Thrifty Alternatives ..Building Foam Campers

[Mary C]

Jack you can keep the bridges, I don't like the wind. I have an old homemade boat trailer it would have worked but after really looking at it I found that the long ,very long. neck would have been a lot of work to cut down. I decided that getting the HF trailer while on sale using the 20% off coupon was my way to go. I walked out paying 299.98 that was including taxes. to modify and sand and paint the boat trailer would have cost about $200. including a lot, let me say again a LOT of Mary hand work. You have to weigh your time and how much work you have to put into a project too. your time is worth money.

Mary C.

[Jack B.]

For all you folks who think you've got bad bridges, get to upstate Michigan some time and cross the Macinac Bridge in a big wind. Scary enough when it's a calm and clear day. I've been up there in all four seasons and it's a great area, just too bad it's split north from south by that dang bridge. There have been small cars blown off the bridge over the guardrail. And it's a long way to the splash down.

Anybody else notice that the price of foam sheets seems to have taken a bit of a jump? Every time I'm in the "stores" I check it out for the time I decide to give it a go. Which will probably be after I get around to welding my recumbent trike parts together, getting my tomatoes started in their tubs and the second half of the house resided. Ah the joys of home ownership.

Jack

[pchast]

A few weeks ago I was in HD looking and spotted a skid of slightly damaged 1.5" blue foam on the top of a rack.

Asked if I could get a discount for the 'damaged stock'. I would take it all if I could...

upshot was that I got all the superficially damaged 10 sheets at about 25% off the already marked down price. So, I decided to start building before I meant to.

I guess it never hurts to ask. I got a couple extra sheets but had to make a couple of dog houses anyway.

[GPW]

It would seem that with the large quantities of foam used today in various constructions , the price would come down .... but it hasn’t ...

[Jack B.]

Petroleum prices pushing everything up. Transport to manufacturing. Well at least we've got our (cough, cough) health.

Another cold and sunny day her in MN land.

Jack

[eaglesdare]

Well I am finally going to beable to combine both of my loves! I just made reservations for the campgrounds at Disney!
Only 2 weeks to go! yippee.

[Mary C]

and..... all that warm weather and Disney fun I must admit I would love it too!!!! But alas I will be here building my TD I hope to get it built by the 30th of April. I am planning a Fla- Disney trip in 2019. Have fun!

Mary C.

[Jack B.]

So here we are, all complaining about getting old and yet still setting up more projects to start and planning way down the road trips to take. Now that's optimism at work. Youth may be wasted on the young, but only because they don't seem to be using it as wisely as we of course would. Now if there was a way to get (even) my thirty year old body teamed up with my 64 year old mind. Oh lordy would I do ever so much more. Might even accomplish something along the way.

Looks like VW four hole rims from the old Rabbits will fit the bolt pattern on my little 4'X4' red trailer with the 8" wheels on it now. Might have to reverse mount them though due to the depth of the set back. That right there would give me about 4' between the tires instead of the 40" I get now. There may be hope for that puppy yet.

Jack

[KCStudly]

Macinac Bridge ute blowover

[GPW]

No Beer ballast !!!

[Mary C]

ok today I cleaned all the packing gooo uk out of the wheels and around the bearings and I put clean good goo back in I am so glad I did read so much. It turned out to be very easy and the demonstration and the video helped with the repacking. My TD building is moving right along and reading the forum has really helped. now if the weather would cooperate it would be great , oh well I need to rest some.

Mary C.

[KCStudly]

Go Mary!!!

I'm afraid that I was skeptical about your abilities at first, but you have proven those impressions to be unfounded. Repacking bearings can certainly be a daunting task. When I first started driving a beat VW bug, I had a heck of a time teaching myself how to keep front wheel bearings in it, at least until I learned how to properly pack a bearing with grease. I think it took me 2 or 3 tries before they lived. Now it is old hat.

The last time I hand packed a bearing it was a big mixer transmission bearing, about a 5 inch shaft... the bearing was about 8 inches in diameter and an inch and a half thick. I took it as a challenge to hand pack it, but my arm and palm were pretty tired from swinging the thing before I got all the way around. Took several palms full of grease to load.

Was this your first time packing a bearing and did you pick it up easily the first time? Good on you. I think you are very brave.

[Mary C]

KC, I read the forum and took notes and I put down each step to build my TD I went back to the video on packing the bearings where I referenced it and I watched it four or five times I then did it. I pushed the grease in my palm with the bearing till the grease came out the top of the race turning it very slowly, then I did it 12 more times to make sure. My hands were very greasy but I did have a childhood quick memory and Yes I helped my brother do it 58 years or so ago. It wasn't that hard to do just repetitious and messy. I had a little question and thought I would ask my mechanic friend. He was helpful.
The frame is in four parts right now. I can lift them and get it outside and to the driveway and finish assembling it when the temperatures get above 60. All my pictures will be put on here in a couple of days. The name has not been born yet. so It will be under " Mary C's TD Build " Look for it.

Thanks
Mary C.

[mezmo]

Mary C,

Why not call it "Rolling Gumption" - Your attitude displays
plenty of 'gumption' - and the TD will be on wheels...

[bonnie]

Way to go Mary. I had mine done and it's a messy job for sure. I really like the the Rolling Gumption name. Good one.