What are you doing today? [Part II]
- Thread starter HARDTRAILZ
- Start date
Mooseman
Moderator
Doing a side job on a sled like the one I used to own. This one is a basket case. Steering is sloppy, brake is shot, exhaust donuts are worn, leaking gear oil, needs new plugs and fluids. This poor guy bought it used and got hosed. And now having to fix all these issues, spending even more money.
Today I did the exhaust. Instead of just replacing the donuts, recommended that the flanges and bellows be replaced with a set of aftermarket flex pipes. I had the experience with mine where the pipes and bellows broke and wish I had these aftermarket flex pipes available at the time. Also missing/disintegrated is the insulation on the upper heat shield. Replaced it with some aftermarket stuff that is self adhesive but I added rivets to hold further it in place. And the rivets holding a bracket that the exhaust bolts to were loose so re-riveted it.
Brakes were also worn down to the backing plates, ruining the rotor. Luckily I had a spare however it lacked the cooling fins (it was from a smaller model). I removed the rivets from the old one holding the cooling fins and put them on the "new" rotor with nuts and bolts with some red Loctite. Still have to finish up the chaincase leak, put it together and and replace the brake. Then, the steering issues.
Today I did the exhaust. Instead of just replacing the donuts, recommended that the flanges and bellows be replaced with a set of aftermarket flex pipes. I had the experience with mine where the pipes and bellows broke and wish I had these aftermarket flex pipes available at the time. Also missing/disintegrated is the insulation on the upper heat shield. Replaced it with some aftermarket stuff that is self adhesive but I added rivets to hold further it in place. And the rivets holding a bracket that the exhaust bolts to were loose so re-riveted it.
Brakes were also worn down to the backing plates, ruining the rotor. Luckily I had a spare however it lacked the cooling fins (it was from a smaller model). I removed the rivets from the old one holding the cooling fins and put them on the "new" rotor with nuts and bolts with some red Loctite. Still have to finish up the chaincase leak, put it together and and replace the brake. Then, the steering issues.
Sparky
Member
- Dec 4, 2011
- 12,927
Darn grass is growing so I have to get a-mowing
Mooseman
Moderator
Driving around in a Cadillac XT4. I asked to use a Vette as a shuttle but they declined my request.
Mooseman
Moderator
I see a ban hammer in your future 
Usual work day however I saw this in the showroom. Super retro and it actually works on this truck. Heck even the wheels work on this. The salesman told me they have it done in-house, taking a regular Sierra, adding wrap and the wheels. Last time they did this, it sold quick.
Usual work day however I saw this in the showroom. Super retro and it actually works on this truck. Heck even the wheels work on this. The salesman told me they have it done in-house, taking a regular Sierra, adding wrap and the wheels. Last time they did this, it sold quick.
Mooseman
Moderator
This beauty came in yesterday. 68 Caddy. Get this, owned by the son of the original owner (mother) who originally bought it from the same dealership in 1968! Still has the original plastic dealer name plate on the trunk. Very cool!
Mooseman
Moderator
Nice! Yesterday I smoked a whole eye of round. Since it's such a lean cut of meat, I was afraid it would turn out dry. Cut off the thinner ends to cook for the dogs, some olive oil and SPG and then cooked it at 200f for 5 hours to 135f for a nice medium rare. Turned out perfect, super juicy. Basted it with butter and spritzed it with apple cider vinegar during the cook. Sorry, no staged pic this time. And while that was cooking, went and got the Caprice out of storage but I can't really drive it because I wasn't able to reactivate the liability insurance on it since they are closed on Saturdays.
Today, went for breakfast with a couple of buddies from my old job. We talked for over 3 hours. Then went home and worked on the taxes due tonight. Getting a little money back but may not get it for a while because of the current public service strike. Then out to dinner for some Tex-mex with some more friends.
Today, went for breakfast with a couple of buddies from my old job. We talked for over 3 hours. Then went home and worked on the taxes due tonight. Getting a little money back but may not get it for a while because of the current public service strike. Then out to dinner for some Tex-mex with some more friends.
Well piss on Mooseman, I am including some staged stock photos. 10.5 hours at 205F, then wrapped in aluminum foil and in the oven at 300F for about 1.5 hours. Easy 205F internal. Came apart like butter. Good flavor, juicy and I added some Bullseye for that BBQ flavor. It was spritzed with apple juice during the smoke and some poured in the pan for the steam.
