Solar Panel

Here is the solar panel that I picked up on Amazon. I don't know exactly how much we're getting out of it but checking it with a digital volt meter it is recovering fast in the full sun in my driveway. When I checked it with the analog gauge mounted in the camper it was under 12v. By the time I went in and got the digital meter it was over 12v, 12.30 to be exact. It steadily increased about 0.01v every few seconds. We let it get up around 12.5v then ran the pump for a few seconds and it dropped back down to 12.3 but was back up quickly.

Mike put a two prong male female quick disconnect so we can take it off for travel.

I'm happy with the purchase. I'll give more details after a camping trip. Unfortunately we camp in the shaded woods so it won't pull as much power.

• Power (Pmax) : 30W
• Maximum power voltage ( Vpm ) : 17.5V ;Maximum Power Current: 1.68A
• Cable lengths : 12.5'
• Open circuit voltage ( Voc ) : 21.95V
• Charge controller prevents overcharging of 12-volt batteries

LED Bulb Replacement

Thanks to free two day shipping from Amazon the LEDs and solar panel came today. I will give an update on the LEDs for now because thats quick and ea

sy. I ordered two of these. Details are as follows:

• Bulb Type:BA15S Base (Single Contact)
• 93B2 1156 1141 Bulb Replacement with LED
• Lumen:80 Lumen Color Temperature:Warm White 3100K
• Working Voltage:10 - 16 V DC, Power:1.44 Watt
• LED:15 LEDs, SMD3528

They were packaged very well from LED Wholesalers.

The LEDs are slightly taller and thinner and fit just fine. These are "water proof". I just thought it was a better design. The reviews also noted that in other LEDs that they had purchased they had broken the LEDs off the base putting it into the socket and the glass on these solved that issue. These are the only ones I bought so I don't really know otherwise. I'm very happy with how these feel though.
Old incandescent bulb:
Incandescent covered:
LED:
LED covered.

In the daylight they look to give off about the same light, the LED might even be slightly brighter. These are the 3000k warm led's and I think they are just a tad white and not as harsh as I thought they might be. I can only imagine the 6000k are pretty harsh. I haven't seen them in the dark yet. I'll try to check them out later. I am very happy with them in the daylight though. I was afraid they wouldn't be bright enough at only 80 lumens but they are perfect. These should only use about 1/24th of the power that the old bulbs did too!!

Solar Panel and LED Bulbs.

With my 10 year anniversary gift card from work I am going to pick up a small solar panel and some led light bulbs for the camper. Things I would like but just can't see spending the household money on. I looked at clothes and jewelery but I keep coming back to these things, sad, I know, lol.
Here is the solar panel I have decided on at Amazon.com. It is a 30 watt mono-crystalline panel with a power controller (which probably isn't needed but it's only an extra $12). From what I learned in my research mono-crystalline cells are the oldest technology but they are also the smallest and most efficient. Poly-crystalline is a close second and then the thin film technology is called amorphous which I didn't spend too much time on because they are the largest and least effiecient, supposedly the least expensive but the price differences where not really worth noting, at least not on Amazon. I am going through Amazon because of the gift card, but honestly it's hard to beat the prices and no one can touch the free shipping. I asked a lot of questions on the Aliner Yahoo group list and between them and google I am pretty happy with this choice and I'll place the order later today.
To help out the drain on the battery when dry camping I am going to put LED bulbs in the two light fixtures in the camper. They both are single bulbs, old style 1141. This style isn't as easy to find the LED bulbs in, so they are more expensive then the common wedge types used in current models. It wouldn't cost more than $10 probably to update ours, but there isn't anything wrong with ours so why bother. I settled on these small bulbs because they had a good review. I was looking at brighter bulbs but honestly I hate bright white light. I made sure the ones I picked where the warmer light (3000-3100K not the 6000-6100K).
I'll post update once the order comes in and we get everything put in. I'm hoping it comes before Memorial Day as we're spending the weekend at our favorite spot, Otter River State Forest which does not have any hook ups....not that we wouldn't make it the weekend on a single charge, but it would be nice to try it out!

Logo's Complete!

