The Dudes' Vanagon

OBX

2009-08-05T19:46:00.014-04:00

Hazaa bitches. Once again the doubters abounded like a plague of locusts on the Holy Land. “You guys are effing crazy”, “wait, what you mean it is going to leave the state and possibly drive over four hours to a sweet and beachy destination?” , “that is the most beautiful piece of machinery ever forged by human hand or was it created by the Gods on Mt. Olympus and escaped one night while Zeus and the others plotted against the human race only to end up finding solace in Jarreds back yard for extended periods of time with brief interludes of glorious adventure” So yes all of these comments flooded our ears, inboxes and mail boxes (by the way keep all of the awesome packages and fan mail coming)So on July 24 after the Van had been stuffed like a Turkey on thanksgiving but replace the stuffing with, tents, chairs, sponges (cool new way to say boogie board), fishing rods, trash grill and coolers full of life giving goodness, Scott and Jrod buckled in to begin the journey…and then realized the keys were locked in the house. But! After we found the keys the adventure began. The trip couldn’t have been smoother beyond the lack of a horn, windshield wipers, a gas cap that falls off if you hit a bump, lack of heat gauge, and a broken odometer, which are all of these are minor infractions that refused to interfere with our mission.

One story to note... on the way to the Oregon Inlet campground in the Outer Banks beautiful women flashed us their brazziers and awesome dudes on motorcycles wanted us to join their outlaw biker gangs. On account of all this distraction we stopped short at a red light and sent coolers full of frosty brews exploding throughout the van. Beyond that all was awesome.
Ben your presence was sorely missed the next one is your call. Great weekend with special friends, magical times, hardcore bum cooking beach fires, good laughs and great times.

The Vanagon Goes to Nascar

2009-07-08T12:30:00.022-04:00

The Vanagon made the yearly trip in May and what better way to spend it than heading 7.6 miles away to RIR Speedway which was hosting the Nascar Nextel Cup Race.

The ride couldn't have been smoother. The van seemed to glide through traffic like a watermelon lathered in KY. We arrived to find that middle America had saved us a fantastic spot to camp out for the weekend. Throughout that weekend the Vanagon acted as a mode of transportation, lodging, and place of businesss.

Eric "the mechanic" Snipes and Scott recently bought a few thousand boxes of cookies at an unclaimed freight auction. Once everyone had eaten a few hundred boxes a piece we started to use them as fuel for campfires. We brought the remaining boxes of cookies to burn throughout the weekend however found that the three budding businessmen were able to fleece the product for a sizable profit.

I think they made a few hundred dollars and somehow managed to swap out a few of our Nascar tickets for less desirable seats while we were under the influence of all things awesome. Well done you little entrepreneurs. Stay tuned the Vanagon is "headed" to the OBX in late July. This could make the history books.

Days gone by

2009-01-28T21:13:00.003-05:00

Party Time. This was during the summer when the Vanagon would start. We are in the process of swapping out the ignition switch. After that though, watch out. Big things to come. Keep all the letters and gifts coming, thanks to all the Vanagon fans.

The Test

2008-11-22T10:21:00.007-05:00

It was a dark windless night, the stereo was blaring, and the towns were flying by. Tonight the Vanagon fought its toughest battle to date. Tonight we drove to Charlottesville, not less than one hour away. The Vanagon took us there and back without a single hiccup. If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible, who still wonders if the dream of The Dudes is alive in our time, who still questions the power of our Vanagon, tonight is your answer. We recall the people asking as we drove out of town, "Can you make it all the way there?" To which we replied, "YES WE CAN!"

The Maiden Voyage

2008-11-22T09:36:00.009-05:00

Alas, the time has come. Weeks of hot summer days, busted knuckles, greasy elbows, monkey wrenches, blood, and sweat have brought us to this day. Today she hits the road, the highway, the side streets, and the back alleys. Today she spreads her wings, takes a deep breath, and feels the wind pass by her. It is finally time for her maiden voyage.

Where did the Three Dudes take her you ask? NASCAR, of course.

*please note that the NASCAR track was, in reality, only about 15 minutes away. We made it!

Our Superior Interior

2008-06-27T11:16:00.004-04:00

Wethreedudes would like to say THANKS to all of you out there in cyberspace who have been supporting us in our endeavors. Without you, none of this would be possible. Our inbox has been OVERFLOWING with requests from our adoring fans for some interior snapshots. We haven't yet done much work on the interior aside from what could be the most important upgrade so far... the Skull shift-knob. So, although the transformation is not yet complete, we will satisfy your curiosity below:

Shower Time!

2008-06-21T20:09:00.007-04:00

At last! The Dudes' Vanagon finally gets some much needed TLC. Today Scott took care of the daunting task of washing her. Using pure, natural, artesian spring water (the likes of which you have never seen) he gently washed away years of neglect. Now, her true colors shine through! We now know the true meaning of beauty. Thumbs up Scott!

FIRE IN THE HOLE

2008-06-14T16:58:00.005-04:00

Loaded her up with coolant and fired her up today. The moment of truth. First video is of us starting it up and is the inspiration for this post's title: "Fire in the hole!" Second video shows it being driven into the backyard under its own power. The third is Ben doing a wonderful job of cleaning up antifreeze. Big shout-out to Erik Snipes, a great mechanic and outstanding cameraman. Those are his feet in the second video. Today was truly a great day.

TIRES

2008-06-14T11:00:00.001-04:00

First thing's first... get her back on her feet. Using a highly sophisticated technique (pictured) Jarred wrestles the lug nuts off. Scott, using his superior "parts acquisition" skills, tracks down the appropriate tires and gets them patched, balanced, and mounted. She rolls...

A Moment Frozen In Time

2008-06-14T10:53:00.000-04:00

THE HANDOFF

Day One

2008-06-10T21:39:00.001-04:00

The Vanagon by which all other Vanagons shall be measured was purchased today. Three Dudes: Ben, Scott, and Jarred shall restore this Vanagon to her former glory. There shall be sweat, blood, busted knuckles, sore backs, and tired eyes but we shall forever carry on until the deed is done. It was on this day that Ben Gajewski, by virtue of his superior insurance, signed the title thereby beginning our adventure. Here on this blog we shall document our tale as it unfolds. Check back often and you too can be a part of this journey...

-WeThreeDudes