Get Out the Map

Author: elly

  • Questions and hesitations

    Well, once again its been a bit since I posted. I went back to work part time June 1st and have been trying to stay caught up on my rest. No major news on the Rosie front, but I have been thinking. Besides not being able to physically work on her, I’m also alittle unsure on a few design details.

    Do I really want to get rid of the old furnace under the sink to make room for a double bed / dinette setup? Do I want to shorten the kitchentte. Do I want the bed/dinette combo? I still think the answer is yes, but I’m just a little hesitant to commit to it. I think I’d be ok for counter space if I reinstall the flip counter or get a new one. I do like the idea of having the catalytic gas heaters (1 or 2). I think I could put one on the side of the fridge (by the door) on a swivel to cover the front half and maybe one for the other half somewhere that has easy access to a gas connection (other side of fridge or other side of stove location near the remaining twin).

    I’m thinking I need a professional to look at the belly pan and the septic/black tank connections. I need to get down there and take a look . I wonder if I should have the belly pan removed, the frame inspected and sandblasted and a new belly pan put on. Its such a cost, but it would make me feel more secure about the trailer’s longevity. I’d like more advice on this topic sometime. I don’t have a tow vehicle right now and I can’t do the hauling myself anyway, but I would like to know before I go replacing floor and installing anything if it needs more extensive repairs.

    There’s more things, but I’ll save it for another post. Need to post more often.

  • Red Letter Week

    This isn’t directly Airstream-related, but the progress I’ve made will bring me closer to working on Rosie. Last week I drove myself to physical therapy x2 and was able to get in the pool via the ladder vs. riding the chair lift into the pool. I was honored with a round of applause from the other PT clients. Driving on my own made me feel like a teenager again! It has been over 6 months since I drove the car. These were great milestones, but the increase in activity is wearing me out, so there’s no other news. Happy Spring!

  • Geocaching update

    During the week, mom and I found a really easy geocache in the Newman Arboretum of Cornell Plantations. I think mom was more excited than I was. Envision my 70-something mother and a barely-mobile back surgery patient looking under leaves and logs for a plastic container.

    Then over the Easter weekend, mom and I took brother Charles who was visiting from Boston back to the plantations and found another easy cache. The picture below was the hint.

    Meditation Isle

  • GPS ahoy!

    Pharos iGPS 360 receiver and bluetooth dockFor my birthday last week, Mom helped me buy a gps receiver and bluetooth dock for my Pocket PC phone to be used in future trips with Rosie. For now, I’m going to use it to start geocaching this summer in lieu of any biking. I wrote up a review at the Digital Rv if you want to hear about my mild bout of buyer’s remorse.

  • My top 9 trailer design reqs

    At work we always have to write the dreaded user and functional requirements. Surprisingly, I am doing it willingly. Even though #1 is an assumption for me since I am part alien and don’t tolerate Earth’s biomolecular chemistry, I was inspired by the recent posts about allergies in Gadget’s Airstream Chronicles and Tour of America blogs to list it outright.

    #1 Allergan free (or as much as possible): No rugs, minimal curtains, hypoallergenic cushions and pillows, careful choice on chemical use, no perfume, cats, or smoking at any time.

    #2 Minimal weight: Use materials that are light weight, well distributed in the trailer. Better for environment and budget, less wear and tear, smaller tow vehicle needed, less gas used.

    #3 Utility independence: Efficient 12V and gas appliances, quiet electric re-generation allowing for boondocking, cheaper camping and more parking options.

    #4 Comfortable and convenient sleeping arrangement for two not-small people and occasional guest, both big and small.

    #5 A place to eat and play cards for four (dinette conversion).

    #6 Organized and ergonomic work space with a curbside view: chair with good back support and proper desk height, storage options, layout that accomodates for laptop, dock, network, printer, audio/visual, easy off switch for things that stay on.

    #7 Simple aesthetics: My taste or lack thereof, not whats en vogue

    Fred and Jade#8 Dog friendly: Fred and Jade just ganged up on me and reminded me that I had to mention this one.

    #9 Vintage Airstream: Keep look and feel whenever not contrary to first eight items.

    Any other suggestions?

  • Web site housekeeping

    I decided to upgrade to the latest WordPress software (2.0.2) and finish my blog header. I was waiting to decide what to call the trailer before putting any effort into it. I still need to put some effort into it, but this is it for now.

    Rosie the RiveterTo name or not to name: I just couldn’t decide on a name for my new trailer::: Athene (warrior/travel goddess), eStream (elly’s airstream or the electronic airstream), Serenity (in honor of Firefly series), Rosie, etc. I decided to go with the cosmos, every time I worked on her last summer, I had my “Rosie the Riveter” t-shirt on and at one point found myself using the riveter at the same time… from this day forward, the trailer shall be known as “Rosie”. It helped having “Wheel Interested” aka Carol, from Digital RV forum, say she thought it would be cool.

  • Design Ideas

    Reading in the MsTioga blog about a cool desk being built, has inspired me to pull together some layout ideas that have been floating in my head for close to a year. I was saving it as desert until some of the more mundane tasks were done, but since I have mental time and not physical labor time, I’m going to play. I don’t know why it took me so long to figure out I could scan the layout from the ’73 Safari Manual and use that as a scaled template. Will post the template and ideas after I get someone to move the scanner where I reach it without breaking the golden rule of no BLT’s (bending, lifting, twisting).

    Rosie's layout

    [3/26 — See “Design Ideas” page for schematics.]