jalopy (jelapi)
Slang term for an obsolete, worn-down machine or hardware device. Derived from the misspelling of the word “Jalapa”, which is the name of some town in Mexico that is famous for the Jalapeno pepper, and its former junk-car-scrapping industry.

So we finally bought the van!!

After hours of internet searching and heated emotional debate, deciding on a 60’s Airstream caravan at the start of our planning months ago and deciding on everything in between at some stage, we’ve just bought our 2000 Winnebago campervan (its called an RV in america apparently…)

So nothing like an Airstream at all, but its cool….and it sleeps 6, so room for us all and some visitors when they come!

We are delighted with our RV, and hugely grateful to Nicole Lovik-Blaser at Lichtsinn Motors in Forest City – who has been immensely helpful, getting our trip off to the best start.

The Winnebago ‘Winnie Minnie’ is a 27ft home with the right combo for us-

• double bed for exhausted parents,
• double bed / kung fu corner area over the cab for the small boys,
• permanent dining table we can sit round without having to turn it back into a bed every night
• huge awning for daytime loafing and night time parties,
• pristine condition inside and out and a great price

All it needs is some small children to trash it, a wife to add her ‘shabby chic’ hippy dippy touches and it’ll be just like home….