New York, 2012

[ClydesdaleKevin]

We had a craptastic day yesterday...hands down our worst day every at the New York faire.  Still better than Kentucky though...lol!  New Yorkers will come out in the rain, hail, even the snow...but they really really don't like the heat.  Ah well.  We made enough to get the new Jeep and pay for the registration and whatnot...just won't be a heck of a lot left over so I won't be making a lot of parts this week as was my original plan.  In fact, I'll only be making a few poplar trebuchets and about 50 Bandit catapults, and that is pretty much it.

At least I already ordered the parts for the Jeep, so they should be here today.  Vince is getting his used truck tomorrow, so I'll be able to take possession of the new Jeep tomorrow, but hopefully we can fill out some of the forms today so I can get the registration stuff mailed out. 

Not going to do much besides that today.  I'll probably go ahead and pull our stuff out of the Cherokee today, including the tow bar brackets, break away switch, and of course the antenna cactus.  I'll leave my emergency tools in it though until Wednesday, when the guy who bought it is going to pick it up and give us the rest of the money.

So to be on the safe side, in case it takes Florida a while with the vehicle registration (which it never does...they have the most efficient DMV system in the country), Patti and I will go grocery shopping tomorrow in the Cherokee, and pick up the pine boards I need for the catapults.  That will also give me time to install the new parts on the Wrangler before driving it much.

Going to be a light and easy week!  Since I never sit still at this show, even when I don't have to build much stock, I'll also more than likely get going on troubleshooting the RV coolant leak and some of the wiring issues.

Kev

[ClydesdaleKevin]

Got a lot done yesterday even though it was a pretty light day.

I pulled everything from the Cherokee that is going with it, then dumped our black tank in the tote and brought it to where it can be dumped on site.  Did it twice since the tote is smaller than the black capacity.  Made a garbage run, then went up to the office.

The parts were in...SWEET!...and I payed Vince 900 bucks towards the Jeep.  I'll give him the last 600 bucks tomorrow when they pick up the Cherokee and give me the last 600 they owe me.  Then it will be mine!  I also crawled under the Wrangler some more and sprayed down the bolts with PB Blaster so changing out the parts will be a lot easier.  Vince was on his way out when I caught up to him, so we'll do all the paperwork today so I can get all the forms mailed out overnight to Florida for the registration.

After all that I went to the market and bought all the groceries for the week, then stopped by the tobacco shop in Jersey and got enough for the week as well.

After filling out all the forms today, I'll go to the workshop and cut out all the parts from stock I have on hand for the catapults, then make a run to Home Depot and get the last few things I'll need to complete the catapults.  Which will basically only be a sanding belt, stain, and some pine boards.

First my morning coffee, then I'll call the Florida Tax Collector's office we always use for DMV stuff and get a total price for transfering the registration, and make sure I have all the forms I need filled out, and see that whatever else they need is in the envelope.  If I remember correctly, they need a copy of our driver's licences as well.

I'll have to keep my phone on me all day as well, since Vince said he'll call me when he has time today to do all the paperwork.

Its all coming together!

Kev

[ClydesdaleKevin]

Yesterday was a pretty light day physically, but that is the most paperwork I've done at one time in years!

All kinds of DMV forms, both to buy the new Jeep and sell the old one, but I got it all done!

Then I got a call around noon from the guys who bought my old Cherokee, and they wanted to pick it up last night and pay me the rest of the cash.  So I ran down to Home Depot and got all the materials we'd need for the week, then stopped by the local post office and bought 2 priority mail envelopes for the DMV transaction with Florida.  There wasn't any point at this point in overnight mailing anything, since Vince needs the Jeep until Thursday when he gets his new truck.  He's actually getting it today at some point, but its his only day off in over 2 months and he has to go deal with NY DMV...yikes!  He MIGHT have time to drop the Wrangler off to me sometime today, but I told him it wasn't critical and that he could just drop it off to me on Thursday if necessary.

Finally around 4pm Vince had a few spare minutes and gave me the title so I could finish filling out the paperwork.  That is when he told me about the delay...mostly because the guy he's buying the truck from won't take a check, not even a cashier's check, from the Minnesota credit union Vince belongs to.  So Vince has to write a check to the faire today, who will then go cash it at Chase bank and give him the money for his new truck.  So anyhow, we are sans vehicle for a day or so.  But I planned for it and we are fully stocked on groceries, tobacco, and materials for the week. 

Around 8pm, the guys showed up with a trailer and I drove the Cherokee up on it.  I gave them some free tickets for the faire as well.  We filled out the paperwork, they gave me the cash, I waved goodbye to the Cherokee, and then finished my transaction with Vince, who was STILL at the office working!  The life of the GM! 

The title is in his wife's name, but she had already left for the evening...but working still...she had to go to a renfaire promotion at some local ballgame...some team called the Mets or something like that...lol!

They are both off tomorrow, so I can't get the title signed until Thursday when they bring the Jeep to me...unless by some miracle they have time to do it today, but I doubt it.

After all of that was done, I called my insurance agent and had my insurance, full coverage, transferred over to the Wrangler then printed out the insurance cards so Florida would have a copy, and put them in the envelope as well.

Then, once I have possession of the new Jeep and Vince's wife signs everything, I have to call the local police and get an officer to sign a Florida DMV form confirming the odometer reading and verify that the VIN on the Jeep matches the VIN on the title, which it does. 

That could take until Friday, so I didn't see the point of spending money on an overnight mail envelope since the DMV office is closed on the weekend.  Priority mail will get it there around Monday, which works for us.  At which point they will call us and ask for our debit card number, and the Jeep will be legal!  And titled to us!

So today and tomorrow I'll work on and finish my catapult run for the week...50 Bandit catapults and 4 trebuchets...a very light run after the slow weekend.  That will leave me all of Friday to replace the front leaf spring plate on the passenger side of the Jeep and reconnect the stabilizer bar, cut out 2 small support pieces to weld onto the rear axle for the new shock mount and get the rear shock remounted, and just go over the Jeep and check all the fluids, lights, wires, etc.  At some point I'll also get a ride up to the post office from a friend and mail out the forms so I can get delivery confirmation on them and be able to track them.

Now I'm going to finish up my coffee and get to work!

Kev

[ClydesdaleKevin]

So today is the big day when I SHOULD be getting my Wrangler YJ, as long as everything went well with Vince getting his truck.  I didn't get any phone calls, so I'm assuming all went well.  I'll go up to the office around noon and see!  At the very least I'll get his wifey to sign the title and other forms so I can get them mailed out.

