Bring it home

[Birddog1148]

Well, fridge works on electric, picked up a second dog crate, still need a little one for Zippo.

[Chaffeekid]

Hey Bird Dog, I picked up 16 LED light to replace my old type lights in the coach, very cheap on eBay. get the Bright ones, there are two types one is called warm. only paid about 16 bucks for 20 of them they work great.

[Brob]

Great buy at 1800!

[Birddog1148]

Well she made her first and probably final trip, one way. I've heard the stories of older tires, so I put a pair of brand new tires on the front. See I bought a Camp in northern Michigan and decided I would park it up there. Just over 300 miles. Figured I could make it on the old tires. My buddy came down to follow me in my Jeep so I could get home. I had missed the right inner rear tire was flat but he caught it. Spent maybe 2 hrs trying to get the bead to seal but no dice. So we jacked it up and took it off. Got the bead to seal and it started taking air. But it was shaping and popping, and bulging. So I decided to change it. Got the two former fronts out and we swapped that tire. Decided I should take the other and put it in the coach. Thought my put the tools in as well, found out later he didn't.

[Birddog1148]

Dogs had been barking for a couple hour and I was anxious and we were behind schedule so we took off for what should have been a 5-6 be trip. Hit the turnpike and headed for US23, to head north. Just before the Mi line, about an hr in there is I loud BANG and flap flap flap. We get off the expressway and the left inner rear has let go. Pulled in to a tire shop but they don't work on tires that size. But hey,I have that other front take off, just no tools. My buddy lives just over the line outside Toledo, a few miles away, so we limp it there. After lamenting the failure to put the tire changing tools in we decide to put the spare on and try again. Lucky he had a 3/4 in drive breaker bar and appropriate extension and socket, took me standing onthe the bar to break the kit nuts loose. (Blow out 1 was just after 1500hrs). We get it changed and head back out to catch 223 to 127. All was good for about 88 more miles. Now my buddy said he thought they were 65 mph tires. My cocky butt was pushing it to 72. And then it happened, BANG blowout #2, around Mason Michigan. We get off the expressway and pull in to a Meijer parking lot. Now I thought I was smart, see I had signed up for Good Sam Platinum the day before. I even received a temporary card in my email that morning. So I called em up and when I got the tire people they said they didn't have me in the system so I am on hold and they called Good Sam and come back, say I need to wait till morning and call back, should be in system then. So we crashed in the parking lot for the night, about dark by this time anyhow.

[Birddog1148]

Didn't sleep to good, so in the early morning hrs I download my membership benefits. Supposedly they will put my fully inflated spare on or tow me to the nearest service center. The nearby service centers according to my phone would open promptly at 0730 Monday morning. This is about 0630 Sunday morning. So I call a mobile tire service and ask if they will dismount and mount a tire to which they said sure, for $80, $100 with air. Then he talked strange and hung up. Figured I. On my own at this time. I head in to the Meijer store to search for tools as my buddy disappears across the parking lot the other way. I came back with 2 small pry bars and a brand new angle grinder for about $58. Using the the angle grinder we cut through the remaining rubber and the bead and get the old shreaded tire off. Slathering dish soap On the other and last front take off we use the 2 little pry bars and get that tire on the rim, and the bead seated and didn't even have to use starting fluid THAT time. Aired it up, hung it on the axle, put the lugnuts back on let it off the jack, had some coffee, and hit the road again about 0930. This time I listened to my buddy and kept the speed about 55, Google had told me were only about 2 1/4 hrs from our destination .

[Birddog1148]

So we tearing along at a blazing 55Mph, stopped at a rest stop about 53 miles up the road checked the tires, all seemed, good, dogs did their business and we are off again. 38 miles to Clair and 10, my new camp is just north of 10 maybe 45 miles or so from Clair. Closer we get the slower I go. By the time we hit Reed City I figure we got it made, drive on the rim the rest of the way if need be. But we made it. Slight modification to the siding on the front an Boom, its in the building, its new home.
I guess going forward, we will be discussing stationary issues and concerns.

[beamisl]

Birddog,

Congratulations on the rig and getting her there. You were about 40 miles from me on your trip.

