Well, here we are about a year later
she still running like a champ and gets me to work every day! She'll knock every once in a while though, not sure what that's about. Occasionally on start up, and one time when I was driving about 55mph down the road I was scared and pulled over. Seemed to go away after I filled up the tank and has never done it while driving since.
What really bothers me is how prone to failure the automatic transmission is.. The first one got me all the way down to the desert and -barely- back. I literally had to drive 4 hours straight because when I went to stop and get a drink, there was all sorts of crunch. I swore if I got rolling again I wouldn't stop til home.. And she complied. So, 3rd gear, 50mph, 4 hours and I can say I didn't get stranded ^^ hell of a scare though. She sat for a few months til I was able to locate a trans to swap, did that and got her rolling again but now this one seems close to death too. Or at least she sounds like it.. Swish swish swish up front, click-click click-click click-click somewhere behind. 3-4 stacked shift unless I'm in the throttle pretty good, and now shifting slightly hesitant. Bah, I knew it'd die eventually but I was hoping for 10k miles at least..
So I got a line on an NV4500 I might jump on. I gotta have some reliability, I don't wanna be scared my vehicle is gonna leave me hanging, and I hate to say it but if I don't trust her, perhaps I'm better off sending her down the river. Which is blasphemy, I know.. She ain't even been my home yet. But she is a rolling oven and hard on gas.. Neither reason having any bearing on my trust issues. I know with proper love and care she could do better on fuel, have air conditioning and insulated walls to keep the temperatures milder. notwithstanding.. She has been an absolute pleasure to drive. Super comfortable.. And it's nice to just be able to park under a tree, hop back in berth and recline.. Super comfortable seating. I also moved the bench from across the back to by the wall, so I don't have to hang my feet out the window to lay down. Way better. Much cargo room too. Just gotta figure out how to move belts and anchor.. But before that, I'm tearing out all the interior, getting into the walls and insulating them, as well as running a couple extra 12v ports to provide more convenient power. Also, I must set up an auxiliary battery tray under the framerail, with an isolator so I can charge but not accidentally drain. Move the aux fuse box to that and it'll be disco.. Power a little TV and my PS3 for entertainment, nothing major. Perhaps run some soft light LED rails for better, more efficient lighting. And most definitely new carpet.. That old carpets kinda funky.
I got a lot of dreams for her, to be sure.. But a vehicle is only as good as she still drives reliably, so I gotta get that up to snuff.
Anyways.. Two cents from anyone? Advice, concerns, recommendations for improvement? A slap for good measure perhaps?