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Mooseman
Moderator
A new XT5 we just got as a new shuttle vehicle. Guess it was telling me where to go!
Sparky
Member
- Dec 4, 2011
- 12,927
Left rear tire on the van keeps dropping 10 PSI in a couple days. Oddly enough, once it drops there, it mostly just sits there and only drops another couple PSI over a few more days.
northcreek
Member
Packaged up the Gear Vendors unit that I removed from my MH. Got $1800 for it on FeeBay and the fee was $260 or something like 13% then I had to provide my SS number before they will send it to my account, because it's over $600 the Feds want to know about it...WTF !.... 
Did some skid steer work today so while it was out, I hauled in six buckets of old manure and got my garden tilled up. Now up here we need every ounce of sunlight we can get and while we have had a hot spell and the soil temp is good, we plant after May long weekend because we always get frost somewhere along the way.
With that being said, I got some steaks and potatoes on the grill. We had a new butcher open up in the area. Local beef, locally cut and these girls never hit the freezer.
With that being said, I got some steaks and potatoes on the grill. We had a new butcher open up in the area. Local beef, locally cut and these girls never hit the freezer.
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In response to the "Bad Right Leg" issues I mentioned suffering with back in Post # 1,669... I finally had to take a more dramatic tack in the direction of wearing a decent External Leg Support that is "Space Age Cool" and actually capable of 'Propping Up' a 250 Lb Human Being to achieve his God-Given Height of well over 6 Feet Tall and avoid any 'Teetering Like a Tree Trunk' after nearly 3/4 of a Century of trying to Stand Tall upon this Earth.
And Boy... Does THIS Mechy "Thing" REALLY Do The TRICK!
I measure the success of this Star Wars "Storm Trooper" Looking Hardware in Two Ways.
(1) Does it actually improve my stance...Pain Free so well that I REALLY Have No Pain?
(2) Does it actually Work SO WELL That I can FORGET that I'm Wearing IT?
Right... On BOTH counts for this VERY Pricey (BUT Worthwhile) Piece of Kit!
I've Opted to get The METAL Version that offers Support for the Inside of the Knee Box as well... Just In Case:
...ANYTHING to be able to avoid all of the Real Risks from "Kneeding" to Have Knee Surgery!!!
And Boy... Does THIS Mechy "Thing" REALLY Do The TRICK!
I measure the success of this Star Wars "Storm Trooper" Looking Hardware in Two Ways.
(1) Does it actually improve my stance...Pain Free so well that I REALLY Have No Pain?
(2) Does it actually Work SO WELL That I can FORGET that I'm Wearing IT?
Right... On BOTH counts for this VERY Pricey (BUT Worthwhile) Piece of Kit!
Amazon.com : orthomen knee brace
www.amazon.com
I've Opted to get The METAL Version that offers Support for the Inside of the Knee Box as well... Just In Case:
...ANYTHING to be able to avoid all of the Real Risks from "Kneeding" to Have Knee Surgery!!!
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Blckshdw
Moderator
On first glance, I was thinking more Robo Cop, but yeah I can go with Storm Trooper as well. 
Mooseman
Moderator
This story started Tue. Went to start the Caprice to go to work and click. Changed venue to the TB to get to work (wife was taking the Sierra). Back home after work, diagnosed as a dead starter after trying to boost it and jumping the relay. Next day, ordered a brand new ACDelco from work. With my discount, price was $228 instead of almost $400. A rebuilt would have been cheaper but would be a week or more out. Talk about excessive packaging though 
Today was swap day. Since it has headers, removing the cat as indicated by SI is not required. Still tight, which is why it uses a smaller gear reduced starter, common only to the Caprice and Camaro. The bolts were pretty seized. One eventually came out but the other gave me grief. Having only a 13mm head, it stripped trying to use the impact and breaker bar. Broke out the bolt extractor and it eventually came out but only using the breaker bar almost the whole way, fighting me the whole time. It has a heat shield attached that restricted fore and aft movement but eventually was able to pry it out.
