Tag: Exploring Alternatives

Little Buddy Heater – One Year In

Posted on February 18, 2018February 18, 2018 by KennyG

Today is gear review day, and we are going to review the “Little Buddy Heater“. When we first moved in to Freddy, it was early April in Ontario and the weather was improving. We made the decision to move into the van on Easter Long weekend. We learned early on that we needed a source of heat with the early spring rains starting.

Little Buddy Heater

After watching a couple of reviews on YouTube, I wanted to buy the “Portable Buddy” or the “Big Buddy” Heaters, but there were none, since it was spring and all of the stores had already stored away for the summer season. The only one I was able to find was the Little Buddy. When we first got the heater, though it was a little small to warm a 19ft Class B, it was enough to take the chill out of the air. It was easy lighting, which is important, since who has the time to stand there and wait ten or 15 minutes attempting to get it to light.

One thing I noticed right away, was the amount of condensation that is caused but the Propane Heater. This contributed substantially to some of the on going issues we would have in the van during the months Oct – Dec. As the year went along, we noticed that the heater became more and more temperamental. Some days it would light rite away and other days I would need to stand and hold the feed button for 10 – 15 minutes in order for it to warm up enough to light. I would often change out a partially used cylinder for a new one, and the Little Buddy would light right away and on other occasions it would not. Now when I say light, I mean I could get the pilot light lite, however it would not ignite the Ceramic dish that would produce the heat.

We had planned to use the Little Buddy heater as a stop gap measure until our wood stove came in. We however, were unable to continue using the Little Buddy because we could not get it to lite. Thankfully we were in the Lower Mainland with warmer temperatures.

Minus Temperatures for Little Buddy Heater

As the year went along it was really quite obvious the the Little Buddy Heater was not overly useful so we decided it was time to jump in with both feet to buy a Wood stove for the Freddy. If we wanted to make it a go in the van through the winter it would be a must

Overall, I would have to rate the Little Buddy Heater as a 4 out of 10. Fresh out of the box, the heater did a great job, but after a years worth of work for us it became more and more temperamental, to the point we had to stop using it. In the end we gave it to a homeless gentleman we met, with some of the remaining propane cylinders. The Little Buddy Heater retails for around $89.00, and if I had to do it over again, I would have saved my money and put the $89.00 into a Cubic Mini, which we will review in a later post.

If you have any comments we would love to hear them, just post them below.

Manitoba – We finally Made it out of Onterible

Posted on July 10, 2017July 10, 2017 by KennyG

VanLife - Manitoba — Manitoba – Abandoned Railway Bridge

It seemed to take forever, to finally make it out of Ontario. I had explained I thought it might take 3 days, even with the ferry from Tobermory. But since we needed to replace the transmission in Thunder Bay it ended up taking us 5 days. We got the go ahead to pick Freddy up for 16:00 on Friday, so we took a few minutes to go shopping and grab some fresh food and then off to the Mister Transmission. I was hoping I would be well into Manitoba by now, but instead the best we hoped to make it too was Dryden which we did easily.

Arriving in Manitoba

We departed Dryden at 8:30 in the morning, bound and determined to make up lost time. The people in Northern Ontario have been so very helpful. Thankfully there has not been much of road construction so we were making pretty good time. We arrived at the border around 11:30, with to our advantage, we had an hour time change so that helped on our trip for sure!

Michelle wanted to stop in at Jollibee, which is a Filipino restaurant we use to go to when we lived in Bacolod City. She has been missing her Jollibee very much, so we had to stop for a bit to eat. I also had the opportunity to visit with an old Navy friend of mine Colin. We sailed together back in the late 80’s early 90’s I have not seen him since my last couple of years in the Navy. It was fantastic to see him and meet his lovely family!! Way to much time between visits.

Next Stop Brandon Ma.

VanLife - Manitoba Jollibee — Manitoba – Jollibee

After enjoying a stop at Jollibee, we figured we would high tail to Brandon a short 200 or so km away. Things were clear sailing, The van was running perfectly and Debbie has been equal to every driving task put out for her! She has been doing a fantastic job, especially since this is the farthest she driven west, and by herself to boot! We ran across a plane doing some crop dusting which very interesting to watch, and Michelle has never seen that before so she was very interesting. I had to pull over to see if I could shoot a couple of pictures.

