Driving across the country, Doris did great! I was really nervous in the days leading up to my departure. Sarah and I had agreed when we bought the van to never use her as a moving truck. And here we were, using her as a moving truck…

I was a real stickler about what we put in the van. I wanted to keep the load as light as possible to keep from overworking the old girl. Only the essentials went in. OK. The essentials plus Count Chocula the ceramic toucan.

In retrospect, we probably could’ve stuffed a little more stuff in there. Doris powered across the entire length (well, almost) of the I-10 with almost no problems. I took good care of her, of course. I kept it under 65 and checked the oil every 180 miles.

The only hitch was a minor breakdown in the middle of the night just past Pensacola. So close to the final destination! I called a tow truck, camped out in a mechanic’s parking lot, and rented a car for the final leg of the trip the next day. I rented another car two days later to drive back up to retrieve the mended van. Turns out it was the ignition coil. No big deal. Only $100 (plus two rental cars, a taxi, and a bunch of gallons of gasoline…).

A helluva van! Now to fix the brakes…