Getting ready for the meet...

July 21-23, 2012, in Silver City, Idaho!

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Smuz
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Re: Getting ready for the meet...

Post by Smuz »

Xena's had her inside bath. I don't think the interior has been that clean in 13 years. Wife and grandson cleaned it, now I gotta pay the grandson. Lucky for me he works for pennies.

Got the main tool box cleaned out. Got the rear tool box in the shop and cleaned out, ready for installation tomorrow.

Gawd, I'm tired of this heat! It's 11am and already 100*. Supposed to be 105 tomorrow. Blast! Supposed to start cooling off Mon., tho. After what we been thru, temps in the high 80's are gonna feel like AC.

I'm done for the day, I got up @ 3:30 so I could get stuff done before it got hot(ter).

And NO Steve, I don't wanna hear about the temps in Seattle.
The above is my opinion. It is subject (like all my opinions) to debate, disagreement, rude gestures, and loud raspberries.
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Re: Getting ready for the meet...

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cough*72*cough*sunny*cough...

:Rude:
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Re: Getting ready for the meet...

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:booty:
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Re: Getting ready for the meet...

Post by Myers »

Miss Alice:
Yesterday: I finished lubricating distributor gear plus new points, condenser, rotor, and cap. After dark I flushed the brake system and noticed rear tranny seal leaking a little more than before.

Today : Decided to go ahead and replace the seal. Although this is not labor intensive, it dawned on me if I need to work while laying on my back this might be one of the worst ways to do so. The old seal is now out of the older seal which is now ready to receive a new seal.... so I shut down about 1 p.m. and will start again about sundown.

After a shower I am now inside, choosing to spend some time with the cooler one of the two discharges the AC unit makes. The shower was necessitated by the high humility associated with how well the homemade seal pullers worked added to the high humidity associated with Oklahoma in July.
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Re: Getting ready for the meet...

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I didn't get squat done. Left work early on Friday to go camping, got back Sunday, mowed the lawn, and called it a day. The girls are down at grandma's house swimming in the pool, so I should have time in the evening this week.

Summer has arrived in the northwest. It's up to the mid 80's here, and humid this morning (we had a few thunderstorms.) This'll be one of the 4 or 5 days a year when I wish we had A/C. But I won't complain - I know we have a lot better than most of the country has had it the last few weeks!
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Re: Getting ready for the meet...

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BTW, if anyone has specific requests for parts, let me know and I'll be sure to pack them. I'll bring the usual stuff as well.
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Re: Getting ready for the meet...

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I wouldn't mind getting a few more tcase/tranny mounts. I would mind paying for them, but I will..
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Re: Getting ready for the meet...

Post by Myers »

stevec wrote:BTW, if anyone has specific requests for parts, let me know and I'll be sure to pack them. I'll bring the usual stuff as well.
Stevec – Add 3 sets of oil tank hold down straps to the stuff I PM’d you about the other day.
Believe it or not, will load Miss Alice on the trailer after it cools off this evening. First time I have ever got her ready that soon. Will park her in the shop until Sat. a.m.

Had an almost like last year’s camera story happen the other day. Our Granddaughter will house/cat set for us while we are gone. Granny had her to come over for a short to-do indoctrination so feeling like I had to show her something I showed her how to open the garage door when the electricity is off which it has been quite a bit recently. Showed her the red handle trick but when I showed her how the door would reconnect itself when the electricity came back on the opener started to make a funny noise which sounded just like my MIG welder operating…. then a lot of smoke….. all which stopped after I shut off the electricity. The Bride and I plan to install a new garage door opener early in the morning.
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Re: Getting ready for the meet...

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Damn, Larry, you got the same luck I got. Alice just told a bit ago that there's water under the fridge and the floor is rotting, cracking the ceramic tile.
Drat! I'm gonna shut off the water to the ice machine and deal with it when I get back home.

I got Xena's oil changed this am and am packing the camping supplies this pm.
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Re: Getting ready for the meet...

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Got 90% of the camping stuff packed when my back told me to quit. Damn, how'd I get so much stuff?

Now I need to convince Alice that we can stop at WalMart in Boise and stock the coolers, she doesn't HAVE to bring all the food for the week from Kansas. Wish me luck on that one.

One big item left is to check the trailer lights. For some reason the turn signals don't wanna work. I dunno if it's the connector, the wiring, or sumpin else. Worst comes to worst, I'll just go as is. If I get stopped, it's <dumb look> I dunno ossifer, it wuz werkin when I left Kansas<dumb look off> That may even work, it has before.
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Re: Getting ready for the meet...