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Thunder Bay or Bust – Nothing Like a Break Down

Posted on July 7, 2017July 6, 2017 by KennyG

Here it is day four and we are still in Thunder Bay, and for good reason. We started having problems about an hour after leaving Wawa. I noticed the manual Over Drive light had illuminated on its own. This would be the beginning of our troubles.

First Planned Stop – Thunder Bay

VanLife - Thunder Bay — Thunder Bay – Around Town

It turns out this overdrive light would be the beginning of our troubles, about an hour out of Wawa we needed to come to a stop at a road construction area and as I slowed down there was a strange grinding sound, and Freddy began to lurch, not a drastic one but it was noticeable for sure. As the flag person gave us the go ahead, things were all good, and we went on our merry little way. Though not known to us things were getting worse by the minute. I think we drove on for another hour when we pulled over to check something, this would prove to be a bad decision. As we went to pull away, I learned that I had lost Drive (D) on my transmission. I still had Reverse (R), First (1) and Second (2).

Since we were in the middle of nowhere, I knew if this was to have a happy ending we would need to make it to Thunder Bay. As we continued to limp towards Thunder Bay things just continued to get worse. For a while, I was able to go into Overdrive or Fourth, as we climbed the hills in the area, but it was getting worse and by the time we were climbing the last hill into Thunder Bay was down to Third (D) and manual starting from a dead stop. Just on the outskirts we saw a Walmart and decided to pull into the parking lot and call it a day.

Transmission Work in Thunder Bay

Where do you go to get transmission work done, finding a shop that would help us out proved difficult! I did a search on Google, and the first place on the list was Mister Transmission. As I waited for the call to go through I had all those terrible thoughts running through my mind at one time. Crap this is going to be expensive! Will we make it to British Columbia to start my new job in time? Can we find a rebuilt transmission or is it going to be a new one? Mister Transmission was very helpful right from the very start. The girls I spoke to did their best to answer all the questions I had, but the one thing I did not like was we can not look at it until the next day.

Still holding onto a thread of hope for a quick fix, I decided to call another transmission shop. One shop told me lots of information, but in the end, he could not handle a conversion van on his hoist. Another shop would be able to take the transmission out, but then it would need to be worked on somewhere else as they do not do transmission work. The earliest he could get me in was Thursday, and then a couple of weeks for a transmission, and I would need to be the one to find a replacement. I was directed to contact the Dodge Dealer in town, they could do the work, but no they could not take me. They however offered to find what transmission I would need. We are still waiting for an answer a day later.

Mister Transmission – Thunder Bay

In desperation, I call back Mister Transmission and I lay it out there on the line. It’s 16:52 they close at 17:00 and I’m between a rock and a hard spot. I speak with a gentleman named Daryl who was so very helpful. We discussed the symptoms, and then the reason for the rush needed, and he tells me to have it there for 8:00 am the next day for it to be trouble shot. I explain to him we are living in the vehicle, and I ask if we could stay in their parking lot overnight. He said for sure, no worries, and I decide to head over there now so we can be in place and ready for first thing this morning.

Arriving the night before turns out to be a good idea for a couple of reasons. The first one is I’ll be at their door at 7 am, so I will certainly be the first in line. I’ve been warned they are jammed with work but I am going to do my best to get pushed in there. The second reason, we happened to meet the owner, who tells me to plug Freddy in so we have power. This turns out to be a fantastic offer, we were able to run the AC a little, and not worry about our battery power.

Sure enough, I’m at the front door of the shop at a couple minutes after 7, and I happen to meet up with Daryl, and he begins my paperwork for the truck. We discuss a plan of action to find out what the issue is with Freddy, and then we head off to Starbucks to give some room for Mister Transmission to do their work.

The Bad News

Late in the morning, I receive a call from Mister Transmission with the bad news. Freddy’s transmission is not fixable and needs replacing. There is a company in Winnipeg who is working to get the transmission off to Thunder Bay if all goes well it will arrive late Friday morning. If it arrives in time there is a chance we can head off late Friday afternoon. The bad news is if it does not arrive on time, it won’t be done until Monday, as Mister Transmission is not open on the weekend. So here we sit in a motel keeping our fingers crossed hoping Friday is our lucky day.

