The hubbs and I have added to our family, not in the way your thinking I'm sure. Sorry to disappoint ya. We've been toying with the idea of a project vehicle of some sorts for a while now. Well really the husband has and I just sit, nod and agree right along with him. That was until he showed me pictures of a VW camper van that was for-sale in Nashville a month or so back. It was completely redone and updated for the most part. I was in love and the price was perfect. We contacted the seller multiple times and their lack of returning calls and emails sent us looking else where. From that moment found ourselves searching every website we could looking for a VW Camper. Our desire to have one grew and grew, we where so excited about the idea of having one and the adventures we would have in it. I was sold, I wanted one we both did. But there was only one problem the market for VW Westy's where far and few between in and around our area. We where willing to travel a few hours to look at one if we found one we liked but no such luck. A week or so ago we went to Louisiana for a wedding and came across a Westy for-sale (before we went) and set up a time to meet with the seller to check it out. It wasn't exactly the year / style I liked but I was willing to give it a look. After talking to the hubbs on the way there and him better explaining to me more of the differences between the one we where going to look at and the one I had previously liked, I started to lean more to the Westy side. Sure it looked a little different then the older retro style camper vans but it would be a much better option for us long term.
We agreed we'd look it over, test drive it and talk to the seller but we wouldn't make any decision on wether we where going to take the plunge till later that evening or the next day. We where staying over night in Louisiana so we had time to think / sleep on it. I long story short after lots of back and forth's we decided to make a offer. Sadly he declined. We where bummed at first, we had our hearts broken. But the next day was a new day and our search continued. We where happy that he ended up declining our offer. It allowed us to keep looking, seeing what else might be out there. It wasn't like we needed to make the purchase or plunge right then and there. Not to say we didn't want to though.
The next day on our way home to TN the hubbs found a 1991 Westfaila forsale in Nashville. It was a bit more than we had agreed on spending but we though we'd at least take a look at it to have something else to compare to.
We knew what ever we got would need a good amount of work, a paint job, new upholstery and a new engine at some point. So we where prepared for that. We weren't prepared to spend what he was asking for it though. We met up with the seller one Wednesday evening looked it over, took it for a test drive and then talked with the seller some more. He was selling simply because his family out grew it and needed something bigger. We talked before and agreed we'd go have dinner and talk about it before making a decision, and that we did. We had dinner, talked about it, drove home and talked about it some more we decided we'd make the seller a offer. The hubbs called him that evening around 8:30pm but he didn't answer. It wasn't until late the next morning that he called us back. The hubbs made him a offer and he said he would have to talk to his wife about it and get back to. We though we'd know something by lunch time but lunch came and went, dinner came and went. Finally he called back and countered with us. We talked it over for a bit, I had the hubbs call his dad to get his thoughts and opinion on it. We decided to go for it. I was a ball of nerves but so excited at the same time. This was a Wednesday evening and the seller was going to be out of town for the weekend so we couldn't pick it up till the following week. It worked out because we had to wait for funds to come from the bank. (HELLO WE PAID CASH, never in my life did I think we would be at a point where we could do something like this and still have so much left in savings.) and it also allowed us to clean up the garage a bit so we could park it in there.
Tuesday evening of the following weekend the hubbs picked me up from work and we headed down to Nashville. Traffic was awful and I was still a ball of nerves, where we making the right choice. Should we really go through with this, its not to late to change our minds. But we did it, mean up with the Seller, his Wife and kiddos at a local Farmers Market they have a booth at and handed over a Check and bought our First 1991 VW Vanagon Westfaila. It was so surreal. But we where beyond thrilled and excited about the adventures ahead of us.
We both agreed that even though we may have paid a little more than we had originally planned or budgeted for we where happy that we purchased our Westy from this particular family. They where awesome, genuine and so nice. Not pushy at all and they where excited for us and our newest adventures ahead.
That evening after everything was final we walked up the street to a local BBQ joint and had dinner. Still in awh over the fact that we where officially apart of the #vanlife. After dinner we went to REI and picked up cook ware, and some camping supplies. Time to stock the Westy!! Driving home I was behind the hubbs in the car. I wish I could have got a picture but it was to dark. He had the window down and his arm hanging out the window. I couldn't help but giggle inside. This was really our life, no turning back now!!!
So with that said meet our newest Addition our 1991 VW Vanagon Westfaila, aka Westy.
Keep an eye our for more pictures to come and all the fun adventures and projects ahead of us. :