Added some stick on heat shield onto the new starter just to help protect it (Camaro owners are in a lawsuit against GM for hot start issues). Decided to install the heat shield after the starter is in place. Made the install easier however, installing the tiny heat shield bolts was more difficult. Wound up installing two of three of them as the headers were in the way. Luckily I found a spare starter bolt however was a 15mm head instead of the original 13mm. Added lots on antiseize. Cleaned up the battery cable, attached it however GM were too cheap to include a new nut so had to clean and reuse the old one.
Anyway, took almost 4 hours. She cranks even faster than it ever has.
Oh, and while working on it, felt the onset of a cold and now my nose won't stop dripping and I feel like absolute crap
Today was swap day. Since it has headers, removing the cat as indicated by SI is not required. Still tight, which is why it uses a smaller gear reduced starter, common only to the Caprice and Camaro. The bolts were pretty seized. One eventually came out but the other gave me grief. Having only a 13mm head, it stripped trying to use the impact and breaker bar. Broke out the bolt extractor and it eventually came out but only using the breaker bar almost the whole way, fighting me the whole time. It has a heat shield attached that restricted fore and aft movement but eventually was able to pry it out.
Added some stick on heat shield onto the new starter just to help protect it (Camaro owners are in a lawsuit against GM for hot start issues). Decided to install the heat shield after the starter is in place. Made the install easier however, installing the tiny heat shield bolts was more difficult. Wound up installing two of three of them as the headers were in the way. Luckily I found a spare starter bolt however was a 15mm head instead of the original 13mm. Added lots on antiseize. Cleaned up the battery cable, attached it however GM were too cheap to include a new nut so had to clean and reuse the old one.
Anyway, took almost 4 hours. She cranks even faster than it ever has.
Oh, and while working on it, felt the onset of a cold and now my nose won't stop dripping and I feel like absolute crap
Sparky
Member
- Dec 4, 2011
- 12,927
The battery in the van wouldn't start the engine in a parking lot yesterday. Maybe was run on accessory too long, or maybe the battery is weak, not sure. Got a jump. got home. It started fine later. It has started a little hard a few times off and on before. I threw it on the charger today so that I can make sure it is properly charged up, then I'll get it load tested. I don't know how old it is, it was in the van when we got it last fall.
While putting the charger on it I noticed the air intake tube has a bunch of little cracks forming in the rubber. Good to find that now than later when it starts running funny. Not an uncommon problem, apparently, which is why I even looked for it in the first place.
Need two new tires before winter. Has brand new Michelin Defender LTX in the rear and worn ones in the front. The LTX is getting hard to find, possibly being discontinued, so I need to get new ones soon so I don't end up with mismatched tires.
While putting the charger on it I noticed the air intake tube has a bunch of little cracks forming in the rubber. Good to find that now than later when it starts running funny. Not an uncommon problem, apparently, which is why I even looked for it in the first place.
Need two new tires before winter. Has brand new Michelin Defender LTX in the rear and worn ones in the front. The LTX is getting hard to find, possibly being discontinued, so I need to get new ones soon so I don't end up with mismatched tires.
Sparky
Member
- Dec 4, 2011
- 12,927
That one got discontinued a long time ago. The Defender LTX M+S replaced the LTX M/S2.
I know, the names are way too close!
I am putting in the order at work for a new air intake tube. Since I work for them, I get a discount. 19 bucks.
Mooseman
Moderator
Just glad this week is over. Worked Wed, Thur and today not feeling my best after that nasty cold I got last weekend, off sick Mon and Tue, which means not paid those days. Today was just a drag with a headache, probably caused by the low hazy sky and change in temperature. I took the Caprice to work today hoping it would lift my spirits, and it did a bit. Still starts great with that new starter. Wish I could start great like that.
Oh, and the home internet decided to crap out, kinda, on Wed evening. The cable from the pole to the house got stretched after the ice storm last month so I had the wife on my case as to why I didn't call to get it fixed
. It was working fine until now. All of a sudden, it would drop out, I'd reset the modem, it would run a while and crap out again. So the wife was to call the provider the next day. Unfortunately, she got back on my case because I never added her as an authorized user 
. So did that during my lunch and she called them back, made her do the resets, look at the lights, blah, blah. And they can't send anyone before the weekend, a long weekend. Anyway, they're coming tomorrow morning. At least it's a rain day. And the internet is working fine now 
.
Let the weekend begin...