I knocked out all the parts for all the catapults.  Everything is planed, cut out, drilled, and sanded.  That took me until about 6pm.  That is the hard part.  I can have them all assembled in about 4 hours and then stain them this evening.

My friend Shane is the blacksmith here and makes knives, so once I draw him up a template, he'll cut me out 2 small pieces of scrap steel and grind them to shape to fit the shock mount bracket on the Jeep to reinforce it, and my buddy Matt is going to weld them on.  I really should learn how to weld, although I'm not bad with a stick welder.

So I'm going to work on the catapults first thing this morning, then take a break and walk up to the office with the paperwork...and hopefully drive the Jeep back.  Then I'll finish the assembly of the catapults.  After that, I'll make the template pieces out of cardboard and bring them to Shane, and see Matt about the welding, which hopefully I can get him to do either today or tomorrow.

Later this evening I'll stain all the catapults, which will leave me all day tomorrow to work on the Jeep and find a ride up to the post office...I was going to use the faire outbox, but I REALLY want delivery confirmation and tracking numbers on the envelope since it will have the title to my new Jeep in it.  Always makes me nervous every time I mail out important documents!

As of this morning, I've lost 51 lbs so far between the Atkins diet and exercise.  It really does work!

Kev

[Wantawinnie]

As of this morning, I've lost 51 lbs so far between the Atkins diet and exercise.  It really does work!

Kev

Congrats!

I have been checking Craigslist for an older Nordic Track the last month or so. Have not found one close enough yet as running on the treadmill has been bothering my knees enough that I have to take a break from it.

[ClydesdaleKevin]

Just keep on looking...the Nordic Track is very easy on the knees and spine.  You can find some sweet deals on them on Ebay as well...just try to find an older one from the mid 90s or older.  The newer ones are made in China and are crappy.

It took a lot of effort and several trips on foot back and forth, but I finally have the Jeep!  By the time everything was signed and a police officer verified the VIN form for Florida DMV, it was 4:30pm.  My buddy Shane the blacksmith let me borrow his truck, and I made it to the post office just in time before they closed.  I have the delivery/confirmation stub, and it should arrive on Monday, which means the Jeep will be totally legal on Monday...SWEET!

Shane made the parts for me, including a patch piece for the small hole that Matt blew through the axle housing on the Jeep last time he tried to weld the plate on when it still belonged to Vince.

Which is why this morning I'm having another buddy of mine, Todd, do the welding using Matt's welder...lol!  He's way better at it.  Then I'm going to attempt to remove the bad front leaf spring plate without breaking the U bolts...hope the PB Blaster did its job!

Then the last thing I'll try to get done today on the Jeep is make a rear tailpipe holder, since the one on the frame is rusted off and the coat hanger trick Vince put on there rattles a bit.

We drove it all over site yesterday, and even with the broken shock mount and disconnected stabilizer bar, she stills rides smoother than the Cherokee did...SWEET!

Also got all the catapults built and stained yesterday, so sometime today I have to bring them to the booth, add the rubber bands and slings and set them all up on the tables, and we'll be all ready for the weekend.

Gonna be a fun mechanical day today...hopefully the faire will let me work on it in the maintenance building, since its supposed to rain hard off and on all day.

Kev

[ClydesdaleKevin]

It sure is a nice change to have a well lit garage to work in, especially in the heavy rains we got yesterday!

Its also nice to have had the use of my friend Matt's impact driver and impact socket set.

We had the whole Jeep repair job done in about 4 hours.  First I used a wire wheel and got rid of all the rust around where we would be welding.  Todd ground off the shock bracket plate that Matt had welded on the rear axle months ago when it belonged to Vince...Todd didn't trust it since the weld was so bad and spotty.  Then he welded it back on with a flux wire feed welder, and since there was already a hole in it for the new bolt on shock bracket, he welded it upside down so we wouldn't have to drill anything.  After he ground down the new welds so they were flat, he welded in the side support piece I had my blacksmith buddy make.  And as luck would have it, the weld covered and filled in the minor hole that Matt had burned in the axle when he attempted the repair, so no more gear oil leak, and we didn't have to use the patch piece...SWEET!

Then we bolted the new shock bracket to the newly welded mount, bolted on the shock, and that part was finished!  Todds a decent welder, and I'll have to say the new shock mount is probably way stronger than stock.

Now it was time to replace the front leaf spring plate with the built in stabilizer bar mount.  I thought ahead, and placed a jack under the leaf spring first and raised it up enough to keep the leaf spring from moving on the front axle.  Out came the impact driver, and the nuts came right off no problem...I really need to get me one of those, along with a good set of impact sockets!  Granted I soaked them for 3 days in PB Blaster, but I couldn't get them to move with my breaker bar and was afraid I'd break the old U bolts.  Sure enough, the impact driver took them right off without a problem.  So the old plate was off, and we put on the new plate and tightened it down.  Then realized we couldn't get the impact driver on the lower bolt that broke off the old plate that was still in the lower part of the drop link that attaches to the sway bar.  So we had to loosen up the bolts on the sway bar, which let us swing the drop link out enough to get the impact driver on it.  VROOM, and it was out!  The rubber was still good, so we tightened back the bolts on the sway bar, and ran into another problem.  There was not enough play in the drop link to get it on the new spring plate mount!  And there was no way to get to the upper drop link castle nut without removing the sway bar completely.  SOLUTION!  We put the jack back under the leaf spring, removed the nuts again on the plate with the impact driver, put the drop link eye over the mount bolt, put the nut on loosely so we'd have some play, lined the plate back up with the U bolts, and put the nuts back on.  VROOM!...all tightened down!  Then we used a wrench to tighten the lower drop link nut, and the front repair was finished! 

At this point Todd had to go shower and rehearse...he's a jouster here at the faire and they rehearse rain or shine...so he helped me clean up and then left for the day.  Vince had just had a brand new complete exhaust put on the Jeep, but the very rear tail pipe mount was rusted off the frame, and where it lines up the metal is too rusty to get a weld or even bolt anything to.  Vince just coathangered it, and it rattled.  My temporary solution?  I put a big stainless steel hose clamp around the frame with a small stainless hose clamp threaded onto it.  Then tightened down the big hose clamp.  There is a metal bar for a hanger on the tailpipe, so a medium size hose clamp went around this and through the small hose clamp.  I tightened that down until the tailpipe was just where it should be, and the small hose clamp acts like a spring...and it works!  No more rattle!  A very temporary solution though.  The holes rusted through in the rear frame need to be fixed before they get worse.  Auto Rust makes a product they call a Safe-T-Cap, which is basically a prefabbed steel channel that goes over the rusted part of the frame and gets welded in place, complete with the exhaust mount.  Both sides need to have this repair, so I'll be buying them shortly and Todd will weld them into place for me.  Then I'll clean up and POR-15 that part of the frame and it will be a permanent repair.  There are only 2 other holes in the frame, and the rest of the rust is all surface rust.  Those holes are just in front of the front axle rubber timbren bumpers, so I'll get the kit for that too and have that welded in, and then POR-15 it.

