Saving Charlotte

We drove away in an unlicensed car that we did not legally own, complete with a bashed in front end, a badly cracked windshield, and a headlight propped in with duct tape, a tree branch and a piece of foam found lying on the ground. It was not an encouraging way to start our 3,000 mile journey!”

Ever dream of buying a one-way airline ticket to purchase a sight-unseen, salvage titled automobile and drive it home 3,000 miles? Join Kat and Ned as they “rescue” Charlotte, an unlicensed, reluctant, but endearing VW Syncro bus who drags her wheels at first, but eventually really gets rolling. Kat and Ned had a vision of building up a Syncro into a cool, capable overland adventure vehicle, dreaming of the advantages of “bus living.” But would the dream turn into a nightmare?

The adventures and mis-adventures are hilarious, turning a four day drive from Connecticut to Nevada into a two week escapade of mysterious mechanical issues, cop-dodging, heat waves, torrential thunderstorms, missing credit cards, and Mississippi mud baths.

Can’t get out of Hartford…Can’t get out of Buffalo…Can’t get out of Elkhart…you can’t imagine what can go wrong on a trip like this! Charlotte balks, spits, sputters and lurches but never stalls, while Kat and Ned persevere, finding that, in spite of her VW idiosyncrasies, Charlotte has a truly endearing soul. They also find that their dream of “bus living” has become an addictive reality.

“Only in a VW Bus would somebody attempt something like this…and get away with it! What a great story! A must-read not only for the VW Bus crowd—but for the wanna-be’s too!”

S. Lucas Valdes – GoWesty Campers