AZ Desert Rat 6X10 Prospecting Cargo Build

[roadinspector]

JC,

The border country gets pretty rough. I have family in Phoenix and they talk about how bad it is getting to the south. Same problem here in Texas. Hope you can get out and catch some much needed fresh air.

Back on the AC just a little bit, the calculations will add up but efficiency of the units has been the problem. Some folks on here have done some ellaberate plumbing for the exhaust and intake. The problem they talk about is the units inability to overcome the heat the unit generates itself even with an exhaust to the outside. Hope it work out for you.

We have had a mild summer here. just a few days at 100+ but the humidity has been up. I got my AC installed a few weeks ago and it sure has made it where I am able to get more work done.

Sounds like you got a plan. Hope your CT get there soon so you can start spending money on it. Keep us updated please.

Earnest

[AZ_Desert_Rat]

Hi all,
Well, this is a great day for me … I was able to pick up my AZ Desert Rat Prospecting CT (my name for it) today! The trailer, a Look, Vision model with a round top, looked great and turned out better than I had hoped; now I am prepping to start the interior … finish and varnish all the wood work, build a small galley in the front, add two bunks (Side-Murphy style), one to the left and one to the right side, and a small removable table (RV pipe & plug style) with one plug up front and another mid-ship. Of course, my better half will add that delicate touch that I often overlook!

I don’t want to sound like an advertisement, but when I am treated well and taken care of by a company, I just have to speak out …
I can’t say enough about the staff at Look Trailers … Keith Walker, the Manufacturing Plant General Manager at Look’s El Mirage, AZ facility and Katey Hamel, the Manager of Look sales at their Deer Valley sales office received numerous calls from me and worked with me on every question I had! I shot the skeleton photos at the manufacturing facility as Keith gave me a second tour of the plant and a look at the bare-bones trailer I had ordered.
All the work orders were handled by Katey and she always had a smile and was willing to make any changes I wanted. If she had a question about the changes I wanted, she promptly got Keith on the phone and we discussed the changes and outcome; Keith might make suggestions or he just agreed, but we always came out with a positive decision. From the increased ground clearance to the re-sizing of the door and moving it forward to provide clearance for a full length bunk were discussed with Keith or adding a skid plate to the aft cross member to reinforce and protect critical members when traveling off-road, the requests were graciously taken care of! I was asked once if I could be more specific on needs and I sent Katey and Keith a rough sketch of what I wanted (I tried to post it in my galley, but for some reason the link to add a photo cannot be found??? I’ll keep looking and get it posted, I hope). Keith and I later discussed these modification to the basic model and the results are now in my back yard.
If anyone is considering a cargo trailer in the Phoenix area, I believe it would pay him or her to give these folks a call! Here is the sales office web address: http://www.dvtrailer.com
Now to get ready for the soon to come fall camping and prospecting season in southern Arizona!

[AZ_Desert_Rat]

Hi again,
I forgot to add that I somehow was able add a couple of photos to my gallery pictures showing the AZ Desert Prospecting CT as I pulled it home today . I'll add more this weekend (If I can figure out why I am having trouble ) when I have a little daylight to take them. Happy trailering!!

[hankaye]

AZ_Desert_Rat, Howdy;

Good lookin (I peeked at your pix), trailer
Looking forward to seeing the progress as it goes along.

hank

[AZ_Desert_Rat]

Thank Hank,
My wife is a bit hesitant for me to take it four-wheeling, but I told her I had purchased a new pruning saw for my buddy to trim a branch now and then so I would not skin up the sides (Desert Pin-Striping)
I am not so sure she believes me though

Thanks for the kind words and I feel like a kid with a new toy

I will keep all abreast of the build photos and text; the build of the galley cabinets bugged me for a while, but finally worked the bugs out of my brain and will start taking actual measurements later this week (work just seems to get in the way)

I am going to try and post the rough floor plan I gave Keith regarding door size & position, as well as roof vents and lights.

Thanks again ...

[roadinspector]

Nice!

Earnest

[AZ_Desert_Rat]

Thanks Earnest,
I am waiting for the weekend to get moving on the interior ... lots of rain at my house and the humidity is through the roof, I hate to varnish with really high humidity (it is probably harder on me thank the new varnish)

I thought I would get all the wood coated and dry before moving in for work ... stains and what-not will be easier to clean that way


How are things going with you?

