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Tire Pressure Monitor System

Malcolm is posting this from his iPad since he left his laptop at work today. After he got back to the trailer after work, he installed the new tire pressure monitor system on the truck and trailer. Everything was up and running great before dark.

After putting all the tools away, Malcolm decided to query the Internet and find out what settings would be best for pressure and temperature alarms. One thing that he found repeatedly is that people recommend using metal valve stems with the sensors, as the centrifugal force of the sensor will eventually cause the rubber stems to split. Malcolm is still upset with himself on not insisting the Goodyear place put metal stems on the trailer tires (the truck has them).

Now it is decision time just three days before we leave – take the pressure sensors back off, or somehow get the tires to our tire store to have the stems swapped out. Malcolm will call the local tire shop and ask them about doing the stem swap. He may just jack the trailer up on the spot and take one tire at a time over. The alternative is to see if they will do it in their lot early Saturday morning on our way out of town.

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The Weekend Continues

Current Location: Fort Toulouse Campground, Wetumpka, Alabama

We got up this morning and went to church. Several people welcomed us back (since we haven’t been there for about 3 weeks), to which we replied that we would see them again in a couple months. Between our upcoming four week trip, three weeks working in Texas instead of Alabama and a couple more weeks traveling before we land at home in mid-August, that’s about right.

After we got back to the trailer, Malcolm laid down with a headache for a bit and Val finished some craft work she had. Once Malcolm got up, he decided to finish waxing the trailer. He had waxed the door side of the trailer yesterday. He finished the off-door side, front and rear caps today. The front cap was accessed by backing the truck up until it just touched the pin and Malcolm stood on the roll up cover on the bed. He could just reach the top of the cap from that vantage point.

We did a little grocery shopping and grilled hot dogs and potato and onion packets for dinner. We did a little more organization in the trailer for our upcoming trip and worked on knocking out some small projects. Just six more days!

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More Mods

Current Location: Fort Toulouse Campground, Wetumpka, Alabama

We didn’t post yesterday since we got in late from having dinner with John and Rana Krussow, fellow Heartland and Big Country owners. They invited us over to their trailer which is parked in Millbrook, Alabama, and they grilled hamburgers for us. It was a great meal and we had a lot of fun just sitting around talking.

This morning, we were out the door after a leisurely morning and headed up to Camping World just south of Birmingham. We wanted to pick up a trailer ladder-mounted bike rack for our upcoming trip. We also picked up an oak wall table. While there, we took advantage of their free hamburgers and hot dogs they were grilling outside.

Camping World

Camping World

Stuff

Stuff

Noms

Noms

On the way home, we stopped at Lowe’s in Prattville and picked up a Rev-A-Shelf pullout wastebasket. We had measured under our plumbing and figured that a 17″ tall trash can would work under there. The Rev-A-Shelf trash can was a couple inches taller than that. Val found a perfect one that was around 15″ tall and verified it would fit in the drawer using the demo drawer they had set up in the store.

We also stopped at O’Reilley’s Auto Parts and picked up some wax and microfiber cloths to wax the trailer. Malcolm wanted to see if he could buff out some of the scratches we picked up on our wrong way trip through the backroads of Virginia a couple weeks ago.

Once back to the trailer, Val worked on finishing up sorting our daughter’s stuff and getting it packed away in the basement. Just about all of her stuff is now in there. Much of our stuff is now at the house to make room in the basement to haul her stuff out west after the rally.

While Val did the sorting and packing, Malcolm washed the entire trailer, including the tops of the slide outs (but not the roof). Once washed, he waxed the door side of the trailer. That was about as far as he could get before it started threatening rain and it was past dinner time, as well.

Waxing the trailer.

Waxing the trailer.

Bike rack test.

Bike rack test.

During the washing operation, Malcolm also emptied the gray and black tanks and Val assembled the bike rack. We both worked on putting it on the ladder (it just hangs on there so we can pull it off when not in use) and test fitting the bikes on it. Works pretty good. We had to take the bikes back down so Malcolm could put the ladder away in the rear storage compartment.

Once we decided to go to dinner instead of cooking in, Malcolm showered up since he was wringing with sweat (it has been extremely humid). We ate at Wendy’s right up the street and stopped at Lowe’s to pick up some hardware we had forgotten earlier in the day.

Back at the trailer, it was time to install the Rev-A-Shelf pullout wastebasket. Malcolm set about doing that, completing the job fairly quickly (he’s had a fair amount of practice now). We like the way it came out.

Assembly

Assembly

Complete

Complete

By the way, if your Heartland product has the medium honey oak looking cabinetry like ours, the following stain is almost a perfect match for the color. We used it on our stereo shelf mod and since it is an easy wipe on/wipe off stain, we’ve used it to touch up around the trailer when needed. It is available at Lowe’s.

