Only hours after picking up the “reliable old truck” to head for South Carolina to get the “reliable old Airstream”, I ran into my first problem. I’d been on the road only a few hours when the sun went down, and I flipped on the headlights.

But the 38 year old alternator and voltage regulator had reached the end of their lives, and after just a couple hours the battery was drained and wouldn’t start after my next pit stop. Fortunately this happened to be at a Red Roof Inn since I was done for the night… so I simply rolled the truck into a parking spot and hunkered down in West Monroe, Louisiana.

Bright and early the next morning I was on the phone, getting a jump start and heading to a local garage where a new alternator was installed. It took several hours, but I was finally back on the road, and assuming that mechanically speaking, I was out of the woods.

Making my way through towering forests lining the Mississippi highways, the journey finally felt like I’d hoped. The AM radio crackled to life, and I listened to 1950’s gospel music through the single, tinny speaker. The music fit my mood perfectly, as a low, orange moon danced in and out of view through the branches.

As I approached Jackson I called my brother Matt, who’s doing some Marine training there for the next few weeks. Turns out he was home with his wife in Chicago that weekend, so I had dinner alone.

I finished up the night in a great old plantation-style hotel outside Birmingham, but all the while an insidious black ooze was drip, drip, dripping under the car.

As daylight broke I threw my duffel bag into the truck and set out towards Atlanta, accompanied by the southern preachers who attempted to alternately save or damn me through the radio. I paid little attention, keeping my eyes on the road; but the little aftermarket oil pressure gauge hanging from the bottom of the dash was beginning to steadily drop…

Tune in tomorrow for the next leg of the journey!

It became obvious that if we were going to buy this cheap towing vehicle in Texas, I’d need to fly there and drive it home. A subsequent glance at a map made clear this would be a solo trip – it didn’t make sense to drive back to Chicago only to then set out for Hilton Head, South Carolina for the Airstream – even though it meant Melis and Nell wouldn’t be there to see it for the first time.

So that’s where we were at: Brad’s quick drive through the deep South.

I left behind some nice weather in Chicago for equally warm temps in Dallas. Hopped a cab to college buddy Chris’ house which he shares with his fantastic wife of several years. What a cool couple – every time I see them it reminds me that we don’t see each other nearly often enough. Chris was my first roommate in college (he was a year ahead of me) and we shared an apartment for six months in Austin after school. Good times.

After an all too short one-night visit, we headed into Dallas where I jumped my first Greyhound. The three hour ride to the little border town of Texarkana by bus was a great experience – watching the large, soap opera-esque ranches give way to small farms and barns that leaned over in the heat…

Stepping off the bus in Texarkana, it became clear that I wouldn’t escape the feeling that the whole world moves a little slower out there. Luckily I’d brought plenty of work from home, because that “reliable old truck” wasn’t quite reliable yet.

All kinds of new pieces were still being bolted on – from spark plugs to a new four barrel carb. By the time I rolled out on the highway from the Denny’s parking lot – making another stop to upgrade the hitch wiring to handle the trailer brake controller – I’d been away from home four days already. But at least I was running under my own power…

What could possibly go wrong in a 38 year old truck? Find out tomorrow!

After selling our Airstream project (in all its gutted glory) we soon had our eye on another one… one that wouldn’t need any repairs done just to enjoy it.

Now, the plan was to borrow my mother-in-law’s Chevy Trailblazer and drive to South Carolina, where the new trailer was sitting. We’d take Nell along, and enjoy a little family vacation together. Simple, right?

Sorry, we’re all outta simple.

As the date to leave for Hilton Head got closer, I began thinking more about our tow vehicle. What we really need is a cheap, reliable truck that we can use at a moment’s notice for a long weekend in the Indiana Dunes or Door County. Borrowing Melissa’s mom’s SUV every time we wanted to take off for a few days was going to be – let’s face it – less than practical for everyone involved.

So I cruised around eBay for a few days to see what was available, and that’s when I found the perfect tow vehicle. Cheap, reliable, no rust, and a recently rebuilt engine that could easily pull the Airstream around. Even had a nice paint job!

It did have one problem, though. It was in Texas.

Tune in tomorrow for Part 2