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Guess I better get off my butt and start packing! (and hope I don't have any of those issues!) Camper is still in storage, and I haven't pulled the carb off Cheez Whiz yet. Maybe I'll work on the carb tomorrow night... Planning to pack this weekend.

I guess you all are probably leaving before me this year though...
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Re: Getting ready for the meet...

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Regarding parts, I'll bring what I have. I've had issues getting parts the past few months, so I'm out of a lot of stuff right now, but I'm being "told" that they'll be here next week sometime. Keep your fingers crossed!
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Re: Getting ready for the meet...

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Got all of the camping supplies loaded, the trailer hooked up and the lights working.

Just ordered one of these for 4 tires:
http://www.tsttruck.com/RV_Tire_Systems.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
It's actually for the fifth wheel, but if it gets here in time, I'll have on the little trailer for the trip.

Got the valve stem extensions off the inside duals on Xena. Gawd, that was a PITA. Needle nosed pliers, a claw, and lotsa patience. Turned out they weren't fulla mud, they were just rusted solid. Thank you Kansas for alla the salt on the roads in the winter. Checked the pressures and all 4 are between 60-65#. Good enuf. Now I just gotta get valve caps on them pesky inside duals.

Gonna check the trailer tires this pm and throw on a second spare. With the time I got to spare, I just might make another mount for it on the left side of the trailer. 2 spares iz a good thing.

At this rate, I'm gonna be ready by Sat. Whoohoo!
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Re: Getting ready for the meet...

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That's a nice thing to have. I bring an infrared thermometer to check tire and bearing temperature on the road. If your tires are good, then most blowouts will start with a slow leak. As the tire slowly loses pressure, it runs hotter, until it blows.

I also now carry two spares for my trailer. Learned that lesson the hard way: had a blowout on the rear passenger side tire coming over Snoqualmie Pass a few years ago, and it took out the tire in front of it as well. At the time I only had one spare, which didn't do me much good. :-(
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Re: Getting ready for the meet...

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Yeah, and I ordered it from Georgia yesterday and got an email that UPS says it will be here TOMORROW! :ohno: How cool is THAT?

Two trailer spares are damn near a must, IMHO. It really sucks to be 1000 miles from home, blow a tire, and have to tippy-toe into the nearest town to get a tire replaced, at "whatever they wanna charge or have in stock". Been there, done that more times than I can count.

This TPMS ought to pay for itself the first trip just with peace of mind. I think 99% of all the tires I've blown have went low pressure, got hot, and then blew. Catching them early would have saved almost all of 'em. And I always carry a 12v air compressor.
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Re: Getting ready for the meet...

Post by Myers »

Smuz, that looks like a winner. We can see our tires in the outside mirrors but that would give me a better feeling. Have had TPMS on the past trucks so found a way to reset the TPMS by myself w/o any special tools after rotating tires. Monday had lifetime ballance and rotation at Wal-Mart on current truck and declned their $5 per tire offer to reset TMPMS. Tried to do it myself yesterday and after a half hour plus a hour on the internet discovered that GM has changed from a pressure difference system to something else which does require a special learning tool. OK - will just buy my own. NOPE - the base one is $699.99 if ordered through Autozone. The Bride said I could just adjust my mind and when the dash says RF know it is RR and so on but I plan to go back tomorrow and get it done right.

The Harbor Freight infrared thermometer is so valuable to me I keep one in the truck and one in the shop. The temp gauge on Miss Alice indicates it is running a little warm but the infared at the radiator inlet says it is normal.

Starting with the Waiparous meet it has helped me to decide to change over to synthetic wheel bearing grease. For years I had used the regular Valvoline - moly fortified. Then I went to Valvoline – moly fortified semi-synthetic and now am using Valvoline-moly fortified full synthetic with each running cooler than the previous. Long haul - hot summer – highway speed and carrying Miss Alice outer hub temps run around 20 F above ambient. The infrared thermometer is sensitive enough the hub temperatures will indicate if one is constantly in the sun and the other in the shade.
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Re: Getting ready for the meet...

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Well, the truck is packed, Wison's on the trailer, the trailer is hooked up to the truck. The only thing left is to throw in the coolers and clothes. Waiting on the TPMS to get here and installed. I have NEVER been ready this early.

