Adventures in Big Bertha (BB) w/ Blue
Join me in the adventure of a life time! with me and my boy blue. as i walk you threw everything from the beginning of purchasing our camper van until we finally get to live aboard. read about all our ups and all our downs as we have to figure out how to upkeep and maintain. You can read about what works, and what didn't work for us. Hopefully will help you on your adventure. If you have any comments or questions please don't hesitate to email me I'll be happy to try to help.
I quickly packed our bags and within 30 mins we were loaded up and on our way. When we arrived we went to go see a friend of Kevs and I noticed this camper van as I was "oOoOo, ahhhhh" ing it Kev said "I bet we could find you a cheap motor home around here". A hour later we were looking at a motor home (picture on the side) The owner had explained her and her husband had purchased It.. Only got to use it a couple times before her husband had gotten sick. They parked it, he passed, she never used it again. It's been sitting in the same spot for 20 years. (wish i had taken a picture of It when I first saw it) . The motorhome was sitting beside a old shed covered by trees, one tree must of just been little when they parked It cause It had grown so close to the van It ended up over towering the van, giving It lots of good shade which really saved this van.. This situation left us no other choice but to chop the tree down. At this point I still had not bought this motorhome yet, I needed to know It would at least start before I handed over 2 grand to her. 3 days me and Kev would go out there (so much for fishing, oops).
We would be there all day everyday, every evening this lady would make us supper. Kev ended up helping her trim the trees around her yard. So i started to clean the motorhome. (I'm going to refer to the motorhome a BB(Big Bertha)) it was clean but its been 20 years BB's dusty and needs a good clean. second day we were there. we got BB running to my surprise the van fired right up.
(however if you buy a van that has been sitting for any length of time do NOT just put the key in and fire it up. your engine will be dry and dusty, you need to lubricate it before u start it or you will F_UP your engine, I will get a better description of what he did for you cause I don't entirely remember what he said and I will update this but if you find yourself in this position before i get a chance. please call a mechanic and ask him).
Purchase
However I would offer to use any mechanic they wanted. didn't matter if it was a friend or where it was this way I figured they could also pick one close to home to make in more convenient for them as I do understand the inconvenience of this request. I would also try to get days and times from them before I would call the mechanic they requested. to try to fit their schedule without to much more of a inconvenience However most responses (not all) but majority would say..."no" RED FLAG (If you ask me). I think if your vehciles in great shape they would have this pre inspection already done and willing to show it to you. (i would do it that way).
These responses started to leave me extremely detoured. However i had a plan. I was going to be smart this time. especially since Alberta has this dumb saftey rule anything 12years or older has to be saftied by a mechanic before they will insure it for you (12years isn't that old) anything 12years old I can not afford. I couldn't even afford half the 1980's ones for crying out loud!. This made it a bit easier for me to stick to my guns. (not that I ended up doing this). However if u reside in Alberta, this is something you will need to be aware of.
One afternoon a friend (Kev) stopped by on his way out of town on a fishing trip, to Carrot River Sask. Sounded like so much fun. I wished him a good trip, then out of the blue he asked if me and my boy blue would want to come? Honestly wasn't hard to convivence me.