[roadinspector]

Hey JC,

Wow, you mean it finally rained in AZ! Good for ya'll. It was only a short time ago when you had the big sand storms. Your right, varnish and humidity don't mix.

I've been busier than a one legged man in a butt kicking contest. Between working 12 hr days lately and trying to get my CT ready. I'm trimming out my cabinets and buttoning up loose ends on just about all systems before we leave on vacation. My punch list looks long but it is really a lot of little things that just take time.

Glad to see your CT is coming together for you.

Earnest

[OverTheTopCargoTrailer]

Hey Earnest

Who is gonna keep the Texas highway safe

While ur on vacation

[roadinspector]

They get to figure that one out for themselves. Maybe they'll decrease the surplus population of idiot while I'm out. Naw... They breed faster than they knock themselves off.

[AZ_Desert_Rat]

Earnest,
A vacation sounds great, where are you going to stop the wheels?

It looks like I am being forced into one myself, whether I like it or not! My company just decided to reorg our division and made the decision that they do not need our department any longer; if I do not find something in the next week, I am going to take a long walk on a short pier! I could see it coming, so it is not that much of a shock, but I thought I had another year or so! I have reached that point in my career ... 20 - 40 - 60 (Some say that is 20 years in the job, over forty, and $60K a year, but I think the last one should be 60+ years of age!). So many of these companies start looking for opportunities to remove those that fall into the 20-40-60 area and mine is no different. I am old enough to take an early retirement and really want to go that way, but SS kicks you in the butt if you take the early route. If I can work my pension + a part-time slot somewhere + maybe even the early SS, I can make it okay.

Anyway, back to the important stuff!! I told my wife that if I get axed, we are going to spend a little time away from it all -- prospecting, metal detecting, and maybe even just camping out at the kids! Pay-back!!! That means the list is growing and I have a question that you or someone else may have run across - I have rebuilt a 70's era, 3-burner, Vitreo Safari stove and matching (OLIVE) sink for the Az Desert Rat and am looking for the metal stove grate retainer-clips, do you or anyone else know where a person can find these or others that will work (before I try to home-fab something)?

[OverTheTopCargoTrailer]

Maybe they'll decrease the surplus population of idiot while I'm out. Naw... They breed faster than they knock themselves off.

Are you talking about the people on the road ?
no that won't happen they never get hurt in accidents, its always the other ones.

[OverTheTopCargoTrailer]

Earnest,

It looks like I am being forced into one myself, whether I like it or not! My company just decided to reorg our division and made the decision that they do not need our department any longer; if I do not find something in the next week, I am going to take a long walk on a short pier! I could see it coming, so it is not that much of a shock, but I thought I had another year or so! I have reached that point in my career ... 20 - 40 - 60 (Some say that is 20 years in the job, over forty, and $60K a year, but I think the last one should be 60+ years of age!). So many of these companies start looking for opportunities to remove those that fall into the 20-40-60 area and mine is no different. I am old enough to take an early retirement and really want to go that way, but SS kicks you in the butt if you take the early route. If I can work my pension + a part-time slot somewhere + maybe even the early SS, I can make it okay.

Hey Desert Rat

You can still do it like this guy below, just trade the trailer for some Mules, besides what happened to your prospector logo ?

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/man-wandering-around-california-3-113000929.html

and stay off the 101 freeway in Gilroy Ca

[roadinspector]

Earnest,
A vacation sounds great, where are you going to stop the wheels?

It looks like I am being forced into one myself, whether I like it or not! My company just decided to reorg our division and made the decision that they do not need our department any longer; if I do not find something in the next week, I am going to take a long walk on a short pier! I could see it coming, so it is not that much of a shock, but I thought I had another year or so! I have reached that point in my career ... 20 - 40 - 60 (Some say that is 20 years in the job, over forty, and $60K a year, but I think the last one should be 60+ years of age!). So many of these companies start looking for opportunities to remove those that fall into the 20-40-60 area and mine is no different. I am old enough to take an early retirement and really want to go that way, but SS kicks you in the butt if you take the early route. If I can work my pension + a part-time slot somewhere + maybe even the early SS, I can make it okay.

