making progress

bracket for attaching the tow bar is welded up, front brakes are done, title is switched and the temp tags are on the Tracker.  Today or tomorrow, I'll get the emission tested so I can get regular plates in the next two weeks.. (before the temps expire - since they're now charging LATE fees if you don't do it within a week of the expiration date)

I don't have any work until tonight, so I'm hoping to get holes drilled in the bracket so I can attach it to the Tracker and the mounts for the tow bar attached to it.  Once the Tracker is ready to roll, I can move on to the RV, which I'm way behind schedual on and hope to have ready before the 21st

We might hook up the Tracker to the RV, drive the RV to NC, droping at my cousins farm, unhook the Tracker and drive it on to just South of Myrtle Beach, SC for a week on the beach with my sister.

I've been driving the Tracker around a little, just getting used to driving a car with stick...  really the first one in the last 30 years.....  and I didn't drive one much before that, just my sisters on a few occassions and her husband gave me his Jetta, which I let sit too long and ended up have the motor lock up (or maybe just the alternator or something or something)

Lack of progress?

  After assembling the tow bar, I went to attach the brackets to the front bumper and found that the "metal" under the plastic bumper cover, was nearly non existant, rusted nearly completely away, so now looking for a replacement bumper in decent shape or a custom new one, which was on the wish list for some time in the future, but I wasn't looking to spend that much at this time.....  

I'll stop by a local welding shop here in Cleveland, and get an estimate for what I need and take it from there, I've found some on line for $400 - $900 and considering the Tracker was basiclly the cost of a van I was going to scrap.... I guess I can afford to spend some money on it...  but hoping the local shop can do it for under $200

more progress

Tow bar for the Tracker, found online, ebay for $55 plus shipping...   A new (in the box) Reese 5000lb model, hopefully I'll get it installed this weekend, but I guess, no real rush, as until the RV is ready to drive, the hitch is pretty much useless, but nice to know - one more piece of the puzzle is in place.

I'm trying to have the Tracker and the RV ready to travel by the weekend after the fourth, as well as have the shipping container from Pack Rat complete filled and shipped to NC.  With any luck, I will be living in the RV in NC by the end of July.  Looking for carpet cleaning jobs, a house or double wide trailer to rent, so I can empty the container and put that $200 towards rent, instead of paying it to store our stuff in the pod.

When not cleaning carpets and looking for a place to rent, I hope to get a little gold prospecting in and maybe a couple hikes on the AT.

more for the Tracker

I returned to Pull a Part and retrieved the radio with cassette and cd player and a piece of plastic trim from the rear, that the soft top slips into.  Two days after it was put in the yard, the grill, windshield, front wheels were already gone, the front seats were unbolted and laying in the back and the panel that covers the radio was ripped off...  so at least they made it easier for me to get at the radio.  four bolts, un plug the connection from the back and pull the antenna wire out... and ready to go.... I hope it goes in as easy as it came out...

I'm still looking for a tow bar to attach to the front, so I can tow it behind the RV and the carpet cleaning van, along with a hitch for the Caravan itself...

Silver Tracker

Just got in the mood, and picked up a couple cans of silver (metalic) spray paint and gave the Tracker a good first coat.  it actually took three cans because of the way the metalic paint sprays...  no nice fan pattern, its just shoots all directions and the little pieces of metal flake were floating all over the place...

Lighter, shinny color made the larger rust holes, spots stand out a lot more, but I just figure, I'll replace the fender with the rusted hole.  but the holes along the kick board on the sides, looked terrible in silver, so I gave them a shot of black primer and they all but disappeared...  later on, I'll give it a light wet sanding maybe fill and sand the rust holes and give the whole car either another coat and/or clear coat.

I took I ride with Larry to drop off a junk car at Pull-A-Part and someone had just brought a tracker in (with a soft top in great condition) the fender I need was better than the one I had, but not sure I want to exchange a rusty one for a NOT as rusty one...  but I stopped in Monday morning to see if they had processed it and put it out in the yard yet, and they hadn't, yet...

I dropped my son off for a job interview and made another stop at Pull-A-Part and they had just moved it out into the yard, so before anyone else could take the top or damage it, I unsnapped, unzipped and unvelcroed it off - ($29.00 + tax and their "enviromental"charge, for a total of $34 and change) better than I thought, I was expecting $50 - $75, so happy I caught it when I did....  going back in the next couple days for the CD player and a couple little bits and pieces that I can use....  and if someone gets them before I do... OH well...   I'll make do with what I have.