Cleaning BB was making me extremely itchy and I would have a hard time breathing. I assumed It was just from all the dust. .Finally I was ready to take her home. Used the same tires that was on It when it was parked 20years ago, so i was nervous about getting a flat but i was some ready to get it home, was nervous about the purchase can't say i was super excited lI was but I had also broken every one of my rules... 16.5inch rims (side note on the 16,5 inch rims. when I was about to purchase i almost called it off cause of the size of these rims where i was reassured that i could put 16 rims on instead of 16.5 so i believed this, today i found out however this is false and you can not do this cause they can wobble and end up coming loose. dangerous. so for this vehicle the best quote i could find which started at 320$ a tire, and ending at 254$ per tire. 6 tires since its a dually, quoted me 1895$ with tax and installing. so remember that when your buying your van. my mess up hopefully saved u dealing with this as well. and actually the tires this van is suppose to run is 8.00 R16.5 which are now discontinued so i was told 8.75 R 16.5 is the closest match I'm able to use). and continuing with what i was talking about, I didn't get a pre purchase inspection, not from Alberta so now i need a out of province on a 1982, and she sat for a long time with not even being started once in awhile which vehicles don't take to kindly to sitting and not being run. so absolutely everything i was not going to do I did .... so nervous, a little upset with myself on this i started the drive home
So I will start at the beginning. #VANLIFE has always been my dream I love it. open road, no destination and no commitments. Just me and my boy Boy and the open road! Now this is what I call bliss. However there will be some hurdles to over come. Winter is what im most nervous for. To be honest though, I'm done waiting another year. Putting my dream aside again. We all know how that ends up. If I don't do It now, will I ever do it? So Im jumping in 2 feet first, and sharing the story.
So, let's buckle up, and ill take you for a ride starting with the purchase of my campervan.
Started so long ago, however this year 2025 I wouldn't be a fool i wouldn't buy a "lemon" lord knows I've don't that enough times. So I'm going into this smart. (Least what i told myself). So first question I would ask, tire size ... I didnt want to deal with any of those 16.5inch rims... their not common but the older motorhomes were known to use these.
Second question I would ask. "I would like to have a pre-purchase inspection done on this, would that be alright?" followed up with "I would also need your help to ger It to the mechanic to have the inspection done" (as I didn't think they would trust a stranger with the keys to drive it to the mechanic without them).
The drive home
The drive home was a interesting one... After I left, Kev stayed i thought to go fishing for a couple days but he ended up only leaving a few hours after me. Blue and myself stopped the next city over called Nipawin, a 23minute drive from Carrot River that took me and Blue almost a hour (tires sketched me out took it real slow couldn't afford a flat). to make the drive. We stopped for dinner, then to do a little walk. However the mosquitos had other plans which left Blue and myself running for Big Bertha.
Just as we were leaving Nipawin Kev sent us a text stating he was about to hit the road to go home himself, asked where we were and figured he would catch up and follow us home since he decided to leave so early. Blue and myself sped off ( the hole 70km we continued to drive). Cruising down the road radio on, cause i do not own tapes... which is what Big Bertha takes , so radio it was. Suddenly something from Big Bertha's vent shot out (it had a destination this 20 year old moth ball... was my eyeball). This resulted in me having to pull Big Bertha off the road and with night fall coming, not be entirely sure how well her lights worked, I didn't really want to drive her at night. I was also thinking it would be dark by the time we reached Prince Albert. This is one place i do not feel safe sleeping near alone. So we pulled off found some road pretty sure there was a lake close but it was getting dark and I didn't feel safe walking down this road at night also didn't feel confident driving Big Bertha down this road. So me and blue stayed put. I messaged Kev to let him know where we pulled over and ended up laying down to rest my eye.
Few hours later my friend Kev showed up I was googling lakes me and Blue would like to check out on our way home. My puffy red eye had started to finally go down too. Kev stopped we chatted and he said he was planning to stop of the other side of Prince Albert for the night. Which i happened to find a decent looking fishing hole i wanted to check out but i didn't want to sleep there it was pretty close to Prince Albert but with someone else there i felt better about it. so we agreed to meet at this place. He is obviously faster then me and my 70km speed I was still doing so I just said I would meet him there. Bertha fired right up everything seemed good and off we went. About 10 minutes into the drive things started to make a turn, my lights didn't seem as bright as they did when we first started i was having a hard time seeing, since by now its pitch black out. My radio started to go quieter and quieter. The car behind me was really the only reason i could see, I decided I better pull over not knowing how bright my tail lights even are at this point. As I put my signal lights on and started to decelerate big bertha, my windshield wipers started to go off. Which didn't actually have the blades on so it was just the metal of the wiper scrapping against the glass. over and over . I safely pulled off the road, deciding a good idea was to turn her off , However when I tried to start it again .... tik....tik...tik. F*ck batteries dead. Gut feeling was there's a issue with my alternator. Good thing Kev was near by. when he came back to help me (I obviously needed a boost). the prepared people we are... neither of us had jumpers. Prince Albert is like 30 minutes from us so Kev offered to go into Prince Albert and buy some jumpers off one of the street people down there. I told him that was crazy and just to wait till morning when the stores open and buy one. A few moments later after having this discussion we saw a tow truck go by there was a accident on the road just before where i had first pulled off. Kev had mentioned it when he first arrived. After the tow truck drove by he jumped up and said he would follow the tow truck to his shop and see if he could ger some jumpers. This seemed like a far better idea then his original plan so i agreeded and he raced off. He was gone alot longer then I thougnt he would be. when he showed back up it was daylight. Not sure of the time my phone died. no alternator no battery no charger ... this was aa issue the rest of my trip.