Anyway, back to the important stuff!! I told my wife that if I get axed, we are going to spend a little time away from it all -- prospecting, metal detecting, and maybe even just camping out at the kids! Pay-back!!! That means the list is growing and I have a question that you or someone else may have run across - I have rebuilt a 70's era, 3-burner, Vitreo Safari stove and matching (OLIVE) sink for the Az Desert Rat and am looking for the metal stove grate retainer-clips, do you or anyone else know where a person can find these or others that will work (before I try to home-fab something)?

JC,

Check this link out. Down a ways from the top looks like the clips you may be looking for. http://fraserway.rvcatalogue.ca/catalog/5156017119abf0f96901fae2.4bb2445f-f22c-4677-a400-1fdec0a80070

We're headed to Joplin Rec Area at Lake Ouachita, AR. Serious chilling and do some riding if the mood hits.

I was put on forced vacation many moons ago. Looking back in retrospect, they did me a favor. But I also was way younger and not near as vested as you and I are now. Dept cut backs really suck. It hurts a lot of folks and it is a time that you find out just how much you don't mean to a company. Some time away will do both of you some good. Prospect a while, go get your kiddo payback then prospect some more!! Clear the mind and chill.

We just downsized ourselves. Number shuffling that doesn't add up. The big bosses contracted out our I.T. (contracting out always cost more in the long run) Our I.T. personel were guarenteed 6 months with the contract co. at the location they are at. That will work till the 6 months are up. As usual they expect to be told the typical, if you want to keep your job you will need to move to BFE. Most of our I.T. folks got blindsided. The two that we work with actually saw it coming and tried to prepare but as you, it came a lot quicker than expected. They got an email 20 minutes before quiting time the last day of the month. They lost all benefits, sick leave, vacation, everything. Of course it was presented to them and the rest of us as they did them a favor instead of a screwing. It is amazing how the top brass try to feed you sh*t on a spoon and expect you to happily ask for more.

Best of luck! Hope things work out for the best. You could always go camp out at my cousins!! I got one there in Phoenix that I owe a good payback!! Keep me updated plz sir!

Enjoy your vacation best ya can!

Earnest

[lrrowe]

Earnest,
A vacation sounds great, where are you going to stop the wheels?

It looks like I am being forced into one myself, whether I like it or not! My company just decided to reorg our division and made the decision that they do not need our department any longer; if I do not find something in the next week, I am going to take a long walk on a short pier! I could see it coming, so it is not that much of a shock, but I thought I had another year or so! I have reached that point in my career ... 20 - 40 - 60 (Some say that is 20 years in the job, over forty, and $60K a year, but I think the last one should be 60+ years of age!). So many of these companies start looking for opportunities to remove those that fall into the 20-40-60 area and mine is no different. I am old enough to take an early retirement and really want to go that way, but SS kicks you in the butt if you take the early route. If I can work my pension + a part-time slot somewhere + maybe even the early SS, I can make it okay.

Anyway, back to the important stuff!! I told my wife that if I get axed, we are going to spend a little time away from it all -- prospecting, metal detecting, and maybe even just camping out at the kids! Pay-back!!! That means the list is growing and I have a question that you or someone else may have run across - I have rebuilt a 70's era, 3-burner, Vitreo Safari stove and matching (OLIVE) sink for the Az Desert Rat and am looking for the metal stove grate retainer-clips, do you or anyone else know where a person can find these or others that will work (before I try to home-fab something)?

I too was caught up in the down sizing mess, but mine was in 2003 at age 59 with little to no severance. Oh, I could have have moved to McAllen, TX to work in Renoysa, Mexico each day. No way was I going to do that. I also got too expensive I am sure. I did find an almost equal job and worked til age 62, but the demands and beatings from a remote Corporate America office were so brutal that I said the hell with it and left early. From experience I can say that if you have the commitment and willingness to change, you can survive. I do work small part time jobs to buy toys, fishing lures and ammo for the range. Now I am saving my pennies for my CT and enjoying the heck out of all the ideas and projects submitted by our fellow forum members. And my pennies are adding up fast.