It was one of those days where the universe seemed to conspire against every attempt to move forward. A simple drive home turned into an odyssey of frustration, beginning with a distracted moment and a merciless curb.
The van, my trusty companion, had just been fine-tuned, ready to cruise the open roads without a fight. But in a blink, we were back in the trenches, wrestling with unexpected troubles.
The saga unfolded on a Saturday night, leaving me stranded, battling a tyre beyond saving, and a looming Monday morning deadline at a new job.
Thankfully my local garage is as friendly as they come, so after a quick saunter, armed with an inflator the battle commenced. The tire, however, proved a formidable adversary, refusing to hold air and surrender to my efforts. It teased holding more than 30 psi but when turning off the inflator it turns out the noise of air making a great escape had simply been masked with inflator noise.
In the midst of this, a decision to multitask unveiled another hidden gremlin. A battery change, seemingly straightforward, revealed a wire on the brink, waiting for this chaotic moment to unleash its fury. (Van Life Repairs: Just the Wheel Bearing, Right?). Not like this was anything important, just the negative wire going to a fuse box that would power the entire rear of the van. Without this there is no light, no charging of phones and most important no way to power a fridge which was stocked in lieu of a stealth camp I had in mind.
A cautious drive to another garage marked the next chapter, each turn, and bump amplifying the van’s protests and the tire’s reluctant demise.
Frequent stops painted the journey, each pause a desperate attempt to breathe life into the tire, to negotiate with the escaping air, to plead for just a few more miles. The agony of uncertainty loomed, each stop a reminder of the relentless battle against time and circumstance. The time was 9.15 am. to get to site I would have to leave at 10.30 or risk looking stupid on my first day at work.
Choices at the garage seemed a cruel game of chance. Initially, the dice rolled, and fortune seemed to favor the expensive, the lavish embrace of a high-end tire. But in a twist of fate, the shadows lifted, revealing a more budget-friendly companion for our journey. A sigh of relief, a subtle victory in the relentless saga, the new tire, a modest ally, joined the ranks, ready to face the tumultuous roads ahead.
The journey didn’t end there. Electrical gremlins lurked in the shadows, leaving the van’s rear in darkness and uncertainty. Help was a distant Friday away, forcing a reluctant reshuffling of plans and a temporary surrender to the chaos. (Van Life Detour: Luxury Lodge, Pevensey Bay Adventure)
Getting back home wasn’t too bad after all the hassle. The new, budget-friendly tire did its job, and it felt like things were finally getting back on track. But van life is full of surprises, isn’t it?
Saturday morning rolled around, and something just didn’t feel right. Driving the van, I noticed an odd sound, a rattle that wasn’t there before. Every small bump made the front seem like it was holding on by one single bolt, despite not long ago having all this fixed.
So at the moment the van is sort of back on the road and I’m just trying not to drive it till my local garage, who I trust, can fit me in some 6 weeks from now.
For more stories and insights into navigating the unexpected twists and turns of van life, check out other posts on my blog.
