Well, this has been brewing for a few months, but this weekend we finally made a purchase that pretty much cements it—we’re heading to South America.
About six months ago now, Ali and I decided that it was a good time for our family to get moving again. We have spent the better part of the past six years in Mexico, and while I certainly would never claim to have seen it all, we’ve seen a good chunk. We were ready to move on—to show the kids something new.
The plan, as it came together after contacting some shipping companies, was to drive to Miami, and ship the bus from there to Colombia. Flights are incredibly cheap between Miami and Cartagena, which helped make the decision to go from there.
And for a couple months that was the plan. We knew, of course, that the Travco would be a difficult vehicle to travel South America in. We decided that that would just have to be part of the adventure—the hardship, and the ridiculousness of a 1966 Dodge Travco as an overlanding vehicle. Driving South America is far, far, different than driving in the States and Mexico. Down there the distances between point A and B can be huge. We average maybe 80 miles on a travel day up here in North America. The roads, even the main Pan-American Highway, do not adhere to grades that make any sense at all to be driving on, often going from flat to “Oh my god, we’re going to tip over backwards!” in the course of a few hundred yards. Here, you generally get good warning, and it rarely exceeds 8%.
Anyway, we were willing to look over all of those negatives for the simple joy of having our home with us.
But after a couple of months living with this plan we started to get the nagging feeling that this wasn’t the right choice. We love our bus, and if we weren’t going to a new continent we wouldn’t even be considering leaving it. But we didn’t want to stick to the Pan-American Highway. We didn’t want to stay in campgrounds far from anything interesting. We didn’t want to boondock (and inevitably get stuck) off-road in this big heavy vehicle. We didn’t want to bypass the big cities—or the tiny towns, for that matter.
Okay, the blue bus isn’t going to work for what we want to do.
So, let’s figure out what we want to do first, and then go from there.
We want to wander around and explore the cities of South America. We want to drive out to the middle of the Salar de Uyuni. We want to drive Death Road in Bolivia. We want to climb up deep into the Andes to visit small towns or just get a panoramic view. We want to revisit the small campground in Cuzco, Peru. We want to camp on the beaches, in the desert, in the mountains. We want to rent apartments in cities and not worry about where we’re keeping the bus. The list goes on, and on, and on. And almost none of it sounds doable or appealing in the Travco.
So the search begins for a new ride. Something that could double as both a camping vehicle and a park-in-the-city-garage vehicle.
Of course, a VW bus fits that bill. But with us, doing the same trip twice is uninteresting. We’d already be visiting many of the same places we did last time in South America, we didn’t need to be doing it in a slow moving, ill-tempered VW bus again. We ruled that out before we even began looking.
A Landrover? Everyone does that. And I’ve never really liked them anyway. Another one ruled out before we even began.
A Toyota Land Cruiser? Ubiquitous on the overland route. Too obvious a choice, too uninteresting. Ruled out.
Okay, so what? It needs to be vintage. One, because we like our vehicles to stand alone as something we’re interested in taking a picture of. We like having them as a backdrop to our life, because our traveling lives revolve around them. I also love the fact that I can actually fix old cars. So I think it goes without saying, we need a beautiful vintage vehicle.
It needed to be big, but not too big. Small, but not too small. Tough, but not too tough. Eye-catching, but not too eye-catching. You get the picture. We didn’t know what we needed, but we needed it to be just right.
We expanded the search.
I have always wanted one of these Broncos, but we had to admit that this might be too small, even for us.
Gorgeous ’68 Jeep Wagoneer. Beautiful, but about $20k more than I was interested in spending.
This ’69 GMC Suburban was high on the list. Needed to cover up some stupid custom painting, but overall we really liked the size of this one, and the curves, and the 3rd door on the passenger side. I didn’t like the air-ride suspension the previous owner installed. We had this one on the list for a long time.
This is a ’72 Suburban built in South America, or Europe, or something. Only 25 of them apparently made their way to the States. We liked this one, but didn’t like the little V6 engine, or the price. It was selling for about 250% what the highest bid it got in an eBay auction was.
And then one day Ali asked if I had checked Craigslist. I hadn’t. I’m not a CL user. I think it is the general lack of effort by sellers to post decent ads that turns me off more than anything. This ad included. But when I saw it I knew that this would probably be the one. A ’68 Suburban.
I couldn’t really pinpoint any major flaws or drawbacks. I would have preferred a manual transmission, and I would have been happy to have 4WD, though I didn’t really care, and I really prefer a bench seat up front. But none of that was a deal breaker.
We bought a sailboat off of Craigslist sight unseen, why not a truck?