When Kev showed back up did he ever have a story to tell.....
Why Prince Albert isn't a place i recommend to boondock near.
I woke up to Kev truck pulling back up, with Blue beside me growling at the vehicle. The sun was just starting to to rise as the sky was getting bright. Kev pulled up i a position to boost my van, With allergy meds for me too (for the swollen eye, and the itch this van seemed to give me). The darling also had a mocha ice cap in hand.... (my favorite) I hoped out to be greeted by Kev and these gifts! which no matter what you bring me a ice cap im happy! purhaps he was anticipating me to be upset when he got back, not sure definetley wasn't he had a ice cap for me i was happy.
Kev also had the jumper cables! again cant be upset with these results. We put the charging cables on and he came in to chat when we waited for the cables to charge a bit before i tried to start big bertha. Kev told me all about the trip he took which I thought he had only gone to see the tow truck we had seen go by to try to get jumpers. However there was alot more that happened. Kev did follow the tow truck, right to the yard. Tried to buy some jumpers off the guy, the guy wanted 70$ Kev only had 60$ cash on him. So the tow truck driver basically gave him the big old middle finger and told him that he could make a call out for him to come give me a boost.... Kev left.
Then he did exactly what i told him not to, he went to prince ablert to try to buy some jumpers off some of the street people downtown. I cannot express myself enough this is one city where I dont even feel safe there in broad daylight walking my 90 IB pitbull/cane corso. (not that hes a mean dog at all, hes got a good growl and bark tho. however thats about it if u got some bacon he would hand me over on a platter lol) however people dont know this. anyways this city out of any city Iv'e ever been to I'd vote unsafest. its sketchy I have never heard one good story from anyone about P.A this is why I turned down this idea so fast. However I wast with Kev and the tow truck was a bust so Kev decided to go to P.A and ask the street people. So i guess he found 2 guys who said they had jumpers at their aunties, and needed a ride to there aunties. (He's lucky they didn't jack his truck) they both hopped in the back, he said they were talking a different language so he didn't understand what they were saying but they kept laughing, he brought them to their "aunties" which was a apartment building that had been condemned. Kev had given them money for the jumpers (like 20$) they got out laughing as they walked into the abandoned apartment building. Kev told me that's when he sped off and figured they could keep that 20$ he was 99% sure they were going come back but not with cables... with buddies and try to jack his truck. (they also stole some stuff from the back seat when they were i there) .
All i could think was "I told you not to do that, I knew it would be a bad idea". After all th. he did what he should of done from the gecko. Wait for the store to open. Once the store opened he bought some cables and came back out to help me which was great, he could of easily just left me. I find it crazy that jumper cables are not just sold at 7-11 though they really should sell them there.
