Get Out the Map

Author: elly

  • Time to kill?

    As I start feeling better, I’ve been reading blogs and forums about Airstreams. Here’s a couple of my recent and old favorites

    1. Tour of America
      The musings of the editor of Airstream Life as he and his family tour America and live and work out of an Airstream. I not only subscribed “Airstream Life”, but ordered all the past issues as they each had an article I wanted to read. I figure they’ll be a good addition to the trailer. Gotta have some dust collectors.
    2. Digital RV
      Rich wrote the book I wanted to write – “The Digital RV”. I also ordered this and it looks like a great resource. The forums are starting to get active and are worth reviewing.
    3. Vintage Airstream Podcast
      These first three are a little incestuous as they all refer to each other, but each offers a different flavor. These podcasts remind me of Click-n-Clack on some level. I really enjoyed Tim playing some songs from the “Trailer Park Troubadours“.
    4. Airstream Knowledge Forums
      This is where I hung out for years learning as much as I could vicariously from other owners. Now that I have something to practice on, I think it will be even more valuable.

  • Absentee Blogger

    So, the last post was 2 weeks before I broke my back (10/15/05) on a railroad track while on a 50 mile training ride to see my mom in Endicott. The first part of the ride was great with the fall colors on the hills and the smell of autumn in the air, but then it started raining and THEN I hit the railroad crossing with its narrow angle to the road and elevated slippery rails. AND it turns out there was actually a train 5-10 minutes out, on a leaf-peeping tour. The track is only used a few times a year. The tourists waved to the crying lady sitting along side of the road amidst the corn fields – to them I was taking a break from my bike ride and part of the quaint scenary, not knowing I had just crawled off the tracks with a broken L5.

    After 8 weeks of seeing multiple doctors, having multiple x-rays, CT’s, and MRI’s, I had surgery in December, performed by Dr. Seth Zeidman – a wonderful and competant neurosurgeon with a staff of angels in Rochester, NY.
    Lateral labelled viewAfter a major back reconstruction with anesthesia and blood loss complications, I’m now over 2 months post-op with several months of recovery a head of me. I started PT last week and am amazed how little it takes to exhaust me.

    I often look out the window at my neglected little Airstream sitting in the driveway covered with snow. I’m sure there’ll be more damage to the floor from the leaky spots, but she’s waited this long for some tender loving care, I guess she can wait a few more months.

    I categorized this post under “Trips” cuz this last 4+ months has been a real trip. One I could have done without, but everywhere you go, there you are (whole and healthy or not).

  • More windows

    I read online that I could remove the inside pane of the broken side window by disconnecting the big window arm openers (bolts), removing the big screen (sheet metal screws), the plastic cover over the side window (drilling out the rivets), and then unscrewing the frame of the inside pane (sheet metal screws). Well, I got to the last step and the screws look like they were sealed at the factory with liquid metal.

    I tried every implement and tool I have, including a propane torch with no luck. I’m afraid to use an impact wrench for fear of breaking the good pane of glass. Soooo, I took out the broken safety glass by hand (literally) and dug out the 3/8 inch groove of chunks of glass and scraped off the window seal that was between the panes. In the end, I decided it looks fine and will just not have a storm on this window.
    Fixed window Fixed window

    I couldn’t stand the subfloor anymore, so Cay gave me some floor paint that she couldn’t use because of the color – its pumpkin. Perfect for this lovely fall weather. I put two coats on, only two hours of work and its so nice to have it sealed.

    Painted subfloor

  • Belles-Lettres Retreat

    Wellesley Island

    Singer Castle

    The Belles-Lettres is not just any book club, its an interesting, literate, fun group of friends. This year’s retreat was held on the east end of Wellesley Island. Besides laughing and eating nonstop, we took a boat tour of the thousand islands which included a romp through a couple of island castles. One of our best conversations revolved around Katrina and how (repeat after Tree), “the poor are powerless”. The book for the retreat was “To Dance with the White Dog”, about an older man and his battle to maintain independence in the face of age and health issues. We’re ready to start a commune for the elderly.

  • I do windows!

    I started on the front window this weekend (on Labor Day). Its big and heavy. There was alot of garf and humidity in-between the panes of glass so in addition to removing the old gasket and adhesive (2 hours is too long), I took the 14 sheet metal screws out holding the storm window and cleaned it up. I bought new foam insulation tape, unintentionally wider (3/4 inch) and replaced the stuff that had totally disintegrated except for residual adhesive and mold. We are having trouble getting it back on the trailer, I think we need a third person to hold the lip up inside the track.

    Front window

    9/17 – Cay came and we got the window back in ok with three people.

    Front window

  • Mississippi Headwaters

    I was gone last week to outstate MN with three very good friends – Louise, Mary, and Barb. You betcha!

    Mississippi Headwaters

    We were at Itasca State Park (the grandfather of parks per Louise). We biked around the wilderness area and on the Heartland trail. Among the thrills were walking across the headwaters of the Mississippi, seeing the tallest white and red pines in MN, eating in the big town of Dorset, playing cards, and belly-busting laughter. I hope I can take the trailer out to MN in a year or two 🙁

    Before I left for MN, I replaced the gasket on the door. When I came back I replaced the gasket on the small window next to the door. It took hours to scrape off whatever the previous owner had used to adhere the gasket. It seemed more like a heavy brown caulk then an adhesive. The adhesive I got from InlandRV was black and is like epoxy where you have to put it on both sides then stick’em together. I kept them shut for awhile then sprayed them with silicone spray to keep them supple (a maintenance item). They seem to be staying on ok.
    Door gasket

    I also started caulking – YUCK! I am not too good at it and I messed up a LOT. I got the top of the door and little window, the hot water entry, and the stove vent redone with Vulkem. I also did the sides of the window and door with clear gutter seal. I used a 5 cc syringe to apply the clear sealant (thanks for the idea Fletch!) which was better than the caulk gun or the flexible tube, but my thumbs are raw from yanking on the plunger to fill the syringe.

    I’ll be interested to see how the gasket, caulk, and sealant have affected the leaks if we ever get any rain.

    Oh yeah and the good news of the day …. the frig works with electricity. I have ice in the freezer!

  • Let there be LIGHT!

    The fuses did the trick! I have reliable lights and the battery is charging. Since I was feeling more confident of the juice, I brought the boom box in and blared Rickie Lee Jones while I put Future floor wax on the walls.

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