Best of all, it was exactly half the price of all the others we had been looking at. We’d be able to spend pretty freely on kitting it out the way we wanted.
As we were about to make the phone call, this popped up on my screen.
A 1972 International Harvester Travelall. I’d had a tab open on my browser for two months that just showed the Travelalls for sale. There were three. One was too pimped out (too hot), and the other two were wrecks (too cold). Then, there it was one day, the Travelall right in the middle (just right).
These are about the same size as the Suburbans, but are much more unique. I like a vehicle which makes most people go, “I’m sorry, it’s a what?”
This one came complete with four-wheel-drive, and that bench seat that Ali loves so she can sidle up next to me as we cruise the open roads. Still an automatic tranny, but one can’t have it all. It has an IH 392 engine (with a ton of nickel content!), and a custom wood headliner and wood door panels (something I could totally have seen myself installing). It has just the right mix of classic style and badass truck.
My only hangup was the color. It’s a 1965 GM color called Evening Orchid, and frankly, it has no business being on a 1972 Travelall with a man behind the wheel. Clearly, I would have to shave my Mexican mustache off.
We waited a day, and then made the deal by e-mail.
I was totally going to get it painted.
But then, of course, a few days later Ali found this on eBay—and we were smitten.
A 1968 International Travelall, one owner truck (aside from the guy who bought it a few months earlier to flip). Original paint, original interior, original dash, gauges, 304 engine, everything. And the sweet, sweet style of the 60s.
We were in Gurlach, Nevada, sitting in the parking lot of the town playground mulling this over while the kids played. Then I looked out the window at the backyard we were next to and saw this. If God himself had dropped out of the clouds and told us to buy the ’68 I could hardly have considered it a more obvious sign.
We cancelled our deal for the ’72 and minutes later we had a deal on the ’68.
The problem—there had to be a problem—was that the truck was in New Hampshire. The second problem was that the guy seemed intent on doing things in a way that ensured he got a lot of money, and I didn’t get any protection. We back and forthed for a bit, and eventually came to a solution that had me flying out to pick it up with a big wad of cash in seven days. We were still five days away from Portland at the time.
So, anyway, we made it to Grammy’s and got settled in, the kids gave her lots of love, gave me a kiss goodbye, and a day after pulling into Portland I was on my way across the country alone.
I walked outside the Manchester Airport, and around the corner came a pickup with the Travelall traveling proudly atop it. I said hello, jumped in, and we drove down the street to make the switch in the Holiday Inn parking lot.
The truck looked good, and the guy was much cooler in person than he was on the phone—so everything was going good.
Then he went to start the engine.
And nothing happened.
Nothing.
He swore it purred every time. Never a problem. He swore he had just filled up the gas. But he turned it over, and it wouldn’t fire.
We did some investigating, and tapped the gas tank, which to our ears sounded sort of empty. Maybe it had a leak. We drove the trailer to the gas station and tried to put gas in. Gas did indeed leak, but it was coming from the filler hose, not the tank. Nevertheless, we drove to Home Depot, bought tools, bought a hose clamp, and tried to stop the leak. The rubber hose was rock solid and wouldn’t stop leaking, but it became clear that that wasn’t anything that would cause an entire tank to empty. The filler hose leak was above the tank. All that was leaking was the small bit of gas that would sit in the top half of that hose when the tank was filled.
Out of ideas, we decided it had to be the fuel pump. We poured gas directly in the carb and it fired right up. We did that a few times hoping it would prime itself and start pumping, but it didn’t. Now it’s 6:30 on a Friday night. Everything is closed or about to close. We run off to a couple of auto parts stores to try and find a fuel pump. But that errand was in vain. Anybody could get one, but it would be a week.
We bought an electric fuel pump and figured worst case scenario, I could wire it to a switch and run it into the cab so I could flip it on whenever I was driving, and flip it off when I stopped. We also had another fuel pump that the original owner had left in the truck when he replaced it sometime way back in the past. It seemed weird that he would keep a broken fuel pump around, so we thought there might be a chance it would work. Either way, we weren’t going to be able to do this in the dark, at 8:00 at night in a Manchester, NH, parking lot. So we loaded into the truck and started driving to his house 90 minutes away. My evening on the road was slipping away.
On the drive he called some friends of his, and one, a mechanic, said to bring it by and he’d help us out. Cool. An actual garage with a lift. Huge bonus for a job like this.
We unloaded the truck and lifted it up. We all stood there tracking the fuel hoses. I pointed out the bunch of lines that connected right at the front behind the bumper. It was a bit of a rats nest. The mechanic pointed out that there was also a cable going into that mess.
And in that instant it clicked.
“Hey,” I said, “this thing used to have two fuel tanks. That cable goes to a switch inside so you can flip between tanks. Did you accidentally flip the switch?”
