Ready for Refurbishing

Body Cosmetic

• Replace or retrofit the canopy top. You can buy a replacement Pop-Top Tent from Go Westy. Personally, I was looking into changing the classic “Cheese Wedge” in for something I could really use. They say it sleeps two but it’s a bit tight and we ended up using it to stow gear while camping.
• Gas filled Struts for the Pop-Top and the Counter can be found at Go Westy. I’ve included two for the pop top but you don’t have to use them.
• Minor cosmetic damage from stone chips and surface rust can be remedied with some minor sanding and prepping then finishing with some touch up paint to match.
• An RV backed into Eudora when she was at the shop years ago. I had to have the rear hatch door repaired and painted. The top coating yellowed and is now peeling away. I would recommend sanding the rest away and recoat with a protective sealant or ceramic coating.

The rust spots on Eudora are surface spots. I purchased the van is 2005 and the spots were there then and have not changed in 20 years. I only recently learned how to do body work (see below) since my sisters van had extensive damage that I had to repair. If I knew how sooner, I would have done the body work myself since it is so minor. However, I am not a professional so I leave it to the new owner to decide what they want to do.

Other Stuff

I wish I could say I obsessively kept a log of all of the work ever done on Eudora. I didn’t. Like most people, when there was a problem, I took care of it. I can tell you I was pretty obsessive about regular oil changes and she never failed a California Smog check in her life. I had the thermostat and housing replaced a year or so ago and the engine battery is brand new.

• Air conditioner works but doesn’t make things very cool. Since this is a 1997 van, if you are in California, you will need to find the mechanic authorized to work on it. I believe it just needs to be re-charged.
• Cruise control, I have it but frankly I’ve never used it. I believe the previous owner told me it did not work. Living in California, you rarely have the opportunity to use it as there are either to many cars or the roads are too mountainous and windy.
• Stereo: I replaced the old one with a JVC 20 years ago so it would connect with my iPod and it plays CD’s. Old tech now! The previous owners installed a Sirius Radio receiver (even older tech that is disconnected). I was on my way to install a new stereo and new speakers (one is missing the cover). For now, feel free to plug in your iPod and pack those CD’s for great sound and entertainment on your travels.

This is Tinkerbell, my sisters van that I am keeping

Tinkerbell is a little bit of me and a little bit of my sister so I feel like she is with us on every adventure. She was pretty hard on her van so it required a lot more attention and is now a long way away from “original”. Since she had the lift kit, I think she thought “off road” would be a good place to go. You can tell by the amount of body work I had to do, she really liked to go rough.

Since her original roof fell apart so the ceiling inside was a hot mess. First, the over cab cargo carrier fell off on the highway in Texas then she managed to crack the fiberglass Pop-Top and rain seeped in and soaked the interior. More than once. So I found her a new top since I had been looking around for options to the typical cheese wedge. I fell in love with Colorado Camper Van and convinced her to take a look. Since she was getting close to retiring and planned on many adventures, she splurged on the top and oh my is it a game changer!

The interior is a work in progress. After detailing and more detailing, it still shows yellow and I had to cover the cabinets. The fridge never worked so I had it ripped out. Eventually I’ll settle on a AC/DC “fridge” replacement.