Slow Build in Oz

[MickinOz]

My teardrop has had a bit of a refurbishment. When I built it, I figured I knew best and painted it with oil-based enamel paint.
As mentioned here on the forum, oil-based paint doesn't flex enough for this application. It cracks. Over time, I started getting checking in the roof plywood. Not too bad - I could just give it a quick sand and reapply more paint. But, I didn't consider this a long-term option.
So I removed most of the exterior hardware such as the racks with the solar panel and awning, the mounting brackets, the vent covers, hatch latches etc, and sanded the whole thing.
Then I applied an acrylic membrane called Liquid Flash. It is water based, microfibre reinforced, UV rated for exterior applications and used for sealing seams in roofs, and sealing timber decks.
It can also be used as an under-tile membrane in bathrooms.
Horrible stuff to apply, recommended final thickness 1.5 mm. Struggled to achieve it. In the end I was rolling it on, which worked but left the surface very rough.
Then it was time for a mostly decorative, but also functional in that it will help with the water exclusion, topcoat. Water based exterior house paint. 15-year guarantee on a house. Should be fine on an always garaged teardrop.
After the first topcoat, I hand sanded the entire surface, which greatly moderated the roughness from the stippled (?) membrane. Then two more coats. The roof is white, as even on a moderate day the orange was measurably hotter than the unpainted surface.
The colour is called Nullarbor Sunset. I've crossed the Nullarbor, and I don't remember the sunsets being so ORANGE!!!, but I like it anyway.
Nearly ready for teh winter camping season.

 

[MickinOz]

It's 1:23 am. I'm laying in bed listening to rain on the roof. Reminds me of a song. John Sebastion, anyone?
Anyway, I guess in the morning I'll know if the waterproofing membrane works.

 

[MickinOz]

Well, I got home from my little camping trip about 1pm today. So the camper had all night in the rain, and half a day for water to soak in and wood to swell.
So far, I can find no swelled timber, split paint, or cracking veneers. I will go over the whole thing very carefully tomorrow, but so far it's looking very positive on the water exclusion front.

 

[MickinOz]

An extra bonus you don't hear much about when you decide to eat a calorie reduced diet and give up drinking is that you have more money for other things.
Like this portable lpg/propane pizza oven for special camping trips.
It's one of the cheapest available here but I am very impressed with what I just took out of the box. I even approve of the dough recipe that is included in the package.
I've wanted a propane powered option for the longest time. I love my woodfired brick oven, but it's a waste to fire it for just one pizza, and portable it is not.
Can't wait to try this thing. Just gotta be careful I don't rediscover any of the 55 pounds I have lost so far.

 

[KCStudly]

Congratulations on your sobriety and the new pizza oven.

I too enjoy the economy of sober.

FYI, I use the basic features of the "I am sober" app to remember my sobriety anniversary date (4 yrs this month), and find it to be reinforcing.

 

[MickinOz]

Thank you.
I haven't given up entirely. I once went 3 years 11 months and two weeks without a drink, but this time I managed 4 months with zero alcohol.
It's about the calorie cost of a beer or glass of wine.
I'm about 6 feet and half an inch tall. (I used to be taller, but I got old.)
I peaked at 293 pounds.
I had some extremely painful procedures that should have been a breeze but were complicated by my size, I decided something had to give.
5 surgeries in 2 years makes you take a look at your life.

I set myself a target of 1800 calories per day.
I spent 4 months with a scale, a calculator and a calories reference book alongside my dinner plate.
I then relaxed a bit, just estimating, but have stuck to the 1800 calories rule. And even zero alcohol beer has 85 calories or so per stubbie, so out the window it went.
7 months from starting, I now weigh 235 pounds.
My knees no longer hurt.
If I squat to work on the teardrop, I can get up again.
The doctor sent me for a full panel of blood and urine tests. Everything in range except B12.
Eat more red meat she said. No problems darling, ya don't have to tell me twice.
The best bit: my homemade 12-inch pepperoni pizzas come in at 1200-1400 calories.
Meaning if I have my usual 400 calorie breakfast, I can have a 12-inch pizza for dinner.
Woohoo!
I may have to check out that app though.