It already looks much better silver than purple and pick (at least in my opinion) and with the newer top, it looks like a different vehicle already.... eventually, I'll clean and paint the rims and put some kind of trim/pinstripe or something? on the car to finish it off to MY taste.  I also saw a jeep Rubicon with a soft top and it had the plastic windows tinted, so I think I'll look into that, whether it was made that way or just a film on the windows like I've done on glass ones before.

tow vehicle found

From the same buddy, Larry, that helped me fix the RV, and had actually found the RV in the first place, I picked up a little Geo Tracker, that will be the RV's "dingy" tow vehicle, it needs a little work itself, but nothing major, a rusty fender that I'll replace or repair, the top needs replaced because the zippered plastic windows, are cloudy, almost impossible and I WANT to paint it, as it is purple (grape colored he calles it) with a pink hood that he put on it, to replace the rusted out hood.

I think, either gold, silver or gray for the color, but not quite sure yet, that decision can wait until after the RVs ready and the repairs are done to the Tracker

It's has a standard shift, 4 speed transmission, so I won't need to use a dolly or trailer to tow it, just need to pick up a tow bar and a hitch ball for the RV.  I spotted one at the Flea market for $80, but thought I'ld look around before buying one, although that was probably a pretty good price.

RV relocated

It took a little effort, but I relocated our Class C, 25' 1986 Yellowstone Cavalier a short distance, from the back yard of our previous rental space to my mother in laws, where I can make some repairs and get it ready for the move South to NC.

After sitting Idle for about a year and a half, and almost as much time before I moved it to the rental from another parking space, I replaced the battery (by the way, I hate side post batteries!) or I should say, I installed a battery as I had taken the one from the RV and used it on an Astro van just after I moved the RV the last time, and then used about a half a can of starting fluid to finally get it running on it's own again.

Only about five miles, but with the fan belt squealing, everything inside rattling around and the lack of air in the air shocks had the rear suspension bottoming out agains the bushings every pot hole and bump I hit, sure made it feel like it was a lot farther.

But it made it, without any major issues...  now it's a matter of making myself get to work on it.  To fix all the little stuff, to get it ready to roll again.  I'm hoping I can fix the water leaks, replace or repair some rotted wood and moldings, check the water system, to see what might have frozen (before I bought it, as it had sat for five years, after the previous owners blew the engine.

After I bought it, I pulled the engine with the help of a buddy (technically, I guess he did it with my help, but reguardless, it got done) we replaced the crank, oil pump, two pistons, water pump, fuel pump, had the alternator rebuilt by Fulton Armeture and re-installed the engine.

After replaced one front brake caliper and both flex lines, charging the rear air shocks and replacing one inside rear tire and rim which had the holes worn and ovaled, I took it for it's first drive, and found another problem.  The reason for the blown motor in the first place, the transmission wouldn't shift into third gear.  It was aggrevating in one since, "one more thing to fix, another expense I wasn't counting on" but, had it not been messed up, chances are, they wouldn't have blown the motor five years earlier and I would have had the chance to buy it (cheap)

So returned to parking place in a Alley by my buddy's house and we unbolted the transmission and pulled it and took it to Atlas Transmission the next day.  I dropped it off around 10 AM and they called around 2 PM and said it was done...   I picked it upa little after 4 and we had it installed a few hours later.

Since then, it went to Virginia for a family reunion and a short drive down to Southern Ohio for a prospecting trip, where I found my first few specks of gold and was told that the few tiny specks, smaller than glitter, were good for Ohio.  That pretty much made up my mind not to waste my time prospecting in Ohio anymore... it was ok for a first time, and it gave me a chance to see "in person" how gold acts in the gold pan.

Now I just need to get back to work on the RV, doing some repairs to get it road worthy again. The first step will be fixing the alternator, so the belt doesn't squeal when it's put under a load, either excellerating or turning on electrical devices, lights or heater blower) and then changing the oil, which only has a little over a thousand miles on it, but it has been three years since it's last oil change.  Then checking air pressure in all the tires and air shocks and then starting on the leak repairs, and the awning that I installed after stripping it from another RV, will need to be removed, it seems to be pulling the side panel off the RV, so I guess the screw I used, didn't hold it as well as I hoped, but I had found that the wind had pulled it open a few times and whipping around, maybe the was what caused the problem, but I'll figure out something, eventually.

garden procrastenating

Last year, I didn't plant a garden, because we thought we would be moved before summer was over, and hoped to just plant a small container garden where ever we moved to (somewhere between Asheville NC and Greensboro)

But the move didn't happen (much to my dissapointment) and to that off, no stuff coming from a garden, this year, thinking I'll go the other way and plant at least a small garden and maybe that will make the move happen... 

