This is where we find ourselves at this point in time…

It has been 6 months since we moved to MT and you may wonder what happened?  You thought we would be on the road testing out our Unimog camper by now, well, so did we.

This is what happened in a nutshell. Our camper build went bad.

The builders were very behind schedule and not following the contract in regards to hours dedicated to working on the camper. Another new business was also started while work was supposed to be taking place on the camper. Oh, and two multi-week vacations. And, many long weekends off. And, unplanned ski days. When we discussed what could be done to assist with project management, how we could help to get things back on track, things came to a halt. This was in the beginning of January 2018. We were supposed to be on the road in mid February. There is still no resolution with the camper builders at this time and we are exploring other options.

We are actively searching for a camper box we can transplant onto the Unimog or an expedition vehicle and camper that suits our needs. Unfortunately, this is not an easy or quick task.

We have reached out to many builders here in the US, Europe and Canada.  We have narrowed down our options to a few builders, but have not committed to any one builder at this time.  Ryan and I heavily researched over the last few years and decided on what vehicle platform we wanted and what we wanted in a camper and it’s really hard to think about compromising on a living space that will be our home for years.

It’s harder for Ryan because I am willing to compromise to allow us to get on the road.  The thought of delaying our start a full year and starting over is daunting for me. For Ryan, it’s worth it if we have the living space and functionality that we want.

Ryan and I decided that since the future of our expedition camper is unknown at this moment, I would go back to work, cover our living expenses for a bit and allow us to explore another state. I am working as a traveling physical therapist in southern rural ID for a short time. Ryan is still in Bozeman, working on the Unimog while we still have indoor shop space and all of our tools. Ryan will leave Bozeman soon and continue working on the Unimog and his consulting business.

You will notice the MOG had a facelift thanks to Nathan Fall from Fall Automotive.  We have taken advantage of local shops for interior upholstery for the cab from Rex’s Upholstery and metal fabricators for our firewood carrier and cab shelf.  Thank you Sailor Neale from Heliarc Design and DeGidio Sheet Metal.

5 Replies to “This is where we find ourselves at this point in time…”

  1. It’s nice to get caught up on what’s happening! We’ve been wondering. Sorry you’ve come across so many obstacles! On the bright side, does this present the possibility of you meeting us in New Orleans???

    • There is a possibility, but not sure where we will be or what we will be doing past May. We should know more in the next 2 months.

  2. So sorry to hear about the continuing problems with the hedgehog. You and Ryan have amazing perseverance in the pursuit of your goal. I look forward to seeing photos posted of the final product. (Hopefully in the not too distant future!) And just a reminder, we could always use a traveling physical therapist here on the Sun Coast.

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