Mike suggested the brown stripe, picked it up locally and applied it. We think it really pulls it together. We had an extra logo because the vendor had made a mistake so Mike used it on the rear and added the green stripe with a concave cut near the wording. It's raised up so it sits over the lights and spare. Like a new camper, love it! Well worth all the hours agonizing over the right logos, fonts and colors as well as all the picking and cleaning up from the old logos.

Green Stripes Added

Today we applied the green stripe on both long sides. We're thinking of not adding anything to the front (not sure yet, suggestions welcome!) on the back we're going to put the wording, Aliner LX and a variation on the green stripe. We're also going to add a small one inch stripe under it all. We were up in the air about the brown stripe but now that the thicker green stripe is on we think it would really tie it in with the wording and all.

Logo Removal Day 3 and New Logos Applied!

The last of the old logos and stripes were removed today and the new cameos and wording applied! We still need to add the 4" solid green stripe and we are thinking of adding a 1" solid brown stripe under it (already have the green). We spent a lot of time making sure the camper was very clean and free of any oils before applying the new logos. It was nerve racking because there was a bit of a breeze but once again Mike showed his expertise.

Here it is all clean and naked:

The application:

Close up:
Other side:
Curb side:
Road side:
I am beyond happy with this! Source of the logos is signnetwork.net. It is a small business in Canada but shipping is very quick. There was a mistake with my first shipment and she corrected it immediately and we had the replacement in just a few days. We'll add more pictures once the stripes are added.

Myrtle Beach, 2011

We took the Aliner on it's first long trip since we've had it and redone it. It did well thanks to new tires (see previous post). We were there a week, this year it was also their Spring break, usually it's not so there were a lot more younger families. We met another couple with a 2000 or 2001 (I can't remember) Aliner. They camped with their two younger children and small dogs, God bless them! Their camper was in great shape except the floor was going soft. They asked us to check it out and there was some discoloration near the door and in one of the baggage areas (the other baggage area had been fixed by the previous owner). We told them about the floor petifier DIY on the AOC site and pointed them toward our blog to see how we dealt with it and so they could see our case was the extreme.

Here is a snapshot of the Aliner set up in the be

autiful green forest of Myrtle Beach State Park.

Winter Updates

Over the winter we took care of a few things on the to do list. We installed 80# shocks under the bed and they make life a lot easier. Maybe we could have gone with 100#, if there is much on the bed it will close but it is nowhere as difficult as it was to lift and keep open. If it is just the bed, cover and linens it stays up just fine and I am quite happy with it. Mike did this work by himself and surprised me with it when I got home, such a sweetie :)

And before we could take a long trip like Myrtle Beach we had

to get new tires. The tires on the Aliner were mismatched, same brand different thread and we have no idea what the history was on them. They work

ed fine for short trips to Otter River but not a 1800+mile round trip. Tire research was all over the place and I found lots of info, most of it contradicting the last. So our theory was P style tires came off it and it road fine, even without matched threads, so P tires went back on it. I found pluses for ST tires and minuses but they seemed like less tire for more money. And if the sake was so they don't dry rot out then whatever, the P tires weren't that much anyway. Since putting these tires on we did take our trip to SC and the camper road just fine once we balanced the tire pressure. Initially one tire was 6psi less

than the other and the camper walked and bounced. After the adjustment it road even and smooth, even through NY city on I95! The r

ims aren't so pretty, but they are true round and happy. We went with the same size that was on it from the previous owner, 180/70 P13. We paid about $100 for two tires, balanced, replacement and road hazard insurance.

And lastly (for this update) is the entertainment center. It consist

s of a add on shelf over the seat near the door. We thought of a fold down which is typical but we decided it was a tight seat already (I cut a couple inches off the original cushion to fit the seat area so the bed would fit). Plus we only need this shelf for a rare movie off the laptop when its raining or someone is sick (this happened to me in Myrtle Beach, blah). The wood is a leftover piece from the partial wall right behind it at the door (the supporting wall for the opposing triangle wall when folded), and it is finished with

left over oak veneer edging. Mike rounded off two of the corners for me. The supports are the wire shelf frames that screw into the wall with a couple shelf arms. The laptop sits on top and the portable Bose sits under it (because the laptop speakers are not enough in the pouring rain!). I store the shelf arms under the seat and the shelf it

self fits under the cushion. I'm happy with it, it's just enough.