Actually, I'll be using POR-15 extensively under the Jeep...the entire frame, the axles, the skid plates, everything that is rusty or might rust in the future, so this will be an ongoing project a little at a time as I have the time.  The pan itself is spotless, so I might leave it alone, or I might undercoat it...haven't decided yet.

Lastly on the Jeep, I tucked the wiring harness back up under the dash and zip tied it in place.  There was a short in the steering column wiring when Vince owned the Jeep so Vince brought it to a Jeep dealer and had it fixed.  They fixed the wiring just fine, but they left a mess under the dash and didn't even bother to try to make it look nice...a whole nest of wires and plugs and relays were just hanging there!  And they charged him 600 bucks!  Geesh!  It took me all of 5 minutes to clean it up and zip tie it all. 

Then it was test drive time!  She runs nice!  64K on the 4.0 I6 is barely broken in!  Steering is tight, power steering works great, and with everything repaired, she doesn't sway anymore and bounce around...well, no more than she's supposed to...it is a Jeep Wrangler after all!  The transmission shifts smooth as silk...Vince just had a new clutch put in so that is one less thing I'll have to worry about for a while!  The Command Track 4x4 works perfectly as well.  He also just had the brakes done...although I'll check the work...and all new brake lines throughout, and they were nicely done, routed the way they are supposed to be, nice and neat.  Brand new Interstate battery as well, although I did have to clean up the terminals...whoever installed it didn't even bother to clean the terminals first.

While not quite legal yet until Monday, I took it on a road test down back roads, since I needed a bag of ice anyway.  What a nice riding and nice running Jeep!  The last section of road on the way back to faire is 55mph, so I opened it up, and no death rattle or any steering problems at all at speed.  SWEET!

So back on faire site, and it was time to do some faire stuff.  I picked up the stained catapults and trebuchets from the workshop and brought them up to our pavilion tent.  Then made the slings for the trebuchets and put them on, then put the rubber bands on all the Bandit catapults and set up the tables for the weekend.

When I got home from all this and was ready for a shower, I had a very pleasant surprise!  Last week I had helped out an elderly gentleman and replaced the valve in his RV toilet...when he asked me how much I owed him, I wouldn't take a dime...just helping out an older neighbor and all.  I came back to the RV and, wrapped in a foil wrapper with a bow, was a bottle of Jim Beam!  SWEET!  And very thoughtful.  So after my shower I did indeed relax with a few drinks before retiring to bed with Patti to watch a movie...and fell asleep exhausted.  Woke up before the alarm clock this morning so I have plenty of coffee time, which is always nice on a faire morning!

So the booth is all set up, I'm already showered, and hopefully we'll have good weather today and huge crowds!  And because its so early, I don't even have to be in a hurry.

Tomorrow they are predicting outstanding weather.

Monday I'll change the oil and filter in the Jeep, replace the one marker bulb that is out, wash and wax her, vacuum out the interior and Armor-All everything, check the differential oils and transfer case fluid, and grease all the fittings.  I'll probably also get the tow bar brackets installed on the front bumper and wire in the break away switch.  The antenna cactus is already in place!  Then I'll run out and get my materials for next week's run of catapults so I can cut out all the parts on Tuesday.  Florida DMV will have all the paperwork by Monday morning, so after they call me for my debit card numbers, the Jeep will be all legal.

I wanted to post a couple of pictures of the new Jeep, but I couldn't figure out how to transfer the pics from my phone to the computer, even with the data cable.  The computer recognizes the phone as an Ipod, but doesn't see any pics on it....ah well, I'll get some pics this week with the digital camera and post them.

Okay, off to surf the net for a while before I have to get ready for work!

Kev

[ClydesdaleKevin]

Had a decent day yesterday...SWEET!  Not a typical SUPER busy day for NY, but not bad considering the weather forecasters were predicting doom and gloom all day...turned out to be a nice day with mild weather.

Should be a very busy day today, since its going to be cooler with less humidity, and the weather idiots have been saying its going to be nice all week.

Checked the USPS tracking numbers on my registration this morning, and it has been delivered to the Florida DMV tax collector office yesterday...closed on the weekend, but Monday morning I should be getting a call and the Jeep will be all legal.

Time to dress in funny clothes, and let the marshmallows fly!

Kev

[ClydesdaleKevin]

Had an awesome day yesterday...SWEET!  It was so busy that our numbers for the weekend were great!

This morning I have to run up to Napa and get the front shocks for the Jeep (after I spray the shock bolts down with some PB Blaster), then get back to camp and install them.  Also going to change the oil on the Jeep today, check the air filter and replace if necessary, grease all the fittings, and check the fluids in the axles, transfer case, and transmission.  Later this evening I'll order the rear tire cover...the original stock one.  The one on it right now is black and torn and ratty.  The original matches the colors and has the Sahara Edition logo emblazed on it.

Also have to make a bank deposit, and go get materials at Lowes and Home Depot for this week's run of catapults.  Going to be a very busy production week!  Going to have to make a LOT of catapults for next weekend!

Once all the bills are paid and materials and groceries and whatnot are gotten for the week, we'll see what we have left over for RV projects.  Probably not a heck of a lot, but we'll get at least one of the things we need for the RV and install it.  I'm thinking I'll finish the plumbing system for the washer/dryer this week and then get Patti her Splendide next week and install it for her.  Either I'm going to install a small holding tank above the battery compartment, or if I'm lucky I can run a drain pipe all the way from there to the rear of the coach at a slight downward angle and tie it into the coach holding tanks, which would be ideal.

Also have to look up the paint codes for the Jeep...gotta do some touch up in a couple of spots.

Going to be a very busy beaver!

Kev

[ClydesdaleKevin]

Got the new front shocks on the Jeep and changed the oil and greased all the fittings.  Checked the rear diff, which was fine, the transfer case, which was a little bit low, and the front diff, which was VERY low.  Took a whole quart to top off the front, and even that didn't bring it up to where it was leaking out the filler hole, although it was close.  Gonna have to keep an eye on the front axle and determine where its leaking from and fix it.  Right now its really hard to tell since its old grease and dirt all over it...hopefully I'll be able to see where the leak is now that its filled with fresh gear oil.