“I don’t think so, but bring it down and let’s try it.”
We all looked at the switch and had no idea if it was the right way or not. We flipped it over, he turned the key, I held my breath, and two seconds later, vroom.
We’d just spent five hours tracking down a flipped fuel tank selector switch. Argh!
It was late, dark, and raining, and I was ready to hit the road.
We finally signed the papers, exchanged money, and shook hands. I was about to drive away when he came up to me and handed me a substantial wad of cash.
“What’s this for?”
“Man, I’m sorry about the hassle tonight. Take it.”
“You don’t need to, it was no big deal.”
“No, take it. You’re way more laid back than I would have ever been.”
And off I went. Mr. Laid Back, with 1,400 miles in front of me to get to Ali’s parent’s cabin in Wisconsin. I had a 48 year-old truck filled with rock hard hoses, a set of wrenches, a set of screwdrivers, a flashlight, a AAA card, and a wad of cash. I was ready.
I drove through the backwoods of NH, and whatever the other States are up there in the NE. It rained, and the fog was horrendous, and the only other cars out on the road the entire night were cops. Dozens of them, stationed in every single small town along the way. But the truck ran perfect through the dark hours, and as the sun came up I was finally hitting the Turnpike so I could open the thing up and get moving.
I ran a couple hundred miles further, slept two hours in the front seat, and kept on the rest of the day until I hit Elkhart, Indiana. After 24 hours, 900 miles, and 8,000 gas station calories, I figured I’d better crawl into a bed for some sleep. At three a.m. I woke up and mounted my final assault—450 miles to western Wisconsin.
And, of course, I made it. I love old vehicles. I mean, this engine has hardly been touched, it’s barely been driven in the past few years, and yet I can crawl in and subject it to about 40 hours of nearly continuous driving without a single incident. It amazes me.
I should mention that the truck runs amazingly smooth. The engine really does purr. Tight, no knocking, no ticking, not a drop of oil of any kind underneath it. It’s a 3-speed, geared a bit higher than stock so it is quicker, but with a little less torque. At least that’s how I understand that. It really does jump, too. Second gear, accelerates quickly to about 35, and then third just pulls it straight on up to 75 without any hesitation. It’s smooth and quiet inside. Too quiet. The original AM and aftermarket FM radios don’t work. Maybe because there is no antennae hooked up. I really could have used some tunes. But what I realized instead was that I’ve got a really beautiful singing voice. You should hear me sing Adelle songs sometime.
So anyway, at the cabin Ali’s dad was waiting for me. I pulled up and asked him if he wanted to take it for a drive. Heck, yeah. He jumped in, put it in reverse, and promptly backed into a tree. Fortunately he was barely rolling and all it did was smudge the dust on the bumper. It was funny, though, and I doubt I’ll ever let him live that one down.
I gave the truck a wash, put it in the garage, and said goodbye. We’ll see it next month when we fly out to visit the family. For now, I had a plane to catch. Yes, this trip really relied on pinpoint timing, which meant there was no room for a breakdown.
So the plan for the coming year—or possibly years—is to call South America home. It’s a big place—lots of homes. The basic plan is just to slow travel and show the kids absolutely everything we can, continue to make Spanish our fluent second language, have adventures, spend every waking hour outdoors, and lead an all-around fun and interesting life.
We’re going to kit the Travelall out for camping. We’ll put a roof rack on it, install a 4-person rooftop tent, throw a fridge inside, carry water, and be ready to live for at least a few days at a time out of the truck. But we’re also planning on spending longer stretches renting homes in different cities and towns, getting to know the place, and taking off for quick jaunts to nearby areas with a vehicle that is always ready to roll. Our feeling is that travel this way will enable us to see and experience so much more than trying to rumble around the country in the blue bus.
Ahh, the blue bus. Up until last night we had planned to hang onto it. We justified it by saying it isn’t that much money, or that storage is only a hundred bucks a month, or that we would come back to it at some point.
But I think we just needed a little more time to process it. We’re really attached to our bus. It’s been a wonderful home for the four of us. But Ali and I know ourselves well enough to know that when we leave, we leave. We’re not coming back to the blue bus. We also realize that there just isn’t anywhere we’re really wanting to go in the bus. We’re probably not going back to Mexico campgrounds again any time soon, and we’re not going to travel the States extensively. We’re just not interested in it. We might have taken it up to Alaska, but we’re talking about a four month trip. Pretty ridiculous to keep a bus for a couple years so that you can possibly make one quick summer trip to Alaska in it.
So the bus is moving on. We’ll have it up for sale next week.
