Our Very Own 1976 Toyota Chinook
Our dream adventure vehicle
I met Sean just over 3 years ago. I fell for his adventurous spirit and his big goals. I have always been a dreamer myself, and work very hard to make my dreams a reality, so it was really nice when I found someone who mirrored that. Before we even started officially dating, Sean was telling me about a dream of his: drive the Pan American Highway and do so in a classic truck. “Want to drive to Argentina with me?” he asked. “Yeah that sounds great!” I would always reply. 3 years later, and it has morphed into a very real goal for us. We have been saving and setting timelines for when we want this adventure to start.
Recently, we had been talking about upgrades we wanted to make to the Tacoma in order to take it on the trip. But I wasn’t quite sold that it was the right vehicle for this endeavor. The topper we have is really nice for our weekend adventures and has served us well on our many cross country road trips, but it is soft sided and I was feeling like we needed more security than that for the Pan Am. We discussed other topper options, but weren’t sure anything else was really the right fit either. We would love to get a Chinook, a Toyota truck camper from the 70s, this part of the dream inspired by Toyota World Runners, a couple who built a Chinook out and took it on the Pan AM, but we never thought it would be a possibility for us.
Last week on the Colorado River,each day was started with a stretch and safety circle accompanied by a question of the day. One of the questions was, “If money was no object, what one luxury item would you like?” Easy. I said, “A chinook, upgraded to 4x4, in perfect condition, ready to take on the Pan Am.”
I offloaded from the boat on Sunday and on Tuesday night, I opened the Facebook app. It auto opened to Marketplace and a listing “a little further away” for a 1976 Toyota Chinook. I clicked it, and thumbed through the pictures; this thing looked perfect! I sent it to Sean and called him right away. “Hey, check Facebook. There’s a Chinook for sale!” “Yeah I saw it, it's in terrible condition and would need a lot of work.” “In Durango?” I asked. “No, Camp Verde. I didn’t see anything from Durango.” “Well go look. This one is beautiful!” Sean looked through the photos and agreed. “This is the best shape I've ever seen.” I giggled, “Wow, I can’t believe we’re going to buy a Chinook!” Sean laughed too and said, “I’ll message the guy.”
We kept talking about how cool this would be. But we still weren’t convinced it would happen for us. Financially, we just weren’t sure it would work. Sean got some information from the seller as well as asked about the price, if he’d be willing to budge at all. He said he could bring it down a little. We each then looked at our different accounts, and determined that with the lower price, we were able to split the cost 50/50. I guess saving money on rent really does pay off!
Discussing it more, we asked the seller if he could hold it for us until the weekend, when we could travel up to see it, and that we could afford it at the lower price. He agreed to hold it for us and Sean and I both initiated transfers from our different savings accounts.
The following days our conversations were taken over by this dream. “I can’t believe we’re gonna go buy a Chinook!” “This will be crazy if it all works out!” “Buying this will make the Pan Am dream feel so much more real!”
Friday afternoon I went grocery shopping for the weekend as Sean worked. Once his day was done, he packed up some clothes for himself and took the bike rack out of the hitch. We got everything packed up and headed to Chipotle for dinner. At about 7pm, we hit the road heading north. We only drove about 2 ½ hours until we were both tired and found a highway pull off, popped the top, and snuggled into bed.
A rock formation viewed from camp
We rose with the sun the following morning and were filled with excitement. Crossing into Colorado, we went over our agreement for purchasing again: if it doesn’t run, we won’t buy it; if it needs significant repairs, we won’t buy it; if the photos are from years ago and now looks nothing like them, we won’t buy it; we need to assess the storage ability; we need to see if it can get up to speed; assess if the upgrades wanted will be doable ourselves. I felt really good that we were in agreement on all of this. I knew we were both really excited about the possibility of this, but it never felt like the decision was made preemptively.
At 10:40, we pulled into a trailhead where we were set to meet the seller. A few minutes later, we saw him pulling in. I lit up, “No way! It’s so cute!” “That thing is sick!” Sean said with a big smile. We watched him pull past us and back up. He waved, we got out of the Tacoma, and walked over to him. We introduced ourselves, shook hands, and started looking around.
It looked just as it did in the pictures. The exterior looked great and the interior looked perfect. Exactly as it looked in the listing pictures. He showed us how to pop the top and how to set up the bed. It was so cozy and also spacious. It’s probably to our advantage that we live in a 22 foot camper, as the small space of the Chinook didn’t feel small at all. He let us take it for a test drive while he hung out with Riv.