Also ordered the tire cover and touch up paint. 

And its finally legal!  As of 4:30pm last night.  That is when they finally called us and processed the registration. 

Then I took Patti down to the store to get makeup and whatnot, then a little grocery shopping, then home. 

By then in was dark, so this morning I'll run out and get materials, then get back and cut everything out. 

The Jeep really has a nice ride now!  Probably going to change out the steering damper shock soon though.

Kev

[ClydesdaleKevin]

Just as planned, I went out to get materials yesterday morning, but took a sidetrack to a local full service car wash since they were running a special.  28 bucks to wash the Jeep, and vacuum out the carpets, clean all the seats and vinyl and dashboard, all the windows, and the tires and whatnot.  It was quick and I knew I wouldn't have time the rest of the week to mess with it.

So I got all the materials I needed and carefully loaded them into the now clean Jeep and headed home.  Then carefully offloaded everything into the workshop.  It was around noon when I got back, so I figured I'd take a few minutes to Armor-All everything in the Jeep, and that is when my friend Matt came up and noticed the rear shock mount had broken loose again.  Apparently you just can't get a penetrating weld on thicker steel with a 110 volt gasless wirefeed welder!  Since Patti needs the car today, I had to go get it fixed!

Off I went, and the first stop was a Midas, who took one look at it and said they wouldn't even touch it...but recommended a body shop down the road, Freeman's Collision.  Glad they did!  40 bucks later and a VERY good weld job with a professional 220 volt mig welder, and that shock mount isn't going to go anywhere now!

The guy that did the work...dropping another project and getting the job done right in less than an hour...was surprised and grateful when I handed him a 20 dollar tip.  He said to bring the Jeep back to him when I got the frame parts, and he'd weld them in for me on the cheap.  SWEET! 

On the way home I saw a Goodyear dealer, and decided to see if they would flip the white letters out on one wheel for me, since it was a Goodyear dealer that had made the mistake in the first place.  Not only did they try and charge me 30 bucks, they tried to tell me my tires were old an dryrotted...and they are just over a year old!  Jerks! 

I stopped at another place on the way home and they flipped the tire, then mounted and balanced it, for 20 bucks.  Much better!  So now all 4 tires are white letter out.

The new original spare tire cover will be here this evening, so that will make a big difference with the Jeep as well.  Also found the original 1992 owners manual on eBay on the cheap, as well as the older versions of the Haynes and Chilton books for cheap.  The Haynes covers the Jeep Wrangler YJ only, from 87-92, so it won't be full of all the extra confusing crap from the newer editions that cover all the other years all the way to the present, and the Chiltons covers the YJ only from 87-94.  They'll be here soon enough!

Got home and cleaned the newly flipped tire so it would be as clean and  nice looking as the rest, and by now it was nearly 6pm...too late to cut out any parts!  Fortunately I have plenty for my weekworkers to do prep wise while I do the cutting and planing, so it will all work out and we'll knock this big run of catapults out in no time, certainly by the weekend.

So that is today's plan...get all the wood planed and cut and chopped into parts while my weekworkers do prep work, then get them sanding and drilling and sanding and drilling so all the Bandit and Twister catapults can be assembled by them tomorrow, while I assemble the Trappies and Torsions and get started on the ballistas and trebuchets.  Whatever gets done by tomorrow evening we'll stain, then on Friday I'll finish up the ballistas and trebuchets and get them stained, then everything will be done in time for the weekend.

Next week's mechanicals will include a new steering stabilizer/damper shock for the Jeep, then I have to get started on the RV cooling system overhaul...and see how much of that I can get done in one day.  Depending on how much we make this weekend, we'll probably get the washer/dryer this coming week, and the Nature's Head composting toilet the next.  Which means I have to figure out, maybe this Friday since it shouldn't be a long day, how I'm going to plumb the greywater for the washer dryer...I'm really hoping I can just tie it into the system without having to put in its own holding tank.

I'll also have to figure out how I'm going to plumb the black tank to the grey tank, although I think I can just do it by changing the valve locations, connecting the 2 from where they have their own valves by removing the valves and using fittings to connect them together, then add just one valve right before the cap.  We'll see!

Okay, gotta finish my coffee and get to work!

Kev

[ClydesdaleKevin]

Woohoo!  My new tire cover came in for the Jeep, and man does it look a lot better than the aftermarket torn and ratty black vinyl one that was on there!  And its not aftermarket...its stock off a 94 YJ that someone on eBay had in their garage for years, unused.  SWEET!

And wow, my new employees are both awesome, especially Todd!  He has a lot of woodworking and cabinet making experience, so all I had to do was hand him a part, a template, and a jig, and say "make these", and he was able to reproduce the parts quickly without having to hold his hand and train him...and he did it right and fast...gonna have to give him a raise already!  To be fair, my other employee "Sprout" was stuck sanding all day on his first day, since our secondary sander has a broken drive belt...gonna remedy that this morning though and get another at Home Depot early.  Have to exchange a propane tank anyway before getting to work, thus the reason I'm up so darn early...lol!

Funny how paying more and being pickier about who to hire is paying off...neither fellow is a drunk or druggie, which is rare out here in Renfaire land.  We got every part cut out for every catapult yesterday, all of the smaller catapults drilled and routered, most of the parts sanded for them, the mousetrap catapults are already partially assembled, the high end torsions are drilled and almost ready for assembly, and even the ballista and trebuchet parts are all cut out...Outstanding!  And this was all done in a 7 hour day!  These are the best and fastest workers I've ever had.  If we manage to get the whole run done and stained tonight these boys are getting a raise right off the bat.  Its worth it to pay more for quality labor...less hours plus better workmanship plus faster output equals a three day workweek for me and them!

And that means, we'll finally have time to work on the RV...AND have money to do it....at the same time!  The usual case with us is if we are making money at a show, we don't have time to do anything else but make the catapults and sell them on the weekends.  If we have a lot of time on our hands, we usually don't have the funds to do much.  This is exciting!  This means I'll have 2 whole days a week, Monday and Tuesday, to get all the projects done on the RV (and Jeep...lol) before we leave here for the next show.  I'm so happy to have found my new employees.  Yep, if we can pull off getting the whole run done today they are getting a raise.  Tomorrow I'll have them start making parts for next week's run.

So now its coffee time, then off to Home Depot to get the propane tank exchanged and the new belt sander. 

Kev

[ClydesdaleKevin]

Yay!  We received the Florida title for the Jeep yesterday in the mail, as well as the paper copy of the registration...woohoo!!!

