Sept-Oct'05
This month was a good project month. Cabinets in
MH are deep and that makes it hard to reach the stuff crammed in the back. Kay
thought pullout drawers would be nice. So that
was my next project. Actually it was her dad's and mine project. I did the
measurements, Jerry made the drawers and I installed them. Used sliders that let
you pull the drawers all the way out. Used small slide bolts to hold them in for
travel.Turned out pretty good and they do hold a lot and items are easily
accessible.
Took truck & MH down to get the hitch & pump installed. The guy needed
the truck overnight as he did it on his own time in the evening. So we stayed at
S. Marcum Campground on Rend Lake. Nice place, had water, electric, no sewer. As
we were only there for one night we didn't need the sewer. Even if it was
available I probably wouldn't hook it up for just one night. Turned out the
hitch was the wrong one so we had to reorder the correct one. But the pump did
get installed.
Our rear air conditioner started leaking. I checked it out and all it needed was
a GOOD cleaning. I had been doing yearly maintenance on it but it is hard to get
it completely clean without getting water into the MH. I bought a new gasket
for between the MH and A/C unit. I had a thick piece of cardboard and
taped some plastic sheeting to it that was long enough to reach the ground so
any cleaners, dirt, etc would flow off the roof and not on the side of the MH.
Then I removed the unit, placed it on the cardboard and proceeded to give it a
thorough cleaning. Used Simple Green and soap. Sprayed, let it set, hosed it
off. Took two times before I was satisfied. Let it dry, then reinstalled the
unit. No leaks!
The MH was oxidizing pretty bad. The waxings were not holding up. I did some
internet research and found http://www.properrvcare.com/
and read that fiberglass & GelCoat are porous and the oxidizing is
getting down in the pores also. So the waxing was a temporary fix at best. Just
did the surface. I bought some of their products and a circular buffer. Before I
started doing the sides I wanted to do the aluminum roof. This was a normal
cleaning, waxing. Not too bad but hard on the knees. Even with the thick
furniture pad I used for kneeling. Took some Aleve before I started and more
when I was done. Now for the back of the MH. I hadn't used a circular buffer
before so I read and reread the directions before starting. I'd heard how they
could 'burn' the paint if used improperly. It was actually easier than I had
imagined. And the cleaner did a nice job. Then I had to apply a sealer which
didn't seem to be right when I first did it. So I rebuffed and tried a different
sealer. That was better. Around the ladder I had to buff it out by hand. Made me
appreciate the buffer! I also did about one foot into the side panels to see how
they would look. They are a slightly different texture than the back. The back
is a molded cap and the sides are flat panels
and I think they are formed differently. You could really tell the difference
there. Looked great. That is all I have done so far. I plan on finishing it up
in Fl this winter.
There is a vacuum pump in the front of the MH for controlling the A/C controls.
(Diesels don’t create vacuum like a car does therefore the separate pump.)
Switching between dash, floor, etc. It wasn’t working right. The default
position for the blower is defrost. And that is where it stayed. I pulled the
pump and checked it and nothing. Lots of searching on the net and I finally
found one. Actually I found one at a Ford dealer but the one I found on the net
was about half the price. (And that was expensive enough.)
Mid-America Designs in Effingham, which sells aftermarket Corvette parts,
jewelry, etc. has VetteFest once a year. If you are
a Corvette nut, this is the place to go. Usually a few thousand Vettes there.
There is no entry fee for the Vettes and you get food coupons and other stuff.
They had a company that installed new custom muffler
systems on new Vettes right there. On sat night there is entertainment--this
year was The Beach Boys. There is a Corvette Museum on
the property also. It is open to visitors all year. If you ever plan on going
there for VetteFest--it is in Sept--you need to book motels a year ahead. They
are all full for miles around on this weekend.
We took a trip to Tuscola, Il to visit Ed Krzinowek.
I’ve known Ed since the early 60’s. We ran around together and stayed in
touch until I moved to Ca. Then some things happened in his life and we lost
touch. Finally found him and arranged the visit. Still the same old Ed. :>)
He is an excellent bodyman, mechanic, etc. His
latest project is a ’98 fullsize Chevy pickup that
he is customizing. It is looking good so far. We went inside and he showed us
around. In the living room he had a 4X8 sheet of plywood on some fold up tables.
He was working on a 10,000 piece jigsaw puzzle.
As we went thru the rest of the house he had puzzle pieces sorted and on small
boards in every room. He showed us a pic of how it is supposed to turn out and
most of it is dark. Makes it harder to match up pieces. I don’t think I’d
have the patience for such a project.
We sat
around and caught up on our lives. Made arrangements to bring MH up to do the
compartment repairs. I would do the work and he would guide me thru it. Turns
out that with everything going on with John & Jerry in Effingham
I didn’t get a chance to get up there. Hopefully, next spring.
Now it was time to move down to the Harrisburg area for our annual VA appts and
LZ’s annual shots/checkup. We were there 10 days. And one weekend was the
Elk’s annual Chili Cook-Off and dance in the
evening. Good time to catch up with all my friends. Which we did.
Va tests all came out OK. LZ’s didn’t. He had
to have all his front teeth removed. They were loose and infected. Kay had been
saying that his breath was getting worse but I couldn’t tell. Ever since I had
the bad bronchitis attack in Phoenix back in ’01 I haven’t been able to
smell anything. We set up an appt for the next week. Our vet is retired and only
takes care of a few animals. He has been LZ’s vet since ’95 so he still
takes care of him. Kay said she would assist him on the procedure, as I don’t
like to see critters hurt. Just bugs me. (I get upset even when I see
‘roadkill’ laying on the side of the road. And I don’t hunt or fish
anymore either.) They got ready to start and I went out to the truck to read the
paper. Later I glanced over and Kay was sitting on the ground leaning against
the building. I went over and she said it was OK until the vet moved LZ’s
tongue around to get at the teeth. Then it hit her and she got woozy. So I got
her in the truck and I went in to help the vet finish up. As LZ was coming out
of the anesthesia he started yelping which the vet said was normal. The only
time he would stop is when he was on the ground trying to stand up. We took him
outside on the grass so he wouldn’t hurt himself trying to get up. The vet got
down on the ground with him (this was a COLD day and it had been raining
earlier) to encourage/help him. You don’t see many vets that care that much
about their patients. When LZ could walk he wandered about and couldn’t see.
We headed back to the MH with LZ crying and wanting down all the way. Had to
stop a couple of times so he could walk and settle down. In the MH he would walk
leaning alongside the cabinets. Still couldn’t see. He finally settled down
for the night and the next day, he was OK. Acting like nothing happened.
My coach and chassis batteries were still the original ones. MH is a ’98 with
the chassis built in ’97 so they were ready to be exchanged. Since I was in
the area I went to see Roger Craig. He got me 2-12V & 4-6V batteries at a
reasonable price. I changed them and made a note to redo the battery compartment
again as the redo from ’03 was not holding up.
It would
wait til we got back to Effingham.
Later
Pictures
