Our new 2025 Waldoch Coya Our Thanksgiving visit to Bradenton turned into an expensive return trip a week later. After months of contemplating a van purchase in the new year, Dave was surprised to find a camper van in a nearby dealer that was close to what we were looking for and at a great price. So, we found ourselves heading back across the state a week later to buy it. We had a short window to make it happen. We were headed north to Hilton Head to meet Pat and Fred for some time together to do some biking on the island before we both would be driving north for the holidays.
Inside the van looking toward the rear What were we thinking?
Wanting to do more traveling without the restrictions of towing a 5th Wheel, we had been looking for a camper van as a means to our next phase of adventures. What form the van would take was a subject of endless discussion. We laid out different plans and watched videos about how to build them out. But there were complexities to converting it ourselves. Where would we do it? How long would it take? Could it be insured?
So, we started looking at ones already manufactured. Could we find one that was close enough to our ideal? After rejecting many of the major manufacturers’ models as too cluttered with things we didn’t need or want, we started considering some of the boutique builders whose offerings were closer to our plans. And then we made a trip to Bradenton.
Wanting to do more traveling without the restrictions of towing a 5th Wheel, we had been looking for a camper van as a means to our next phase of adventures. What form the van would take was a subject of endless discussion. We laid out different plans and watched videos about how to build them out. But there were complexities to converting it ourselves. Where would we do it? How long would it take? Could it be insured?
So, we started looking at ones already manufactured. Could we find one that was close enough to our ideal? After rejecting many of the major manufacturers’ models as too cluttered with things we didn’t need or want, we started considering some of the boutique builders whose offerings were closer to our plans. And then we made a trip to Bradenton.
While the van we discovered there was being sold by a dealer and made by an RV manufacturer, it was not a brand or model that many had heard of. Waldoch makes custom van and truck conversions being their primary customers were large companies. Making Camper Vans was a very small part of their business. We were surprised that the layout was so close and the price was so low for something we had been looking for. It just had a couple of issues keeping us from getting to a yes.
Our van ready to be driven away While the interior construction was solid and good quality, it was also heavy. We wanted to know how much payload was left for the van to be legally driven. So, for our test drive, we drove a few hundred feet down the road to a CAT scale. We were all a little dismayed to learn that we had a little more than 1100 lbs to cover people, gas, water, and stuff. After some calculations, we decided we could make it work. The other significant issue was getting it insured. This turned out to be easier than we first thought. Although it was the first of many times we would have to explain what a Waldoch Coya was.
Rear counterspace in Coya Van So, we made our way back to Bradenton by train. It wasn’t the smoothest trip, since the train ended up being over 2 hours late into Tampa, largely due to a bad wheel on an engine. Then the bus ride to Bradenton took place during rush hour, making us over 3 hours late getting to our hotel. Luckily that was across the street from the RV dealer.
We had a great walkthrough of the van by the tech at dealership, before closing the deal and heading out for Jacksonville the next morning. We had made a big first step, but there would be a lot of small ones ahead.
We had a great walkthrough of the van by the tech at dealership, before closing the deal and heading out for Jacksonville the next morning. We had made a big first step, but there would be a lot of small ones ahead.
One of a few monitors in the van. Getting Ready to Travel
We had decided to take the van north for our holiday travels. But that gave us only 48 hours to get it ready to travel. The dealership tech had filled the water tank (all 43 gallons of it) to show the systems working, but we needed to dump that water from the fresh water and holding tanks and winterize them before heading into sub-freezing temperatures. Only it took a while to understand that the fresh water tank required the pump to run for it to empty
Then the holding tanks wouldn’t empty. We used our “magic formula” to help dissolve any blockages and then they started to flow again. We managed to get the antifreeze in the inside sink and toilet, but we hadn’t calculated how hard it would be to access the rear of the van (where one more sink was located) once our bikes were in place. We would have to remove the bikes before we could access anything in the rear.
There would be more to learn about the RV systems, each monitor was working differently than we expected, but we were able to get the antifreeze in, load up for our travels and head out to Hilton Head to meet Pat and Fred.
We had decided to take the van north for our holiday travels. But that gave us only 48 hours to get it ready to travel. The dealership tech had filled the water tank (all 43 gallons of it) to show the systems working, but we needed to dump that water from the fresh water and holding tanks and winterize them before heading into sub-freezing temperatures. Only it took a while to understand that the fresh water tank required the pump to run for it to empty
Then the holding tanks wouldn’t empty. We used our “magic formula” to help dissolve any blockages and then they started to flow again. We managed to get the antifreeze in the inside sink and toilet, but we hadn’t calculated how hard it would be to access the rear of the van (where one more sink was located) once our bikes were in place. We would have to remove the bikes before we could access anything in the rear.
