I'd like to get one of these......

Capacity. Holds 23 - 12 oz cans (18 Qts/17 L)

Read more: http://www.truckingcomfort.com/product_info.php?cPath=32_34&products_id=239#ixzz0jaRLHb5Y

It would be just enough to hold a little something and keep insulin cold.

Spring has Sprung!

And we've dusted off the Aliner and are back to it. We pulled it out into the front yard and leveled it out for the final cabinet install, plus we are getting the driveway paved once things dry out a bit in the next couple weeks. I'm trying not to think of the grass I am killing, lol.
All in all she held up well over the winter, no signs of leaks at all. I'm glad I listened to the voices of experience on the Yahoo list and left it up all season. Although we almost forgot how to close it up. We did manage to close it and Mike went took off the broken bubble and picked one up at Mann's. I managed to break another one cleaning it, but it was already on it's way out, so we will need to grab another one.
I lost all my curtain tabs I so painfully removed from my old curtains. And the green curtains I cheaply made from sheets faded and look like something bad. The print ones on the triangle windows held up just fine, I just need to fix the tie backs but I knew that last year. I replaced my old tired sewing machine with a new Brother that I snagged at Target for 50% off and it works so much better. Mackenzie is learning how to sew too. So I picked up some actual fabric at Joanne's, a fraction of what I thought it would cost. A nice green, with a touch of teal and orange that may just end up as pillows. I pulled the colors from the print curtains that survived. But seeing I lost all my tabs, and I refuse to pay $10 a window for the curtain tape.....comes out to almost $70 with the door window too, so don't think I'm that cheap.....I needed another method (affordable) to hang the curtains. Mike came up with the idea to hang them and take care of hiding the unsightly holes from the old tracks. We got 1/2" wooden dowels from Lowes and white plastic dowel holders (I'm sure they are called something else, but they are perfect). We spray painted the dowels white. I am going to remove the old tracks, put a bit of caulking in the holes and then install the dowels so they lay over those holes. Mike is going to put wall anchor screws in so the screws can be removed more than once so the curtains can be washed or changed out without messing up the walls.
Mike put the last two cabinets in. The outside storage door will only be accessed from outside, which is what we want because we plan to store the jacks, chocks, and other outdoor needs in there. I need to add pictures later too because the counter top is made now also. We are going to put a stool in the open area where the cabinets meet. We were going to put shelving there, but agree a stool would be nice. He'll make a velcro strapping for it so it is secure during travel. He is also finishing off the side table, it is framed in and he will be putting a false bottom in for storage so the power converter is protected from being hit with stuff. The counter top is made for that too. And he put the fire extinguisher holder in under the seat on the door side. Perfect place for it.
Clearly Mike is motivated. I'm working on it, and should be the one hitting the floor running, but as long as one of us is moving we're both good. It is really coming together now, looks great. We went to the "RV" show in Worcester, which becomes more and more of a joke every year. Not sure why they wanna push the big rigs all the time. Popups and light trailers are priced a lot higher when you compare $/foot. Plus more and more people are driving lighter duty vehicles and are they really looking for these monsters? Maybe they know something I don't, but there were very few light trailers, all over priced, one popup and no Aliners. We're probably not going next year, plus it was free this year (coupon). It's nice to get ideas from other trailers, but they are really cheaply made with high stickers on them. Oh well.
The pictures from this update on on the right bar under the title "Update 13, 2010" (or here). I will add some more with the counter tops in later. Right now 4" of rain is predicted for the day, so maybe tomorrow.

(Notes: Going to paint the dark stain where the heater is and where the power converter is. I stained around the heater trying to match the end walls, and now I see it is way to dark and rather than trying to lighten it up and cause damage to anything I am just going to paint it. Picked up one of those little sample paints for $3 last night at Lowes....pics to come.)

Get Ready.......

Spring is here! At least on the calender and at least for this moment. It has been around 60 all week, normal for most parts of the country in the Spring....but here we usually still bracing for at least one more good storm. Maybe not this year? Shhhhh.... It will be over 70 tomorrow, the first day of Spring. I've been prepping all week doing an extra chore a night so I'm not stuck inside all weekend cleaning. Although the back yard is screaming for my attention and the flower beds despite being cleaned up a bit are still feeling neglected, I am working on the Aliner. I've been collecting trinkets and whatnots all winter. Yesterday I spotted a funky floral dustpan and broom at Ocean State Job Lots, something I could never carry off in the house, so I scooped that up for her too. I've gathered plastic kitchen ware and gadgets, pillows and linens, hooks and organizers, a blow up mattress, seam tape and other practical items even. I've also drove my family nuts all winter making comments whenever I basically see something a bit to unique for my practical home or something whimsy and outdoorsie ...."that would look good in the Aliner", like this thing was 15'x30' or something. Now I don't even have to say it, I just point and they say...."let me guess, that would look good in the Aliner?". Ha! I love New England and thrive on the change of season, letting every season motivate me to be something else because lets face it, I am not good at being just one thing. So I am done collecting and ready to get back to work. Those damn curtains need to be finished!! LOL, that was my one true winter project for this thing and I did not even touch it. Well I touched it, to move it out of view for the holidays, then to protect the fabric from dust from sitting around.....where are all those little clips I cut off of the old ones? I predict some searching and swearing tonight.
We are getting the main part of the driveway paved, not the side part where the Aliner is sitting....can't afford that much, nor do I want that much pavement in my corner of the world. It's just that with Billy with us and Taylor on her way to getting her license we are seriously running out of room to put all these things on wheels....my Jeep, his truck, Billy's car, the utility trailer, the Aliner, the plow and now Taylor's Jeep. I feel like a hillbilly :( Oh yeah, and the motorcycle! The pavement will give a good surface to work on too. Although right now Mike just wants to sell it and says he's not camping in it, lol.
This weekend....curtains at night, so should be done with them already! ....clean up and access where we are at, what needs to get done, what we still need....any winter damage, I hope not! I know I want to get some plastic restorer that I learned about over the winter on the Yahoo list. Probably just get some headlight restorer. I wonder how much less or more abraive it is than rubbing compound? Maybe I'll throw that question out to the list. I def want to thumb through Dave (the old guys) blog too. But I should be working right now....so off this for now. Just had to make note about Spring and my motivation....hope they are both still there when I get out of here!

Getting there.....

Spring is less than 2 weeks away! Daylight saving is next weekend! It's still (almost) light at 6pm and it was at least 55F outside today. The Aliner is good, I checked out the inside today and looks like it stayed nice and dry all Winter. The tire at the hitch is sunk into the driveway about halfway, but no biggie. I thought I had put a piece of wood under it, guess not. I did a lot of cleaning in the house today, some of it Spring cleaning because of the nice weather we had. Maybe I will get out there tomorrow and figure out were we left off.