Strolling Amok

Pops goes on tour.

Archive for the tag “Innsbruck”

02 Jul 2014
3 Comments

Sunup in Sandwich

"...Red sky at dawn, quick, mow the lawn!" Is that how it goes?

“…Red sky at dawn, quick, mow the lawn!” Is that how it goes?

Not all of the beauty is out west. There’s a decent supply here, with big oak shade trees and venerable old homes in Sandwich, Illinois.

My friend Matt posted a pic of the backyard view from his new (to him) house:

Life is tough, hey? Just not here right now.

Life is tough, hey? Just not here right now.

That photo somehow reminded me of the violent storms that just blew through a couple of nights ago. Fortunately, the winds shifted and hit the trailer on the nose instead of broadside, but the rain was ample for a long time and often went sideways. For the first time, water appeared inside the trailer, dripping from the seam surrounding the bathroom roof vent. Having already been in very heavy rains before, I’m suspecting it was the wind doing something with a marginal seam. After all, it may be a long, single sheet of aluminum up there, but between the punctures for vents and A/C, and the huge deep dents caused by some prior owner, anything goes. Some of the dents are so big that, for all I know, there might be some tidal wave action going on up there! I’ve been holding off on getting a collapsible ladder that is long enough to give me roof access, but finally caved and ordered one yesterday. I already have some good sealing goop in an opened tube, so now’s the time.

The rain here has been frequent and ample since I arrived, to the point that Read more…

Posted in Daily Life and tagged , ,
14 Jan 2014
10 Comments

RV U.S.S. Enterprise to be Rechristened

The Enterprise being fitted with new, shorter 4'-8' telescopic poles prior to the ceremony.

The Enterprise being fitted with new, shorter 4′-8′ telescopic poles prior to the ceremony.

Tuesday, Jan 14, 2014 – The RV U.S.S. Enterprise NCC 1701, also commonly referred to as the U.S.S. Enterprise, is today having its official name retired. The ship will be rechristened the RV U.S.S. Defiant NX-74205, to be commonly called the RV U.S.S. Defiant. No ceremony is planned other than an evening rechristening which is to include a crew’s supper of “sea varmints” accompanied by red wine, and the traditional custom of breaking a wine bottle on the ship’s hull. Due to Section 3 of the Prime Directive regarding alcoholic beverages, that bottle will be Read more…

Posted in The Enterprise, Uncategorized and tagged , ,
14 Jul 2013

Hittin’ the Skids

View from the rear: one bolt removed, and the other stripped and locked in place.

View from the rear: one bolt removed, and the other stripped and locked in place.

The skids on the rear of the trailer have been a problem. In use, they have shifted up on the “V” of the angle iron they’re mounted to, allowing the tip of the iron strap to contact the ground directly. That’s tough on the strap, and will soon result in an unusable skid. The cause is that the wheel assemblies were mounted on the rearmost angle of the strap, causing them to shift back and up, out of the way. Given a spindly 3/8″ bolt with a locknut, the bolts bent easily from the side load applied to them.

One bolt was removable, while the other rusted in place and snapped off when torque was applied.

One bolt was removable, while the other rusted in place and snapped off when torque was applied.

A fix was needed. Either that, or use the grinder to take the entire contraption off completely and let the bumper take a beating. As far as a fix was concerned, it was made more difficult in that the pair of bolts on each bracket were badly bent from the sideways force applied to them. Bolts aren’t made for that. With the help of a high-speed grinder, Kroil penetrating oil and Vise-Grips, the bolts were removed. I decided that maybe less bolt-bending would occur if I Read more…

Posted in Mod Squad, The Enterprise, Uncategorized and tagged , | Leave a comment
07 May 2013

In the Prescott National Forest

The stairway to heaven. The tiny red sign on the screen door says "Rest Room". It's tin and I suspect it's from the 40s or 50s.

The stairway to heaven. The tiny red sign on the screen door says “Rest Room”. It’s tin and I suspect it’s from the 40s or 50s.

Originally posted 4/19/2013

I’ve noticed that people who are familiar with RVs instantly spot me as a full-timer (and a cheapskate). The service guy never even hinted that I should have the suspension work done there, even though they already had all of the needed parts on display. He talked with the assumption that I’d be doing it myself. Back in time at the Smartweigh, the guy there, George, took one glance and offered, “I see you’ve got a working trailer.” He meant purposed for living vs recreational. Let’s face it, travel trailers and fifth wheel trailers are 99% recreational. Go camping for awhile, and then go back home, put it up on blocks, and winterize the plumbing system. They’re all big and shiny, and look new. Some commercial parks don’t even let in trailers that are over ten years old.

The remaining 1% are construction workers and full-timers like me. Let’s face it, the Enterprise looks like what it is. It’s 19 years old. Its external styling is dated. People don’t keep such old trailers in use – at least in use on the road. They’re usually consigned to sink into the dirt in back of the chicken house because the roof leaked and rotted the walls and flooring, and none of the appliances work anymore. Despite the past abuse and neglect to its running gear, this Innsbruck is still perfectly viable as a full-time home. But people can recognize Read more…

Posted in Campsites, The Enterprise, Travelin' Man and tagged , , , | Leave a comment
03 May 2013

Surveying the Wreckage

Originally posted 9/9/2012

The Gulf Stream Innsbruck in more carefree days.

The Gulf Stream Innsbruck in more carefree days.

As I mentioned before, living in an RV full-time is much different than weekending and vacation touring. And, dry camping is a different animal than standard RV camping where electrical power, water and sewer are readily available. As far as hardware goes, what makes sense to one full-time RVer doesn’t work for another. A few live out of a pickup truck shell, some live out of a converted van, and some live in a bus-sized luxo-home. The great majority opt for something in between. In keeping with the That’s Obsolete blog theme, I’ve opted for a vintage 1994 Gulf Stream 24’ Innsbruck travel trailer. Surprisingly, nearly everything in it still works.

This trailer has suffered the bain of all campers, water leaks. Despite an impressive one-piece aluminum roof, a leak occurred at a rear roof vent in storage, ruining quite a bit of plywood flooring Read more…

Posted in The Enterprise and tagged , , | Leave a comment

Post Navigation