Nearly Ready to Go

For the last several weeks, when it was not freezing or 8o degrees outside, I've been working away, polishing the inside of the trailer.  (Last Fall, I had taken off the grimy "mouse fur" lining the walls and fried a few brain cells getting the glue off the walls.) The polishing is just hard grimy work which requires removing the oxidation and rust with one compound, and then finishing up with another.  It looks pretty good.

The polished walls, with terrible reflections from outside, before I started re-installing beds and cabinets.

I had carefully marked most of the stuff I had removed and stored down cellar, putting the screws in small plastic bags and taping them to the item.  It worked pretty well although the rails to hold the curtains were a challenge.  I had multiple sets of holes in the walls but with Mary's help holding the ends, and some retries, we got them in place.

Here is a similar shot after the bed, the cabinet, and the infamous curtain railing were installed.  Getting there.

Installing the curtains is a trick, especially with bifocals.  You have to thread little plastic holders into a rail while hunched over and working more by feel.  They are installed, the floor is cleaned up, and I only have Mary's side to finish and the back end of the trailer is ready.

My side is about ready to go with mattress in place.  All it needs is the dog sleeping on it.

I got the rig de-winterized with fresh water on board -- only one problem so far with a spray hose in the sink which sprays me instead of the sink.  I tested out the water heater and finally got the refrigerator going on gas.

Our game plan is to finish up the repairs this week and take a short trip over to Ricker Pond State Park next week for a few days of shakedown.  Feels good to get it this far.

All Jacked Up but not yet ready to go.

The small bruises and cuts on my fingers signify the completion of a repair project -- the replacement of the front jack.  Like most efforts with our old trailer, it was not easy or without "issues."

So, here is the culprit prior to replacement.  The gears had stripped, the motor had given out, and I was stuck with using a log to keep the tongue of the trailer out of the mud.

What you can't see is the rusted bolts holding the jack to the tongue.

There was no way that the three bolts threaded into the tongue were going to move and I had about resolved to cut them off with an angle grinder when I got smart and posted a query on a wonderful online Airstream group called Air Forums.  Here's the question I raised:

I got several responses back that said first use a penetration oil like PB Blaster, then heat if needed.  They all said don't cut the bolts off.  So, down to our local hardware store I went and talked to one of the knowledgeable guys who further cautioned me to take my time and don't use too much force or "you'll snap off the bolt."

So, I soaked the bolts, tried to move them, heated them, and later that day, got one to budge.  I carefully extracted two of the bolts, breaking the rust with oil and heat.  Of course, the third one snapped when I put an extender on my ratchet wrench -- so I was left with two nice threaded holes and a stub of a hardened bolt.

The two bolts and on the right, the snapped-off bolt.  At least the old jack of off the rig.

I ground down the bolt prior to trying to drill it out.

So, the next morning it was back to the store and confessing to my advisor.  He sold me a drill bit/tapping set and some new bolts and soon I was back at the task, trying to get a small drill bit to center on the bolt.  I finally got it drilled and rethreaded.

The final tasks were rather uneventful - the jack fit the hole, the new bolts worked fine, and when I connected the power, the whole thing worked.  It was a lot of work but it was wonderful to have the help of folks who know what they are doing.  After a few additional fixes due to the differences in the new jack, the Airstream is now ready to hook up to the truck again.  Of course, the list of tasks grew as I worked around the unit, noticing items needing repair.  So, we'll tackle them one at a time but this major one is great to have out of the way.

New jack ready to go.

Getting the Rig Back Together

The snow has melted, mud season is over, and the pinched nerve in my neck has been somewhat relieved.  It is time to tackle the many tasks needed to get the Airstream back on the road.  Recall that I finally got the repairs made to the exterior last fall but all the cabinets, beds, and accessories that I removed and stored down cellar have to be reinstalled.

The snow has finally melted and it's time to tackle a myriad of projects to get the rig roadworthy again.

But first, I need to deal with the front jack whose motor and gearing failed last year, after several years of burned connections and emergency fixes.  It no longer works at all, which makes it a little tricky to get hitched up.

The jack has been on the rig since 1999 so the three bolts holding it on are rusted in place.  I suspect that I am going to have to cut them off so I borrowed my neighbor's angle grinder and bought a cutting wheel.  Not sure how I'll open up the three holes to bolt the new one on.

I ordered a replacement jack from my friends at Vintage Trailer Supply and since they are based in Montpelier, will pick it up on Thursday.  I'm sure they can give me a little advice on steps ahead.  Stay tuned -- or if you have ideas, leave a comment.