Riv checking it out
As we turned onto the main highway, we were both in agreement that we were happy with it so far. Sean drove, as I have never learned stick, and he got it up to 55 with it shifting great. We just went a little ways, then pulled into a park to test the turning radius. A little worse than the Tacoma. Back on the highway, I felt giddy with wind in my hair. This felt real, doable. Sean signaled to turn back into the parking lot. “That’s it? That was pretty short.” I asked. “Yeah, I got it up to speed and was able to shift no problem. There was no shaking and it felt and sounded good.”
There was another guy lingering, who kept trying to swoop in by offering a trade. We told the seller that we really like the truck and are heavily leaning towards a “YES”, but we wanted to chat first to make sure we were still in agreement and discuss the budget of the small repairs and larger upgrades. “Don’t sell it to that other guy!” I said. He laughed and said, “Don’t worry, I’m not.”
He recommended a coffee shop, 81308 Coffee House and Sean and I headed there. Sean half jokingly said, “Well this will be a test if we can trust him or not. He said it’s the best coffee in town.” I ordered an iced chai latte with oat milk, Sean ordered a hot vanilla latte, and we got a pup cup for Riv.
We chose a seat outside so Riv could be a part of the final decision. We went over everything. Well, at least everything we know right now. What repairs are needed, what upgrades we want to do, the budget for it all, and how we will split those costs.
Our lates were in fact the best we’d had in a while.
We agreed that we couldn’t go home without the Chinook. It felt too meant to be. We finalized our decision with a cheers of our lattes and a kiss.
The buyer gave us the address to the storage unit and had the truck pulled out and ready for us. We each sent him our half of the price, and once he confirmed it on his end, we went inside, sat at the dinette, and he signed over the title to us. Sean signed first and I excitedly followed. The Chinook’s now former owner handed over the keys, “I’m sad to see it go, but really happy it's going to you guys. I can’t wait to see what you do with it!”
He pulled away and we started taking celebratory pictures and videos. I started to cry. I was overwhelmed with joy, happiness, and love. Sean wrapped me up in a hug, “I love you so much.” I continued to cry. I’m so happy I found my person and that we are making such grand strides towards our shared goals. My cup is overflowing with gratitude.
We found public parking in Durango, let the Tacoma, put some lunch stuff in the Chinook, and set off to a lake. We popped the top once we got there and made a pretty disappointing lunch. How bad could salad wraps be? Well, we forgot utensils, the tofu I cooked stuck to the pan, and the tortillas kept falling apart. I guess you can’t win them all.
Our lunch spot
The view was great and it was so nice to be able to stand up in the truck while cooking, and also have a place to comfortably sit to eat, all at the same time. We were feeling really good about our purchase. Deciding we wanted more time at camp, we headed back to pick up the Tacoma.
Camp was found in the San Juan National Forest along CO RD 316. Typically we like to find a spot with a great view, but with it being a holiday weekend, almost every spot was taken. We took the only spot that was open and decided it was plenty good enough.
I did a full photoshoot for the Chinook. I love photographing the details, capturing the vibe. And boy is she a vibe. The semi fading brown stripes. The crank windows. The tiny visors. The Toyota emblem. The white “CHINOOK” lettering. We can’t wait to show her off.
Sean made us dinner while I did some work (wrote this blog and bi-weekly newsletter). It was dark and starting to get cold by the time dinner was ready, so we sat inside the truck at the dinette. Sean made burgers, beyond for me and beef for him, as well as a pasta salad. We talked about the truck more and what the next year will look like in preparation for the Pan Am.
Our dinner, prepared by Chef Sean
This first night at camp was perfect. We enjoyed one of our favorite dinners, played yahtzee, and got cuddled up in the fold out bed.
Waking up, we agreed that the bed was pretty comfortable, but we’ll need to dial it in a little. The cushions moved on Sean throughout the night, and I was pushed into the wall when Riv jumped up from the front seat. But overall, we are very happy with the sleep set up and how easy it is to switch from dinette to bed, and back. Sean made us coffees while I did a little more work.
Before leaving camp we sat at the dinette and reflected on the last three years, the people we have grown into, the savings we worked hard to build, and the dream that motivated this purchase. We could not be happier. This really feels like it was meant to be.
Deciding that we should tow the Chinook back, as it loses power going uphill, we headed to the U-Haul in Mancos, hooked up a trailer, loaded the “new” truck up, and headed back to Flagstaff, where we will spend the next year repairing, upgrading, and dialing in the Chinook, until its Pan Am ready.
Dreams do come true. Not just by dreaming. But by dreaming, setting that dream as a goal, and working very hard towards that goal, to where nothing can push you off track. This is our dream and I’m so grateful I have a partner who is as dedicated to it as I am.
What's your dream? Dream it. Go after it. Make it your reality!
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