Vincent VanGo’s maiden voyage proved a harrowing one yesterday, as we drove our brand-new campervan into the teeth of an April snowstorm.
We picked up the Ford Transit, kitted out by the team at Wayfarer Vans in Colorado Springs, yesterday.
Ian Horgan, 34, started the company six years ago because he wanted an adventure van. Now he’s got two workshops, one in Colorado Springs and a new one in Reno. Since opening, the company has converted more than 500 vans into campers.
I like Vincent because it’s basic – no frills, no fancy décor, just a bed that reclines, a sink coupled a pair of 5-gallon water jugs, cabinetry and storage space.
The guys finished installing the bed, cabinets and kitchen sink, I applied two name stickers, and we rolled out of the workshop just as snow started to fall.
Things started to go sour when we hit massive traffic on Interstate 25, on our way to my sister’s house in Denver, and we got diverted into unfamiliar terrain. But when we passed Vincent Drive, I took it as a sign.
Back on the interstate, the snow started stacking up. We took it slow, but things got scary when a small sedan whizzed past, hit an ice patch and spun a 360.
Somehow, we didn’t mangle our van in the first hour we owned it.
This morning, Vincent wore a 4-inch layer of snow. We’re headed back to Colorado Springs to do some hiking at Garden of the Gods. And tomorrow, we’re taking falconry lessons.
We’re taking the long way home, without an exact plan other than visiting friends in Red River and Angelfire.
That’s the point, I think. We’re wandering.
Stay tuned for the adventure.