Stain

Stain

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Tires Complete and Kitchen Mod

Current Location: Fort Toulouse Campground, Wetumpka, Alabama

Val did laundry today and stopped by the tire store with the spare tire from the trailer. They mounted the other Goodyear tire on the rim and put it back in the trunk of her car. She had them check the tire sensors in the car since the tire indicator keeps coming on. They figure that the car probably needs new batteries in the (factory) tire sensors. We’ll mess with that some other time.

This evening after work, we did some cleanup and sorting in the trailer basement and in the front compartment (where Malcolm keeps all the tools). We pulled out a few items we never use, and pulled out the small air compressor we had on board to make way for the new one. Malcolm went around to air up all the trailer tires to 100 PSI with the new compressor. The difference between it and the old one is like night and day.

New compressor.

New compressor.

The old compressor would only run up to about 110 PSI when filling its 1 1/2 gallon tank, making it difficult to get much air in the tires above about 90 PSI. Also, it took two or three minutes just to fill its own tank. The new one fills its 3 gallon tank to 150 PSI in about 30 seconds. Malcolm aired up all the tires to 100 PSI with no trouble at all.

With all the tires aired up, Malcolm stowed the new spare up under the trailer and put away all the air compressor equipment in the front compartment.

New spare.

New spare.

With outside cleanup and tire duty complete, it was time to move inside for the next kitchen modification. We bought a Rev-A-Shelf for under the right side of the sink to hold all the various small items that roll around under there as well as a few items from another cabinet that we are going to re-shelve with a sliding wood shelf to hold our stand mixer.

 

Rev-A-Shelf model.

Rev-A-Shelf model.

Door mounting kit.

Door mounting kit.

Malcolm removed the cabinet door from the hinges and removed the hinges, placing them into a bag for safekeeping. Since the cabinet floor is the trailer floor, something was needed to bring up the level for mounting the shelf unit. Malcolm cut two 10″ pieces of interior grade 2×4 and mounted 3″ L brackets to them, then screwed the shelf down onto the 2×4’s.

The unit was mounted on the floor inside the cabinet and screwed down to the floor. The door mounting kit was installed on the shelf and the door mounted to it. After a few adjustments, it was all complete.

Mounted to the floor.

Mounted to the floor.

Close-up of mounting method.

Close-up of mounting method.

 

With door face mounted.

With door face mounted.

Complete and closed.

Complete and closed.

Val had purchased a wire basket caddy meant to be hung over the door but didn’t like the way the over the door brackets made the door come open, so we removed the bracket and found that the basket was just the right width to mount on the door with screws and still allow it to close.

Basket mounted to door.

Basket mounted to door.

Ready to fill up.

Ready to fill up.

Right as Malcolm finished the drawer, we had a storm roll in and knock out power for about an hour. Fortunately, we were just sitting around playing on the computers or iPads so we just turned on one light and relaxed, listening to the rain tapping on the roof.

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New Tires (Again)

Current Location: Fort Toulouse Campground, Wetumpka, Alabama

This morning, we dropped the truck off at our favorite shop to get the oil changed and a fuel filter installed. While Malcolm was dropping off the keys, he asked if the shop could get a couple of the Goodyear G614 tires that we are using on the trailer. They said they could have them in within a couple hours. Since the tire with the nail in it was still in the back of the truck, Malcolm asked if they’d mount one tire on that rim and balance it. Tomorrow, we’ll drop the spare off with them to put a Goodyear tire on it, as well.

Val dropped Malcolm off at work and headed to town for an appointment. After lunch, the shop called to indicate the truck was ready and the new tire was mounted on the trailer rim and balanced. Also this morning, Malcolm called Heartland part sales and ordered another aluminum rim to use for the fifth/spare wheel so that the tires can be rotated through positions, as needed, and also so we can feel better about running high pressure in the tires. We’ll pick up the rim when we are up in Indiana for the rally in a couple weeks and drop by a tire store to have the Goodyear tire transferred to the new rim from the current steel spare rim.

After dinner, we pulled in the slides and Malcolm jacked up the axle to pull the spare off and put the new tire back on. The spare went in the trunk of Val’s car so she can drop it off tomorrow to get the Goodyear tire put on it since she also needs something checked on her car.

New tire.

New tire.

Off with the old.

Off with the old.

On with the new.

On with the new.

This evening we picked up some supplies from Lowes for a couple kitchen cabinet organization projects. Also, Malcolm picked out a heavier duty air compressor that should handle the higher pressure Goodyear tires much easier. We’ll take the smaller compressor out and leave it at the house. More on the kitchen projects as they progress.