And we’ll be sad about it for a few days. And then we’ll move on to new adventures, and we’ll all fall in love with the Travelall. And then someday we’ll be selling that, and it’ll take us a few days to come around to that conclusion, too.
I’m excited, Ali’s excited, and the kids are excited. Fun, adventurous, interesting experiences await us.
115 Comments on “Going International”
Wow, man that is so cool. The adventures you are going to have will be amazing. And all I have to look forward to is being shut up in a room with someone else’s kids for the next ten years.
Great story. And it brought brought back some great memories for me because my father had a 1967 Travelall for a few years back in the 1970’s. Funny though, I remember his major complaint with that vehilce was that it was geared too low and that even at 55 mph the RPM’s were way too high for his liking. Pretty sure it was the same engine.
Good plan, looking forward to your future adventures.
Wow. That is an awesome ride. Happy for you guys. Can’t wait to see how you kit it out. I was wondering why you hadn’t posted for a while. You were super busy. Saludos.
Wow!..Your adventures never end….And after hearing your voice on the last video…Naaw..I don’t want to hear you singing as Adele…
Best to you all,
David
I love it! Great choice of vehicles if only because it’s such an unlikely choice. But then again, not really. Old rigs are the best. Looking forward to the trip.
I’ve been soooooo curious as to what is brewing!! Let the record reflect I guessed South America when you mentioned a new continent monmths ago. Sounds like a really cool plan. Love the rooftop tent. Can’t wait for the adventures to start!!
As always, have a blast!! Just a little bummed you won’t be on the mainland when we show up this summer. Oh, well, soon come!
Buena suerte y buen viaje!! Malama pono!! 😀
I wondered why we hadn’t heard from you. What an adventure, sad to see the Travco go but it certainly has a history to tell. Bon voyage on your journeys in South America. Are you going to call the new car Bumfuzzle?
and your adventures continue! how awesome, i have been following you since the beginning and you never cease to amaze me. good luck on this new endeavor, can’t wait for the updates!
Glad you got over the Bronco idea. My dad had one. One of the hardest riding rigs ever. Teeth jarring bumps even on decent pavement! And gravel roads – forget it.. bounced us clear off the bench seat. Noisy inside too.
Happy trails in the Travelall!
Bungee jumping registers zero adrenaline. Hanging onto the swim ladder with one hand and clearing the prop while solo sailing 200 miles off the coast of Mexico.. Nada. Buying an old truck and road tripping 1400 miles.. every fiber in your body is alive!
Great story, well told. Have a blast on your new adventure!
Wow does that thing bring back fond memories! I had 1967 International Harvester pickup that was exactly that color. Ran like a top. Only issue was with the torsion bar suspension. The bushings rotted or something and every dip, bump or hump in the road was signaled by the loudest metal-on-metal screeeeech imaginable. If yours has the same suspension it would probably be a good idea to replace those bushings and carry a set with you as mine was only a few years old when they went. We had a Travel All in Panama and I can attest to their sturdiness. We would regularly take it in places where gasoline driven machines weren’t intended to go.
Awesome! Been looking at a rooftop tent myself. I think you and your family are just … awesome! Go for it!!
Brilliant looking new vehicle, I look forward to reading all about it.
Wow. Great choice of vehicle! Can’t wait to see how you kit it out and the adventures you’ll surely have.
What a beauty! This is gonna be a fun ride, glad we can follow along
You rolled right by my house. I am just west of Cleveland right off the turnpike, you could have stayed here and saved the hotel charge in Elkhart. I really enjoy following your adventures, looking forward to the future.
Wow! Very exciting news. We can’t wait to read about this new chapter as it unfolds. Good luck!
Mark and Cindy
Awesome! I was holding my breath reading along. Even shed a tear for Old Blue. Can’t wait to see the Travelall once kitted out.
I don’t know if you can believe it but I think I am almost as excited as you are! Wow, what a great plan! And what a great truck. I learned how to drive in an International pickup (8 years old). 30 years later I arrived at my brothers to pick up my daughter who had spent vacation with them, and found her driving his old international truck over his field. There was a time when I was planning something similar, except I found shipping much cheaper from Texas. And really renting an apartment for a month or two is so cheap in most South American cities. But the death highway, I just don’t think I could do it, that is a long ways down. Be careful, please. Thank you for sharing with me.
I am heading to wisc Tuesday- daughter and family moving to Austin Texas- swim coach job in Austin- any tips to her new location?? thanks- be safe! nice choice of vehicle- steve from Mondovi wisc-
Hi Steve, nope no tips. Change is hard and if she goes in excited about it, the family will follow. It is all an attitude – you could be bummed leaving everything behind or you could go in thrilled about all the new stuff coming your way.
wow, what a story! I wish you SO well! I spent 3 years traveling around the southern part of South America (because I travel really slowly :)) in the late 80s. Only managed to get through Argentina, Chile, Bolivia, Ecuador and Paraguay in those years. I did, however, manage to hitchhike a ride on an airplane once along with many other adventures. You guys are going to have a blast!
