Last couple days have been busy, We have removed and cleaned the rear passenger section of the truck. The plan is to utilize space, and still uphold the ability to seat passengers. Difficult task, but we were helped.
This is before

After it has been cleaned out.




We also have a rust hole problem. it makes for a really loud ride once the interior is out. We decied it was best to fix this issue while we have had the help from our friends. (Bushtaxi crew, Allrad Keba, Uli, Martin, Alexander, Mark, Arnold, Sergie the welding Ukranian)

Here are some photos, they may hurt your eyes, unless your Canadian. Europeans consider this rust pretty significant (it is ahha), they haven't seen my old Toyota 4runner back in Ottawa, or even 40% of the Ottawa winter Vehicles.

Notice the insulation, works as a sound detnener, and is an attemt at sealing the cabin.



last friday 13th, we had seen a broken down car on the highway, we pulled over and pulled him to a safe spot. Apparently his gearbox crapped the bed.


In Brackenhime we fixed put a new shock on the truck, seemed like a good idea. The truck now drives like it was supposed to.
Here is a picture of the new 2010 Toyota Landcruiser pickup. 70,000euros gets you this baby.. Roughly 105,000CDn dollars.

Alrad KEba Mechanic working on a j75 that needed a new Camshaft. Old one was worn down so they changed it...



On Monday the 16th back in Weingarten we had gone to a metal shop to get some pieces for the truck. Initially we had walked in speaking english and asking for the chef ... boss, but the one lad on the left didn't speak english. He thought we were Englishmen from the Kingdom. The second he realized we were Canadian, he began to speak to us in English and talk about his fammed Scottish Football club. It was quite funny. The younger lad on the right cut and measured the pieces of 0.6mm thick steel for the truck.

Measurements on a Madagascar postcard, don't ask how we got it, it was in the truck for a long time:


Lads happy as could ever be, thanks for the help dudes.
Manuel, had sent me an email almost right after we had left, and wished us the best of luck. Also wants to come to Canada to visit in the Future, I told him I would house him for however long he wants. Future Reliner maybe?



Fastforward to Tuesday the 17th and Sergie, one of the workers in a shop helps us with some welding. We all had to be careful with the gas tank. on the right side there needed an abundance of metal work, and the heat was getting hot. Luckily and thankfully for the amazing skills of Sergie he was able to put it all together without error!



We still haven't finished workign on the truck, today we go and fabricate some more parts for the fitment of the panels, gas tank, rear tire, sand boards and such.

Sergei came to visit us in the Cabin last night. I figured I would be owing him for all the work he has done. That night after the welding I was about to go to the store to get vodka for his help, but he ended up telling us to stay put and he will be back.

Sergei did come back, with a backpack of full of food and a 750ml of Vodka!
We sat in the cabin, with Candles and a gas heater. How romantic...
Anywho we literally had each a 100ml glass, 3 cups and it was taken as a shot, I have never done a 100ml shot of vodka, and as soon as we were done the 100ml, he loaded us up again and down she went. I thougth I wouldn't be able to do a second shot, let alone a third final 1/8th shot of whatevr was left in the bottle. that took 5 minutes, and we began to eat. There were pickes, chocolate cookies, a kebab type of pork meat, rye bread and these cheetos type things. When we had finished the vodka, I was feeling pretty good, about 10mins after we drank it, we were all right pissed. I went to the truck and grabbed whatever alcohol was there. Uli our good Karlsruhe friend had given us a bottle of Champagne, grabbed it and a bottle of wine. I went back to the Cabin, and the Vodka monster, "Sergei" said, no no no Champagne, its poison to him, but if he was going to make us pound back all that vodka we were goign to force him to drink all the wine and champange with us. So we did, and wow we got quite proper messed.

Sergei gave us a little bit of his story. Originally from Ukraine, in 83-85 he learned to become a welder from a Technical school, in 85-87 he was in the USSR military and was stationed in Germany. He worked in Moscow and now lives here in Weingarten. A raelly nice guy. has a family with 3 kids. 18-19-20. 18-19 year olds are girls, and when we asked about them he said. NOOOOO ahhaa. it was good times.

Sergei took off after we finished the drinks and could hardly walk, he had to bike home inthe rain after a long day of working, helping us with our truck and drinking like a Ukranian should.

Morning came, and all of a sudden, 8-9am some guy comes running in our cabin screaming TRANSLEVANIA!!!! " we were talking about Vampires the night before on a druken rant." He looks at me, I jump 10 feet out of my sleeping bag and he launches an apple at me and says EAT! get up! "ARBITEN ARBITEN" means Work in German. and puts a bag of apples down on the table.

Thats the events leading up to now. Wednesday 1153am German time.
We are going to work on the truck now.