I’ve been driving The Truck for 30 days. 1,172 kilometers (728 miles), averaging 39 kilometers a day (24 miles). Never kept up with miles driven in the MINI but I’d guess it was pretty close to this.

No serious mechanical problems other than the issue with the four-wheel drive. Still waiting on parts from the UK but I’ve been getting around in 2WD just fine.

It was pretty hot the first couple of weeks but much nicer here at the end of September. I can tell it will be damned cold in the truck when winter weather gets here. Assuming we still have winters.

After a month riding around in the loud, bumpy truck, it feels strange to ride in a newer car.  Spooky quiet and the smooth ride feels like floating on air. As for driving newer cars, I find I have to give more thought and attention than I do in the truck. Easy to over-steer and brake.

If I can make it till next spring (when the soft-top goes on), I think I can call myself a Land Rover guy.

My truck has side mirrors mounted on the front of the wings and one got bumped or vibrated loose so got the cute little set of wrenches my buddies gave me as a “truck warming” present. I repositioned the mirror and tightened the top nut (while holding the other nut on the underside of the wing).

While doing this I was struck by the zen-like simplicity of this simple task. My MINI (which is in a better place now) had the standard electric gizmo that lets you adjust left and right mirrors from the comfort of the drivers seat. Pretty handy. But what, I wondered, would it cost to fix/replace that gizmo if it ever broke?

My truck has become the focal point for my efforts to simplify my life. As of tomorrow I will have had the truck one month. I still find myself looking for excuses to drive it (“Hey, Hattie! Want to ride down to the mailbox?”)

One of the first things I noticed when I started checking fluid levels in The Truck was small amounts of brake fluid around the cap and on top of the reservoir. Mechanic George tried several things and we wound up ordering a new cap. Turns out the problem was the rim surface under the cap/seal (red line).

George files and sanded that rim smooth which allowed the cap to screw in tighter for a better seal. No leaks so far.