And we traveled through SA fast before the kids – so this time we hope to slow down. Very hard thing for us to do. That will hopefully be our biggest challenge. 🙂
You guys are frinkin nuts but in a good way. stock up on spare parts..starter, alternator, brake master and pads, filters, spare gas jugs, ignition parts..and the rebuild kits for everything you can find one for. what are you going to ask for Big Blue..
Hi RB, I think we have gotten this comment after every BIG announcement post – having a baby included. We will bring what we can but usually don’t bring much. Things usually work out, just usually more adventure included. Thanks for the thought. And our Big Blue for sale post will be up in a few days…comments off. J/K sort of. 🙂
Love this story and can’t wait to read about your adventures in SA
Congrats on the new ride. You guys do have style!
Yes! What a great plan! My husband and I have a saying – “I would like to live here until I am done.” You will be doing that in new and interesting places! Fabulous!
I grew up not far from an International Harvester dealership in Southern California in the 60’s and early 70’s. Whenever the place was closed we would go and sit in all the different trucks, they never locked them, and pretend we were on a trip. I used to dream of having one of the smaller trucks they sold.
Good luck on your new adventures and we all will be travelling with you for this next stage! 🙂
That is fabulous! And maybe they just don’t lock as we haven’t figured ours out yet.
This is AWESOME!! Love the rooftop tent! We just got back from a 3600 mile road trip to Moab, Arches, Canyonlands, Capitol Reef, Vegas, Grand Canyon and Albuquerque – all inspired by you guys! Plus – we were in a rooftop tent 🙂 Can’t wait to hear about you new adventures! Best wishes guys!
Hi guys, yes I saw your posts on FB. Looks like you had a great time. Pat’s hoping I’m going to love the roof tent and I’m thinking I’ve done my time on the living without a few nice-to-have-necessities. Cannot wait to see how we work it out.
If you guys have any questions about the tent options please send us a message! Jeff did all of the research and narrowed it down to the eezi-awn and the CVT. Both are awesome! We actually ran into the makers of the CVT while at a campground in Moab – very group people. It took a bit of convincing for me too – butI loved it. Just take a pop up canopy along for inclement weather (nice to have shelter & not be forced to sit in the truck 🙂 Can’t wait to follow along!
They make some really nice simple awnings that would attach to the side of a rooftop tent.
Yes they do! Ordering ours in the next few weeks 🙂
Who knew when we began reading your blog about your cruising on Bumfuzzle what the future had in store for you! You are one amazing family that loves adventure! You have inspired many people to ‘go for it’ and proved time and again it can be done! If not for your influence, we may not be cruising on our 42 ft Catamaran BEATITUDE enjoying our surroundings as well as each other. God. bless you on your next adventure in you Travelall.
Can Matt and I ride on the roof rack? Whatever you do, don’t cut off that stach. Matt’s growing his out to have a stash-off. Just a suggestion, don’t miss Guatemala…Lake Atitlan (San Pedro) is worth the chicken bus, panga, tuk-tuk ride that it takes to get there.
Yes you can, but the kids ride inside with us. And nope no Guatemala this time – we are going farther south than there. A different continent to be exact. 🙂
C., you are for this stash-off? 😉
Cheers to a new and exciting adventure! Guess we may run into you in south america
You guys never cease to amaze me! Good luck!
Sweeeeet new ride. Looking forward to your crazy adventures south.
Nina
Thanks guys. Now I only wish you guys had gone first to give us all kinds of great boondocking spots. We were on your site our entire trip north from Mexico.
Can’t wait to see how you outfit this baby. Just got a truck camper for a similar purpose.
Absolutely brilliant! Ready for the next chapter!
Sweet, ride!
Several years ago, my Dad had an old beater Suburban similar to what you’re looking at here. Just a trashed vehicle, but it took us onto Lake of the Woods for ice fishing. Dad called it the Walleye Wagon. Good times!
Sweet ride guys!
I love following your travels….you guys are what we all want to be…..I am in love with the International! My dad had one in the 70’s, army green pickup, the square tough look was so appealing, even as a youngster back then! I’m so excited to hear of our new adventures! We adore Stella & Al back here in the states….friends from Nuemann’s……when I think of being being truly free and enjoying life I think of you guys!
