Sunday, August 20, 2006

What Light Through Yonder Tunnel Break?

It was a perfectly beautiful day. Perfect temperature, a bit of a breeze, cloudless.... and we got lots done. Ian got the second and third coats of roof coat on. The difference in temperature in the trailer is very apparent. Any time the temperature has been over 20 degrees we've had to open the vents and all the windows and turn on a fan to be comfortable. Today it was 23, which is not hot, but we didn't even open the vents in the trailer until mid-afternoon, and we never needed a fan.

Besides finishing the roof, we also put up the bracket up for the TV, painted the hitch, fibreglassed the water intake port (which was cracked), caulked several spots which needed attention, worked on the breakaway and charging systems, and even did a bit of bodywork on the truck where stone chips had rusted.

While doing all this we managed to find time to head off to our local sushi spot for a big mid-afternoon nosh. SMM will be jealous. Don't worry. I ate enough for both of us. :)

Ian brought a stack of boxes and carted home some art and small furniture. He's proposed that we try to spend Thursday night in the KOA campground at the city's western edge, just to give the trailer a shakedown and make certain everything works properly before we leave town.

In the pre-decision inspection we paid for the dealer stated that all plugs and lights in the trailer worked. But when we started replacing old fixtures we discovered that there was no way many of them could have possibly worked, as they weren't even connected. Most been taped together and had come apart, some had burned wires.

The breakaway cable was rusted through, and the wires leading to the DC motor it activates were corroded and only loosely globbed together with electrician's tape. This important safety feature would not have worked should it have been activated, and it was completely overlooked by both the dealer's inspection ($175.00) and the safety inspection we paid $150.00 for at Fountain Tire. I'm not impressed. We also paid to have the roof repaired, and it still leaked. So, our confidence level in the dealer's service department is not as high as it could be. Hence we feel a shakedown is in order to make certain all the other systems they "certified" actually do work.

Tomorrow I'll clear the trailer of tools and materials so we can lay carpet tomorrow night. Also have to arrange a servicing for the truck, a visit to the vet for the cat, and find a place to inspect our propane tanks. Then there's more shopping, more more... I will be so glad when we can stop buying things. But, we can see light at the end of the tunnel now. It may just be a train headed our way, but I'm hoping for the best.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Well trips to THE sushi place without ME are against the law but since the law I know has no authority I will just be jealous.

Deb said...

You shouldn't have gone and left me alone with the sushi place. You knew I would be over there before you were out of sight. I had chicken yakisoba (sp?) yesterday, on top of the California Roll Combo. My mouf is waterin' jus thinkin' about it.

Anonymous said...

I thought that was going to be the case. We had sushi today.

In Qualicum Beach no less. The sushi chef was very friendly. Tapas...in a sushi place. He thought we were very sophisticated because we ordered something other than rolls.


I hear the train a comin'. It's comin' 'round the bend...but it is not for you...it is just passing by our house in paradise.