Currently we're working on our new logo's, removing the old, see other posts.

Logo Removal Day 2

We picked up heat gun cheap enough and well worth the $24 because it's working out much better, still far from easy or fun but at least a bit quicker. It takes an easy hand and patience. I haven't done the work with the heat gun but watching my husband I can see he working just enough heat to make it pliable and it's a fine line before it just melts. Each color has a different threshold too. The purple color has been the worse. I'm going behind him with Goo B Gone a soft scuff pad and a magic eraser to work off the dirt and left over adhesive. I am having the most success with the goo gone right on the magic eraser, just enough abrasive so to not damage the paint. It kinda creeps me out without a logo, looks weird...

Logos

We ordered some new decals from signnetwork.net and after a little going back and forth they are here so we started removing the old decal....fun, not.

Spring, 2011

It's been a while since I've added anything to this blog. Spring, 2011 is on its way though. We pulled the Aliner up to the active part of the driveway yesterday and there are a few things we'd like to do to it before our first trip of the year, which is next month and it's a big one. We will be going to Myrtle Beach State Park. It'll be the camper first trip out of the state. It didn't go last year because we knew we had to replace the tires before such a trip so we tented that trip. So our to do list is:

• Replace the tires.
• Paint the sink/heater cabinet.
• Put a removable shelf in at the seat for the laptop.
• Lifts for the bed.
• Seal off opening under the bed.
• Replace the vent that I broke over the winter :(
  
• Restock.

Mike started up the heater today so while the camper was warm I went out and painted the cabinet. I had some DCR brown so that's what it is. I wish we had stained it initially, but we didn't. Mike says he can cut new wood for it, maybe down the road. I do like the DCR brown much more than the color it was. The darker brown is the same brown that I had painted the heater vent, close at least, and one of the electrically outlets. It looks better.
After:

Before:

Weekend Trip 6/11-13, ORSF #64

Mike and I took the Aliner and not much else and spent the weekend at Otter River, site 64. It rained most of the weekend, but that was okay because the Aliner not only kept us dry it kept us from getting damp. And because it was only the two of us we were able to go off and explore some places that we never took the time to because the girls wouldn't have much interest in these places....wine, antiques, gardens in the rain. Although when we were exploring we decided the girls might like some of them. We went to Cathedral of the Pines, it was rainy and wet but still sweet. No lines in the rain :) They lost a lot of trees in the ice storm a couple years ago. We picked up a Cats Meow of the Pines for Joey and Diane, they loved it. We stopped at a wine warehouse that we've passed a million times and found some good deals, we will definitely go there again (near Rite Aide in Templeton). And we stopped at Country Mischief which is somewhere I've wanted to go for as long as I can remember. Endless rooms and nooks full of antiques and treasures, we spent a long time there and had a nice lunch right there after we were done exploring. Very homey and unique. We also went to a hippie house that made pottery too, fun :) And we wandered through Lake Dennison as we usually do. This weekend there were two other Aliners there. The first one we came across was Tom and his Expedition, they were from Townsend maybe...Mike will remember. And Chuck had a double bed set up....can't remember the model. Because of the rain neither made it over to Otter River, but I'm sure we'll see them again. We decided we'd take the girls back to camp on site 87. It looked neat with a little camping area behind the site itself, a path to the lake and a little wooden bridge. Mike is going to take the girls up on their own trips with him during the weeks coming up while he is still home.
We admired the Mariah awning on Tom's unit and Chuck had an EZ-Up set up in front of his. We didn't bother with a tarp at all this weekend just being the two of us. So we came home yesterday and started looking at awnings a bit more and decided we are going to order a canvas tarp and install turn buckles on the outside frame of the Aliner and make our own. We already own great poles and ropes and this way we can make it our own. Tom liked his Mariah awning a lot but pointed out it did sag loosely and collected water in the outer corners. Chucks EZ-Up was nice, had a screen and all.....but he said it took 4x longer to set up than the Aliner itself. We're going for quick and easy here. And I gotta say this past weekend was the easiest camping I've done in a long time.....probably since my parents used to do all this work for me, lol.