Big Bertha up and running again we went off to that fishing spot we were going to go to before my van stopped. Not far from P.A so happy that it was day light now since its really only minutes from the city. We didnt get any bites however it was such a amazing spot. I do highly recommend going to check it out. right off the hwy down a dirt road. Be cautious as it does have some good sized pot holes. Not a terrible road just one to go slow on. Nisbet trout Pond is the name of it, if curious to check it out. I didnt get any bites but for me the fishing is more just being outside by water in a nice spot, and this was just that i actually reallly liked it but because of how close it is to Prince Albert i don't feel safe being there alone. That being said after a hour my friend wanted to get going back home I did originally kind of want to stay there but because of the location i decided i would go as well. Kev was in more of a rush than I was by this point so I told him to go ahead I had jumpers and of I had more issues i could always call. Which he was more than happy to leave and not do 70k the rest of the way home
( I just wanted to add little side note, I do not recommend boondocking near prince albert however Prince Albert National park is breath taking plus its not that close to the city I believe its a 1.5 hr drive from the actually city, and plenty of boondocking options on ur drive out there. that are far enough i would feel okay about it just no service, and a rule i keep for myself for my own saftey being a solo girl traveler is to always try to stay place i have cell service, not always doable however if i have the option i will pick the cell serice every time. All these places on you're way to Prince Albert National park do not have cell service or its very hard to keep a signal. Saw lots of nice places i wanted to stay however off the hwy right road pulled right to the lake gorgeous. Prince Alberts not safe out here I mean the no cell service makes me deem it unsafe but if i was with someone i would 100% stay at one of these pull outs.)
Shellbrook
Shellbrook was as far as i had made it after Kev left. Which is only 24 minutes down the road. getting close to Shellbrook i was afraid i would'nt even make it to be honest. I could feel her loosing power and the radio was quiet. I pulled in and went to the wrong side of the road knowing shes going to die and ill need a boost i decided if i could make it to the gas station I would probably have a better chance of getting a boost. so i did a U-turn and then my wipers started to go off... I knew i didn't have much time to get to the gas station i wouldn't even use my signal cause it didnt work at this point anywasys but also would take more power...that i couldn't afford to waist. Windshield wipers (just the metal, remember still dont have actual blades on them yet) were going across the glass making a terrible noise every time they would go across, and so loud. I was extremely embarrassed by the time i had gitten to the gas station everyone was staring at me as my windshield wipers would scrap across the glass on a beautiful sunny day, sure puzzled most peolpe on why i would have these going off.
She died right beside the gas station at the DQ. I popped my hood put my jumpers outside so people could tell I needed a boost. I waited.... and waited... So many people coming and going it was probably 4 hours before someone finally said do you need a boost? I understand I could of asked people. I've tried that approach before and people would say no... so this way i figured I wasn't bothering anyone plus I wouldn't be disappointed when I'm refused help. Honestly though who says no? Unfortantley years back in Vancouver I had a hell of a time trying to get someone to give me a boost. Not one person wanted to help me which I was stunned, also almost in tears by the time someone helped me. I wish people were more helpful only people that tend to help now are elderly people cause thats how they grew up helping eachother... what the f**** happened to this!? for real people need to get out of there own selfishness and think of other people.put yourself in there shoes.... blows my mind the amount of people who dont ever do this... for me its my nature I have a hard time not putting myself in someone elses shoes unless im super caught up in me being right lol. which doesnt happen unless you upset me.! but people think of eachother and help eachother cause what if it was you? or your child your sister your brother your mom or dad like just think beyond yourself ... world would be far better if people did. (just saying rant over)
Dq stranger
Growing frustrated with the lack of help, I decided maybe it be best If Blue and Myself went for a walk. So I got us ready and headed out to close the hood and put my jumpers back into the vehichle. When I was startled to see a middle age man standing by the front of my van. He asked If i needed a boost. I said yes, and tried to clumsily help him get the jumpers in place. Once he had gotten it figured out, He asked me what was going on with BB. I explained I was pretty sure it was the alternator, then explained how I came to the conclusion. He nodded, then went back into his truck. Confused I stood there waiting for him to let me know when I could try the van. Unsure why he left and went back in the truck, only able to assume I must of offended him some how or maybe he found me annoying. Shrugging it off and focusing on the positive thay my car was going to be runing again in mere seconds. Coming to the decision that I doont think ill make it back till I get this issue fixed.. I mean hiw hasrd can it be to change a alternator?