Thanks Stacy. I have a feeling you are more excited about our new adventure than Stella and Al (aka my mom and dad). 🙂
I LOVE the new truck! I have stories about an International Scout that belonged to a friend. We drove it many summers for many miles up and down the beaches on the NC Outer Banks. Where ever there was road access from Corova to Cape Hatteras, the Scout made the trek. It was the “beach house car.” Her dad cut the top off and had canvas made for the Scoutavertible.
May this International serve you just as well.
“But what I realized instead was that I’ve got a really beautiful singing voice.”
Excellent.
wow. love it all.
Nice, all straight and shiny, very clean inside. Sounds like a Plan! How to get a rooftop tent camper that looks like it’s from the 60’s and matches the truck…..
It’s not going to be easy, but I’ve got a plan. Stay tuned.
I miss your manly adventures in fixing and getting things done stories.
There should be no short of manly grease filled adventures in South America. 🙂
That second tank switch to nowhere will make a great antitheft device.
Hmmm . . . maybe . . . but I took it to mean that the seller didn’t realize there were two tanks, and probably stopped pumping when he assumed he’d filled the tank. There must be a way to fill both tanks, though, so I’d check the fuel system out thoroughly and figure it out. Having twice the fuel aboard will be a good thing for extended treks into the outback.
TJ
No, one tank has been removed. We’re sourcing a replacement. Right now there is only one.
I see . . . well, I hope a suitable replacement can be located at a decent price. It may seem like a luxury to some, but given your family’s hunger to explore a bit further afield, I’d consider it a necessity. Good luck!
TJ
Probably worthwhile getting the second fuel tank re-installed just to make things more flexible in South America. The extra range might turn out to be nice to have.
Another chapter in the adventure that is your lives!! Can’t wait to read about it!
PS. My dad had a 73 International Scout II, Loved it.
Where will you be posting your Travco?
Here first. Then Facebook. Then Craigslist.
Awe, come on man, I was hoping you would get a hearse.
Oh well. J/K
Isn’t it the way … you never see these Internationals and now they are popping up all over the place. http://bringatrailer.com/listing/1968-international-travelall/
Ah Frank now you have me thinking I really need one!! Worse still the wife thinks so too 🙂
Seriously it is true. I’m on Season 5 of Mad Men and in the last minute, there in the background of two dogs humping, is a Travelall.
And yes Martin, you should probably listen to your wife.
After several months of intense focus from day one to present day, enjoying following “the journey”…laughing, cringing and crying out loud. This is truly epic. So many thanks for the entertainment, education, global tour and sharing your family adventures with all of us.
And no split rims. You can get a tire fixed almost anywhere now. Even repair it yourself with a few simple tools.
Believe me, I’m looking forward to it. It even came with two spares. 🙂
Getting out of the U.S. for the next four years sounds like a good idea.
Woot. It’s beautiful and could tow the 356 or a dub box.
My buddy Shane is the owner 😉
PM me if you need his cell #.
If he has a legit 50 year-old dub box I might consider it. But I’m not using a 1968 truck to pull around a fiberglass 2016 trailer. 🙂
Also, friend Tony at MotorSports is a CVT dealer. PDX.
Thank you and yes we might need Tony’s info (and discount, wink).
Cool! It’s always a good time for a change when you think it is. I love the the new ride and the plans. See you guys when you are back here.
Miss ya’
Magic
Well, you’ve hatched another great plan! Mike and I wish y’all the very best. We’ve just returned to CT from our winter in FL. Can’t wait to follow your adventures in South America. Maybe Mike will be inspired by your “customizing” of the truck to finish our ’48 Studebaker. Have a wonderful summer–we’ll be following you.
Can’t wait to see South America! Maybe we’ll be down there some day. Love that Dub Box, but probably not practical for your purposes.
And a new adventure begins!
But seriously, Adele?
Time to pick up an old 8 track and a bunch of Grateful Dead tapes for the road.
Happy adventures.
Congrats on the new adventure! Any chance you could find a retro Turtle Back trailer with the tent on top?
We could, but that sort of defeats our purpose of having a vehicle that is simply ready to go in the cities. If we got a trailer we’d always be stuck finding a place for it. We bounced that idea around for a while and have gotten away from it.
The smaller the better.
Pat: “And off I went. Mr. Laid Back, with 1,400 miles in front of me to get to Ali’s parent’s cabin in Wisconsin. I had a 48 year-old truck filled with rock hard hoses, a set of wrenches, a set of screwdrivers, a flashlight, a AAA card, and a wad of cash. I was ready.”
That’s classic, Pat. It paints a perfect picture of your play-it-as-it-lays attitude. Your writing has grown so much richer over the years that I can’t decide whether I like it or your photography more.