Now what am I gonna do for 4 days? Clean the shop? Uhhh.... prolly not.
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Re: Getting ready for the meet...

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Just took delivery on the TPMS. No time to futz with it tonight, I'll get it installed and set up tomorry and report on it.
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Re: Getting ready for the meet...

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Well, fudge. Before I put the TPMS on, I decided to check the left trailer tire which seems to have a slow leak. Well there's a crack in the sidewall that's seeping. Drat. Looks like I gotta put the new spare on and replace the leaky one w/ a spare I've got from a Kick/trak. Luckily the size matches.
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Re: Getting ready for the meet...

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Well. got the tire changed, the new spare on the left, the bad tire changed on in place of the spare.
everything looks good.

Got the TPMS on and set up. This thing is sweet. Gives a readout of all trailer tires, pressure and temp. Depending on how it works on the trip, I'm gonna buy more sensors so I can monitor the truck tires and an extra trailer behind the fifth wheel.

As cheap as I am, being ready to spend $50 per sensor got to tell you sumpin.
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Re: Getting ready for the meet...

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Aw, crap! I just found out that Mel (Lift-dr on here and my friend that was at last year's meet with his Samurai) lost the transmission in his truck with a gooseneck trailer on behind in Leavenworth, Kansas earlier today. Leavenworth is about 30 miles north of me.

He called a Towtruck to get his truck home and then hadda go back with another truck and get the gooseneck.

But he didn't call ME. This is annoying. This is what friends are for. I'da been there in a second. Now I feel like I'm unworthy.

Excuse me while I go cry...
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Re: Getting ready for the meet...

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Well, I'm down to the short rows.
I've still gotta go to the bank and get cash, make sure there's enough in my account to cover all the automatic bill pays and the gas, lodging, etc. I'll put on the debit card. Go to the store and get beer and cigars.
Charge my phone, put the camera in the truck, get my laptop and Kindle packed, Throw in the table and lawn chair, and put some TP in the truck.

Tomorrow, all I gotta do is pack my clothes and put 'em in the truck. And do whatever I remember at the last minit.

Now I'm just sitting here trying to think about anything I've forgot...
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Re: Getting ready for the meet...

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Well I dragged the truck and camper home finally, but Ruby sent me a t-case for the LJ81 (the one I've been wanting with the lower gears!) so I spent most of Saturday cleaning it up, putting new seals on it, repainting some of the painted pieces (covers, e-brake drum and backing plate) and installing it. Of course, I had to take it for a test drive. Then I had to change the oil in Snot. Oh yeah, we desperately needed food, and I also had $240 in Costco gift cards to burn, so we went shopping. So I didn't get around to the carb on Cheez Whiz. So I've gone from having plenty of time, and not much to get done, to "oh cr@p, how am I going to get this all done?" (Remember, I'm not retired yet!) But I do have a plan:

-Monday: If it doesn't rain today, mow the lawn. If it rains, I'll work on Cheez Whiz. Also, fill water tanks, propane tanks, etc. Turn on fridge. Pack all non-perishable food. Charge truck batteries.
-Tuesday: Fridge should be cold, so pack it. This'll be the night I work on Cheez Whiz, if I mow the lawn tonight. Pack everything else I can, which will hopefully be almost everything.
-Wednesday: Sounders are playing Chelsea FC, and I have tickets, so nothing will get done this night.
-Thursday: Load the trailer and hitch it up. Last minute laundry, and pack any last minute stuff (i.e. clothes that get washed.)
-Friday: If all goes well, leave work early and head out. :D
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Re: Getting ready for the meet...

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Ok, I'm ready. The only stuff that ain't in the truck is:
1. little cooler w/ snacks for the drive.
2. My little kit bag w/ medicine, toothbrushes, deodorant, etc.
3. Alice and I.

Pulling out at 0-dark thirty tommory am. I'm taking the laptop, so's mebbe I kin post on the road & at the campground.
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Re: Getting ready for the meet...

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I cleaned the carb on Cheez Whiz last night, then fired it up. It was much louder than I remembered, and sure enough, the rear muffler was about split in half. Fit my last spare exhaust (used, but doesn't leak) and it is much quieter, but still not running right. I'll mess with it some more tonight, and maybe drain the gas tank (in case the issue is just bad gas), and if I can't get it running better, I'll just bring the LJ81.

I knew there was a reason I wanted to put that t-case in! :wink:
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