Today - Tow Vehicle lined up with Tow-Mater, future modification plans to the framing and frame platform.
We've been working hard. DW is priming, and painting field and trim colors on the house; I'm doing scrape and brush prep, and caulking. Saw surgery on finishing trim-board treatment around some of the harder to get to windows, since we have the scaffolding.
We're both doing general home and domestic chores and maintenance, including many of those improvements that always get held back while working the main jobs, like new color painting of the fixtures and plant hooks and wall hangings and other "area" treatments of each section of the house exterior. Just like a big Lil' Queeny or Tow-Mater project!
When the heat of late morning forces us under cover of shade, we work on those "extras" in the shade or garage. But - each day, we try and get more done on Tow-Mater - Lil' Queeny is happy to wait until winter.
By the time the evenings cool enough to work some more, it's past beer-thirty and marvel time. Getting older can be harder than those years of youthful vigor, but it comes with some built-ins, if you take advantage of them. ;)
While installing Tow-Mater's cab-over and front wall edge trim yesterday with the new butyl (I'll post that up another day), the family came over. They hadn't seen the trailer in a while and wanted to get eyes on. They don't have as much free time to view the daily posts as do you, or as do I - writing them.
Busy, busy, busy they are, just like that magician in Frosty the Snowman! But it was good to see them, and their excitement. The camping trip comes up in less than two weeks.
We still have some weathering-in batten-down to complete, curtains to install, and general cleanup. They take possession a day or two before heading out. That's only time to pack, so we're getting it ready beyond that.
While here, DW spoke up before even I could and had DSIL move the truck up into Tow-Mater - for a line up. His adjustable hitch will work swell. Tow-Mater now sits nicely in between the adjustment range. (It's very hard to see, but the ball mount/draw bar in place for photos is just a 6" drop I had for the visual.)
Tomorrow the next etrailer.com shipment should arrive, maybe today. I chose
this jack, and
these rear stabilizers.
It won't be for this first upcoming trip, but DSIL has started a "rear-bumper bracket" design for he and I to design and build an expanded-metal cargo box out back (on the bumper) for spare tire, cooler(s), lawn chairs, potential small generator, and other camp tools - keeping in mind both reasonable weight behind the axle, and departure angle for off-road.
We also discussed the build of an "add-on" framing to the front, for shifting the tongue forward 48-50" to provide an under-cab expanded-metal platform for a side-loaded ATV, with a possible second machine in the truck bed. Those toys are still to come, but "planning for" is a necessity!
In such a case, not counting the rear-cargo carrier, the front toy-hauler platform and tongue adjustment (which I may demand be removable ;) ) will change the trailer from a 15' to a 19', cargo maybe another two feet, so we'd be at a 21' trailer length.
As stated throughout this build, this trailer is a continuous work in progress. Keeping vintage character, and modifying tastefully for good function the to the end user.