TJ
Thanks, I always appreciate your kind words. With your encouragement I may write that great American novel yet. 🙂
Wow – Just WOW!!!!
So excited for your new adventure! What is a roof top tent?? Can’t wait to hear all about!
If you go to Florida stop in Sarasota – we’ll put u up and we have the most beautiful beaches in US!
Zee, Lee and Leeson
My brother is right up the road from you in Bradenton. Maybe we’ll see you in the fall.
I did a google image search on roof top tents. Very cool and many many options!
She’s a beaut. Congrats.
Sounds like you’ve got some great ideas! This looked like an interesting vehicle refrigerator install, if you were looking for ideas: http://theroadchoseme.com/jeep-build-phase-1-complete
That is a fantastic ih
If it was me and the kids i’d forsure gear up a iddybiddy “facilities” trailer
A trailer defeats our purpose. We bounced that idea around, but then we’re still stuck lugging around something that we have to find space for. Mobility is the name of the game on this trip.
Have to say you guys are certainly not predictable nor look to do anything the easy way, all the best for the next chapter.
Great looking vehicle and a great choice. I absolutely love that as soon as you let the father-in-law drive it he went straight for a tree… and that nothing was damaged and no one was hurt. That story will have mileage for decades!
I’ve read every page of your blog and books, I just want to say you are on my list of heroes. Below below Superman but way above Batman. I’m already imagining what you will be writing in a year.
When the kids grow up they will have the best memories of their old blue Travco and this blog will be such a blessing to them both.
Wow! Wow! Wow! How very exciting.
The Zapps are another creative travel family I’ve been following, along with Bumfuzzle, for some time now. Their twist on traveling the world caught my imagination immediately. In 2000, Candelaria and Herman Zapp, childhood sweethearts, left Brazil to travel. Their home and transportation is a 1928 Graham-Paige vintage automobile. Top speed, 35 miles per hour. In the 16 years since they began their travels, they’ve gone from a family of two to six, having welcomed four new babies while on the road, all born in different countries. The notches on their belts show 5 continents, 50 countries, and an unbeatable world-wise education. If you haven’t already heard of them I thought you might want to know of another family, among many, living creative and inspirational lives.
Happy travels. I look forward to your family’s continuing adventures.
Fran
South America is a beautiful place. I grew up in Viña del Mar in Chile and would love to go back. We traveled extensively while we were there. We went to the Christo de los Andes, skiid in Portillo, went to Patagonia and eventually returned to the US on a month long trip in a freighter through the Panama Canal via several other coastal countries. Enjoy your time there. By the way, I love the truck!
Deb
SV Kintala
Ok however before parting with your Travco (i own one as well) drive a big screw through the door of the head so no one can open the door and use the facilities for a couple of weeks.
Just so everybody gets the idea of what you are infore.
I worry that your new approach will have exactly the opposite effect you are hoping for. Without the facilities we take for granted, your decisions on where to visit will be overly influenced by such matters.
There.s a couple in Brazil with a travco Luciano and his wife. The are in the travco forum ask them about travelling down there in one
My suggestion for you guys is to slide a 5.9 cummins in the travco and tow the ih to be used for outings off the main drag but having your Travco home to return to then trundle further and repeat as desired.
A decent ComeAlong would pull either ride out of whatever.
No. To all of this. On to new adventures for this family!
Some people that haven’t followed us all these years might not realize it, but Ali and I spent two years living out of a VW bus with no kitchen (not even a camp stove), and no bathroom. And this included South America from top to bottom. So we already know full well what we’re in for.
I should also note that I would NEVER even consider destroying a perfectly good all original Travco by pulling out the engine it was born with to throw in a diesel. There are enough people chopping up vintage original vehicles without needing me to contribute to it.
The diesel thing had to do with towing something is all… and Andes mountain climbing without blowing up …besides your Travco prolly needs a motor job by now.
Your little guys are the happiest looking kids I’ve probably ever seen and the idea of nailing up the head for a few weeks was so you could observe their feelings of security etc because without their Travco home?
I am sorry if I’ve offended you with my musings
Maybe you could try Packing Ali and the kids in a tiny car like say a Porsche and dive 2500 miles cross country over say 2+ weeks and see if you need a kitchen and a bathroom….. you’ll be fine the Travelall will seem huge compared to the tiny Porsche. I see the train of thought starting last September tiny car road trip -> Travelall.
What a nice story and great journey and adventure in front of you !
I bought a 1967 Travelall 1100B 4×4 last autumn in the US and had it shipped to my home in Europe / Austria.
Although I did only a view hundred miles with her so far, I think these are rock solid trucks which will bring you everywhere.