June Update

Maybe I should change the title of the blog now that the camper is pretty much done? Not that these things are ever actually done, done anyway. Someone on the Yahoo Aliner group has a 2000 that they rebuilt the ceiling panels on. (link will only work if you're a member, sorry). Looks like something we could do down the road too. Their work is a good baseline, but I would change a couple things....like add a layer of plywood, and use glue made for adhering foam to metal and plastic. But that is what's great about other people sharing their experiences online. I had contacted the factory about buying new panels, but at $1000 each (at least for the front....the back is probably less....no fan, less windows) we're all set. We spent less than that doing the rest of the camper over. Our panels aren't that bad either, just a bit of delamination at the seams near the bubbles. Plus the new panels have a lot less windows, which might be good for less chance of leakage down the road, but I want windows. The windows are part of the reason it doesn't feel as small as it is.
I made Mike a little pouch to put his stuff in at night, glasses and so on. He said he wanted a pouch like in the tent, lol....he has a hidden cabinet under the side table this pouch is on. That's okay, a dollar ball of yarn and a couple of command hooks. I also crocheted a band with a button on the end of it to hang the paper towels off the wall lock over the sink (inspired by someone elses camper diy...sorry no pic yet). And I picked up this little shelf that is made to stick to the wall of a shower with suction cups. I got it off the clearance rack for $7 at Lowes and it fits perfect on the small triangle corner window. I'm going to put a little plant there when we're set up. Next week I will try to blog about the graphics we've been looking at and designing to replace the old tired and peeling graphics on the Aliner now.
Mike and I are going out to camp for the weekend alone. I don't think we've gone out alone since before we were married! Thanks to the simplicity of throwing the camper on the hitch and going, thank you very much. So later gators, hope you have the chance to get out there this weekend too!

First Trip!

I'm not there yet :( but Mike is! And she looks right at home. Tomorrow at this time I'll be on my way, can not wait!

Systematic Website Documenting Our Work

Blogger is a great journal, but when you are looking for data and facts it can be a bit difficult to find your way around a blog. So I am in the process of putting things together in a more systematic way over here on a google site page. It's cleaner and various pages can be made. I plan on doing one page for the floor, one for cabinets, bungee replacement, curtains and so on. Of course I started with a background page and the flooring. Navigate through the sitemap and it should be much easier to find information, and less opinion and thinking out loud there.
There must be a way to make the site map itself show up in the sidebar, but for now you have to click on it. Hope this makes it easier for people looking for information.

Bed Lift Idea

I want to add this to "the list":


This is a Chalet, I think stock too. Right now we have the original boards from when the Aliner had a dinette where the permanent bed is now. It folds up okay, kinda hangs up a bit on the right side hinge. This looks a lot easier to deal with. I have two small shocks already. I doubt we'll need more than two as we are using an air mattress (that will be deflated for travel). Maybe next year?


5/27....I just found this bed lift option in a 2009 High Side Aliner on Danny's Campers website....I wish I lived closer to this place. I don't know if I like this yet, looks like it would be harder to get into the side compartments. I think I like the Chalet design better.

Gearing Up for the Aliner's "Maidain" Voyage

Here's my list from a few weeks ago....

• seal up any holes around gaslines.
• coat bottom.
• install one regular outlet.
• install 12v plug.
• replace upper foam weatherstripping.
• fix any left over outside caulking.
• replace broken vent (purchased already).
• finish curtains.
• install new curtain rods.
• install cabinet door clasps.
• install cabinet handles.
• finish bed panel.
• sell fridge (dometic rm 2310....$250 if you're looking).
• celebrate and go camping!

