Disposable Vehicles

For those of you thinking that I am a risk taker and foolhardy for choosing to make this journey in a 1979 RV, you are right on both counts!  Now please consider the concept of "disposable vehicles".

I have a history of buying older used cars for transportation.  In 2007 I purchased a 1991 Jeep Cherokee with 205,000 miles on it for $450.  The tires were good, it had four-wheel drive, a radio and it was cute!  During the two years I owned it, the only necessary repair was the replacement of a valve cover gasket.  I took it to the desert, the mountains, the beach and anywhere I wanted and I never worried about it breaking down.  Even if the engine blew up I would only be out a small amount of money.  I sold the Jeep for $900. to buy a larger SUV (of course it was cheap and had over 200,000 miles).

In 1982 I bought a highly used Coleman tent trailer for $800., hooked it up to my Jeep CJ-7 and headed off for Cabo San Lucas with two friends of mine.  The first night we camped at a RV park just outside Ensenada and had a great time.  The second day didn't go as well.  About 30 miles south of Ensenada I looked in the side-view  mirror and noticed the wheel was at least 18" outside the wheel well and being held on (just barely) by the axle.  A friend stayed with the trailer and I took the parts back to Ensenada to look for replacements.  None were to be found.  I had roughly 10 days for the trip so when I got back to the trailer I decided that I wasn't going to let an $800. trailer spoil my vacation.  We transferred everything that would fit from the trailer to the Jeep.  As we continued south, I waved goodbye to it and wished it well in its new life (most likely as a condo in someone's backyard)!  We had a great trip!

While I look forward to many enjoyable miles with Dod I am also cognizant of the fact that he is old and may not make it (I wonder if he thinks the same about me).  Even if the worst comes to pass, I will go on and not dwell on the "what ifs" and "if onlys" in life.