Operation: Cactus Cooler

Today we’re going to talk about another portion of the project that went on for a surprisingly long time only to be shelved in the end.

First off, since the start of the truck project every so often we have referred to an upcoming improvement or segment as an operation. The original announcement video and a few making of videos have referred to the truck project as a whole as Operation: RES1536. This is all in good fun and give the whole mood of a mix between a military operation and the kind of fun you’d have as a kid in a treehouse keeping watch on the backyard.

During initial truck shopping we were not considering the longevity of the project. Due to this a few creature comforts of modern vehicles were not the priority when looking for the “right” truck. Air-conditioning was often overlooked in the name of lower mileage or a better price. In the end a truck was chosen that did not have air-conditioning and that was that.

Over the years there have been several drives that were surprisingly grueling due to the lack of air-conditioning. Midday drives to the high desert, Southern Californian heat waves, and the general mugginess that is Florida.

In fact, it was one specific drive in Florida that got me thinking that it would be a good idea to look into a truck that had air-conditioning. The truck was on it’s way back to the Walt Disney World resort after being parked at the Altamonte Mall. There was traffic and some cloud cover had rolled in. This cloud cover soon turned into the lightest of rain, but when this was combined with the humidity it caused the interior of the windshield to become very fogged up. It made a few adjustments to no avail and ended up driving with the window rolled down for some time. It was then that I thought, maybe air-conditioning would be so bad after all.

The search was on. It became an evening habit to trawl craigslist searching for the “right” truck. A few tabs would be opened while I typed in all sorts of search terms that, although similar, would always pull up different results each time. Trucks that looked promising were sent to the team, specifically Felixx, whose expertise extends far beyond automotive, to peruse. Often in my excitement I would miss glaring signs of misuse or abuse in these listings: Salvage titles hidden within the description, cruddy engine bays, tilted bumpers that I thought were just due to the angle. Most of them were not up to par with what we were potentially looking for.

The search continued and I threw the net out wider, often to states farther than a reasonable driving distance. Florida had a few prospects, however one example belonged to a car dealership that did not answer their phone calls for some reason. We assumed the car dealership was a front secretly run by alligators and continued on our merry way. Several months tumbled along until we found something promising.

A surprisingly clean Toyota pickup which had been stored in a garage for most of its life. Low mileage, clean all around, five-speed and most important, a functioning A/C. The biggest (farthest?) issue was that it was located in Arizona. Not exactly the best place to mosey on over to for quick cruise around the neighborhood. Friends were contacted, friends of friends were contacted and a test drive was set up. The glowing report was relayed back quickly and the only potential issue they could find was slightly squeaky brakes. After a bit of discussion and some budgeting acrobatics the decision was made. A cruise to Arizona was happening and soon.

This trip to Arizona marked my first time utilizing a one way car rental. This required a quick run to the airport and our vehicle for the first leg of the trip was waiting. A Kia Soul. We hit the road slightly after dawn. With trail mix and quite a few water bottles to keep us company on the drive, we ended up making only one stop at a gas station in Quartzite. The weather remained cooperative and the Kia handled the drive like a champ. We arrived at the test drive location a few minutes and after a quick nap I hopped into the truck. The current owner mentioned that the previous owner used it as a grocery getter, so it had a pampered life for a pickup truck. A few carpet lined panels covered the bed and on top of the carpet sat a detail that was not mentioned in the listing. A decently sized subwoofer. After a quick test drive through the neighborhood and opening it up on the closest stretch of freeway, a handshake sealed the deal. We topped off fuel in town and grabbed dinner at Cracker Barrel before starting the drive home.

In a true example of trial by fire, the truck was driven home in a mirror image of our route to pick up the truck. The truck barreled along to Quartzite arriving once the sun had set. As we wound our way back over the state line and entered California the storm rolled in. Most of the rain occurred during the downhill portion of the drive, however the windshield wipers were in desperate need of being replaced so the rest of the drive home was full of rain drop streaked views. We rolled home a little before 11pm and called it a night.

This is how the story ends in March of 2019. For the next few months the truck was driven around from time to time to keep the battery charged and the engine running. A few modifications were made, a few minor adjustments were worked on.

Then 2020 arrived.

During the first few months of the lockdown I would take each car out for a quick spin to keep things running. Juggling several cars turned into a routine within itself, I would try to keep things fresh by taking cruises to locations I wanted to check in on during lockdown.

By now it was May and the truck had been sitting for some time without much progress. To keep myself occupied I decided to continue working on the truck.

The graphics which had chipped from age were easy to pull off. Even the Toyota across the back was almost completely removed leaving only the YO. Besides Arizona the farthest it ever drove was to the Puente Hills Mall where I picked up a camper shell that could be modified to resemble the shell from the movie.

During this time I earned a certificate via several online courses and kept busy by working on the truck and catching up on many movies and tv shows. By October I received word that I was being laid off. Thankfully, I had a little bit of prep time to get things in order, however it was not until my primary car’s battery was so low it would not start that some tough decisions needed to be made. Once again, the pros and cons were weighed and I decided to sell my Honda Fit.

After that this truck ended up being my primary means of transportation. Oddly enough it continued to be a garaged grocery getter. A few more months passed as I searched for jobs eventually getting hired at a local mall kiosk where I, along with a tight team of associates, would collect contact information from people who were interested in hearing more about a new electric vehicle. The truck sped along the highway to get me to work each day, the windows of the camper shell rattling from the sound system. Many of the songs I listened to are on this playlist.

June lumbered in and along with it some observations. During the whole time I had been working on the truck with the intent of fixing it up to be the next phase of the Pizza Planet Truck I had been working on the modifications that I could adjust. It was not until I took the time to take a look at the trucks side by side that I noticed that the newer truck (a 1989) looked even less like the version from the movie, due to its generally rounder appearance. “Well maybe…” I thought, “if I put the rocket on it. It will look more like it”.

Unfortunately while it look like the truck for the most part something did not feel right. When comparing the trucks side by side it just was not the same. Enthusiasm had the upper had earlier in the process and the imagination rocketed ahead. Another round of discussions and planning took place. Alternate plans were considered. Do we replace the body panels with plastic ones? Do we try to swap parts to the current Pizza Planet Truck? Do we keep this truck to haul the other truck? Is there anyone we know who needs a truck? None of these ideas stuck. And the decision was made to sell the truck.

The truck sold quickly. With hindsight I wish I had held onto a bit longer to take advantage at what was quickly becoming the absolutely ridiculous used car market. However it just wasn’t meant to be.

Epilogue:

It was after this and a few discussions with the original crew that any progress the truck would make when it comes to future trips and future plans would specifically apply to the truck we currently have. Since, it has gone on the most trips and has just been around for so long it would be a pity to shift the focus to a newer truck without giving this truck a proper sendoff.

On the truck’s instagram account I have a few tags that I follow to see if the truck happens to pop up in photos taken by pedestrians or a passerby. Within a few days of selling the truck a familiar truck popped up on my feed. It was of the truck parked along a palm tree lined street in San Diego, a garaged grocery getter no more.