It had been nine months since our last van trip.  we wanted to see something new and choose “la van” due to the expected terrain and vibe we were going for, turned out to be an excellent choice. This portion of the Mojave desert and our particular destination sits right between Los Angeles and Las Vegas, creating a desert solitude in Southern California. hard to imagine within the proximity of countless millions of people, finding such solitude can be possible. 

 A couple years had since passed since any real miles were driven and during that time, opportunity was taken to continue working on upgrades. Few things on the list included – the vehicle ac system was completely replaced, upgraded sound syste the roof top AC was removed and replaced with a vent fan and a new lithium ion house battery was installed. 

 

 

Being quite some time since this van was used on a trip, I was excited to see how much of an improvement to the experience, the additional attention and customization that were made, would begin to tune in the vibe of the 29 year old van.  

 

With my pre-tripcheck completed, the van was ready for the 800 mile round-trip adventure, the old diesel proved smooth and reliable as usual.

The general storage space and overall layout of this Coach House conversion allows for quite a bit of hidden compartments and access to usable space.

Every trip made seems to streamline the overall packing and prep time spent before keys are in ignition. 

 

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This was an entirely new destination and I put my time in mapping out coordinates, eta was looking like 4 hours and we planned our departure accordingly.  An early afternoon arrival will always allow you plenty of time to settle in to your final spot. 

The solitude of the desert, there was no one visible for great distances, a primitive campsite and plans for a two night stay.  The ability to create fire and a well stocked galley, we were alone yet connected.

Leaving our secluded area we took the opportunity to explore the adjacent area with its multiple site options, we agreed coming back would never get old. Two nights had passed and we were ready for our next destination only a few miles away…the kelso sand dunes.