Monday, June 18, 2012
The Mousemobile delivers again
After sinking lower and lower on our 2 settees, which are still upholstered in the original fabric, we decided to call in an expert. I had gone underneath and pulled out what was left of the original cotton batting, whacked the upholstery with an antique rug beater, blown out with a air compressor every nook and corner, used upholstery cleaner on the fabric and restuffed them with poly batting, but that is what a rookie does. Obviously, I couldn't do what needed to be done. I had been reluctant to pull off the 57 yr. old fabric and do it right, but necessity dictated this approach. I called Guy Bowen, owner of Don's Upholstery in Sonora, CA. This man knows vintage fabric, and vintage construction. He rebuilt the settees and, of course, took pix of the ridiculous amount of mouse poop and junk that all my cleaning out and vacuuming couldn't get to. This man went over and above for us, and the settees are now firm, comfy and best of all, mouse poop free. The fabric held up nicely, and with care, he put them all back together. Way to go, Guy. You are my man!
Thursday, June 7, 2012
Can we charge admission?
We are recovered from our rally in Pismo Beach (the 5th annual Trail Along to Pismo) and as usual, it was loads of fun....except we couldn't get around to see many trailers due the constant stream of folks wanting to see our trailer.
Ok, so I know our trailer is unique due to the fact it is all original, inside and out, and in perfect, unrestored condition. This is why so many folks want to see it. So, taking a cue from museums and other historical sites, we have decided to get one of those headphone sets that you put on when you come in and the taped narrative will walk the visitors through the whole tour, while I sit outside, on my vintage Eames chair and enjoy a martini. All I will have to do is ask folks to sign the guest book. I then can wander around and look at other folks' trailers and look cool in my Chi Chi Rodriquez straw hat.
We had no problems with towing, flats, tires, axles, or any other issues, so that was a plus. I talked to a few guys in the know, and have decided to try to find a 10 ply (or higher) tire for the trailer. They aren't easy to find, but I think I'd feel better knowing I had the beefiest tire I can get, especially since I have a single axle. I did put skid plates under the new leaf springs, so if I have a repeat of the tow, blow, go fiasco, at least it won't shear off anything.
We are signed up for the South Lake Tahoe rally in Sept., so hope to see our aluminati friends there.
Ok, so I know our trailer is unique due to the fact it is all original, inside and out, and in perfect, unrestored condition. This is why so many folks want to see it. So, taking a cue from museums and other historical sites, we have decided to get one of those headphone sets that you put on when you come in and the taped narrative will walk the visitors through the whole tour, while I sit outside, on my vintage Eames chair and enjoy a martini. All I will have to do is ask folks to sign the guest book. I then can wander around and look at other folks' trailers and look cool in my Chi Chi Rodriquez straw hat.
We had no problems with towing, flats, tires, axles, or any other issues, so that was a plus. I talked to a few guys in the know, and have decided to try to find a 10 ply (or higher) tire for the trailer. They aren't easy to find, but I think I'd feel better knowing I had the beefiest tire I can get, especially since I have a single axle. I did put skid plates under the new leaf springs, so if I have a repeat of the tow, blow, go fiasco, at least it won't shear off anything.
We are signed up for the South Lake Tahoe rally in Sept., so hope to see our aluminati friends there.
Sunday, December 4, 2011
Tow, blow & go
Ok, so the tire/axle/rim saga plot thickens. This chapter opens with us towing the Boles home, over the grapevine (I-5). We had just stopped in Visalia, at Camping World, to pick up a few things. Checked the tires, all looked good. Within 10 miles, on the pass, we felt the right trailer tire blow out and the trailer immediately go onto the rim. Fortunately, there was NO sway, thanks the original stabilizer bars and the new anti-sway attachment I put on. We skidded along to a stop, and again, thankfully there was a full pull off lane. I got the blown tire right against the asphalt curb and we had about a foot clearance to the slow lane line on the left. Huge semi's are hauling down the hill and we are shaking as each one blew past. I got out and saw that the tire had literally exploded, the rim was shot and while dragging on the rim, it had kicked the axle out of alignment. Your worst nightmare. Now, I needed the trailer to be put up on a tow vehicle, not just a tire change. This was Saturday at 11:15 a.m. We started making calls to AAA (sorry, you don't have trailer coverage in your roadside assistance plan) and our GMAC trailer insurer. With our I-Pad, we found a Camping World 48 miles north in Bakersfield, which, when towed to, would get us over the grapevine and closer to home.
Now, just as a refresher, I had brand new 8 ply tires, brand new rims (the defective rim with the hole in the metal that led to the flat going down had been replaced). So, why did this tire explode? And, why, with my new axle and shackles, did we skid along on the rim?
I won't bore you with the details of how we got a tow vehicle to come to us (2 hours later), but they showed up and it took one and a half hours & $475 (yes, you read that correctly) to load the trailer as to avoid scrapping the aluminum rear end, which hangs low anyway.
