So excited we can’t sleep
I opened my eyes and looked at the clock.
5:30.
I rolled over and tried to go back to sleep. My brain is already racing with dreams and plans for the van.
There’s so much to do! This is so exciting! It’s just waiting out there in the driveway for us to go see it!
Austin and I both woke up at 5:30 and couldn’t go back to sleep. Despite being up late the night before and actually needing to sleep in today, the “Christmas morning” energy sparked us into action.
First, we murmured about the van in the dark. This turned into the agreement that we weren’t going back to sleep, and more serious conversation. Finally, I decided I needed to pull out my laptop to document all of our ideas and to-dos in Asana so we didn’t have to re-hash the whole conversation.
Comment if you’re interested in learning in-depth about how I manage the van build in Asana!
After an hour or so of planning in bed, we went out to the van in our pajamas to look around. Seeing it again was like seeing it for the first time, but with the comfort of knowing that it’s ours. Austin immediately started crawling around the van looking at things. I set up my laptop on the shelving in the back and started taking notes.
Van Features (Good & Bad)
There are quite a few features in the van that we found. Some we’re excited about, others might be expensive. The bulkhead with the door is probably what we are most excited about. The front tires are also new and have 40k+ miles left. However, the back tires look like they have been retreaded and need to be replaced before we go on our trip. The spare is pretty much bald so we’ll replace it with one of the rear tires. Finally, there’s an alarm system hanging out on the dash, and it looks aftermarket. But there are no markings so we’re not sure what to make of it.
Things to Fix
As Austin inspected the van, he told me what would need to be fixed. I entered these items into a “Things to Fix” task in Asana, as subtasks, and assigned the task to Austin.
This list includes:
- Get steering wheel cover – the steering wheel is messed up and the cover on it is too large, so it slips
- Fix hood prop – someone tried to slam the hood down without disengaging the prop and bent the prop way out of shape
- Front marker lights – need to be replaced
- Polish headlights – they are a bit scratched up/foggy
- Back door stoppers – they got jammed in behind taillights a few times causing cracks because they are not secured properly
- Back step – someone used the back step as a battering ram when backing up so it’s all wonky (at least it protected the rear of the van!)
- Fix bulkhead stoppers & lubricate – the bulkhead is a bit hard to move, and one stopper needs to be replaced while the other is a little bent out of shape
- Attach headliner – it’s loose in a few areas
- Parking brake sensor – the parking brake sensor only comes back on sometimes
Austin will be tackling these items tomorrow.
Things to Buy
Maintenance Manual
We wanted to get a Haynes Automotive Manual for the van, because it is a detailed resource for performing maintenance. However, Austin found that they only sell Haynes manuals for the European version of our van (Freightliner after 2008). Since the European version has the steering wheel on wrong side, a different engine, and manual transmission, that manual would be basically useless to us. However, there seem to be good online resources for Freightliner maintenance, and you can buy a PDF of maintenance manual (they don’t sell physical copies). I think paperless is better anyway, given the space constraints of the van.
Keys & Fobs
Austin looked into it and it seems the broken key case we have can be replaced by a Mercedes key case, which will cost $20-$30. Unfortunately, the van only came with one key, so we will have to go to a Mercedes dealer and get a new key made, which could cost anywhere from $200 to $1,100. We will call a Dodge dealer and see if they can do it for less, but suspect they will say no.
Diagnostic Scanner
Austin looked into getting a more advanced diagnostic scanner, called a Scan Tool. They retail at about $150, so we are going to try to purchase it used. This tool is like an advanced OBD scanner with a bunch of different readouts. Our engine doesn’t have a temperature gauge so that is something the Scan Tool can do. It can also provide data on gas mileage and average speed, and more.
Things to Do
I was a project manager in my previous career, and systems and task lists are kind of my thing. I love using Asana in my business, and slowly it has crept into our personal lives as well. I can assign Austin tasks, he can comment on them, assign them to me, or complete them.
We’ve created a whole new Asana project for the Van Build. Here’s a peek.
[pic of asana]
I also have created a tentative timeline in Excel, so we have a general idea of when large tasks/milestones will be complete. Then I used this to set the due dates for individual tasks in Asana.
The Win-Win of Selling Stuff
Today I spent all day at my in-law’s house, where we will be building the van. I spent some time cleaning up the guest room we’re staying in, and organizing, dusting, and vacuuming. I also set up a desk area where I will be based to do a lot of buying stuff, selling stuff, and van research.
Speaking of selling stuff, I spent 2 hours or so going through Austin’s college textbooks to sell. It looks like we can get about $600 for them if I list them properly. I still have to list the textbooks and a few clothing items online for sale.
I am also going to list a handle that came with the van that we will not be using. The more money we make by selling our stuff, the “cheaper” our build will be! And then we won’t have to carry around or store as much stuff! Win-win.
Van Photo Shoot
I want to document the van before we start doing work on it, so today I also did a small photoshoot of the van, including taking some photos of the “Alan” key, since we will be removing that casing and replacing it with one that’s not completely busted.
[Pictures]
I also posted the first photo of our van on Instagram and announced that we bought it! I created a whole series of stories with pictures and videos that you can see under the “Our Van” highlight on our profile.
Then, I spent a couple of hours finalizing the journal entries for the past couple of days and getting them posted. I do not count blogging or Instagram in the hours worked (for the summary), I am only tracking time spent that directly relates to the build. I did include all build planning time today.
From now on, the journal entries will be an end-of-day activity and must be posted before I go to sleep. I also hope to do a before/after photo for the blog daily, and a before/after video for Instagram daily.
Summary:
8/25/2020
Build Day #1
Hours Worked: 6
- Austin – 3 hours
- Becky – 3 hours
- Total Project Hours: 30
Money Spent: $0
- Total Project Spending: $16,624
Tasks Complete: 4
- Assess mechanical needs/things to fix
- Enter tasks into Asana
- Develop timeline
- Take “Before” photos
Questions Googled
- Nothing van related, just things about selling textbooks and Craigslist free
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