I can deal with that! The left over caulking is very minor, probably over doing it even...so when we get to it will do. Curtain rods, maybe today....probably tomorrow. And the door clasp can wait too. It's just one and I am packing clothes in that cabinet. The fridge is still available. I've had a couple people ask about it, no one follows through. Not really a biggie on my list anyway, someone will take it when they need it. Celebrate and go camping :) that's this weekend! Mike heads out Thursday with Deogee, we head out Friday. I hope Taylor will be okay about missing drivers ed Friday....I bet a lot will be out anyway. I can not wait to go camping, period, Aliner or not. But this trip will be special! I am "repacking" for the Aliner. I'd like to able to load her up and leave it, but some of tenting gear is going to have to be shared, plus the girls will be tenting. Some things will stay just for the Aliner....I do need to stop picking things up here and there though. Even I am getting tired of hearing myself say "this will look cute in the Aliner", lol.
Add to my list...take some finished pics!

Finished?

Seems to be just about finished....not that these things ever are, but she's road worthy and camping worthy, so in my book that is finished. Mike undercoated the bottom the other weekend, and I've finished sewing the curtains. Two sets of curtains need to be installed, but that won't take more than 15 minutes. Mike also needs to add some screws to the outside lower edge that we had taken out when we were first trying to figure out how we were going to do the floor. There is one edge that needs weather stripping too. Okay, maybe it's not done, done....technically, lol. Yeah, like it's ever going to be?! It's little stuff. Either way I will try to take some pictures later today or more likely after I get the rest of the curtains in.
In two weeks we are taking to our home away from home, Otter River State Forest. It's going to be so nice to use it and enjoy all this hard work. It will be nice to be up off the ground (although I still plan on my fair share of tenting) and it will be nice to have the option of heat if it dips down below 40F at night. And it will be awesome if Alan and Sue make it out to camp too. I don't think they are camping, but I did shot them an email asking them to come out if they can.
Pictures later, promise.

Camp Inventory List 2010

This is really not Aliner related, but it is camping related....our list for 2010 (tenting it).

Bungees

The original bungees weren't broken....yet, lol. Mike and Billy replaced them with some bungees they bought at Harbor Freight. I think I will ask him to write up the details. But they look great and the top opens nice and smooth. Not to fast, not to slow. The originals were glued in and caulked in with all different materials and where pretty sloppy.

Aliner Icon

I just wanna see if this works....



Isn't that cute :)
Found it here.

Cabinet Update

I added the pictures to update 14, sorry they are dark I took them at night. Mike added the latches to keep the cabinets and drawers shut as well as the knobs.....my penny knobs that I picked up last year in the clearance pile at Lowes :) We took a trip to Harbor Freight last night and I picked up some great little LED lights that are magnet activated. So when you open the doors (release the magnet) the light comes on inside the cabinet. It is the little things, because I am tickled pink over this, lol. They were $2.50 each and I picked up 4. I also had a tap LED that I will put in the double cabinet. The magnetic ones would be hard to install in the double because the door opens from the middle of it and there just isn't anywhere to attach the light so it will be near the magnetic plate.
We are very motivated right now to finish things up. I have a few more curtains to make, but the doorway and the bubble windows are done now...just need to install the new rods. The big window over the sink curtains are pinned and ready to be sewn. Maybe today?

Update 14, 2010

The gas and water lines have been tested and are working! The water heater is working, although it's not shutting down once the water is hot enough. We shut it off after the water got hot and we checked the temp, it was over 140F. So we need to look into that. But otherwise, after all of Mike's hard work, it is together! It is so wonderful :)

Kenzie and Deogee slept in it last night in the front yard. The full size blow up mattress fits good and there is more room than I thought....maybe a queen will fit. I'll try it down the road.
Here is the to do list now:

• seal up any holes around gaslines.
• coat bottom.
• install one regular outlet.
• install 12v plug.
• replace upper foam weatherstripping.
• fix any left over outside caulking.
• replace broken vent (purchased already).
• 
  
• finish curtains.
• install new curtain rods.
• install cabinet door clasps.
• install cabinet handles.
• finish bed panel.
• sell fridge (dometic rm 2310....$250 if you're looking).
• celebrate and go camping!

Maybe I missed something, probably....but this list is soooo much smaller than it was!
Check out the latest pictures in Update 14, 2010 on the right.

