Airstream Progress

Made a few more small steps over the last couple weeks, painted the floor just to seal it a little better and brighten things up. Installed new taillight sockets( no picture) from VTS $11 each and made from stainless, just cleaned up the old lenses for now $45ea for replacements. Took apart rear trunk door, it was bent up pretty bad because the bottom hinge was messed up causing the PO to slam it shut which bent up the top of the door, so I fabricated a new hinge piece. Also got the front belly pan roughly cut out and waiting for a nice day to install, 12 degrees here today. Work has been crazy for the last month with everyone starting their  furnaces in their homes, good to be busy(most days).

 New aluminum looks so much better! At least for the belly, I like the aged look on the rest, it shows some history.

 Airstream had a heavy aluminum bar in the door to stiffen it up but I think I will do something different.

Getting ready for winter

Lots of fun fall projects today. Cleaned up the garage and barn, mowed the front garden area so cars can park there for Bens grad party next spring, sealed up the garage entrance door and got an hour or two in on the airstream. Looking forward to working on the cruiser this winter!

Ellies Birthday today!!

My favorite daughter, Happy Birthday Today!!

The last windows are done!!!

Seems like it has been a long time since I started replacing the gaskets in the windows. About 50 to 60 hours through the summer, I am glad to move on to something else!

Set for the winter

We've been putting up firewood for the winter over the last month, nice to have it done before the snow hits.

Harvesting time, Glen has run the combine for My father in law since the start of time. This is what he uses his vacation time for. Our son Ben has rode with him since we have lived here 11 years now.

Tom  has had a record crop this year!

 Our favorite son Ben(17) and Glen Hall

Its good to know where you are!!!

My favorite place to be!

Windows Windows Windows

The first picture is of the curb side with the windows done and the first pass on the polishing complete.

The windows just don't end, kind of tired of rebuilding them but only 4 left.

 I have about 35 hrs into replacing the window gaskets so far, it will be nice to be done with that, hopefully by the end of the month if all goes well.

Windows and vents

Ugly vents are gone!! New fantastic fans are in place. one with a rain sensor and one without.

The old gaskets are built into windows, which  requires drilling out the rivets holding the windows in.

Two windows down and nine to go.

T

The Aluminitus is coming back!!

No more tar, New vents next

Finished removing the roofing tar at 5am this morning. At least the previous owner didn't make a lot of holes in the top when he attached his extra roof to the side.  The cruiser looks so much better without those black tears running down her side. It took about 12 hours with a heat gun, putty knife and lots of rags. Now on to the roof vents and new fantastic fans, i have had the fans for almost a year now, they will be out of warranty before we use them! The old vents have so many layers of caulking and tar! The cruiser will probably come up some when I get the extra weight off :-)

lots of TAR

After lots of spring projects and watching everyone else work on their trailers, it's time to dive back in for a while. I started removing this tar from the top over a year ago and am really tired of looking at it running down the side. Between a heat gun, a putty knife and some solvent I am finally making some progress. One more night and I should be done.

Next on the list is the front and back roof vents, they are really ugly. There should be an ugly vent contest?

Nice to be touching aluminum again!!

Key West and the space shuttle-fun to visit but we like Wisconsin

Welcome to Key West 75degrees and hot

My employer and friends Don and Lois asked Jan and I to join them on a trip 

to Key West, the timing and weather was near perfect, all we have heard here in Wisconsin is how cold it has

been in Florida. It was warm and sunny when we were there.

The end of the road or I guess the start depending on which direction

you are going.

It was very nice every morning waking up to the sound of the waves crashing on the beach

and the sun shining in the windows.

I like to bring trees back home whenever I can from our trips but I guess palm trees don't grow in Wisconsin?

Ever since we acquired this aluminum sickness we can't help but keep watch for Airstreams :-)

Don, Lois, Jan, Myself and son Ben. Thanks Don and Lois for the great trip.

Ben spent most of 4 days in Key West rolling around town on his long board.This was our last night there and we had dinner at the A&B lobster house, first time  Jan and I had lobster, very good.

There was quite a lineup to take this picture, our tour guide said there used to be just a sign here but it was stolen all the time so they put in something more permanent.

Everyone has to get a sunset picture,it was very nice to watch the sun go down.The boardwalk every evening is full of street performers , lots of fun.

Honey just take couple more steps back :-)just kidding this is part of the original bridge system, very narrow road and no room for a breakdown. originally there was not a road just a railroad built by one man at a cost of 50 million dollars around 1915, quite an undertaking.

I didn't do very well with the tolls, I  went though the wrong lane a couple times, probably a warrant out for me now?

We made it through the keys and up to Cocoa Beach, very nice there, miles of clean sandy beaches to walk along and relax. We collected a few shells, built a sand castle and just sat back for a day.

Our last day of the trip, Saturday, we woke early to get to the Kennedy Space Center. Doors open at 9:00 and we were the fifth car in the lot. It felt like the movie vacation when Clark drives all that way to find Wallyworld closed, but it was not closed and we put in a full day 9 to 6 I could have spent a couple more.

Just one of the displays, really incredible.

This sign was at one of the launch pads and we thought it may be a good one at our place too.

Ben took a trip to the moon on one of the rovers, Ben wake up we are there!!!

Our $5 post card to end the trip, we packed into one of those picture machines built for two,  lots good memories. The one thing we could not find was the astronauts Airstream camper, that would have been fun to get a picture by.

Working on campers, just the wrong one :-)

 

I have been getting some camper time in the past few weeks. It's just been on the new camper that we are going to use this summer, what makes it hard is that the cruiser sits right next to this one in the barn and I would rather be working on that. Good thing is that I am just about done, I got the refrigerator and upper sink cabinate  rebuilt and the new awning arms installed. Just a little cosmetic work on the outside and it should be good.

Bens B-Day

 

Ben turns "17" this week,wow the years just fly by!!! He is very good at guessing his presents, so I made it a little harder for him this year, he will have to look at them for week :-) Have fun Ben

The running of the goats

 

These two, Miss Mary and Moose look pretty innocent here but this walk was not as much fun at 9 o'clock at night  in the dark after their escape.Out of their pen, around the garage, up the driveway, down the road, in the neighbors drive, a loop around their yard, then to loose me in the woods behind their place, back to our house for me, then down the road again with treats, flash light, and the truck. Found them at the neighbors again, of coarse they went right to him and held them until I was able to get a leash on them and walk them back home,they would not come to me for anything, aaarrrggg. Funny goats, these actually belong to our Daughter Ellie who now lives in Wyoming, I hope you are making room in the apartment Ellie. :-)

Rescued from the back with help from JD and Tom

We sold the 57 overlander a couple weeks ago and Brad (her new owner)would like to get a start on bringing her back to life.It will be fun to watch the restoration. We originally picked it up in the northwoods of Wisconsin.  We thought we would use it for parts but I could not bring myself to take it apart.

 

Nice to have the Overlander back in the driveway.

  

  

John Deere got a bit of a workout and so did I.We hope Brad has fun with her.

 

Quite the snowblower on JD, thanks To Tom my Father In Law, otherwise it would have been a couple more months to get the 57 out.