And yep, in just another 7 hour day, my employees and I completed the entire run of catapults.  They got their raise retroactive to the beginning of the week.  Today I do have to finish up the trebuchets and ballistas, but it won't take all day.  They are coming in to help, and also to clean up the shop and organize everything for next week's run.  Also gotta pick up the laundry and get marshmallows and whatnot for the weekend, and set up the catapults in the booth. 

That should still give me time to at least figure out HOW I'm going to run the drain pipe for the washer/dryer and maybe even plumb it in.  Problem I'm having is figuring out exactly WHERE the grey water tank is!  The black tank is visible in the plumbing compartment, but the grey valve pipe comes in from somewhere forward of the compartment.  Guess I'll have to crawl under there on my back and see if I can find a tank, or at least a boxed in area big enough to hold a tank.  If I'm super lucky I might even find a drain pipe under the coach that I can tie into...hopefully they designed the grey tank to be serviced from underneath, since it certainly isn't accessible from anywhere IN the RV, or from any of the compartments.

So now its coffee time and the rest of my morning routine, then back to the workshop!  Lots to do!

Kev

[ClydesdaleKevin]

Finished up all the catapults and setting up the booth by 3:30...would have been a lot quicker, but due to miscommunication on my part, my employees thought Friday was optional and didn't show up...gonna have to set that straight! 

Then I crawled under the coach and tinkered around to figure out the grey water system.  The grey water tank sits right over the rear double axle, boxed in with sheet aluminum.  Very fortunately, the tank doesn't fill the box, and there is a 4 inch gap along the side of the tunnel that leads from the box to the sewage compartment.  So I'll be able to run the drain pipe for the washer/dryer out from the top of the battery compartment, along the frame rail above the exhaust at a slight downward slope, and to the grey water box.  I'll have to use a hole saw to cut a hole for the pipe in the aluminum box, and a couple of 90 degree fittings to clear the tires, then run it down the tunnel and tie it into the junction I'm making to tie the black water tank into the grey.  Also determined that just tying the grey plumbing into the black will work out perfectly, since the grey tank sits higher on the frame than the black tank...SWEET!

Hopefully gonna be a busy weekend!  Really want to order the Nature's Head composting toilet this week, and if we do incredibly well, the washer/dryer too.

Regardless, Monday is going to be RV and Jeep mechanicals, and most of Tuesday as well.  The owners manual arrived for the Jeep yesterday, but still waiting on the Haynes and Chiltons to get here before I troubleshoot and fix the 4 wheel drive....front axle won't engage, so its either a vacuum problem or the vacuum motor itself is shot.  And I'll probably start the POR-15 process tomorrow on the good parts of the frame as well...a local auto parts place sells it for 34 bucks a quart, which is way cheaper than anywhere I can even get it online.

Okay...coffee time, then its time to put on a silly costume and accent, and let the marshmallows fly!

Kev

[ClydesdaleKevin]

We had perfect weather and huge crowds yesterday, and we did great!  Today is going to be more of the same.  Then Patti organized a surprise for me, which she apparently has been planning for weeks...my mother and her hubby Ron dropped by the faire, on the way from Florida to Maine!  I couldn't hang out with them much at the faire due to how busy we were, but afterward we took them out to dinner at Outback...it was really nice to see them again!  We usually only get a chance to see them once a year, just after Thanksgiving.

Still have plenty of stock, so lots of potential for good sales numbers, which we are going to need to purchase both the composting toilet AND the washer dryer this week.  Otherwise, we'll get just the composting toilet this week and everything we need for the plumbing, and get the washer/dryer the following week.  I'm hoping for good enough numbers to get both...that would get the two most expensive items on our list out of the way on the 3rd weekend of faire, which still leaves us five more to get the solar system worked out, all the mechanicals on the RV taken care of, and the frame work and minor mechanicals on the Jeep done, and still give us plenty of winter savings to add to what we can save from our North Carolina show.  If we can pull off all the boondocking improvements from this show and still have money left over, then our winter vacation this coming winter is going to be amazing!  We had so much rain and a hurricane in NY last year that we didn't have a heck of a lot left over when we got to NC, and that was without buying much.  We bought most of our last years improvements from the NC show proceeds, and still had a good winter vacation with the rest of the money we saved.  This year we should have a LOT more!

Okay, time to drink my coffee and get ready for a very busy day!

Kev

[ClydesdaleKevin]

We had an even better day yesterday than on Saturday...SWEET!  And they are predicting perfect weather for the coming weekend. 

We decided, however, since I have so many catapults to build and lots of RV mechanicals to do, that today I'm going to simply order the Nature's Head composting toilet, then get the plumbing for the washer dryer tied into the sewer compartment.  I'm not going to hook it up yet since I have to have the toilet on hand to do the final tie in to the reworked greywater system...but I'll get all the parts I need like the cap for the top of the black tank for after I cut off the flange, and the necessary elbows and adapters to tie the smaller grey water drain pipe into the larger blackwater drain pipe, and then a new valve and the specialty pipe fittings that let you bolt it the valve, and a new fitting where the sewer cap goes.  Also going to get a new sewer cap, the kind with a hose adapter and cap built in, since the tanks will then be both for greywater only.

Also have to pick up the wood for the week today, since Todd is coming in tomorrow for a few hours to cut out parts while I do some more work on the RV.  I'll have to take an hour or so to show him what needs to be cut into what, but I'm sure he'll pick it up quickly...then I can get back to work on the RV projects.  Assuming I get the washer dryer drainpipe mostly plumbed in today, and all the parts staged for the final tie in of the pipe and connecting both tanks, then that will leave me the rest of today and most of tomorrow to work on the RV shocks.  The rearmost shocks on the trailing axle aren't even the correct ones, one is leaking and collapsed, and the other also looks like it collapsed.  Both are also loose on the mounts.  Thanks to Dan I have the correct Monroe shock number now!  Then of course the drive axle shocks and front shocks, but they are standard heavy duty motorhome P30 shocks, so getting the right part number for those should be a cinch.  While I'm at it, I might go ahead and replace the rear shocks on the Jeep with the same Napa Sensatrack shocks I installed on the front.  The ones on there, even though they are supposedly only a few years old, aren't nearly the same quality as the front ones I bought, they are already starting to rust, and if I hit a bump at speed I get a little shake still from the back.  Hopefully that will correct it.  If I can find them at an autoparts store, I'm also going to try to get and install the new steering damper on the RV and Jeep both.  Otherwise I'll have to order those parts and install them later.  In any event, I'll be investing in an impact driver today, as well as an impact wrench and SAE impact sockets...just the cheap Campbell Hausfeld stuff, but it will be just what I need for the occasional use I'll put them to.  That will make my shock job so much easier today and tomorrow. 