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.

An idea for the bad walls.......

The side walls near the bed are peeled up a bit. Here's a DIY idea to paint it to match the new panels we installed on the end caps. For now I'm not really to worried about it because pillows will cover the damage anyway.....but it would be easier to paint before the rest of the bed is installed.

Picture Route 66 (click on image, linked to site)

I found this online (click pic) and thought it was a pretty cool image....

36 Days!

Until Spring! Yay! The days are getting longer and the sun is getting warmer :) I haven't done too much, but I did pick up a few things. Got some plates and utensils. I got a mini-bonus at work and picked up those along with a new screen house, we needed that in general as ours was dry rot, ripped and old. It's a Coleman, looks a lot like our old one but we haven't set it up yet so I really don't have much to add as we all know that's were the opinion matters. I also picked up a new Coleman Extreme 90qt (maybe 70?) for $20 on Amazon. Wish that was what I had paid for our first one years ago....but glad to find the deal now.
I need to wonder into the camper and see how she's holding up. Pushed down to the end of the driveway kinda out of sight, out of mind :(
I also almost bought a bed set for it. It was a kids set with racoons, bears and so on it. It was cichey. I liked it, but it would've bugged Mike so I left it on the clearance rack at Walmart for some other kid (at heart). Besides with the few printed curtains and cushions I've got going on I guess I should do solids.
I'm thinking I may get the sewing machine out and work on these curtains tonight....maybe over the weekend? I don't know....I'm just using this space to think out loud for now. I wish it was warmer so we could finish this up.
Mike wants to sell it still. Ha! Ha!

58 Days Until Spring...

Okay, motivation is starting to creep in. Days are getting longer, we booked our April camping vacation for a week in Myrtle Beach State Park (did this last Spring, Oh My God what an inspiration this beautiful green state is to a gray snowed in New Englander!), we've booked Memorial Day weekend at wonder Otter River State Park here at home and I am starting to see "things that would be great for the camper" in the stores....ie, colorful, happy, outdoor-like type goodies. For instance at Target last night I found some plastic ware that was very cheap and matched my colorful taste. I picked up a set of 4 orange tumblers, 4 green cereal bowls and a couple teal flat bowls. Red plates would've been the icing on my cake, but oh well...I've got time to find what I am looking for and what I am willing to pay for. My loot cost me $4.50. Good enough, and motivating :)
There was a thread going on about colored screw covers and where to buy them online on the Aliner list, but as good Ol' Dave pointed out, just paint what you have...duh, of course....why start splurging now? After all I did paint my screw heads white for a very small fraction of what the pre painted ones cost.
I still have some curtains to finish sewing. I need to finish the other half of the green large straight panel that goes behind the sink and stuff. And I need to make the ones that go over the bubbles on either end. Those will be brown and I will do the bed end first, but honestly the bubbles are tinted and no one can see in the small ones and only in the back one if they tried real hard or it was open.
I am "trying" to sell the fridge. I started on the list, but only a couple people showed interest. One guy that was close enough but he has a different model...one with the stove over the fridge, and another guy from FLA, who asked me how much I thought it would cost to UPS it to him. Seriously? This thing is heavy, maybe 70-80lbs? I didn't look it up, I don't think it would be worth it. Well it can be used in whatever RV or camper that has gas and 12v, so I'll put it on Craigslist once I feel like I am in the mood to deal with a ton of silly questions. Maybe eBay, local pick up only? Is it worth the trouble? I don't know if it is, but the space gained back in my basement will be. I've been working on trying to organize the basement and have been decluttering a lot. Not the camping gear, lol...but the fridge can go, we'll never use it and honestly I see no point in holding on to it just in case we ever sell the Aliner and someone wants the fridge too. But I guess these things can get pretty pricey because they are 3-way...gas, AC and DC. I just want it to go somewhere and get used rather than waste away. Besides with the great deal we got, lol, we need to pass on the savings.
Mike jokes about selling it once we are done, at least I think he is joking! With any joke it's only funny because it's at least somewhat true, ha! I don't want to at all. We've already put so much of ourselves into it and we know the old owners it just seems to part of the family in a way. Sounds silly I guess. But whatever, it's like how guys rebuild cars they become attached to the machine. I can relate.
She sits in the driveway now, up and covered in snow....next year I will wax it or something to keep the snow from sticking so well. There are two more small cabinets waiting in the basement to be installed. A partial sheet of formica sits against the wall in my bedroom (lol) for the counter top that will go across the tops of the smaller cabinets. Part of the platform for the bed (which will be an air mattress I got for a bargain on Cyber Monday) also sits in my room, against my dresser. Funny thing is I don't even see these things when I am in there, that is bad. The bed frame is pretty much framed out...I think....needs some stain work as does the rest of the framing around the wheel wells. The drain for the sink needs to be installed. The gas lines need to be leak checked and finished off. I want to get some scratch remover for plastic and buff out the bubbles. And I would love to get some of that stamped sheet metal to replace the rock guard, maybe a bit of the tax return could go there....maybe, not really a big deal. I have knobs to install on the doors and drawers, got them at Lowes on clearance for a penny each...and they are actually pretty. I need to get those little lock things though so they don't all fly open while we are traveling. A lot of little things. I should start on the curtains though. I can do that in my nice warm house. Right now it is 30F and there is 6 inches of snow on the ground.....but there is only 58 days left until the first day of Spring! And only another 30 days after that until our first trip of the season!!!

