Denali lights = Adventure lights, no matter how many wheels you got under your POPA! I just unplugged the fog lights and put them on my Van - I love Denali´s plugs :-)

We are on the road, traveling across this beautifully borderless European Union with our 20+ years old, American Made to Japanese specifications Astro van.  I just unplugged the fog lights from my motorbike and put them on my Van - I love Denali´s plugs :-) 

I would not even want a newer VW Transporter or equivalent, because the point of this car is not to be shiny but to be used. And using it we do! I could put this incredible machine through its paces, going from Latvia to Spain across Europe. In the Baltics, 90km/h was the most I did safely, due to road conditions. I let the local 40-ton truck lorries pass me and were witness to an impressive intercept by an unmarked Polish Police BMW that passed me like the locals and then lit up its blues to catch up with a truck that was going away at well over 100km/h.

In Germany, on a downhill where it was safe and legal, I let her easily do up to 140 km/h this time. On other occasions I had reached 180, I invested a lot of time and money in suspension, brakes and tyres and she didn't even shake, although she sure is feeling crosswinds. Crossing the Alps in Switzerland, she easily kept up with traffic at 120 km/h, the local national speed limit. On the endless uphill sections with half throttle, she could do between 70 km/h - 90 km/h. The brake job paid off big time on an 18 km long downhill in Saint Bernhard pass and going up to Risoul in France on very icy mountain roads that would see me scraping my motorbike footpegs without even trying.

In Italy, the massive warning sign required for the pushbike carrier turned out to be a good idea, as I feel like the local drivers would otherwise just have shaved it off my rear end with their close-call lane changes...

In France, I sometimes did 130 km/h where allowed, but I mostly did not pass 120 km/h as I just don´t like it getting noisy and I want to take it easy on the head gaskets. Being sensible and taking it easy, the Astro managed all these conditions well with a good safety margin.

Nothing beats engine displacement, except more engine displacement. Try going uphill at half throttle on any other engine but this stunning V6 4.3L mercury marine ship engine.

And try not to freak out if your kids spill the cereals all over the seats, mixed with milk and maybe dog food. Try being confident that you will not be tired in any other seats but these American sofa-style seats, where you will be sitting for hours and days on end. I won't give up on this van no matter what. It is part of the family inventory now, no matter what it costs to keep her. I love her. The picture below is of the Van in Risoul. Next to her is my wife walking our dog.