On a recent hard-core TC romp with my bro John, Krys, and Tiger 4x4, in the Eastern Sierra Nevada, i had an off-of-body experience: namely the loss of my glow steps right off the back of the TC. Sadly, i'm thinking it was a rock on one of the many steep pitch stream crossings that did the deed. It tore the bottom of the aluminum door frame, 5, 4 inch lag bolts and the bottom extruded aluminum piece right out of there. It also zapped 3 rubber cords (not bungies) with only the end of one left standing. It was just too many hours back to go look for the steps and hardware and I knew I was going to have a time trying to find someone who could fix it, and I would have to procure new steps to boot.
Now we live in a rather rural area on the West Slope, Northern Sierra Nevada and finding anyone who knows anything about RV's or TC's seemed a daunting task. I got a tip from the guy who re-carpeted our bedroom that his friend, Ed Sparhawk was doing a wide range of RV repairs, from engine, frame repair, suspension, plumbing, electrical, fiberglass, tin siding, alum roofs, rubber roofs, wood frames, alum frames, and fabbing.
Fabbing? This is the guy i needed as he had a bone pile of alum. door frames and parts from which to canabalize things that I needed. So it came to pass. He cut and heliarc'd another threshold in. Here are pix of the new threshold, lower extruded frame piece, and my new glow steps:
Note the new lower alum. piece that goes all the way to the R. side:
side angle of the steps at repose, just like they were when they got ripped off:
The large view of the rear end:
front view of the mystery truck (no badge visible behind the radiator saver)
It's good to have the old girl back. It looks like we will be going to Yosemite in the TC on December 7, 8, 9th, a time when there is no need for reservations.
I talked to Sparhawk about widening the front fender openings on the Dodge and clearancing the rear of the openings to accomodate some larger G.I. surplus super single Hummer tires on beadlock rims. He said he could do it. Maybe this spring.
regards, as always, jefe
Now we live in a rather rural area on the West Slope, Northern Sierra Nevada and finding anyone who knows anything about RV's or TC's seemed a daunting task. I got a tip from the guy who re-carpeted our bedroom that his friend, Ed Sparhawk was doing a wide range of RV repairs, from engine, frame repair, suspension, plumbing, electrical, fiberglass, tin siding, alum roofs, rubber roofs, wood frames, alum frames, and fabbing.
Fabbing? This is the guy i needed as he had a bone pile of alum. door frames and parts from which to canabalize things that I needed. So it came to pass. He cut and heliarc'd another threshold in. Here are pix of the new threshold, lower extruded frame piece, and my new glow steps:
Note the new lower alum. piece that goes all the way to the R. side:
side angle of the steps at repose, just like they were when they got ripped off:
The large view of the rear end:
front view of the mystery truck (no badge visible behind the radiator saver)
It's good to have the old girl back. It looks like we will be going to Yosemite in the TC on December 7, 8, 9th, a time when there is no need for reservations.
I talked to Sparhawk about widening the front fender openings on the Dodge and clearancing the rear of the openings to accomodate some larger G.I. surplus super single Hummer tires on beadlock rims. He said he could do it. Maybe this spring.
regards, as always, jefe
Mike,
I did just that when I first took the camper off-road. The loose steps punched a hole in the screen and whacked a big ding in the door behind the screen grinding up a very steep hillside. The ding is still there as a reminder of why I don't do that. So, scratch that idea. I was thinking of putting a pair of aluminum hooks on the ladder over which you could hang the steps, rubber corded down of course, or use an electric drill and cinch the steps down with stainless hose straps . I get the feeling you don't know where we take this thing but I do appreciate your ideas.
regards, as always, jefe
I did just that when I first took the camper off-road. The loose steps punched a hole in the screen and whacked a big ding in the door behind the screen grinding up a very steep hillside. The ding is still there as a reminder of why I don't do that. So, scratch that idea. I was thinking of putting a pair of aluminum hooks on the ladder over which you could hang the steps, rubber corded down of course, or use an electric drill and cinch the steps down with stainless hose straps . I get the feeling you don't know where we take this thing but I do appreciate your ideas.
regards, as always, jefe