We got to Bakersfield, unloaded (which took an hour) before they closed, and the service dept. determined that the 10 leaf-springs (original) was some of the problem with the new axle and the how low that hangs in relationship to the rim. So, over the course of the next week, they replaced the 10 leaves with new metal 5 leaves, put our spare on (which it turns out the replacement rim we had purchased down south didn't fit the axle, so they had to put on a cheesy new rim (another $75) with our tire). Mike was about to pull out of the service area when he noticed the axle still looked cattywampus. Sure enough, it was an inch out of square. So, they had to take all of it apart and start over again. By this time, we realized why Boles Aero categorized our trailer a "Park Model". Ha Ha
After getting it home, we still realized that all is not fool-proof underneath. So, it will go into the welder this week for an additional skid plate..we think.
Anyway, note to self: never, ever tow without a spare and your tool kit. Have trailer tow insurance up to date and card handy. Invest in some sturdy caution lights or something to warn cars and have some blocks of wood handy.
She still attracted folks over to her like a chicken to a june bug. All during our week in Newport, we had a steady stream of people wanting to see it, and while it was being worked on at Camping World, folks were looking in the windows. She is a beauty.
Now, just as a refresher, I had brand new 8 ply tires, brand new rims (the defective rim with the hole in the metal that led to the flat going down had been replaced). So, why did this tire explode? And, why, with my new axle and shackles, did we skid along on the rim?
I won't bore you with the details of how we got a tow vehicle to come to us (2 hours later), but they showed up and it took one and a half hours & $475 (yes, you read that correctly) to load the trailer as to avoid scrapping the aluminum rear end, which hangs low anyway.
We got to Bakersfield, unloaded (which took an hour) before they closed, and the service dept. determined that the 10 leaf-springs (original) was some of the problem with the new axle and the how low that hangs in relationship to the rim. So, over the course of the next week, they replaced the 10 leaves with new metal 5 leaves, put our spare on (which it turns out the replacement rim we had purchased down south didn't fit the axle, so they had to put on a cheesy new rim (another $75) with our tire). Mike was about to pull out of the service area when he noticed the axle still looked cattywampus. Sure enough, it was an inch out of square. So, they had to take all of it apart and start over again. By this time, we realized why Boles Aero categorized our trailer a "Park Model". Ha Ha
After getting it home, we still realized that all is not fool-proof underneath. So, it will go into the welder this week for an additional skid plate..we think.
Anyway, note to self: never, ever tow without a spare and your tool kit. Have trailer tow insurance up to date and card handy. Invest in some sturdy caution lights or something to warn cars and have some blocks of wood handy.
Sunday, November 13, 2011
no problemo
Stove is back together and NO leftover screws or parts. Plus, it works great and, best of all, it doesn't stink anymore.
We are enjoying a week or so down south, and, as usual, the trailer is a magnet. After giving tours all afternoon, I decided to do what the museums do and put all the info on a tape with a headset, hand it out to the folks wanting to come through, and they can listen as they walk through. Then I can relax under the awning and watch them go in the front door and out the back door.
Oh, fyi to all you trailer haulers. Be sure you bring a spare tire. I had a flat coming down here, BUT NOT BECAUSE OF THE TIRE. Yup, it was a hole in the rim! Unheard of, I know, but there I was, flatted out in a parking lot...thank goodness for that blessing. We were right next to Camping World, who was too busy to attend to us, but inflated the tire so I could drive next door to WalMart, who, by law cannot change a tire on trailers, but were good enough to give me the tools to do it myself. No easy task getting a tire off & out due to the design of the sides, even with the skirt off. But, I got it done and the spare on and now must locate another 15 inch, 6 lug rim before I go back home. Stay tuned.
We are enjoying a week or so down south, and, as usual, the trailer is a magnet. After giving tours all afternoon, I decided to do what the museums do and put all the info on a tape with a headset, hand it out to the folks wanting to come through, and they can listen as they walk through. Then I can relax under the awning and watch them go in the front door and out the back door.
Oh, fyi to all you trailer haulers. Be sure you bring a spare tire. I had a flat coming down here, BUT NOT BECAUSE OF THE TIRE. Yup, it was a hole in the rim! Unheard of, I know, but there I was, flatted out in a parking lot...thank goodness for that blessing. We were right next to Camping World, who was too busy to attend to us, but inflated the tire so I could drive next door to WalMart, who, by law cannot change a tire on trailers, but were good enough to give me the tools to do it myself. No easy task getting a tire off & out due to the design of the sides, even with the skirt off. But, I got it done and the spare on and now must locate another 15 inch, 6 lug rim before I go back home. Stay tuned.
Thursday, September 29, 2011
How to bake a mouse
Turn oven to 350. Wait ten minutes. Smell cooked mouse.
It seems when we were using the oven, we indeed smelled mouse, because (no surprise here) the insulation was chuck-a-block filled with dead mice and poop. So, the Preway stove/oven is apart in many, many pieces, the disgusting mouse-nest filled insulation has been removed from around the oven and you'd think it would be an easy thing to find oven insulation to purchase....like at the big box home improvement stores, or an appliance store or even the local woodstove dealer. Nope. Not even close. Seems, like the Hudson car, this little item is rare and costly. So, onto the internet and found a place in the midwest who will graciously send us a small piece for another C note (are you kidding me?) So, I sucked it up, ordered it, and hopefully will remember where all the parts and screws go to put this thing back together. I decided NOT to take a pix as I was disassembling it, so hope my aging brain can put this puzzle back together...stay tuned.
