Road Test
The 1981Chevy Vandura Classic
P
addlers travel great distances to rivers, and the trip to and from is as much a part of the experience as the river trip itself. Making yourself comfortable on the road eases the burden of miles of fence posts, not to mention an in-flight home cooked meal or two. This is why Massive Kayaks designer Ian Thomson picked up a customized 1981 Chevy Vandura Classic. There is nothing that screams home away from home and comfort more than his Vandura’s original wall to wall shag carpet.
Back in the 70s, custom vans were all the rage. Thousands of post hippie era long hairs travelled from festival to festival escaping their city jobs, living in their vans, listening to The Allman Brothers and getting stoned. I suspect a few of you are slowly bobbing your heads and playing air guitar (I was only ten) looking out at your new mini van thinking it needs KEEP ON TRUCK’N mud flaps. All social commentary aside, this automotive
Best Paddler Features
1. Ian’s home-made rack system will accommodate up to 10 kayaks. The boats are easily loaded on the roof with a hardware store extension ladder and the help of a lovely assistant.
2. The Vandura Classic offers lots of storage and head space with its raised roof. Skylights are a nice touch and the Vandura is insulated for cool nights.
3. Ian and Ainslie lounging in the kitchen/bedroom combo. All the comforts of home are packed into the back of the Vandura. Nothing better after a cold day of paddling than a fresh cup of hot chocolate and a warm dry place to change. Did we mention water and bug proof dining?
movement left in its smoke a glut of twenty- something year old tricked-out vans. These vans are ideal for the modern day paddler looking for a second set of wheels and a solid roof over their head at night. Ian and Ainslie picked up their Chevy sight unseen. A friend, Mike Cuff, who’s an Ottawa River local and car guy, arranged the deal and stored it in his barn for the first win- ter. For a purchase price of $2500 and anoth-
Saturn
er $1000 for brakes and some electrical work they were ready to go. Ian has since installed the custom roof rack with ten-boat storage capabilities, and he devised a clever way of accessing the roof—an extension ladder from the local hardware store. The ladder not so cleverly stows in the middle of the kitchen area.
Ian and Ainslie own a little hound dog, Ceilidh, who bolts through tents at the scent of roaming deer. Tent repairs, combined with the added overall convenience, lead them to the purchase of their Vandura. And a quick comparison of value is pretty convincing. For their $3500 investment they get: a solid roof over their heads, a two burner propane range, ice box, sink, drawers, cupboards, storage, airplane lighting and...a van. Compare that to either motelling or equiva- lent trendy camping equipment and it’s a steal. Did we mention the shag carpet? How about a 305 V8 under the hood and 1000 lbs. towing capacity to get your motor running? Old vans like Ian’s Chevy Vandura Classic
are for people who want a sense of rustic lux- ury and convenience. They’re for people who put greater value in function than fashion and don’t give a damn what the rest of the world thinks!
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