Oh, and the home internet decided to crap out, kinda, on Wed evening. The cable from the pole to the house got stretched after the ice storm last month so I had the wife on my case as to why I didn't call to get it fixed
. It was working fine until now. All of a sudden, it would drop out, I'd reset the modem, it would run a while and crap out again. So the wife was to call the provider the next day. Unfortunately, she got back on my case because I never added her as an authorized user . So did that during my lunch and she called them back, made her do the resets, look at the lights, blah, blah. And they can't send anyone before the weekend, a long weekend. Anyway, they're coming tomorrow morning. At least it's a rain day. And the internet is working fine now .Let the weekend begin...
Sparky
Member
- Dec 4, 2011
- 12,927
It is Monday. Let's see how this day shapes up. Lots could go well, or go wrong.
Van has started strong every time without issue since the parking lot incident, so I'm leaning towards just accessory running too long.
Van has started strong every time without issue since the parking lot incident, so I'm leaning towards just accessory running too long.
Friday - Good day off. Went around and got a few estimates on getting the Saturn fixed. Lunch and dinner with the wife and kids. Good day
Saturday - Started as a good day. Wife's girlfriends daughter is in a cheerleading thing, and we went to watch that.
Got home about 1200pm, got a call from Colorado State Patrol at 130pm that one of my fleet trucks was rolled over, and they needed a company representative to come on site, and they needed a site cleanup as the tanker that he was pulling was loaded, and leaking. He, at that time, would not tell me if the driver was alive or dead. But when they wont tell you, you already know. So I got the ball rolling with the owner of the company, and my boss, to get insurance involved, cleanup crew rolling, and for the owner to go out on site as a company representative, and to transload the truck that he would be driving.
At 800pm got a call from my boss that the pump on the truck he brought burned out, and they needed me in the yard asap to grab another truck and roll out to them. The accident location is about 100 miles away. At about 1030pm I got out to them, load transloaded, made it back to the yard at 430am. Finally in bed at 6am Sunday...
Sunday - Recoup from Saturday. Play with the kids some. Nap here and there.
Saturday - Started as a good day. Wife's girlfriends daughter is in a cheerleading thing, and we went to watch that.
Got home about 1200pm, got a call from Colorado State Patrol at 130pm that one of my fleet trucks was rolled over, and they needed a company representative to come on site, and they needed a site cleanup as the tanker that he was pulling was loaded, and leaking. He, at that time, would not tell me if the driver was alive or dead. But when they wont tell you, you already know. So I got the ball rolling with the owner of the company, and my boss, to get insurance involved, cleanup crew rolling, and for the owner to go out on site as a company representative, and to transload the truck that he would be driving.
At 800pm got a call from my boss that the pump on the truck he brought burned out, and they needed me in the yard asap to grab another truck and roll out to them. The accident location is about 100 miles away. At about 1030pm I got out to them, load transloaded, made it back to the yard at 430am. Finally in bed at 6am Sunday...
Sunday - Recoup from Saturday. Play with the kids some. Nap here and there.
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Well no doubt my weekend had been a shit ton better than most.
Had it off so my wife and I ditched the kids and spent some time in the city. Its our 15th anniversary so we had a few events planned. Great time away, thats for damn sure.
Today, my youngest and I got the garden planted. Lots of potatoes, peas, carrots, lettuce, tomatoes, strawberries and some celery. Nothing fancy but should turn out good. Need some potting soil and will plant my flowers tomorrow.
Had it off so my wife and I ditched the kids and spent some time in the city. Its our 15th anniversary so we had a few events planned. Great time away, thats for damn sure.
Today, my youngest and I got the garden planted. Lots of potatoes, peas, carrots, lettuce, tomatoes, strawberries and some celery. Nothing fancy but should turn out good. Need some potting soil and will plant my flowers tomorrow.
Mooseman
Moderator
Saturday, rain day and didn't do too much, to the displeasure of Mrs. Moose
Sunday, started a little project to run underground power and water to the pool shed. There used to be two set of wires that went there. One line for the lights broke some years ago and never found where. The other line for the pool pump was still OK but was undersized for the load (14 ga. running 220v) and I could feel them running warm so they were on the edge. Rented a trencher for 4 hours from Homeless Despot and it took me just two hours however found it to be underpowered as it would not move at the same time as trenching. Had to dig, move, dig, move, etc. There were A LOT of rocks and stones making for a rocky ride and I also wound up digging up the old line.
