Cam Van part 3

We did take the van with us for one night to the music festival at the end of October. We decided it had been part of the original plan and it was the first time we had really left the house since losing Cam. We drove down, watched some bands, and tried our best to have a good time. We slept in the van that night and drove home at 6am the next morning. That was our first trip away in the van. It wasn't a great time.

The only thing we really learnt from that experience was that we just wanted to get back home and that we needed a coffee machine in the van! We woke up at 6am, not really having had a proper sleep, and we both wanted a coffee. Because of where we were and the early start we couldn't get a coffee, so it was decided that we would look into that as part of the upgrades. So, in order to be able to make a coffee on the road we fitted a 360Ah battery system (3 lithium 12volt batteries), a charging system and a 3000W 12v/240v inverter. And we took our coffee pod machine from the kitchen and put it into the van. We had now spent about $1000 just so we could make a coffee when and if we needed to. At this stage, March 2025, we are yet to make a coffee in the van!

The next thing that got us out of home was another music festival. This was in December 2024. It was an important festival for us to attend and we immediately bought tickets as soon as we heard about it. 10 of us drove 10 hours to be there for it. Have a look at the "Changing Tides Festival" page for all the details about that. It's a good story and a good read. Just prior to this event we had the Christening of the "Cam Van". I decided it was important to take the Cam Van for the 10 hour drive down to Kiama, even though we had already booked accommodation. I just felt it was fitting. And we would have been over halfway to the Great Ocean Road if we decided we wanted to continue with that plan. So we drove down on the Friday, attended the Changing Tides Festival in Kiama on the Saturday, and then decided we both just wanted to be home again. So we drove back home on the Sunday. It was totally worth it though! That festival was just what we all needed.

So, the Cam Van project still continues. We add stuff to the van, we move stuff, we change stuff. We have everything we need to go away for an extended period. We have a double bed, we have drawers, we have storage. There is a fridge, a gas cooker, a small 12v oven, gas hot water and an outside shower. An awning with a tent attachment, camping table and chairs. A portable toilet with pop-up ensuite. Most recently we added a small TV and Cam's old PlayStation 3, so we can watch DVD's when/if we ever find ourselves somewhere remote and want to pass some time in the van. The Cam Van is now a ready, willing and able little campervan, fitted out to comfortably spend some time away. Now the only missing ingredient is our want and willingness to leave the house and get away for any extended period of time. Maybe soon. We will go when we feel the time is right. Stay tuned.