installed and I figured out a way to connect my iPod to the car stereo. Most importantly, after spending half a day on it, I got a piece of paper which says I can legally drive the van. I still need to make a roof mount for the solar array, but I figure it's time for a trip. I'm going to head up to the Olympic mountains in Washington for a few days.

The house cleaning is going well. I'm to the point where I need to get the garage cleared up so I can store my stuff in there. Jenny Davis (Chris's wife) is doing a good job finding renters. Last I heard there's at least one party who definitely wants it.

The WRX is at the Subaru dealer to get some safety recall stuff fixed. After that it's off for a new windshield. The current one is cracked beyond what I think the legal limits are. I also ordered a new skid plate to replace the current one, which is all bent up. That's my third skid plate on this car.

I'll miss the WRX, especially when I'm puttering up some long steep mountain pass in an overloaded and severely underpowered van. It's a very fun car, especially for the money. Unfortunately it doesn't make sense to let it sit around for a year, so it's got to go. Ann thinks I'm selling it just to have a good excuse to buy a new car in a year.

I'll write another post when I get back from the Olympics.

More van photos here.