Monday, Victoria Day holiday. Finally pulled the cover off the RV and re-installed the batteries so Mrs. Moose could clean the interior. She had found mouse droppings so I'll have to lay some traps to be sure they are gone. Then found a deal on FB for a Blackstone Tailgater combo grill and griddle, which will be perfect for the RV as I used to carry a grill and separate griddle.
Then continuation of the power project. Had to buy a roll of 14 ga. wire to run for the lights (I had already bought over 120 ft of 12 ga. for the pool pump from a guy on FB Marketplace). Decided to put both in black PVC pipe. Not exactly to code but I had it laying around and will protect the wires better. Will also run some to our gazebo for lights and power there as well. So just passing the wires and some poly rope into each part of the pipe. Then running it into the house through the foundation. Drilled out the concrete for the 1 ½" conduit box. At the other end, I couldn't finish as the second box was 1 ¼" that I grabbed by mistake and by then, the store was closed. I temporarily ran the the pump wire to the pump so it could keep running. Likely to be concluded next weekend.
Sunday, started a little project to run underground power and water to the pool shed. There used to be two set of wires that went there. One line for the lights broke some years ago and never found where. The other line for the pool pump was still OK but was undersized for the load (14 ga. running 220v) and I could feel them running warm so they were on the edge. Rented a trencher for 4 hours from Homeless Despot and it took me just two hours however found it to be underpowered as it would not move at the same time as trenching. Had to dig, move, dig, move, etc. There were A LOT of rocks and stones making for a rocky ride and I also wound up digging up the old line.
Monday, Victoria Day holiday. Finally pulled the cover off the RV and re-installed the batteries so Mrs. Moose could clean the interior. She had found mouse droppings so I'll have to lay some traps to be sure they are gone. Then found a deal on FB for a Blackstone Tailgater combo grill and griddle, which will be perfect for the RV as I used to carry a grill and separate griddle.
Then continuation of the power project. Had to buy a roll of 14 ga. wire to run for the lights (I had already bought over 120 ft of 12 ga. for the pool pump from a guy on FB Marketplace). Decided to put both in black PVC pipe. Not exactly to code but I had it laying around and will protect the wires better. Will also run some to our gazebo for lights and power there as well. So just passing the wires and some poly rope into each part of the pipe. Then running it into the house through the foundation. Drilled out the concrete for the 1 ½" conduit box. At the other end, I couldn't finish as the second box was 1 ¼" that I grabbed by mistake and by then, the store was closed. I temporarily ran the the pump wire to the pump so it could keep running. Likely to be concluded next weekend.
northcreek
Member
Did you notice the sneaky building inspector filming what you were doing ? ...
Matt
Member
- Dec 2, 2011
- 4,039
Currently in day two of painting downstairs. Patched all the holes and dings yesterday and today will be sanding and cleaning the walls. Tomorrow the ceiling gets painted and Thursday it's the walls turn.
Mooseman
Moderator
On a holiday weekend? I think not! Should have seen the original crap that was buried. Wiring so old that it was wrapped in fiber type sheathing in a small black water hose. The box in the pool shed said 1985.Did you notice the sneaky building inspector filming what you were doing ? ...
Came home to find Saskenergy is a couple weeks early and will be starting to trench in the natural gas. Well Moose, not to outdo your ordeal, apparently this thing can trench at a decent pace and seeing as our ground is mostly sand, I don't see much that will slow it down.
So my garden is in so time to relax a bit, make a quick supper and recover from the gym.
So my garden is in so time to relax a bit, make a quick supper and recover from the gym.
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- Jul 22, 2015
- 2,724
Went to get a new license plate for the trailer yesterday. Longest time I ever spent in the DMV -- took about an hour (I'll spare the 'why', in the interest of keeping this on point).
Today, I went to where I store the trailer, swapped in the new plate, hooked it up to the Sierra, and took the trailer to a nearby state park (only about 15mi away) for a couple of days to do a 'shakedown' and make sure everything was still working well, as well as to see if any mice got into the trailer (initial inspection says "no, they didn't"... yay me).
Took me awhile to back the trailer into the spot I reserved (way out of practice; I had picked what I thought was an easier spot to back in (it wasn't bad, in retrospect)).