The staff at Mister Transmission here in Thunder Bay has been fantastic. Not just because they are helping me out, but because they answered my questions and provided fantastic customer service. You can tell they take their jobs seriously, and they are very professional! Thank you, Mister Transmission!

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Leisure Travel Freedom – Our Van Tour

Posted on July 3, 2017July 2, 2017 by KennyG

VanLife – Van Tour

We finally did it! We were able to finish the video of our Van Tour. I thought I should write this post while our video uploads to YouTube. Please be gentle with your reviews as it’s our first video, and we seem to be a little long. Everyone starts somewhere and things can only get better!

Freddy’s – Van Tour

We are very proud of our home. We moved into Freddy back over Easter in late April, and have worked at perfecting our new way of life. So many people seem to want to look down their noses at us. Oh well, can’t please everyone, and at my age, I am not going to try! So we hope you enjoy the Van Tour. Be sure to leave comments either here or on our YouTube Channel. If you have been reading our blog you will know already we are moving back to Beautiful British Columbia so be sure to follow along. We will try to upload a video every Friday, and if all goes well we will have a couple of blog posts a week.

Canada 150 – Ontario Yours to Discover

Posted on July 2, 2017 by KennyG

As our time is drawing to an end here in Ontario, I am torn but excited at the same time. British Columbia has been my home for so many years and I have been away for almost 3 years now. Though I was born here in Ontario, it’s never been home. It’s so difficult to explain to people, but there is a burning inside of me to get back to my home. There are some very beautiful areas in Ontario, places such as Belleville, or Cottage country, Northern Ontario is breathtaking. I, however, live in the Niagara Region currently and there is truly so little to offer.

Ontario – Niagara Region

During my stay here in the Niagara Region, I have been introduced to many different people, some very interesting and some not so much so. A perfect example was just the other night at Starbucks. Three young ladies likely in their late teens, talking rather loudly about how they hate immigrants. I thought this kind of funny since they were not Native Americans, so their families were immigrants somewhere down the line. They looked over and saw my wife sitting there, and Michelle is from the Philippines. One would think they would maybe cool it, but no a simple “awkward” and they continued their discussion. As far as I am concerned this is not the Canada I grew up in. It sickens me to hear things like this being said by the next generation. I can somehow understand my parents thinking like that though I would never agree with it.

This is certainly not the first time I have heard such comments. I have even heard things like that from some of my family. One reason that makes us want to move from the area. There is nothing here that we can relate to, we are explorers, travellers. Our enjoyment certainly not sitting in the backyard weekend after weekend seeing how many beers we can down. This seems to be the extent of many in the Niagara Region.

Time to move on from Ontario

Now that we are in the early stages of the summer, and we have been able to work the kinks out of our Motorhome it seems like a perfect time to move on. Since Michelle is new to Canada, it seems like a perfect idea to do a drive across the country so she can get an idea that there are wonderful places in this country. There are many places that immigrants can be at home, respected and treated as equals. I have learned over the years that people become “institutionalised” where they are too afraid to learn and grow. Once this happens they become closed to anything new or different and then all that is left is judgement.

Our plan is to depart late afternoon on the 2nd of July, and we are going to do our best to travel no less than 500 km a day so we can arrive in the lower mainland of British Columbia 10 days later. I have made this trip on a number of occasions, and I have to say there is something so special watching the amazement on someone’s face during their first cross country journey. I know Michelle took joy when we were travelling the Philippines watching me as we travelled all over Negros Occidental, now it’s my turn to watch her.

Shooting Pictures for Canada 150

I am most excited about 10 days free to shoot images as we cross the country. I am hoping to find the time to shoot celestial images as we cross through the Prairies. There should be some fantastic opportunities for night shoots, and if we are really lucky there will be some fantastic opportunities for weather pictures. I am looking forward as well shooting in the mountains if possible. There is a special spot in my heart for sunrise/sunset and water. I am wanting to shoot long exposure if possible. I am also doing a review of a set of presets and brushes for Lightroom so be sure to keep an eye for that review!