There would be more to learn about the RV systems, each monitor was working differently than we expected, but we were able to get the antifreeze in, load up for our travels and head out to Hilton Head to meet Pat and Fred.
Holiday light display at Hilton Head Hilton Head
Our plans made early in the year had been to do some biking around the island at Hilton Head with Pat and Fred. The weather was the coldest we had experienced during this second week of December, so we had to pick our biking days carefully. We enjoyed time together and some long rides around the island, when the weather cooperated. By week’s end, we were saying goodbyes and heading further north.
Our plans made early in the year had been to do some biking around the island at Hilton Head with Pat and Fred. The weather was the coldest we had experienced during this second week of December, so we had to pick our biking days carefully. We enjoyed time together and some long rides around the island, when the weather cooperated. By week’s end, we were saying goodbyes and heading further north.
Cathy and sister Chris helped decorate Grace's Christmas tree. Next Stop NC
We would have a brief stop near Raleigh NC on our travels north, to return a week later for a longer visit. With the forecast showing frigid temperatures, we were grateful to have the ability to plug the van into shore power. This would allow us to use some small space heaters to keep the interior warm enough to protect the batteries. But this also didn’t go smoothly.
We would have a brief stop near Raleigh NC on our travels north, to return a week later for a longer visit. With the forecast showing frigid temperatures, we were grateful to have the ability to plug the van into shore power. This would allow us to use some small space heaters to keep the interior warm enough to protect the batteries. But this also didn’t go smoothly.
The light display at our niece's house is over the top. Arriving within an hour of sunset, we scrambled to get the van readied for the cold night. That meant the bikes and bike rack had to come off the rear. The shore power cord would now be plugged into a 15-amp outlet, instead of a 30-amp outlet. Dave had already researched the change to the inverter / charger which would enable this connection. But when we made the change and plugged in the RV, there was no power. As the temperatures kept falling, we tried to understand the problem. One obvious error was that the battery type on the charger was “flooded”, but we have Lithium Iron Phosphate batteries. After switching to the right battery type, there was still no power.
Anxious to get out of the cold, we called it a night, bypassing the RV’s outlets and just used an extension cord to the house outlet to run the heaters. The next morning, Dave found the problem. There was one more change (from 50 to 60 Hz) that was the missing piece of the puzzle. After making this change, the power flowed as it should. Dave programmed a timer that he could control from his phone to turn the heaters on and off based on the forecast. Our nephew Harry was very helpful in making the set up work, even setting up a special Wifi access point for the van.
Anxious to get out of the cold, we called it a night, bypassing the RV’s outlets and just used an extension cord to the house outlet to run the heaters. The next morning, Dave found the problem. There was one more change (from 50 to 60 Hz) that was the missing piece of the puzzle. After making this change, the power flowed as it should. Dave programmed a timer that he could control from his phone to turn the heaters on and off based on the forecast. Our nephew Harry was very helpful in making the set up work, even setting up a special Wifi access point for the van.
The combined choirs pose for a picture, with our niece and nephews in the children's choir. So, when not working on the van, we enjoyed time with our nieces and nephews and Cathy's sisters. We joined them for their Christmas Joy Sunday service, where we heard beautiful music from choirs and bell ringers. When the howling winds took out the power later that day, we got to enjoy a hilarious game of Exploding Kittens with our great-nephew Andrew who was flushed out of his room when his electronics no longer worked.
The Carolinian arriving in Raleigh On to Pennsylvania
On the coldest morning we would have during our travels, we made our way to Raleigh’s Union Station downtown to catch the Carolinian train north to Philadelphia. This train originates in Charlotte NC and is more of a local than many of Amtrak’s long haul trains. It stops at several cities within NC before heading further north. While we would detrain in Philadelphia to catch a bus to Allentown, the train continues on to NYC. The cold weather may have contributed to some problems on board, since not all restrooms on board were in working order until they could top off the water in Richmond mid-day. And the salad we chose for our lunch mid-day was actually frozen.
On the coldest morning we would have during our travels, we made our way to Raleigh’s Union Station downtown to catch the Carolinian train north to Philadelphia. This train originates in Charlotte NC and is more of a local than many of Amtrak’s long haul trains. It stops at several cities within NC before heading further north. While we would detrain in Philadelphia to catch a bus to Allentown, the train continues on to NYC. The cold weather may have contributed to some problems on board, since not all restrooms on board were in working order until they could top off the water in Richmond mid-day. And the salad we chose for our lunch mid-day was actually frozen.
Dave's Mom with a Christmas present Arriving in Philadelphia about 90 minutes late, we made our way to the hotel in downtown Philly, where we would spend the night. The next morning, we walked to the Amtrak station to wait for our bus to Allentown. We would spend the next week visiting with Dave’s mom, Diane and Pam. A visit that would be bittersweet, since it was the last time we would be with Dave’s mom before she passed a week later.