But procrastenating... just a lot going on, between packing things up to move, emptying a house, going through 30+ years worth of stuff... packing some into a container from Pack Rat (8' x 8' x 16')  Some to the Salvation Army, some to friends and a lot on the tree lawn.  And in addition to going through our stuff, also going through my mother in laws stuff, helping her downsize, as she might be cominf with us when we move...  Hasn't made up her mind completely yet.

As far as the garden, I haven't got out there to turn over the soil and get it ready, but not in a big hurry, as I'm not going from seed this year, and most of the stuff I plan to plant, is already growing well in green houses and box stores, waiting for me to pick them up and transplant them when I get the chance in the next couple weeks...

I did see one ramp van that had the 12" high top, but they were looking for $12,000 for it, it was a 2003 handicap conversion van.  But again, the hitch might be a problem with the lowered floor design.  A hitch I will need to tow either the Yuppie Wagon -

or the Gear Wagon -

The Yuppie Wagon is less expensive, and has an optional storage rack, which would work nice for Cannoe or Kayak and solar panels I hope to encorporate sooner or later, along with a wind turbines as well.   Battery pack in the cargo trailer along with the generator, water and propane tanks.

one piece of equipment I would/will have on board or stored in the trailer will be the Kelly Kettle, for heating water and cooking, it comes in three models, all three in either aluminum or stainless steel, the smallest, the Trekker above, holds and heats 1/2 liter of water (above) the medium sized Scout (below) holds and heats 1.3 liters and the largest, the Basecamp (bottom) holds/heats 1.6 liters

All three have a cook top option and can be bought as a set, including the pot stand, pot with a lid, the grill to cover the fire base and a removable pot handle.   I plan on having a small aluminum (trekker) for hiking and camping, with the cook top kit, and also for use with the RV or with larger groups when camping, both the Scout and Basecamp (those possibly in stainless steel, as I'm not as concerned about their weight as I would be for the one mostly intended for hiking and camping.



And in addition, I've started the $5 week for emergency rations, not really sticking with the $5, sometimes spending only a couple dollars and other times $10 or more, but it should average out.
I started with the powdered Propel fitness water, some instant soups and such and a couple containers of peanut butter, since it has a shelf life of a couple years.   I thought that I would keep it and rotate the older ones out as I buy more to use in the mean time. 

In addition I've accumulated plenty of seeds for gardening and will be planting a pretty good sized garden this year (even though I'm planning on moving, since last year I didn't plant one because I was planning on being moved by the end of the summer, but it didn't happen, and then I had no garden as well, so not making that mistake again.  Tomatoes, several different sizes, cucumbers, leaf and head lettuce, green beans - bush and pole type, potatoes, radishes, some onions and peppers for my wife (I can't stand them myself, and feel their a waste of garden space but....)

So, leaning more about this site as I go, although I had a page typed up, and thought I'd save it and continue before publishing it... but it seems to have dissapeared.... so retyping it....

Here we go, AGAIN.....

The "DSO" Dobbertin Surface Orbiter) that initially peaked my interest in RVing... now the property of a university in England, after a honeymoon trip and divorce soon after....

The GTRV poptop roof conversion, while nice, the price, possible leaks down the road, either from the gaskets or the canvas itself and the fact that the added headroom is only usable while parked and extended, which probably wouldn't be an issue as I couldn't move around in the back while I was driving it anyway.  But just pulling over into a rest area, or whatever, and not really wanting to spend whatever time and effort it takes to pop it up.

The Ramp Van we currently have, with the 10" lowered floor, would have been a great candidate for the pop top.  The lowered floor, with the taller doors make entering and exiting the vehicle much easier,  but I think with the gas tank being moved to the very back of the van, might make it impossible to mount a hitch, which I would need to pull the small cargo trailer that will hold the generator, propane and water tanks.

Possibly a better candidate would be a ramp van with the ramp out the back, with the floor lowered in the center, but unlike this one, one that has the lowered floor all the way to the front bucket seats, the ramp wouldn't be needed,

"SUNSET SEEKER"

"Sunset Seeker" sounds like a great name for the minivan RV that I'm planning to build, and I'll be working on some logos, paint schemes as time goes on, hopefully ready before the RV is completed, not that it's that important.... a plain, working RV would be fine, as long as it gets me on the road.

I think the "DSO" (Dobbertin Surface Orbiter) first peeked my interests in RVing But life got in the way, unitl now. Now I really want to get started with RVing and with my new interests in gold and gem stone hunting. The two should be a good combination, and with any luck the prospecting "might" at least partially help fund the RVing.

