My father called me last night. He was on the highway between Ponoka and Red Deer when he noticed the temperature gauge pegged. Turns out the a/c compressor somehow nicked the upper rad hose and it boiled dry. The van is in Red Deer and needs new head gaskets and likely resurfaced heads. He's looking at a bill of over $1500 so is thinking he will junk that van and find another. He doesn't need anything fancy; just something to haul his birdhouses to the farmers markets. Needs to be a full-size van and reliable...

He's looking at spending up to $1500. Anyone got anything they know about? I suspect I'll be heading to Red Deer tomorrow after work to pick him, his trailer and his birdhouses up. If he can get something in Calgary Saturday, I won't have to take him and his stuff all the way to Lethbridge...

I'll talk to Scott. His father in law has a full size Dodge in pretty nice shape with low KMs & I know he doesn't need it anymore.

Sounds good. The plan at this point would be to go up tonight and pick up him and his trailer. That's provided he's managed to convince the local wrecker to give him a little bit of money for it and to go pick it up. Tomorrow we'll decide whether I'm taking him the rest of the way home or buying a van here...

Either way, if you're going to be in town - there's beer in the fridge.