While storing your rig there, when you leave and go back home, put Moth balls under the rig. Why you ask?? Know those pesky mice that look for a place to get in for winter? They will want inside your rig. Put the moth balls around the tires and under the rig and they will stay away. Don't like the smell much.

We store ours in a farmer's barn and one side is open. There are critter paw prints all over the dirt floor. One rig had used the moth balls and has had no issues storing there all seasons. We added moth balls and they walk all around the rig but not under it. They do the other rigs that do NOT use them.

Getting the roof fixed was a great! Water will ruin a rig. If you need to replace cabinets or appliances, look for a donor trailer. Newer travel trailer that has been damaged but the cabinets or appliances are in good shape. Can sometimes get them real cheap.

Tires you found out about. They can be dangerous to play with. Our furnace was full of mud dauber wasps and squealed loudly. Took it apart and cleaned them out. Much better. The propane regulator on our propane tank ended up going bad. Was told this was normal. Replaced it and still had issues with things lighting. Replaced the hose to the propane regulator (which was filled with grease) and everything was fine.

Would be a good idea to Clorox the water system and tank. Don't know what they have left inside there or for how long.

I am painting the decals, stripes on my rig. If you get interested in doing that when you are done with everything else, PM me and I will get the info for you.

Have a great time with her. Lynne

[Dav L]

Some tricks to getting tire beads to set:
Always remove the valve core to allow more air to enter the tire faster.

You can bounce the tire (if it's a small one). When it hits the pavement, the beads go to the outside and the flat spot pushes air around the interior. Sometimes this sets the bead.

You can put a ratchet strap around the perimeter and crank down. This will push the center of the tire in which pushes the bead out.

If all else fails, many have put a SMALL shot of starting fluid in the tire (through the unset bead) and with a long handled lighter wisk it across the open tire bead. There will be an explosion...and that sets the bead. I am just informing what works. This is very dangerous so I am not recommending any one to do this.

[F76Marion]

Bird,

Now you know all about old tires.....

Count on the rest of the rubber to be in the same shape. That means coolant and brake lines. And most of all fuel lines. What you have are probably not not alcohol compatible. Then there are the belts and anything else that can get old.

Do I have to add Been There Done That?

Frank

[Birddog1148]

Originally Posted by Dav L

Some tricks to getting tire beads to set:
Always remove the valve core to allow more air to enter the tire faster.

You can bounce the tire (if it's a small one). When it hits the pavement, the beads go to the outside and the flat spot pushes air around the interior. Sometimes this sets the bead.

You can put a ratchet strap around the perimeter and crank down. This will push the center of the tire in which pushes the bead out.

If all else fails, many have put a SMALL shot of starting fluid in the tire (through the unset bead) and with a long handled lighter wisk it across the open tire bead. There will be an explosion...and that sets the bead. I am just informing what works. This is very dangerous so I am not recommending any one to do this.

Dav L, thanks, tried all the those tricks, starting fluid is always my goto last attempt. Been using a Harbor Freight manual tire changer for over 20 years, bought it back when I was running demolition derby, through my dirt track racing and on my daily drivers. I even balance the tires now with Airsoft BBs.

[Birddog1148]

Originally Posted by F76Marion

Bird,



Now you know all about old tires.....



Count on the rest of the rubber to be in the same shape. That means coolant and brake lines. And most of all fuel lines. What you have are probably not not alcohol compatible. Then there are the belts and anything else that can get old.



Do I have to add Been There Done That?



Frank

I don't think its leaving where its at now, plan is to use it as a cabin. Hunting camp, fishing, 4wheeling etc. My 5 year acres is adjacent to a 23 acre state parcel. Surrounded by many larger public parcels.

[Birddog1148]

So my first real camping excursion this weekend. Last weekend was just getting it to my camp. Dogs seem to be enjoying it. Thinking I want to convert the generator to propane. The well on the property is hopefully going to be used. Saw 5 deer almost in the front yard. Got to ride my quad a motorcycle and the Jeep on the back roads and trails. Basically had a great time. Last night tonight for a few weeks. Plans for a week in October for archery deer. Maybe some salmon fishing as well.Attachment 258807

[Birddog1148]

Got the siding back up that we had to take down to get it in the building and the posted signs up to.