Happy Spring - Not!

Normally, we'd still be in Texas this time of year, enjoying some of the early migrating birds, and planning our trip back to Vermont.  This year we stayed home - and yesterday's late snowstorm of a foot or more (and still coming) did not give us a "Hey, it's the first day of Spring!" feeling when we awoke this morning.  The Airstream may not be dreaming of being in warmer climes - but we are.

Local Airstream Company Expands

The Plattsburgh Press-Repulican had a nice article about the continuing expansion of an Airstream sales/renovation company just across the lake. 

PLATTSBURGH — New models of an American icon are now available from a local business that has doubled in size within the last year. 

Nomad Airstream President and Sales Manager Steven Clement said they are now an authorized Airstream dealer with exclusive rights to the New York and Vermont sales territory.

“We’re getting calls from all over,” he said.

Market holds promise

He and CEO Guillaume Langevin see great potential for the market, particularly the Burlington area. Clement said it is difficult to find Airstream trailers in Canada, so they even expect to have customers from the Montreal market.

“We know customers will be coming down,” he said.

The company has already received some new 2013 inventory.

The International Signature and Serenity series includes models from 19 feet to 30 feet. The Classic Limited line has model lengths of 27 feet, 30 feet and 31 feet, and is the flagship of the Aurstream line.

The Airstream Eddie Bauer edition is available in 26-foot and-28 foot lengths. It features a wide rear hatch to accommodate outdoor gear such as a kayak or bicycles. 

“It really fits in with the Adirondacks,” Clement said.  Read the whole article.

What Will Be Our Birding Base?

We’ve had a stretch of cold, windy weather here in Vermont and along with questioning our sanity in staying here this winter, I have been battling a painful nerve situation in my neck, arm, and hand.  So I’ve had plenty of time to work on writing and reading projects. 

As you have noted in my blog posts, we do a lot of our birding in warmer places of the U.S.  We haul our ‘99 Airstream, set up in state parks, and see some wonderful birds and meet some fine people.  The Airstream is easy to pull and works pretty well for us but the truck-trailer rig can be tricky to drive so I do all the driving.  Mary would like to help with that chore. 

Last winter, I was intrigued with some of the Class B and larger RV rigs that we saw in various state parks, particularly because of their ease of handling and setup.  I never did anything about them but last week, facing the completion of repairs on the Airstream and dithering about upgrading and or upsizing, I came across a post from a guy about his success on buying RV’s unseen (except for photos, videos, etc).  He was from Vermont and wrote that he had a Chinook -- a rig I’d never heard of.  In a brief exchange of emails, he raved about their reliability and quality, and scarceness.

A random email exchange introduced me to Chinook RVs

Diving in headfirst, I joined the Chinook Yahoo group, visited some Craigslist and RVtrader sites, and wrote to the Chinook RV Club.  Next thing I know I was learning the different models and their layouts and getting advice on possible rigs for sale.  Hey, I have a snow-covered Airstream that has a few weeks worth of work before I can even move it.  And we certainly don’t have a bank account that can handle two rigs at time  -- especially a newer pricier RV.

But, after a few more days research, I’m getting hooked on getting a Chinook.  It may never come to pass but I’m planning a trip to Georgia in April for a rally to look one or two over.   Of course, Georgia birding will be in full operation and I’m outlining some sites we can visit while we are there.  

Seeing the many rigs that are sold because of health reasons of one or both of the owners makes one realize that fixing up old rigs is perhaps not to efficient a use of time.  Going in style to prime birding and tourist spots (note the priority) is why we are thinking of upgrading.  Stay tuned or better yet, sign up by RSS feed or via email  over at vtbirder.com to follow us in this “What’s Our Birding Support Base” decision.

Our Airstream Takes A Ferry Ride

The repairs by Colin Hyde to our Airstream are finished.  It took nearly eight months from the mishap but once we got started, the work looks great.  Here are a couple of final photos.

The interior back in place

The two end panels all fixed and the awning and trim reinstalled.

Today, I went over and picked up the 'Stream and brought it back across Lake Champlain.  It was a beautiful day and and easy trip -- excepting the fact that the electric jack seems to have died.  Just another project to tackle before snow.

The truck and Airstream riding the ferry homeward.

A calm day on Lake Champlain, looking back toward the Adirondacks

The sister ferry passing us on its way to New York

So now the trick is to work on the interior and get the walls polished so that I can install the beds and cabinets.  We are thinking of using it for our Thanksgiving trip -- if it's ready by then.