So that is this week's plan.  We can afford the washer dryer this week as well, so we'll just put that money aside and buy it next week.  No point getting it and possibly leaving ourselves short when we won't even be able to use it until the toilet comes in and I install it, and finish the new greywater plumbing setup.  Doing the shocks on both vehicles, and possibly the steering dampers, will be more than enough to do today and tomorrow, between getting all my materials for the week and getting Todd trained to cut parts.  If I happen to get all that done and still have time tomorrow, I'll troubleshoot the RV coolant system and find the leak.  Hopefully its not the radiator and is just one of the hoses, which I plan on replacing anyway.  I'll also make a list of the parts I need, like hose part numbers, water pump part number, and fan clutch part number.  If I manage to accomplish all that, which will get me ready to do that job next Monday and Tuesday, then I'll start the POR-15 process on the Jeep's frame.

Wednesday and Thursday will be building catapults all day, but hopefully the new toilet will be in by Friday.  If that is the case, I'll install the toilet and the final plumbing changes on Friday in between finishing up final catapult details and setting up the booth, and if I have time I'll do some more POR-15 work on the Jeep frame.  Depends on how much gets done on Weds and Thurs, and if the toilet arrives in time.  Whatever happens, I'll be keeping busy!

Also gotta pull the alternator at some point and have it tested.  If it tests bad or going, I'll try to find an auto electric place to rebuild it.  Also gotta find a replacement external voltage regulator.  If I finish all the coolant upgrades and fixes next Monday and Tuesday, I'll be working on the engine electrical in the RV, including replacing the bad headlamp plug.  Also have to find a local Michelin dealer...still have to replace the two bad tires on the RV.  Installing the new Splendide washer/dryer next week is simply a matter of receiving it from the shippers, unpacking it, placing it in the cabinet, and plugging it in, so that will leave me time for plenty of other projects.

So after my coffee and the rest of my morning routine, its off to the autoparts stores, Home Depot, Lowes, and the RV supply store not too far from here for the plumbing parts. 

Kev

[tiinytina]

From experience with alternators.. make sure they rebuild it and replace all wear parts, not just the failing part... been there... had to have it "rebuilt" 3x as the next part in line went up after the first one was replaced... 

Tina

[ClydesdaleKevin]

Sure will Tina.  Not really even sure if it can be rebuilt, since its some aftermarket brand I've never heard of...Lestek Mfg. Inc...they went out of business in 2004, but another company, Penntex, say they can either rebuild it or that they have direct replacements, including the external voltage regulators that can be adapted to work with the unit.  Not sure if its bad or not, so gonna have to take it off and take it to be tested.

So, the first thing I did yesterday was crawl under the RV and figure out the exact routing for the drain pipe for the washer/dryer, and planned out what parts I'd need for that, and for adding another valve to the grey/black tanks to tie them together. 

While I was under there, I cleaned the base of one of each type of shock absorber to read the numbers off of them and had some nasty surprises!  Firstly, the front shocks some previous owner had replaced with 4-Way shocks from Trailblazer...they were blown and leaking, since they aren't designed for RVs!  The are for offroad vehicles like Jeeps!  Way overloaded.  Not only that, but the idiot PO didn't even attach them correctly and used big but thin flat washers on the top bolt to hold the shock on to the mount...and on the driver's side, the flat washer had broken off and the shock was just hanging loose!  Same thing with the trailing axle...way too short 4-Way shocks, also blown and leaking.  Some people are dumb!  They were fine when we bought it, but they just couldn't handle the weight of the RV.  The drive axle shocks were the original Delco/GMC shocks, still covered in undercoating...and they were the only shocks that looked half way decent...Gonna replace them anyways.

I also got the part number off the steering damper shock...also the original Delco part.  That is getting replaced as well.  Turns out we have an extra steering damper, this HUGE one made by Safe-T-Plus...I really want to replace that one too, since its probably what kept us going straight on the crappy roads here with bad and broken shocks, but MAN are they expensive!  The direct replacement for ours is the cheapest one they make, and its still over 350 bucks!  Not sure if I'll replace it...we'll have to see how the finances go for the show.

Back inside I came with all the numbers, and cross referenced them to Monroe's heavy duty shocks.  The front shock part number is Monroe 66858, the drive axle is Monroe 555028, the tag axle is Monroe 34792 (same ones Dan found were correct), and the damper is Monroe 555944.  The big damper is Safe-T-Plus 31-140, which they also call a Steering Control.

So my mission yesterday was to go out and get all the plumbing parts, all the shocks (maybe even the rear ones for the Jeep), and all the materials for the week.  First stop was the bank to make a deposit, then off to the big old fashioned auto parts store in New Jersey since they deal in Monroe shocks.  Along the way I stopped and filled up the Jeep, and was pleasantly surprised to find out it has the optional 20 gallon tank instead of the 15 gallon standard tank...SWEET!  The parts store was a disappointment though...nothing in stock, and they said they wouldn't be able to get them until this afternoon, which does me no good at all.I would have had to have them this morning in order to get them installed before dark.  Ah well, onward to Napa.  The one I used to go to all the time...in fact the one I just bought the front shocks for the Jeep from, was closed!  And I mean closed for good, out of business.

Off to Montgomery, NY to the nearest RV parts place, and there at least they had everything we needed for the black/grey conversion.  I bought the new valve, 2 couplers with the square valve flange, the short piece with the little nubs that hold the cap on, a new cap with the hose adapter, and a Flair-It fitting to cap off the toilet water line when I remove the toilet this Friday and install the Nature's Head composting toilet.  (Yep, ordered it yesterday morning, so it should be here by Thursday!)  The only thing they didn't have at the parts place were replacement bulbs for our Thin-Lite fixtures.  There was a Napa nearby, so I stopped in.  None of the Monroe part numbers cross referenced on their computer, so I think the girl was just incompetent.

Off I went to Black Bear campground in Florida, NY, since they used to carry the the light bulbs, but they were all out too.  Striking out all over on all my project goals!  No one even had POR-15 in stock!

Along the way to Lowes to get the rest of the plumbing parts and materials for the catapults, I stopped in a tire dealer that had a Michelin sign...and again was met with gross incompetence from a too young girl behind the counter.  She said she had no way to look up 19.5 tires on her computer without the entire tire number, which I didn't have.  And she couldn't find a P-30 vehicle on there either...was gonna get a price and have them mount the new tires some time soon, but struck out.

