Panda was a wonderful companion to drive with through the mountains!Andy was great to deal with; he was very reasonable with pick up and drop off times and very understanding when we got stuck in traffic on the way back. Very quick to communicate. We didn't need any help along the way fortunately, but have no doubt he'd be ready to prompt help.Andy has Panda loaded with everything you could need; the cellphone mount is a Xi charger but also allows for a cable charger. There are 2 USB ports right up front to help keep everything powered. The battery will easily make it through a couple of phone charges if you don't have electrical service. There are cups, plates, cutlery, small pots, frying pan, cutting board, dish cloths, sponges and dish soap. Also two portable chairs and a table. Although there is no fridge, he provided a large heavy duty cooler that did a much better job than those old VW fridges ever did - a couple of bags of ice will keep food cold for a few days, even in +30C.We drove about 1900km and Panda was great the whole time! She did well going through all the mountains, through the ups and downs and twists and turns of highway 99, and did equally well in traffic on the number 1. She's not speedy but a comfortable ride at 100kph. And the van is impeccably clean, not a spot of dirt or grime. It could have been brand new inside.
Sleeping was comfortable, there are nice sleeping bags and plenty of extra blankets and pillows.The van doesn't have AC, so you'll have to have the windows open while driving on most summer days. Andy did purchase a small rechargeable fan for us (without asking 😀) to help cool things down in the evenings.I calculated the fuel consumption throughout the drive and consistently got about 20mpg (even through the mountains), which is great for an older van like Panda.
8 Photos submitted by Jesse D.