Monday, September 19, 2011
Open House
Seems our trailer was a hit with all the visitors we had. In fact, we were overwhelmed with the response. We so appreciated all the comments and oohs and aahs, not so much for our benefit, but for the fact, we all get to see and enjoy a trailer in it's "just off the 1955 sales lot" glory. Our deep appreciation to D.N., who so graciously allowed us to take this beauty out of his barn and clean it up and take it on the road.
We sure enjoyed meeting new folks and re-connecting with our Pismo rally friends, and are looking forward to the next get together. Thanks to Margaret Martan for putting together this rally.
A few of the tweeks that we will be doing:
1. replaced all the light bulbs with cool, low watt "curly-que" style bulbs. That should save some juice running through the old wiring.
2. Leaky gaskets seemed to fix themselves! No more drippy anything, so debating on whether to mess with them.
3. Pull apart stove and look for more petrified mice.
4. Reverse hall closet door so it opens toward the kitchen. Since we don't need it as a closet (that is why it faced the bedroom), but as a pantry, it makes sense.
5. Add another piece of wood to the bottom of the magazine racks so the old mags don't slide out.
6. Hmm, well actually that is all. Not too bad for it's first run out in 38 years!
We sure enjoyed meeting new folks and re-connecting with our Pismo rally friends, and are looking forward to the next get together. Thanks to Margaret Martan for putting together this rally.
A few of the tweeks that we will be doing:
1. replaced all the light bulbs with cool, low watt "curly-que" style bulbs. That should save some juice running through the old wiring.
2. Leaky gaskets seemed to fix themselves! No more drippy anything, so debating on whether to mess with them.
3. Pull apart stove and look for more petrified mice.
4. Reverse hall closet door so it opens toward the kitchen. Since we don't need it as a closet (that is why it faced the bedroom), but as a pantry, it makes sense.
5. Add another piece of wood to the bottom of the magazine racks so the old mags don't slide out.
6. Hmm, well actually that is all. Not too bad for it's first run out in 38 years!
Thursday, September 15, 2011
The Mousemobile
So, we pulled the Boles to Meek's Bay RV Resort for 5 nights to work out any bugs before the rally on the 15th. We were pleasantly surprised that we had no big surprises....well almost none. Darn, if we don't still find a few dried mouse poops that fall from who-knows-where on counters or the floor. But, after using the oven, which, by the way holds the set temperature absolutely on the nose, we smelled MOUSE. We can both smell mouse at 100 yards, so the hunt was on. It seems, when we took the stove and oven apart to clean it we neglected one area..the insulated space between the top of the oven and the bottom floor of the burners. We tucked a mirror alongside the space there, and we could see insulation, and we think we saw some petrified somethings, but we won't know until we get home and take it apart...again.
We have a drippy shower head, which I can fix with a petcock arrangement installed after the shower head, which will actually help taking navy showers easier. The hot water side of the bathroom sink is also drippy, so we turned off the hot water side of that faucet. That shouldn't be too bad to fix. Our new 5 gallon hot water heater seems to be the perfect size. The 3 gallon porcelain flush toilet works great, the old Marvel fridge is amazing. Not only does it not ice up too fast in the ice cube area, but it keeps everything perfectly cold, and the shelving arrangement allows for lots of food that is easy to access. We are cozy at night, albeit with lots of blankets. Those old wool twin size blankets folded in half sure are warm. We found that a small portable heater takes the chill off very quickly.
The one thing you have to watch in these old trailers though is how many things are plugged in at one time. We turn off the water heater, which of course is electric, to use the microwave or the heater or a blow dryer. So we try not to have two big heat producing appliances going at once. If you keep that in mind, you won't trip the breaker.
So, the rally begins and we are looking forward to meeting like-minded old-trailer enthusiasts and swapping stories.
We have a drippy shower head, which I can fix with a petcock arrangement installed after the shower head, which will actually help taking navy showers easier. The hot water side of the bathroom sink is also drippy, so we turned off the hot water side of that faucet. That shouldn't be too bad to fix. Our new 5 gallon hot water heater seems to be the perfect size. The 3 gallon porcelain flush toilet works great, the old Marvel fridge is amazing. Not only does it not ice up too fast in the ice cube area, but it keeps everything perfectly cold, and the shelving arrangement allows for lots of food that is easy to access. We are cozy at night, albeit with lots of blankets. Those old wool twin size blankets folded in half sure are warm. We found that a small portable heater takes the chill off very quickly.
The one thing you have to watch in these old trailers though is how many things are plugged in at one time. We turn off the water heater, which of course is electric, to use the microwave or the heater or a blow dryer. So we try not to have two big heat producing appliances going at once. If you keep that in mind, you won't trip the breaker.
So, the rally begins and we are looking forward to meeting like-minded old-trailer enthusiasts and swapping stories.
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