Hello, folks!
Time for an update on the continuing story of trying to get a 1974
Commer AutoSleeper caravanette (camper in US-speak) to my garage in Nebraska.
As you may or may not remember, the trip from England was rather a
fiasco, involving a lost roof, port changes, much rain, and rather stupid
people at the docks in Maryland. The Commer still sits at my brother's house
in New Jersey, having thoroughly dried out, awaiting my figuring out a way to
get a vehicle with no roof and leaky brakes (surprise,surprise) 1100 miles
from New Jersey to Nebraska.
Well, a replacement roof was located in the UK, and after much
pleading and whining, a method of transporting it to the US was devised.
Actually, there were many methods, but this one didn't involve me paying any
more money!!! The chap I bought the Commer from agreed to pick up the roof,
and transport it to Hamburg, Germany. There, it could be loaded into a
container going to an import company in New Orleans that deals with the
company I used to work for. Note I said used to work for - I quit my job, and
started working elsewhere before the roof arrived in New Orleans. Which was
about 3 weeks ago.
Feeling very nervous about having a virtually irreplaceable part of my
vehicle sitting in a warehouse belonging to a friend of the people who own the
company I just LEFT, I was forced into action. Road trip time. But, New
Orleans is over 1000 miles away, and since I just started a new job, no
vacation days. That means I have from 6pm Friday evening until 7am Monday to
make the trip, and be awake enough to function at work Monday morning. And I
work my department solo on Mondays!
Long story short - I borrowed a 92 Ford pickup from a relative, and
left at 12:30 in the morning on Saturday. I was in New Orleans by 4:30pm
Saturday, where I collected the roof and loaded it in the truck. Just barely
fits - the roof is about 9 feet long and 5 feet wide. Got back on the highway
headed home, and with a 2 hour nap in a rest area in Mississippi, I was home
in Omaha at 3:30pm Sunday. That makes a 39 hour trip covering 2230 miles
total.
Understandably, the credit card company I used for my fuel purchases
wanted a photo ID check when I made my last fillup. "Yes," I told the
attendant - "I used this card in New Orleans at 7pm last night - what's so
unusual about that??" I guess people just don't go for long drives anymore.
Hmmm... it's 1100 miles from here to New Jersey, too..... I wonder where I
might be able to borrow a trailer..............
Jon Arzt, glutton for punishment,
Omaha, NE USA
(please note - new email address!)
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