The Time Has Finally Come

[Plumbline]

Safe travels Spencer .... have fun

 

[kaiser]

Good luck, god speed, and come home safe and sound Spencer !

 

[Worf]

Drop on by when you're on 87 North of I-90 west out of Albany. I owe you a meal!

Worf

 

[vintage.vendeuse]

I may be able to offer some assistance when you're in the Detroit area. PM me if you're interested. I look forward to reading about your trip!

 

[sweetfights]

have fun
stay safe

 

[Dinerman]

Thanks, everyone! We're making a separate map for ourselves with all of you wanting to meet up marked on it. Going to try to see as many of you as we can.

Right now, we're trying to tie up all the loose ends before we hit the road- got the solar panels mounted and the sink's finally leak-free. Still waiting on a power converter for the toilet and a couple other little odds and ends. Tomorrow's our big "bus warming" party for local friends, who've all been very curious to see it in person after months of photos on facebook.

The kickstarter just passed the 1/3 mark, both in terms of time and amount raised toward our goal. We'll be leaving a little before the kickstarter closes and are definitely taking the trip, but web interview series, photo postings and book really depends on reaching the goal. If we don't reach it, we get nothing, so anything helps!
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/263559793/road-ramblers

 

[Dinerman]

Depending on how long it takes to get the rest of our stuff into storage, we're now shooting to leave on Wednesday or Thursday. What are we getting ourselves into?
Nine days left on the kickstarter and still a fair way to go. Whether we're able to make the book happen and whether we're able to post photos as we go really depends on making our goal. Every penny makes a difference. https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/263559793/road-ramblers

 

[wild_balls]

Wow!!! What a trip!


Travel safe!

Cheers Joakim

 

[SurfGent]

Be sure to check thrift stores and antique shops. Probably could score some great finds that have been sitting there forever. I passed up a vintage open road once in Lovelock, NV cause I already had one, I kick myself. Anyway good luck looking fwrd to your updates

 

[Dinerman]

Just 71 hours left on the kickstarter and still a ways to go in order to be able to put out the book and make the web series for everyone to be able to share in what we're seeing.
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/263559793/road-ramblers

We left on Friday and have made it into North Dakota. So far, seeing some very interesting places.

 

[SurfGent]

I dig that big cow one. That's awesome

 

[Peacoat]

Congratulations Spencer. I just got an email from Kickstarter that said your project has been funded. Good news.

 

[AbbaDatDeHat]

I recall this adventure from a few years ago. The pre-planning and the excitement generated among us loungers.
I wonder how things went, how things are now and if any update might be possible.
Hope things are well Spencer, @Dinerman.
B

 

[Edward Reed]

I recall this adventure from a few years ago. The pre-planning and the excitement generated among us loungers.
I wonder how things went, how things are now and if any update might be possible.
Hope things are well Spencer, @Dinerman.
B

so his last post was July 14, 2016...
Dinerman was last seen: May 18, 2018
Thats weird. hope he is okay... 10,562 messages and poof...gone. Its rather odd to post so much for so many years only to stop yet to come on two years later but not post anything. now its been another 2 years. even his Facebook page hasn't been updated in 3 years and his website is not working.. His Kickstarter on this project was Last updated October 24, 2016.
anyone know of his whereabouts?

 

[Edward Reed]

Okay Spencer's personal Facebook page is still updated regularly so he is alive anyway and in Bozeman Montana.. still married to Alex

 

[Frunobulax]

He still sells on eBay, as well.

 

[Edward Reed]

He still sells on eBay, as well.

ya I was looking over his offerings. really great items!

 

[Edward Reed]

seems his adventure ended abruptly in North Carolina Oct 2016 sadly when their truck threw a rod and was too expensive to repair so they abandoned the vehicle, rented a truck and went home at least they didn't get hurt in the process.

UPDATE #9
Farewell to Big Green

Alex DeLong, Spencer StewartCreator
October 24, 2016


For those of you who have not heard and are wondering where we have been, hopefully this post sheds some light on the past month.

At the beginning of the month, as we headed south through North Carolina, the bus started making a flapping sound. Before we were able to pull over, there was a gut wrenching bang and a lurch. The steering and brakes went but we were lucky enough to be able to wrestle the bus to the shoulder, where we watched it bleed out. The prognosis was terminal- the bus had thrown a rod and trashed the engine. In seconds, our home for months was reduced to a pile of junk- the price of a rebuilt diesel was staggering. Stranded in a town of a thousand people, with Hurricane Matthew moving up the coast, we were lucky enough to procure the very last rentable vehicle left in that part of the state, a 27 foot U-Haul. We set about gutting out everything we could from Big Green and left it sitting in a truck junkyard. As we drove away, Alex asked if I'd remembered to close the roof hatch, worried that the bus would get cold sitting there alone. We both wept openly. As many mechanical problems as it had, over the course of the trip, we'd come to view the bus almost as a third traveler on our grand adventure. Its sudden demise hit like a death in the family. We managed to make it safely back to Montana, where we have been regrouping. We're still in a state of disbelief, of shock. But we are pressing on- this is a setback, not an end. We will continue traveling in the Western states and will continue documenting our travels on the website. Postcards, small gifts, photographs and illustrations that were promised will still be mailed before the end of the year, and work has begun on the book. Your support through these hard times have meant the world to us and we look forward to sharing with you the rest our continuing story.

Thank you, Alex and Spencer

 

[AeroFan_07]

^^ Sad to hear this. I too had wondered what ever happened to this journey. Good they made it out before that hurricane hit, and too bad I had not followed them more closely. I have relatives in NC who probably could have helped out.

Given the vintage of the truck, (apx 1999 Chevy) that had the 6.5L diesel, perhaps turbocharged. It was not known for being a very reliable high-mileage engine. The 6.6L Duramax engine co-designed by Isuzu is more reliable overall, but that was likley not in the budget. Loosing clamp load on a rod cap yields the results they experanced, and having been around a few when this occurs, it's not pleasant at all. Plus the engine on that vehicle sits right between the driver and passenger. Very fortunate they did not have a fire, as that would have been quite possible given the circumstances.