from our home in Oregon. After many messages with the importer, Kellyn Karr of Karr Automotive/ Good Karrma Vans, we flew to Ft. Meyers, Florida and bought it. For us, this was a must-buy unicorn: low mileage, 4M40 turbodiesel, no rust, and the rare 5-speed manual transmission. Four-wheel-drive Space Gear models also have the Super Select 4WD transfer case, which allows operation in 2WD, 4WD with an open center differential (much like AWD), 4WD high with a locked center diff, and true 4WD with low-range. All this happened in May of 2020, and the world was plunging into the COVID-19 pandemic. We took ex- ceptional precautions to ensure the safety of us and those around us on the trip. Equipped with face- masks, wipes, and lots of hand sanitizer, we flew to Florida. Armed with an air mattress and a backpack, and essential camping supplies, we stayed in the van at truck stops throughout the long 10,258 km drive home. We made as little contact with people as pos- sible as we navigated the highways and byways of the U.S. We took in the sights and wrote down COVID-19 stats for Mercedes’ award-winning article she wrote about our trip in the New York Times .
Why A Delica? Our Delica obsession started on a trip to New Zealand in 2016. My wife’s cousin owned an early 1990s Delica Star Wagon. It was a rather rough example, but I was immediately hooked after driving it. With its up-high driving position, rugged 4WD system, and turbodies- el engine growl, I was smitten—I had to have one someday. We toured around New Zealand’s north is- land in it where it proved to be great in the dirt and a cozy camper. Little did I know that just six months after returning from the island, we’d buy our first Delica, a 1989 Star Wagon with the venerable 2.5-litre Mitsubishi 4D56 turbodiesel. While not fast, it was great off-road, and we customized it to a capable campervan. A few years later we bought our current van. Equipped with the more powerful 2.8-litre 4M40 turbocharged and intercooled diesel engine, this more modern L400 is faster, safer, and more comfortable for long trips whether simply driving or camping. The Travel Tractor We found our ’94 Delica Space Gear, aka, the Travel Tractor, in Florida—the opposite side of North America
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