Today: Moving Out
The last few times me and Lil' Queeny went dancing - that is to say, me spinning her around in the garage on her dolly, or changing which stall she hangs in - she's exhibited a bit-o-reticence. Not like in her younger years, or even just three and a half years ago when she first came inside to actually learn the steps. Yeah - not quite as nimble on her castors as she used to be.
Hey! It happens to the best of us, and I for one ain't gonna point fingers! Like they say, four of 'em are pointing right back at 'cha. Unless you use that five finger point where it looks like you're wearing mittens. And who's gonna do that - I mean - in public?!
I first noticed it one day when she was retaining water (she was over in the little yellow Jeep's spot - you know, Smiley - and I guess I had forgot she had full tanks).
Those cheap plastic castors were right fine within their weight range, but eventually they got overloaded - like my garage slippers. Yeah one of those showed up in a recent photo. Where's Waldo?
But on that day, she was ready to go outside and play - and she was empty. Well, except for the hot water tank, which I wasn't gonna drain in the garage. Remember back in the day when these tanks had radiator type petcock drain valves? You could connect a tube and open it and drain things without having to deal with a watery monster?
But then they had to go and invent anode rods and stuff. I guess they expect RV's to have problems holding their water, so now you can winterize an RV all clean like, until you get to the water heater. That's always a mess. Unless I'm missing something.
Anyway, she was still holding water - 6 gallons to be exact.
Here's the dolly, after we removed it from underneath her.
If I find I need to use it again, I expect I'll go buy some heftier castors. I was cheaper back when I built it. And for good reason! I had to put money into her!
Oh sure, you can do the math YOUR way, and explain how I overspent because I bought two sets, instead of just buying the higher cost set to begin with. But of course neither one of us could afford to buy the more expensive stuff back then, and so YOU charged yours and now you've spent at least twice on interest, what I did on the cheap set! (If you think I'm painting you in a negative light, please remember, I don't know you, I'm just illustrating stuff to others, at your expense, so lighten up already).
Anyway, the runners we built to roll her inside some 40 months ago, were used long ago as building materials for SOMETHING, so I wandered down into the field and selected a couple long 2x6's we salvaged from somebody's deck reno, and added aluminum rails to the top surface for castor guides. The aluminum came from the poor quality (but affordable) Harbor Freight Green house we put up and took down - with help from the wind.
Still, when you look at all the aluminum I now have to select from, it was a steal!
Here's the new runners.
"Are you ready Lil' Queeny?"
So I enlisted DW and together we wore ourselves out pushing the relatively weightier camper out on her shape-shifting castors. Oh we had such plans! At first, DW had even suggested I make multi-runners and place them all over out here so we can push the camper anywhere we wanted! I said, "Let's get concrete instead - or a truck".
So we only got her out as far as needed to clear the eaves. "Good" (breathe, breathe, breathe) "enough", I said from flat on my back laying on the ground.
And then we drained the hot water.
Lil' Queeny squinted in the bright sunlight, took in the scents.
I pulled the truck in close so they could get to know one another. They sniffed noses.
Then introduced her to some other members of the family. "That's the Skamper camper behind the blue trailer, just a shell of the camper he used to be", I told her. "In the middle - Ta-Ton-Ka - you've got his rain-gutters". She blushed.
"And way down there in the distance? Fair-Weather June. You and her are gonna be good friends".
She was coming around. I think she's gonna take to this.
I saved Tow-Mater for last. "Lil' Queeny? Out there is Tow-Mater. Both you and he are going places!" She smiled. And as she sat there on her temporary jacks and looked around, I swear I heard her humming that old
BlackHawk song "your window to the world might be your own back (front) door".
Well - That's just about right.