The DSO was/is very cool, but a little overkill for my purposes, an inflatable raft, cannoe or kayak would be all the amphibious craft I need, or scuba gear.

I picked up an old Class C motorhome a few years ago, a Class C, 25' Yellowstone Cavelier with a blown motor for $700. With the help of a friend, Who had actually found it in the first place, technically, I was actually helping him, as we pulled the engine, rebuilt it and reinstalled it, only to find on its first test drive, that it wouldn't go into third gear, so back to the packing place and a couple days later, we pulled the Transmission out and I dropped it off at a local transmission shop, and had it back 4 hours later, rebuilt and ready to reinstall again.

A couple days later, it was running again, and a few weeks later it was on the road to Virginia for a family reunion.... one mishap around Minerwells WV, when the alternator belt broke. Luckily there was a gas station the exit before, which happened to have a replacement that fit. So, it made it to Staffordsville, Virginia and back, all and all a good weekend, while tinkering with the new toy. The Generator had been removed when I bought the RV, so no rooftop air, but the 12volt system worked ok as far as lighting and the radio were concerned.

As expected, it only got around 10mpg, so at that point, i knew I wanted a smaller vehicle that at least doubled it's mileage the Rialta was my next choice, but when looking into information about it, I found that it had some issues, especially that VW dealerships didn't want to work on the powertrain. The next in line was the current models using the Sprinter as the platform, but at least for now, they're out of my price range. The next one I found was the GTRV I liked the concept, but the pop top concerns me a little and again, the price.... over $6000 for the roof conversion, on top of what ever I pay for the vehicle to start with, AND it need to be done at their facility in British Columbia..... not going to work for me, I'm left with two options, find a top and install it myself or custome build one of my own, which is what will most likely happen unless I happen to come across a high top in the mean time.'

minivan RV

Over the last few years, I've stripped several old RVs for parts as well as a couple conversion and minivans, accumulating parts for a developing plan for a minivan RV.

I'm planning on using a Dodge Grand Caravan or Chrysler Town and Country as the base, adding a ready made high top or custom building one to fit my needs.  I've found that there are currently about three different models available for the minivan, ranging from around 6" to the highest at 12"

Being just over 6', I would consider any smaller than the 12" a "little" short for my needs, but if I found one cheap enough, I'd make do with it.   I did find one of the 12" models at a local Pull-a-Part, but after removing ALL the screws holding the strips on the roof, as well as the interior panel, I couldn't get it to come off the van... I returned a few days later with a cordless sawsall, and an extra battery, intending to cut the roof off, and get it home and figure out how to get it off later... but found that they had already crushed the entire row of vehicles...  what a loss... I'm sure the fiberglass top made them nearly zero dollars as scrap, and I would have been giving them $200 - $300 for it.

Since then, I've stopped in frequently, but havn't come across another like it yet, so I think I might have to do a custom build of my own.   I plan to use rigid foam board, with a layer of fiberglass, inside and out, with some plywood strips embedded in it at places for attaching, roof top cargo box at some later date, as well as well as awning(s) on the passenger and driverside.  If I have to build my own, I plan to go 18" with the same slope on the front to match that of the front windshield, I've seen one (on a Toyota minivan) that has a small vent window at the rear, and think I'll go with something like that, and adding small fans to help with ventilation.

The bed will run from behind the drivers seat to the rear hatch, I already have the mattresses (foam matts, from the bed over the van in a Class C RV, to unfold/slide open to allow for two people to sleep on it (a bit snug, but sufficient) as well as the passenger seat having a swivel base.  A counter on the passenger side, from behind the sliding door, to the rear hatch, at or just above window height, to hold a microwave, sink and faucet.

I plan to tow a small cargo trailer behind the minivan, that will carry my generator, water and propane tanks, as well as several different grills, camping gear, shower tent, etc... and other gear I might have.

I already have several different size sinks, table tops and counters with detachable support legs, as well as the electrical boxes, inverters, light fixtures, cabinet doors, shower heads and faucets that I stripped from RVs.

Another option, is using one of the vans that have been modified for wheel chairs, which have the floor lowered 10" which would allow for a lower high top or just addtional head room.   They come in two models, a side door ramp option with most of the floor being lowered, and the other, which uses a ramp in the rear, which just has an area in the middle of the floor lowered, from the rear hatch to just behind the front seats.

While I like the additional head room, the problems I have with the "ramp" vans is for one, the price of starting off with one of these, is a little higher, they don't have quite the road clearance, and most important, I'm not sure if I could mount a trailer hitch to the rear of one, with the alterations that have already been done to them.

*So a little more research on those for me, before I make up my mind. (at least for the first one........)