I will take my Travelall for a 3-4 weeks trip across Southern Europe in August this summer.
I will try to use the tent I bought for my Jeep Grand Cherokee. The tent is built across the rear of the roof of the car and
allows you to access the car through the tent. Not sure if it will fit on the Travelall as the truck is slightly higher than the Jeep but I think it will do. I will test it soon.
This might be an option for you as well. Probably easier than installing a rooftop tent.
https://www.italo-welt.de/Jeep-Cherokee-Renegade-Zelt-4-Mann-aufsetzbar-Mopar-Originalzubehoer
Btw – I did a 8 weeks “backpack” trip from Chile -> Bolivia -> Peru -> Ecuador in 1999 together with my wife. A wonderful and unforgettable experience
All the best & greetings from Austria !
You guys are doomed. You are never going back to 9-5 life. I called it 🙂 #timestamp
This should have been timestamped back in about 2006. In fact, I can almost pinpoint when we knew we were never going back to a 9-5 life. There had been rumblings, but I think for me it was when we were in Italy on our circumnavigation. We had left the boat in Malta and were backpacking around Italy for a month. During that time is when we decided that we really had to do some land travel after the boat trip. At that point we pretty much knew that if we weren’t going back to Chicago and work after we finished sailing that that was it, we were never going back. Since then there has never been a discussion about it, we both just know that a normal 9-5 existence is simply not in our future. We’ll always try to find another way. Maybe someday that will change, but for now and for the foreseeable future, this is our life.
Of course you’re never going back to 9-5. Why would you? I love your blog because at its core it’s about a couple that made some money in their 20s and used it to buy their freedom. Most 20 somethings in your position would have spent the rest of their lives chasing more fortune. Freedom is the ultimate luxury. We should all buy it as soon as we can afford the economy version. It’s not worth waiting and saving for the deluxe version.
Well put.
This is why we love you guys & why we will follow you!! But – you have to follow us too 🙂
Long before they were called “SUVs”. My favourite vehicles are the 1970-72 Chevy/GMC Suburban, the International Travelall, the Jeep Cherokee and Wagoneer. My other favourites are the Toyota Land Cruiser FJ55.
Ooohhh man! Incredible!!! If you’re going to enter Brazil, in South, you have certainly a home to stay and local persons to show you around.
Jesse nailed it–I know that if I could ‘fly free as a bird’ as you intend, I would, too. I have been most fortunate to have traveled both early and often, and at 70 have no regrets of any of it.
Pat and Ali obviously know what they are getting into from their prior experiences, and having had my own similar-but-different experiences in S.A.–I can only concur. The IH drive-train is almost bullet-proof, and the whole is work-truck-rugged, imo an almost perfect choice. An IH o/d rear diff swap might be worth considering, especially if important in finding ‘just the right cog’ at any time, and for better fuel economy. Fresh fluids and filters and you can go for as long as you choose.
My parents took three kids around the US in the early 60’s, and instilled the love of journeys we all still carry today–I am therefore particularly envious of your children and the wonderful education they will absorb in your journeys.
I am thrilled to vicariously go along for the ride, and am especially interested to see your preps and props, what tools/spares are packed, and how communications are dealt with. It will also be interesting to see compared differences you note as you travel, especially if to a rapidly evolving Bolivia, an amazing nation I have come to love.
I wish you all a safe and exciting journey, and thank you for inviting us to go along for the ride.
locotojhon
From Pat’s sale page for the Travco:
“Never crashed, and never so much as bumped a tree.”
Heh . . . unlike, you know, the IH Travelall:
“So anyway, at the cabin Ali’s dad was waiting for me. I pulled up and asked him if he wanted to take it for a drive. Heck, yeah. He jumped in, put it in reverse, and promptly backed into a tree. Fortunately he was barely rolling and all it did was smudge the dust on the bumper. It was funny, though, and I doubt I’ll ever let him live that one down.” 🙂
TJ
It’s the little digs that are the most fun. 🙂
I have an identical FM tuner in my ’62 Corvair. You know, I hope, that it puts out an AM signal that you pick up on the AM dial. I think I tune in 920 on the AM dial.. ANd I think it uses the AM antenna, not sure. Can’t go check, because the battery in the Corvair is long dead.
Hi Patrick, I just finished your Bumfuzzle book. Thank you for writing it. If you are planning to make it to Brazil, I’ll be pleased to help with whatever information you need (i’m Brazilian), and of course, meeting you guys. Cheers! Roberto.
Wow!! Very nice rig! Looking at the photo of the dash brings back so many memories!! Best of luck on your new adventure!
Looking at old posts I spied an interesting photo… https://www.bumfuzzle.com/hanging-2/