Lowes of course went well, and I got all the parts needed for the plumbing and the catapults...also bought a Porter Cable grinder on sale for 30 bucks and some cutting wheels, which I'll need to cut a square hole in the thick metal in the rear wheel well for the drain pipe to pass through (I'll also need it to cut out some of the rusty parts on the Jeep frame, and to cut out metal parts for my welder to weld in instead of buying the expensive kits that are way too extensive for the minor rust through on the Jeep frame).  Then I drove down to Home Depot and got the Victor mousetraps needed.  I did forget to buy a 3 inch glue on pipe cap, but I'll just run out later today and get one...can't cap off the black tank until the new toilet is ready to go in anyways.

100 miles later and past 7PM, I finally arrived home and put away the materials in the workshop and staged my plumbing materials as well.  And that was it for the day.

This morning, after the morning coffee and whatnot, I'll be finishing the plumbing project.  Around 11am, Todd is going to be working in the workshop cutting out parts for the catapults, so I'll have to take a break and get him started on that, but that will leave me the rest of the day to finish the plumbing and get to work on cleaning some of the loose rust off the Jeep frame and degreasing it with Simple Green, getting it ready for the POR-15.  I'll keep busy until dark, as always...might even change the transfer case fluid, since I have a lot of Dextron left over from changing the RV transmission fluid (which was a success, btw...not a drop of fluid under the pan, which is still shiny and clean).  Also bought a 12 dollar metal handheld fluid transfer pump for filling the differentials, which is good since the front one on the Jeep is hard to get to with just the bottle.  Turns out the front diff leak is a slow leak, and when I topped it off yesterday it hardly took any gear oil at all before weeping out.  And I found the leak!  Its coming out of the seal at the vacuum switch that puts it in 4 wheel drive.  The whole assembly is crusty and rusty, so for the same price as replacing it, I'll be buying the Posi-Lok kit that makes it cable actuated...way more reliable and allows you a 2 Low option for tight turns off road.  The kit comes with a new cover and seal, so it will fix the leak at the same time.  The transfer pump also lets you change your differential oil without having to take the cover off, so that will come in handy as well, since neither cover leaks.

Okay, enough rambling...

Kev

[ClydesdaleKevin]

So the drain pipe from the washer/dryer is tied into the system now and routed nicely...although I should wrap the short section of exposed pipe in the wheel well with something padded so a rock doesn't kick up and crack it...so that is on my list of things to do on Friday.  I took a short break from the plumbing project to get Todd started on cutting out parts, then went back to work.  I had to jack up the passenger side of the RV and remove the duelly wheels to get access into the wheel well to use my new grinder, but the cutting went quickly.  So that part is done.  After the washer/dryer plumbing was totally in place and hung strategically so it won't get damaged by debris or vibrations, I tried to install the new valve...but there wasn't enough ABS pipe left to glue to if I tried to just cut off the old nubby cap part, so back to the RV store 35 miles away to get more parts, which included the Y with the valve flanges, 1.5 inlet on one side, 3 inch on the other, and a 90 degree 3 inch street pipe.  I decided to buy new valves to replace the old ones since I have to take them off anyways, and the old black valve weeps a little.  So NOW I have all the parts I need. 

Stopped in Middletown, NY on the way home and picked up more ABS cement and a 3 inch ABS pipe cap, as well as more poplar wood for catapults, stopped in a couple of hobby stores for candle cups for the mousetrap catapults, stopped at a grocery store for spring water and TP, picked up dinner for Patti, and by the time I got home it was 6:30 pm.

So I'm up early this morning so I can dump our tote tank so I can dump the black tank to change out the valves and fitting and whatnot and finish the project before getting to work on the catapults at 10am with my workers.

Also ordered the Posi-Lok cable setup for the Jeep, so that is one more project that will be done soon.

I did some online research this morning, and Michelin still makes tires in 8R-19.5 size, load range F.  The name is the XZA, catalog number 60893.  Bloody expensive, but we need them!  The cheapest place I found them was "only" 350 bucks EACH!  Not including shipping.  Sears can get them for almost the same price, but any way you slice it its going to cost me almost 900 bucks for 2 tires mounted and balanced...OUCH!!!

I'm going to wait until after the weekend to order the new shocks for the RV, so I'll stop down at the auto parts place in West Milford, NJ on Friday and see if they can't get them in for Monday morning.

Okay, gotta get to work!

Kev

[tiinytina]

yea Tires all the way around will be Gone's next major expense.. our tires are 2004 vintage but no side checking and even wear so far thankfully....  Goodyear still makes them as well I think... but same price about... ack.. and we need 6! Lottery ticket time!
Tina

[ClydesdaleKevin]

We just need the two, as the others have plenty of life in them...one to replace the one that blew out on the way here, and one to replace the crappy spare.  I'll put the brand new tires on the front...the most important tires...then take the fronts and put on in the spare tire well, and the other on the trailing axle where the bad spare is now.

I managed to get the new valves all in place...no leaks!...yesterday morning before getting to work on the catapults.  Then I tested my theory and left the two original valves open, with the new primary valve closed, and ran the water in the sinks for a while while I was cleaning up from the project.  Water off, and it was time to test to see if the grey would enter both tanks.  Original valves closed, primary valve open, and just the little bit of water from the fitting attaching it all together came out.  Now the moment of truth...original blackwater valve open, and lots of water poured out the drain hose...SWEET!...then that valve closed, the original grey valve open, and about the same amount of water came out the hose.  It works!  I have effectively almost doubled my grey capacity!

Then it was back to work on the catapults until around 5pm.  Every part is cut out and routered, and my crew got all the parts for the 160 Bandit and Twister catapults drilled and sanded and ready for assembly.  Which is what they are going to do this morning while I drill out the parts for the other catapults, then they'll help me assemble those, so it should all be able to get finished tonight and leave me tomorrow to work on installing the Nature's Head composting toilet.

Said toilet arrived yesterday...talk about fast shipping!  We just ordered it Monday morning!  Its a bit unconventional looking, but very well made, and made in the USA.  I already have a 12 volt source picked out for its muffin fan, and tying it into the vent pipe shouldn't be a problem at all.  I think my biggest challenge tomorrow is going to be figuring out how to seal the top of the black tank watertight once I remove the toilet flange...which is a glue in fitting instead of a screw in, which would have made it easy.  I bought a 3 inch ABS pipe cap, so if there is enough of the fitting left over after cutting off the flange, I might be able to just cap it with ABS glue.  If not, I think I'll have to cut the flange off level with the top of the holding tank, take the ABS cap and cut the cylindrical sides off of it so I just have a round ABS disk to work with, and use ABS cement to weld it right over the hole in the tank.  At least you can do that with ABS!  Then I'll have to seal the hole in the floor where the flange was, but that will be easy enough with a round disk of plywood and some pocket screws.  It will be covered by the new toilet, so it doesn't have to be pretty and retiled, at least not yet...