Got turned around at one point in the park and jackknifed the trailer trying to turn around and go back the way I came. One of the 'camp hosts' helped guide me to get it unstuck and back on my way, but not before the truck toolbox I rigged up on the trailer for the batteries took out one of the Sierra's tail lamps. The lamps still work; only the clear outer lens broke. But they're LED (?) conversions (came with the truck), so replacements are going to be spendy, unless I go back to the ugly tricolor OEM-style lamp modules. And I'll have to rethink how I want to transport my batteries, as the truck toolbox isn't as good a solution as I thought it would be.
Dropped the trailer, went back home, put some clear tape on the broken lens so that water doesn't get in and damage the lamp array. Picked up some addn'l supplies and stopped at Menard's for 9v batteries, as the ones in the smoke alarms had died, as I learned when I hooked the batteries up to the trailer,
Found out the truck was 'porpoise-ing' a bit on bumpy road; thought it was the crappy front shocks I had put on, but it apparently has to do with the spring bars on the WDH being out of adjustment. So I'll have to work on that.
The other thing I found out is that even with the tow cam I put in, I can tell that I'm going to want a bit more power. IL is sorta like FL -- flat as a pancake -- and I found that I definitely felt the 6000 lb of the trailer more than I thought I would. So my 'stage 2' plans are definitely going to come to fruition, unless I sell this truck and go get a Duramax. Which I really don't want to do, as I'll be rebuilding yet another truck, as well as learning diesel maintenance / mechanics. Sigh.
Tomorrow I'll go back to the park, give the inside of the trailer a good cleaning, fire up the propane furnace / water heater / fridge and make sure they're all working well, as well as installing some mods & improvements. With that done, and another day to ensure I don't have any little four-legged critters sharing the trailer with me, I'll actually sleep in the trailer and make sure everything's functional. Then it's off to Shawnee Nat'l Forest (downstate IL), for the holiday, which will make a nice trip to get re-acquainted with the camper, but not so far that if something bad happens, I'm stranded and at the mercy of other people to get back home.
Engine cooling wasn't elevated at all (although it's only in the mid-70's (F). Trans temp stayed just around 180F, so I may look at a cooler upgrade, given the low ambient temps and pulling on flat ground right now. The trans is a different animal with tow mode engaged, that's for sure.
TL; DR: A bit bummed out at the tail lamp, but it did me a world of good to finally get the trailer hooked up and actually take it somewhere. So a good day, overall.
Today, I went to where I store the trailer, swapped in the new plate, hooked it up to the Sierra, and took the trailer to a nearby state park (only about 15mi away) for a couple of days to do a 'shakedown' and make sure everything was still working well, as well as to see if any mice got into the trailer (initial inspection says "no, they didn't"... yay me).
Took me awhile to back the trailer into the spot I reserved (way out of practice; I had picked what I thought was an easier spot to back in (it wasn't bad, in retrospect)).
Got turned around at one point in the park and jackknifed the trailer trying to turn around and go back the way I came. One of the 'camp hosts' helped guide me to get it unstuck and back on my way, but not before the truck toolbox I rigged up on the trailer for the batteries took out one of the Sierra's tail lamps. The lamps still work; only the clear outer lens broke. But they're LED (?) conversions (came with the truck), so replacements are going to be spendy, unless I go back to the ugly tricolor OEM-style lamp modules. And I'll have to rethink how I want to transport my batteries, as the truck toolbox isn't as good a solution as I thought it would be.
Dropped the trailer, went back home, put some clear tape on the broken lens so that water doesn't get in and damage the lamp array. Picked up some addn'l supplies and stopped at Menard's for 9v batteries, as the ones in the smoke alarms had died, as I learned when I hooked the batteries up to the trailer,
Found out the truck was 'porpoise-ing' a bit on bumpy road; thought it was the crappy front shocks I had put on, but it apparently has to do with the spring bars on the WDH being out of adjustment. So I'll have to work on that.
The other thing I found out is that even with the tow cam I put in, I can tell that I'm going to want a bit more power. IL is sorta like FL -- flat as a pancake -- and I found that I definitely felt the 6000 lb of the trailer more than I thought I would. So my 'stage 2' plans are definitely going to come to fruition, unless I sell this truck and go get a Duramax. Which I really don't want to do, as I'll be rebuilding yet another truck, as well as learning diesel maintenance / mechanics. Sigh.