Since this is Canada 150, and we have the opportunity to travel across Canada, explore like we love to do. Memories last forever, those are the only things we can keep with us forever. Houses, cars, pools they are material, but memories are forever! I am so looking forward to shooting images as we go. On “Instagram” I use a tag called #seenthroughyourbedroomwindow, I am hoping to be able to add many shots under this heading. I love the fact that every day we will have another amazing view to take in. My sister Deb is coming along with us, and I am very excited about her joining us. She will be piloting “Little BlueJay” as we make our way across the country.

It All Started in Ontario

As a child, I played competitive hockey here in Ontario, first with the Penetang Jr Kings and then with the Belleville Bulls of the OHL and the Trenton Bobcats their farm team. I spent most of my teens living with a billet in a different town and travelling by bus to games. Most of the time I was on the road and I loved that feeling of being on the move. Later with the Navy, and then of course when I retired I lived abroad. Michelle keeps asking if I am excited about the trip, and so far I have been pretty calm but I know once I am on the road all of the stress from getting the trip organised will drain away and this will be another trip of the lifetime!

Be sure to follow along with us, enjoy our stories and hopefully many many pictures. Are you on an adventure want to share? Let me know we would love to hear about your adventures as well!!

Port Colborne – Explore Canal Side

Posted on May 29, 2017 by KennyG

Once again this weekend Michelle and I were able to get away and explore some of the areas we love. Port Colborne is certainly one of those places! There is a little stretch from the last bridge on the canal to Lake Erie that is simply adorable. It reminds me of Mahone Bay in Nova Scotia minus the salt water. Turn left as you cross over the Clarence Street bridge onto West Street. There are these quaint little shops with this atmosphere of a small seaside village. I think if we were to come off the road early, it would be for one the little apartments above the various businesses on this street.

Canal Side – Port Colborne

If you have been to Port Colborne before you will know the dual meaning in the header above. Yes, you are certainly canal side, but there is this small Restaraunt/Pub about three doors down from the corner perfectly named for this adventure, “Canal Side“. It was late when we arrived, but the barkeep was very pleasant and helpful Michelle was looking for something to eat, and I a new experience in Beer. I am ever hopeful I will find a place that knows what beer is all about! Craft beer, something with body and flavour. I have been surrounded by stock beer since returning to Canada and having lived in some of the places I have…I long for a good beer! The barkeep knew his stuff, he had experience working in Banff and boy did he know his beer!

After our stop at the restaurant, we headed out to Freddy and for what we hoped would be a good sleep. Having been in the Navy for 20 years, I love the sounds of the water of boats and birds. Throughout the night, I could hear the screams of seagulls and the sounds of boats on the canal. I was brought back to another time in my life, a time filled with many wonderful memories!

I knew Michelle would want to sleep in, so my original plan was to wake up around 4:30 am, and head out to shoot some sunrise images with the canal as my background. As my alarm sounded its cry to wake, I just could not bring myself to get out of my bed. With the good early morning light behind me, I decided to make a cup of coffee and venture out. I was hoping to capture a couple of good images and I think things worked out wonderfully!

Deep Sea Bearing Down

It was not long after setting up my tripod and camera that I rewarded with a subject worthy of shooting. I love shooting images of water, there needs to be some kind of water in the capture. As I stood on the edge of the canal, I saw the pilot boat return to the dock, and sure enough, the “Federal Rideau” entered the mouth of the canal.

Port Colborne - Canal Side — Port Colborne – Canal Side

I had everything set up, I just needed to have the patience to wait for his approach so he filled the whole frame. I hoped he would be a worthy subject and I an equally worthy photographer. Once he passed under the bridge I returned to Freddy so I could make Michelle breakfast as I try to do for her every weekend. With the weather being perfect this morning we decided to venture out on our “deck” and enough our meal outside.

Let us know what you think of our post. Let us know of any of your cool or not so cool boondocking experiences! We just finished shooting out Van Tour Video so keep an eye out for that on our YouTube Channel.

Run Away Prop

Global Wanderers