So it appears, if all goes well, that I will only have to dump my tote tank one last time, ever!  Woohoo! 

Okay, gotta check some internet stuff, then get back to work on the catapults.  I feel like I'm starting to come down with a cold or something, but I don't have time to be sick...too much to do!

Kev

[ClydesdaleKevin]

All the Bandit and Twister catapults are done and stained, and the other catapults just need to be strung in the case of the torsions, and have the armatures and triggers and whatnot put on in the case of the mousetrap catapults.  So my crew is coming in at 10am and I'll get them started on that, then get back to the toilet installation. 

Because of how far the vent fan tubes stick out on the sides of the toilet, I'll actually have to move it over from the stock toilet position so it faces the shower instead of at an angle, so I'll have to buy four vinyl tiles to cover the plywood patch I'm going to pocket screw into the floor opening where the toilet flange was...which means an early morning trip to Home Depot.  At the advice of one of the members here, Sal the plumber, I'm also going to see if they have a tee cone fitting to seal the opening of the flange, which will certainly simplify sealing the tank!  Also have to pick up a reducer fitting, since the vent hose is made to fit on a 1.25 inch pipe, and my vent pipes and t fitting are 1.5 inch.  And of course, have to pick up 10 feet of wire to reach the constant 12 volt source...where I was going to tie it in turns out to be the wiring for the night lights, which means they would have to be always on to run the fan, so an alternative source was chosen.  While I'm there I'll pick up a bale of peat moss, then swing into a market and pick up a box of raw sugar packets (which supposedly will keep the urine bottle from smelling) and some gallon zip lock bags to store the peat moss in.

I've got to get to Home Depot and back before 10 so I can get my workers started, then install the toilet.  Once it is installed, I have to go back to the workshop and finish building the 2 ballistas I started, then stain the rest of the catapults...then go set up the booth.  Then another trip to a market to get marshmallows and whatnot...supposed to be a beautiful weekend, so we should be busy!  Early Monday morning its a 75 mile trip to a Camping World to pick up Patti's Splendide Washer/Dryer...they have 2 in stock and said they will honor the internet sale price, which is pretty good!

Everything is slowly coming together!

Okay, have to get my butt moving...off to Home Depot!

Kev

[ClydesdaleKevin]

The Nature's Head composting toilet is all installed, and it works just like its supposed to!  Everything goes where its designed to go...lol.

Turns out, after using a reciprocating cutting tool on the flange, that its a screw in flange after all!  The vibrations loosened it up, although I couldn't get it to turn before that at all...thus the reason I thought it was a glue in fitting.  So back to Home Depot I went for a 3 inch threaded pipe plug and thread sealant, returned the tee plug, and then came back to the RV and installed the pipe plug...easy as that!

The hard part was the hole in the plywood floor since the new toilet sits in a totally different place than the old one...but I traced a pattern on a piece of paper, cut it out, drilled it for 8 pocket screws, and sanded it at a slight taper on my benchtop sanding belt.  It was a perfect tight fit the first go around, and then screwed in place.  Henry premixed floor leveler filled in the cracks and pocket screw holes.

While the leveler was drying, I used a hole saw to make a hole in the lower cabinet, then used the same hole saw to cut the included polyethelene hull flange into just a disk with a hole in it...then drilled 4 countersunk holes in it and screwed it down with brass screws over the hole in the wooded cabinet as a trim piece. 

Next I glued the reducer into the T fitting, then cut the vent pipe under the cabinet and glued the t fitting in place.

Then I ran a long 2 wire cable behind the cabinet and shower, through the rear dinette compartment, under the dinette along the wall under the table (already has a cable and water line routed that way under a carpet piece.), and into the front dinette compartment where the inverter is, and where the hot water heat is.  Then I wired it in direct to the batteries with the provided fuse and fuse holder.  Once that was done, i wired in the provided cable to the wire, and was ready for the next step.

By now the leveler was dry, so I installed the 2 new tiles and a new floor register...the old one was broken...and marked the bracket alignment on the floor.  Screwed those down, and installed the toilet to the floor with the provided knobs. 

All that was left was to add the dampened peat moss and a table spoon of raw sugar to the urine bottle...and to hook up the hose and plug in the 12 volt plug.

It looks great!  A very clean install.  And as preambled in the post, it works just like its supposed to without any special position on the seat. 

Grey water only from now on...SWEET!

My workers got the catapults all finished while I worked on this, so I stained them after the project was accomplished. 

Going to be great weather today and tomorrow, so we are going to be very busy!  I have to go set up the booth soon, and then we'll be ready for business!

Monday I'll be making the 75 mile trip to a Camping World in New Jersey to pick up the washer/dryer, and Patti is delighted! 

I'll get around to taking and posting pictures one of these days!

Kev

[ClydesdaleKevin]

We had a very busy and outstanding day yesterday, so the washer/dryer is definitely a go for tomorrow morning.  Today should be another awesome day too...some rain predicted, but a minor chance that won't scare the New Yorkers away.

So far so good with the Nature's Head composting toilet.  No odors at all, and it stays clean because of the position of the trap door and urine drains.  We are keeping a spray bottle next to it to spritz the urine drains after use to keep it all fresh, and also a small stainless covered trash can next to the toilet with liners to put the TP in, although it says you can place the TP in with the peat moss (we decided not to).  I'll let you all know how it works out in the long run in about a month for us fulltimers.

The guy selling the brand new 235 watt Canadian Solar solar panels contacted me last night, and now I have more solar questions, which I'll post in the appropriate area.  If we have an outstanding day we are thinking of picking up 2 of them tomorrow night...we'll see what we make today!

So now to ask more questions, then get ready for Faire!

Kev

[ClydesdaleKevin]

Another outstanding day yesterday...so now I'm sipping my morning coffee and waiting for Camping World to call me back about the Splendide Washer/Dryer.  They are making sure they have at least one in stock before we make the 125 mile trip to pick it up!

The solar panels, from everything I've read and from what members of the forum told me, will definitely work out well...just have to use a MPPT charge controller with the higher voltage.  Which will set us back at least another 366 bucks.


Probably going to wait until after the 3 day weekend coming up for the solar panels and controller so we won't be tight on cash this week...and might even get a 3rd panel for a total of 705 watts if I can figure out where to put it on the roof...lol!

Okay, off to surf the net while waiting for the phone call.

Kev