K2 Charlie, the man behind the legend!

Mike Gutt talks with Rob Allison, K2 Rep extraordinaire in Canada and all around strange bird, about how K2 Charlie came to be.  Here is what he found out.....

Gutt: So where did the inspiration of K2 Charlie come from?

Rob: I guess It all really started in southern AB at Castle Mtn, I was at a ski demo that day, a few years ago... we were packing up all our gear into my 91 subaru wagon when Raddy and Jes walked by.  Raddy laughed at my ride and said off the cuff..."I have a really cool RV that would look pretty good with K2 painted all over it"  I laughed backed, but he replied "I'm serious you should come over and have a look"

As a rep we drive,... alot.   And with that comes thinking time, i pretty much dreamt up the vision of Charlie over the next couple weeks with the idea originally based around the perfect road trip mobile for both winter and summer sports in mind.

Raddy called me a few weeks after our first encounter with a last chance to the idea. He had been in looking at new RV's and was going to make a trade in with Charlie and called me with the dollar amount of what they were going to give him on trade in.  I bought Charlie that day over the phone ... site unseen. And what had been a highway time fantasy had become a reality.

Gutt: What is Charlie, what make year etc.?

Rob: K2 Charlie is a 1981 chevy van 30, it is a 22 ft long package of amazingness.

Gutt: How long did Raddy and Jes have it before you, what is K2 Charlie's pre-inception history?

Rob: This RV had been in Jes's family since new, she has told me story's of her and her family doing summer trips with it all through her growing up, even cooking up turkey dinners on thanksgiving. It had been sitting at her grandparents place for 11 yrs and had become her grandparents guest cabin until Raddy and Jes took ownership.

Gutt: So why K2 Charlie, what is the story behind the name?

Rob: That story is a bit deep,

Gutt: Come on... people want to know.

Rob: Ok , no problem.... Quite a few years ago i had been traveling through Europe without any money, it turned out to be quite an adventure. I went there with the original intention of removing my pinky finger for medical practice. I was told that some hospital's pay quite a bit for this procedure. This ended up being a myth and so I was left in Europe with no plans and no money. I ended hitching through ten countries and sleeping outside the whole time. I slept in garbage bags for protection when it rained. This whole story is coming out in my first book called  "Is My Finger Really Worth That Much" hopefully spring 2010.

Anyway I was in Sweden, just south of Stockholm. I got picked up by an amazing couple from Belgium.  Simo and Tina had been in Finland visiting Simo's parents, and were heading home.  They ended up being my very first dual day ride, meaning they allowed me to travel with them for two whole days.  When night came we stopped and ate together, sharing what each of us had to offer.  They even made me a place in their van to sleep.

This couple had such amazing amount of love to give. They were inspirationally caring and giving. When I was left on the highway just outside of Amsterdam, I was left with such a feeling of happiness it lasted for days. Even today when I reflect on those days I am filled with joy.

They were traveling in an old Mercedes cargo van that they had purchased from a plumbing company. They had customized the cargo area into their living quaters for their journey's. It was all very comfortable. On the outside of this van was some lettering, that read Charly's Plumbing. Simo had scraped off all the letters except the name Charly.

When I was first introduced to My RV I reflected on this adventure with memory of the love that Simo and Tina had left me with.  My whole plan was to create an RV that would be open to all that desired, and leave each visitor with enormous amounts of love and enjoyment that they would remember the encounter for years to come. So upon first site of it I knew that its name would be "K2 Charlie"

Gutt: Wow... that is deep

Rob: I told you

Gutt : How have been able to accomplish your goal of this original plan?

Rob: well... in short, over the last three years I had travelled almost 160000 kms, on trips to places like Vegas, Lake Havasu, Alaska, Winnipeg, Whistler, Kamp K2 at Baker and more.  I have gone through 5 engines, 2 transmissions, 6 starters,... the list goes on.

I have thrown well over 20 social painting parties to let well over 100 people add their love to Charlie with the ever changing art work displayed on it. There has been numerous amounts of spontaneous eruptions of DANCE PARTY.  Charlie has been home to hundreds of different people over the years and at times has slept over 9 people at once. These stories and more are coming out in my second book called "Who the Hell is K2Charlie" dates to be announced.

The home to many a good night!

The inspriation of Simo and Tina lives on and will continue to grow as long as Charlie will allow