Update 1.0

The move is done and we've settled well in Bielefeld! We've been here for 4 weeks now. It's crazy how time flies!

It's pretty sad that we still have lockdown and contact restrictions - but there's nothing you can do about it!

So what have we accomplished in the past weeks?!

The first thing we did was "just" remove the partition wall. Well, it turned out to be more than just "just" because the bottom screws were so rusty that we had to saw them off. Unfortunately, we found even more rust after removing the floor... we still have to work on that!

But first, the van went to our trusted workshop and we had all the known defects that we accepted when buying it fixed - new brakes, tie rod, new battery, etc.

But during that time, we didn't want to just sit around, so we decided to "just" build a roof for the parking space. Of course, that wasn't done "just" as well. Early on, we realized that we should scratch "just" off our plan!

And then there was also the extreme winter arrival here. Bielefeld hasn't seen such snow and freezing temperatures in a long time! Skiing in Bielefeld!!! Crazy! And it's probably just as crazy to continue working outside at -10 degrees...

The roof is done, we picked up the van from the workshop, and the snow slowly melted away...

Of course, we wanted to park the van in its place. That wasn't "just" done either! Such a mess!!! The floor was naturally muddy from the melted snow. Muddy ground plus a slight incline in the garden resulted in us getting stuck! No forward or backward, just spinning wheels and mud, mud, mud - oh, and a tree that almost got us! Pure despair. Towing wasn't an option either because our path to the parking space goes through the neighboring kindergarten's fire brigade entrance and there wouldn't have been enough space for a tow truck... With a lot of effort, muscle power, and a slackline, we pulled the 2.2 tons out of the mud the next day. Don't ask about the sunshine! We're very glad that we had this experience here in the garden and not when traveling together, somewhere in the middle of nowhere. We immediately ordered sand tracks for the journey and the slackline is coming too! Of course, we left behind a huge mud hole, and since we occasionally have to drive the red rocket away, we quickly laid a driveway. Of course, with the help of many hands - thanks again!

So, all the surrounding work was finally done and we could focus on the van.

First step - rust treatment... here again, a bit more work than expected! But we're making progress!

And what else?!

Jannis works a bit as a freelancer on the side and Maja helps out with the bees in the nearby kindergarten! So, we're earning a little money on the side and don't have to touch the travel budget yet.

Oh, and - almost forgot. We were still in Hamburg for a day! We got a second single seat from eBay Kleinanzeigen so that we can replace our bench seat. The two single seats will have swivel bases, so we can turn towards the living area and don't have to plan for an extra seating area. The seller of the seat was a cool dude. He's also converting his van, but he's already further along and was able to give us some good tips!

What's next?!

Painting, installing windows, electronics, parking heater, insulation, roof rack... let's see which ones we can actually show you next time.