(PS. Just got back from a nice long weekend in Myrtle Beach and we hit the Coleman Outlet, the entire store was 40% off! So we got what was on our wish list...the 4 light in 1 LED lantern, which the regular price was $10 cheaper than up North to begin with and we also got a propane oven. The oven looks like a toaster oven on steroids. Our usual oven is one of those collapsible ones. The one we got is listed for $129 online! We paid $55! Plus got the case for it for another $12. )

Just an Update on the First Day of Fall

We've been busy and haven't done much to the Aliner. We cleaned up the work site and pushed her back into the driveway a bit and have done some other little odds and ends things, but nothing much. We need to test the gas lines for leaks and finish plumbing the sink in. Put the other two small cabinets in and build out around them, plus finish the counter tops, which sounds like a lot more work then it is....at least I think so. I need to finish the curtains. And we need to seal up underneath and check any where we plumbed a gas line in for a good seal. The front rock guard looks like crap and the seal has cracked already. Mostly because it was warped and cracked to begin with and we just tried to make do with what we had. I'm going to seal it up the best I can for the winter and then hopefully in the Spring when we get our tax return I am going to try to get some diamond plate for it. I've seen it on other units, and I think it might come from the factory on newer units and it just looks so much more sturdier than a piece of plastic. Right now though my biggest goal is getting secure for the winter. We need to move it anyway because the plow is behind it, but I like where it's sitting now because it's protected by the fence and the houses from the NE wind.
Mike had some hand surgery on two trigger finger on his left hand and some follow up surgery on his right hand so that has had a big impact on anything getting done, but honestly I think we were kind of burnt out and probably were not going to get much more done this year anyway. We still have several a couple months till the snow really starts to fly. Maybe we will get the most of it done before then, but no need to rush. No more camping this year! We thought about trying to get it ready for Columbus Day, but we know ourselves better than that. Mike took the Jeep up to Maine to visit a friend and found us a new campground that we'll probably go camping to next August. He camped in the Jeep, took a blow up twin bed and a bundle of wood. It proves we can still be minimalist, lol.
Updates will probably be far and few until the Spring. Hope everyone has a good Winter!

Vacation

We'll be on vacation the next week or so. So no work for the next several days, and that includes the Aliner :-)

A Few Pictures Added...

I'm adding a few pics that weren't included in the last update. They are in the sidebar, Update 12.1. We picked up a couple fittings today to plum the sink, but it's raining....again, and we're tired. Tomorrow is suppose to be nice, but we need to go out to Hubbardston in the afternoon for my uncles retirement party. I'm sure we'll get something done though. I'm working on sewing up the last edge on the cushion and sewing the slides onto the curtains, rainy day work.