Tomorrow I'll go back to the park, give the inside of the trailer a good cleaning, fire up the propane furnace / water heater / fridge and make sure they're all working well, as well as installing some mods & improvements. With that done, and another day to ensure I don't have any little four-legged critters sharing the trailer with me, I'll actually sleep in the trailer and make sure everything's functional. Then it's off to Shawnee Nat'l Forest (downstate IL), for the holiday, which will make a nice trip to get re-acquainted with the camper, but not so far that if something bad happens, I'm stranded and at the mercy of other people to get back home.
Engine cooling wasn't elevated at all (although it's only in the mid-70's (F). Trans temp stayed just around 180F, so I may look at a cooler upgrade, given the low ambient temps and pulling on flat ground right now. The trans is a different animal with tow mode engaged, that's for sure.
TL; DR: A bit bummed out at the tail lamp, but it did me a world of good to finally get the trailer hooked up and actually take it somewhere. So a good day, overall.
Follow up to this, for those that are interested..
The view of our equipment when we got to the rollover site
I got the pleasure of going out to the truck Yesterday, recovering personal items, and company items, from the truck..
It sucks rooting around in someones elses life, hoping to find some nick-nack, or other personal item, to give a little light to the wife and kids.
At the end of the day, someone has to do it.
Breathe in, breathe out...
Mind you, the truck is supposed to be about 4-5 feet taller than what you see in this picture. Its as tall as the trailer sitting to the left in this picture. That is also the trailer he was pulling.
The other driver that caused the wreck left the scene, and the dashcam video has provided no clues.
Our dashcam that was installed in the truck was destroyed.
There are more pics, but they are to revealing, and I dont feel they should be publicized.
I know its asking a lot, and if its against board policy, mods can delete this part.
He was a grandfather who moved to Colorado, with his wife, just a few months ago to take care of his grandkids.
The wife is obviously devasted, and I also imagine the kids are too. But that doesnt stop the bills from rolling in.
There is a gofundme setup, and the owner of my company is matching 100% of the donations.
Blckshdw
Moderator
Took advantage of the cool morning for some band-aid landscape maintenance. In front of my dining room window, there's a wide, low spot where rain used to drip from the roof before I put the gutters up a few years ago. So now when it rains hard and heavy, water will still pool there a bit, which has always bothered me.
Had some plastic sheeting already, so bought 3 bags of top soil. Raked up the ground cover, and the plastic below it was pretty beat up. Looks like the PO used plastic sheeting, landscape fabric and window screen material in different places. Not sure what the deal is with all that. One thing I did discover, is roots from the small loquat tree had reached back to the house. Some had pushed up into the stucco, others turned and ran along the foundation. Chop chop, and yank. We don't need any of that.
Dropped in the dirt and covered with new plastic. Really, all of the old wood chips and stones need to come out. But that will happen just before I get the house painted. Then everything can get graded, and all the sheeting can get replaced. Started raking the ground cover back on top of the new sheet, and ran out since I wanted it a few inches thick... lol Raked out some of the leaf litter from the tree and bush, which helped cover a bit more. I've got a bunch of leaves out back due to the drought, so I'll take those up, shred them and put them on top of the rest of the area later.
While I was cleaning out the leaves at the base of the tree, something caught my eye in the branches. On closer look, there's a small bird's nest. I sit by this window when I work from home, so I've seen birds in and around the tree, usually eating the small fruits. I also see some of the neighborhood stray cats around it hunting, as there are tons of geckos around my house. The nest is probably about shoulder height for me, so definitely not a safe spot for chicks.
Had some plastic sheeting already, so bought 3 bags of top soil. Raked up the ground cover, and the plastic below it was pretty beat up. Looks like the PO used plastic sheeting, landscape fabric and window screen material in different places. Not sure what the deal is with all that. One thing I did discover, is roots from the small loquat tree had reached back to the house. Some had pushed up into the stucco, others turned and ran along the foundation. Chop chop, and yank. We don't need any of that.
Dropped in the dirt and covered with new plastic. Really, all of the old wood chips and stones need to come out. But that will happen just before I get the house painted. Then everything can get graded, and all the sheeting can get replaced. Started raking the ground cover back on top of the new sheet, and ran out since I wanted it a few inches thick... lol Raked out some of the leaf litter from the tree and bush, which helped cover a bit more. I've got a bunch of leaves out back due to the drought, so I'll take those up, shred them and put them on top of the rest of the area later.
