4 months, 10 000km, and my experience.

[Adrock]

Well, Saturday on my trip home my wonderful van, her full name Emily Baby Duck Chamonix (pronounced Cha-Moan-Icks) rolled past 100 000km. I got her with just 89 XXXkm, so I figured it was time to give a little update since I am responsible for over 10% of the total milage now.

When I first got her, I headed straight for some dirt and mud. I was very impressed by the 4x4 power, and in Low 4wd i was stunned at how she just ate up steep hills without even blinking. The test was passed with flying colors.

The trips to work and back were great, people staring from every angle. Ever notice how you can tell which people are going to look and which just don't care? I have found old 4x4 toyota pickups, and obviously the land cruiser crowd are almost a sure thing to do a double take.

After a particularly rowdy halloween party, I slept in my van in Burnaby. It is so magical I even woke up with a girl beside me. Upon questioning, "how the hell did you get in here?" she replied, "the door was unlocked". I kicked away the empty 40oz bottle of rye and rolled over back to sleep.

I made a trip to whistler to snowboard in november. This was where I learned I would prefer if she were just a touch faster on the highway, but no worries, it keeps me out of trouble and enjoying the scenery.

For a while I just worked. Then at the beginning of this year the real fun started. I left on a trip to Kimberley B.C. Everything went well on the drive down, aside from the fact that I should have changed the oil and filter before I left. So I get there, and it is -25. After a dew days she has trouble starting, and on the coldest day it just wouldn't go. So I went online, (and found this site actually thanks to green1) and figured out what I had to do. Bought 2 new batteries and a stick on oil pan heater. $400 later she started. A little rough at first but it happened. I came home for 2 days for a concert, got my air oil and fuel filters and proceeded to change the air filter. That was easy, but I was without anything to jack up the vehicle so the oil filter was more of an issue. I went back to kimberley oil filter in hand and got some help from my uncle. It went very well and is definitely an easy do it yourself job. About a week later, I pulled into the slanted driveway with the fuel light on. The next day it wouldn't start. My guess was correct, it was out of diesel. So my wonderful family took me down to the gas station, we filled up a gas can and emptied it into the tank. Thank god I had my manual for this part. After unscrewing the little bolt on the side of the fuel filter housing I started pumping. I wasn't sure if it was working, but after a solid 10-15 minutes of pumping something that only moved about a centimeter each way a glorious shot of diesel spouted out. I figured by this time it should start, so I tried, and nothing. I tightened up the bolt and gave a few more pumps, I could hear air bubbling into the fuel tank. Once that sound stopped I gave it another shot, and it went.

It is the best feeling getting an unhappy van going again.

I finally made it home saturday night. An easy uneventful drive except for the 3 deer we almost hit and a 2 foot diameter 8 foot long section of tree across my lane in a corner.

Emily has been very good to me, and hopefully she will be for years to come.

[Green1]

Sounds like you've had a really good time with the Delica, I can only hope I manage to get half as much enjoyment out of mine...

After a particularly rowdy halloween party, I slept in my van in Burnaby. It is so magical I even woke up with a girl beside me. Upon questioning, "how the hell did you get in here?" she replied, "the door was unlocked"

now why doesn't that ever happen to me???

enjoy the vehicle! I've only had mine a couple weeks now... but I'm really enjoying it so far!

[Adrock]

It has only happened once, but fingers crossed that that is how I meet my future wife.

Anyone else have stories of the adventures they have experienced with their magical machines?