Exterior Video!

We spent a terrific 3 nights camping in the townsite of our favourite National Park: Waterton Lakes National Park. From our calculations Myrtle did about 9 miles per gallon. We intend to do some more major engine work on her at some point so we will see if that makes a difference on her MPG. She did well on the trip there and back, about 540 kms roundtrip.

We made two videos of her at the campground, one exterior and one interior. The exterior is below and shows off some details such as her replaced windshields, tires, and her freshly waxed, original, gelcoat, fibreglass.

Myrtle the 1964 Dodge Travco Motorhome - exterior from Voyagevixen on Vimeo.

Watch for her interior video next week!

Then and Now

I thought I'd post a few pictures comparing Myrtle's original condition to her condition now. In these photos you can see her back view and an interior ceiling view. In the back view photos you will see how much more vibrant her color is after washing and waxing. In the ceiling picture, where the ceiling tiles are missing you can note the new wiring that was in progress.

Scenic shots

These photos were taken in Southern Alberta in the summer of 2010.

More exterior photos

These photos were taken in the summer of 2010 near Waterton National Park.

Maiden Voyage

We took Myrtle out for her maiden voyage; camping at a provincial park 250 kms away. She made the round trip journey easily! She was terrific to camp in and drew a lot of attention from people passing by. Her solar power and plumbing was terrific. Her fridge and stove are not yet hooked up but that's next on the list.

Electrical Completion

This weekend we spent a lot of hours waxing the entire 27 feet of myrtle. We also installed the newly painted homemade access doors; one covers the back storage area and the other the solar power batteries. On the other side we painted the other two existing access panels that cover the fridge panel and the storage area for propane tanks.

We previously rewired the entire interior and now we have completed the electrical including breaker box, vent for inverter, inverter installation, and battery installation. Good news all lights and plug ins work! The only thing left is to install and connect the two solar panels. We also dry fitted in the new water tank, underneath the bed area in the back, and are planning out the associated plumbing.

We had a slight scare when Myrtle suddenly refused to fire up when we started her. However, we discovered that her neutral button was not fully pushed in on the push button transmission. After that she purred like a kitten. The brake fluid was filled up and we took Myrtle for a successful test drive.

More pictures

These show where her bumpers have been removed (for chroming) and her newly varnished walls.

Exterior photos

You can see some color difference in these photos. The rear view has had cutting compound, polishing compound an buffing, and there is still waxing to go! It has really livened up the color!