While I was cleaning out the leaves at the base of the tree, something caught my eye in the branches. On closer look, there's a small bird's nest. I sit by this window when I work from home, so I've seen birds in and around the tree, usually eating the small fruits. I also see some of the neighborhood stray cats around it hunting, as there are tons of geckos around my house. The nest is probably about shoulder height for me, so definitely not a safe spot for chicks.
Well, Tollkeeper, that plain sucks ass. Just a shitty situation for everyone.
Well another couple days down out here. Just about done laying down straw in my garden. Keeps the weeds down, bolsters the soil nutrients and more importantly, retains the moisture in this sand.
Only managed one gopher yesterday morning. Not many out and flighty as all hell.
Last night I made the kids homemade pizza on the Traeger. Hands down the best pizza I've ever made. I arranged the pictures so it looks like I cooked what I hunted....
Well another couple days down out here. Just about done laying down straw in my garden. Keeps the weeds down, bolsters the soil nutrients and more importantly, retains the moisture in this sand.
Only managed one gopher yesterday morning. Not many out and flighty as all hell.
Last night I made the kids homemade pizza on the Traeger. Hands down the best pizza I've ever made. I arranged the pictures so it looks like I cooked what I hunted....
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Say... @Mooseman ... What did you use to Bore a Hole through your "Purple Jesus" Thumbnail? A Cherry Red, Flame Heated Paper Clip (the EZ-est... as long as you don't slip and hit the Soft Parts underneath...) OR a Tiny Twist Drill...Gradually excavating the Nail down to just above the Nail Bed? Either Way... All That Black Blood PRESSURE has just GOT TO GO...****SPLOOGE**** Right? X>(
By the By... THIS is the First Time I have EVER seen... A "Thumb Nail"...of a ..."Thumb Nail". X>O
By the By... THIS is the First Time I have EVER seen... A "Thumb Nail"...of a ..."Thumb Nail". X>O
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Mooseman
Moderator
With the clusterf@ch of an electrical sub-panel that supplies one half of the house, Yesterday, I had to replace some of the breakers as some of them are way over the rating for the wiring. 3 of them had 20 or 40 amp breakers when they should have been 15 amp. However, this is an older panel that uses QB breakers and they're not cheap new, if you can find them. Found a guy selling some used ones for $10 each instead of $45+ but was a 45 minute drive away. So hop in the Sierra and pick those up. I even got a 4th one as a spare. On the way back, stopped at the dealership and washed the truck. I can't do that at home since we have hard water that leaves bad spots.
Replaced the breakers and we're now safe from burning down the house. Funny I never noticed this as we've been living here since 2009.
Then headed back to the yard in the trenches. Finished running the wires and then tackled running the water line to the pool shed. That was pretty easy compared to the wiring and conduit.
Finished the yard work. I tested the water line overnight and no leaks. Didn't get a pic of the refilled trenches but they turned out OK, tried to remove as many large rocks as possible. Then I watered and put some grass seed, including a large area where my son left the pool cover on the grass and killed it. I'm hopefully gonna have a nice patch and line of grass.
I just have to wire the lights in the pool shed and install the water spigot. The power in the gazebo can wait. Too much junk in there (we use it more like a shed).
No BBQ this weekend. Yesterday the wife made some burgers while I was working and we went to a friend's place for dinner.
Replaced the breakers and we're now safe from burning down the house. Funny I never noticed this as we've been living here since 2009.
Then headed back to the yard in the trenches. Finished running the wires and then tackled running the water line to the pool shed. That was pretty easy compared to the wiring and conduit.
Used a disinfected pin drill. At least this one didn't go all black and fall off like my previous two times on my right hand. I didn't think my camera was that good and I had reduced the pics too.
Finished the yard work. I tested the water line overnight and no leaks. Didn't get a pic of the refilled trenches but they turned out OK, tried to remove as many large rocks as possible. Then I watered and put some grass seed, including a large area where my son left the pool cover on the grass and killed it. I'm hopefully gonna have a nice patch and line of grass.
I just have to wire the lights in the pool shed and install the water spigot. The power in the gazebo can wait. Too much junk in there (we use it more like a shed).
No BBQ this weekend. Yesterday the wife made some burgers while I was working and we went to a friend's place for dinner.