He stepped back out of his truck with his phone pressed against his ear. asking me questions about BB. Didnt take me long to realize he was talking to a mechanic shop. I kept quiet and tried to listen to find out what was going on. When he got off the phone he informed me they have a alternator at the shop across from where i was parked, for 140 I believe which sounded fantastic! As soon as BB fired up, The kind strangert was gone.
The alternator
After leaving the mechanic shop feeling confident and determined, with my new alternator in one hand and a new fancy socket set in the other, and then parts guy hauling my new battery out in his hand I was ready to get this show on the road!. It was a very warm day so I thought why not find a lake close then the dog can cool off and myself. Then we wont feel a need to rush and i can slowly just figure this out. Probably would of made it too, except there was a accident on the road which lead us being detoured. Scrambling to find the next closest lake to us I found one i wasn't hopefully it would be great but water is better than no water. I turmed off the hwy, windshield wipers started to squeak across the windshield knowing I dont have long i sped up racing down thihs dirt road further and further from the hwy, Optomistic that we wold make it. 7 minutes away! BANG...backfire... BANG... Oh no this is new...So close preying just a little farther. All the preying in the world did me no good. BB died right there. on the dirt road, no trees, no house, no cars and definetlu no water near. Well I looked at Blue , "guess I best get to work". 4 hours later and alot of cursing and a few cool down breaks I got alternator disconnected! now I had to get it out from under the hood this prooved to be a challenge I could do. Least not now, with the bugs starting to come out and sun staring to go down i decided to pack it up for the night. Phone concerningly low on battery I made a call that was none so good for my ego, and called for help. The next morning help arrived.
On the road again.
8am Dylan showed up with a friend. Pretty impressed and super glad I made the right call, still being 3 hours from Lloyd and he showed up tickled me pink, Since my phone was 100% dead by this point. a hour later and a few more curse words from them and we were on our way home finally!
The fire
Off we went backed BB up and put her in drive and she didn't move... Oh right! I forgot i put the emergency break on when I working on her. Took it off and we moved! however there was some smoke I was trying to figure out where it was coming from Dylan said its fine its nothing but I stopped and we popped the hood and no fire okay, maybe he's right we got back in and the smoke is noticeably worse. I'm obviously still concerned of this especially since I don't know if my propane bottle has propane in it or not. I voice this concern and now Dylan is looking worried as well, However he presses on saying its fine nothing to worry about. . okay i don't see a fire we keep going but a few seconds down the road i stopped BB again something hit my foot, a coal! it burnt my foot. Now I'm 100% sure there is defiantly a fire in here somewhere.
I stopped , got out. Dylan followed suit to see what was going on. I looked down below where the peddles are, particular attention to the emergency break, just above it I noticed a space so i looked inside, and there my wires were on fire. I dart inside BB to get something to smother it with. Smothered the fire with a banket. We were back on the road but not for long.
20 mins into our drive BB does it again she starts loosing power the windshield wipers go off and she starts back firing again... but she doesn't die she makes it to the next town. We stop for gas, after fueling up. She wont start. Giver her another boost. Home-word-bound! we pull into Lloyd just limping. get home park her and go inside , enough of BB for today, at least.
The surprise.
Couple days later I decided to take a look and start getting BB ready for next summer I needed to figure this alternator issue out. Went bought another one and still same problem. Baffled on the issue I started to get a nice deep clean happening for her. Then I came across it! A mouse nest! a huge mouse nest. unfortantley the first nest I never evem thougt to take pictures of it, however in the storage closet there was a board for the flooring that just lifted right up and i saw a bunch of poop so i decided I should lift that up to clean it out good on the edges, boy was i sure surprised to see this ... this nest was the entire floor. I i put my hand in there with in flat it went up to my elbow! it was gross . This was why I previously during "the purchase" was having a hard time breathing!