 

[MickinOz]

Well, I tried her out last night. First out was a margherita.
The missus likes hers with quite a few more toppings.
I was worried this thing wouldn't get hot enough.
Turns out, one must be vigilant to avoid burning them.

 

[MickinOz]

Today I finalised the installation of a spare wheel winch setup under the galley.
It sure would have been a lot easier to put the spare on the drawbar where everyone else does, but it got kinda heavy when I took out the lead acid battery and replaced it with a lithium one.
That did away with more than 20kg behind the axle.
I've just put about 18kg back, so hopefully I won't strain myself when next I hook up the ute.

 

[MickinOz]

Wanted a night away. We've had some good rains the last couple months, so I took the trailer down to my favourite spot on the Rocky River.
Sure enough, it was nice and green with a reasonable flow of water. I had the little campground to myself. Someone has installed a picnic table and seating, so it's pretty nice now. The table is dedicated to someone who passed away in 2021, so I'm thinking it was placed by the family, not the council.
I put it to use. I took my new portable gas oven with me and I've finally realised my ambition to make a pizza while out camping.

 

[MickinOz]

When you live in a heavy industry town, but this is on your doorstep.

 

[MickinOz]

There was a tap at the front door this arvo. I opened it to find a lady from the local courier service with a box containing this nifty 12V oven. Apparently, my birthday is 6 weeks early this year. I wired an Anderson socket to my fuse block and plugged it in for a trial run. Works a treat, draws 10 amps as advertised and, best of all, my enamel camp plates fit with a little room to spare. First plan that comes to mind - when we have pizza nights, I'll make some small pizzas for the freezer that I can grab and put in this oven for impromptu trips.

 

[MickinOz]

They are never done, are they? My early birthday present 12V oven has been here for a week, prompting an extended cogitation session. After sleeping on it a while, I arrived at this. The instructions say it needs 100mm of clearance at the front, which only left me with 50mm at the rear. I ran the oven and discovered it also gets quite hot underneath. My son sometimes installs rangehoods for people, meaning there are offcuts of shiny stainless steel. So, my oven is sitting on a stainless steel heat shield. It is screwed in place with the provided brackets, as I have been having adventures with stuff jumping off the bench lately. South Aussie roads will never be described as "smooth".
The next step in my imaginary project timeline is to create a shelf unit to replace the plastic box I keep my supplies in. I've been mulling this one for a while. I'm seeing condiments, coffee, tea, cans, plates and cutlery arranged on two shallow shelves against the rear wall of the kitchen somehow. I'd like to make a unit on the workshop bench that I can just drop in when it's finished. Time to troll through the galleries and see ideas.

 

[MickinOz]

For the entire time I've been using the 'drop, I've kept all my food and utensils in a plastic storage box. Not ideal, and a bench space problem now I have given some room over to the new oven.
So, I scratched around the off-cuts pile and came up with a little shelf unit that only protrudes 4 or 5 inches from the bulkhead. Fits everything except the tomato sauce bottle. Waiting for glue to fully cure, then I'll throw on a couple of sealing coats of varnish.

 

[MickinOz]

Camped at the crossing, trying out the new kitchen layout. Pleased with the shelves and the oven. Pizza for dinner. The oven takes a long time to cook it but it wad worth the wait.

 

[MickinOz]

As I left home to make the 125 mile journey to Yunta in the South Australian Outback for their annual Open Prize Meeting, I was passing by the city dump.
It was pretty busy, but I took my place in the queue for the weighbridge, and weighed the fully stocked and ready to camp trailer.
520 kg on the wheels. 1146 pounds.
Since last I weighed it, I reckon I've added an oven, spare wheel, solar panel, fire pit, swapped the lead acid battery with a lithium one, etc.
I will check the towball weight this morning, for a total weight. Expecting it to be under 600kg.

 

[MickinOz]

So, I weighed the downforce at the jockey wheel. 85kg for a total of 605 kg.
My target is 600kg for reasons I won't go into.
Looking at the situation, I remembered that my collapsible fire pit feels heavy as a heavy thing. It weighed 11kg. Without it, my loaded ready to go weight comes in around 594 kg. Perfect.
The fire pit is now languishing in the garage with my bags of camping firewood. It will ride in the bed of the truck from now on. I have a couple of minor ideas to trim a few kilos, which I will document if I implement them.