Steering and stopping

The stock steering link on Forrest's Isuzu NPR wasn't the right length to work with the new four-wheel-drive front end. No surprise. Isuzu engineers design their steering with the idea some guy in Colorado might want to take one of their work trucks off road.

So Forrest and friends adjusted the steering link's length by cutting it and welding on a new end. Function and clearances were checked. It's good to go—where you point it.

New calipers and pads were also installed. Because stopping is an excellent thing.

Carnivore night

It was past time for the manly rite of barbecuing. Lou fired up his Coleman portable grill, Forrest supplied the rib eyes, and I did the dishes afterward.

Gears and beer

You know the mechanical work is getting serious when they've got a pile of front hub parts, a greasy shop rag and a locally brewed craft beer.

Another thing off my to-do list

When I first got the Rolling Steel Tent I installed a brake light down on the rear bumper because the regular brake lights are kind of high and might be out of someone's line of sight. More lights are always better. A while back I noticed the metal housing was kind of rusty. That's not cool.

So I removed it today, disassembled it, sanded it and sprayed on several coats of paint. Then, rather than watch paint dry, I had lunch and took a nap. Because we retired old farts can do that.

That looks better

Back in place and ready to go

Today's Technical Tip: When working on your back under a vehicle, you will get dirt in your face, maybe in your mouth.

Keeping the water in the shower

While I was away, Lou did the final fitting of all the shower stall pieces. He had even applied the first coat of epoxy. This morning we sanded the first coat and applied the second one. My job was to mix the resin and hardener while Lou rolled it on.

I think it's against wood finishing regulations to wear a Hawaiian shirt while applying epoxy. But Lou is a rebel.

Road trip, part two

After finishing yesterday's post I knew I wanted to take the longer way home. I'm glad I did. The climb up Highway 145 from Cortez to 10,000 foot Lizard Head Pass is easy and pleasant. It was autumn the first time I made the drive and all the cottonwoods were golden in the morning light. They were just their standard green this time, but it was still a nice trip, with the Dolores River at my side.

The town of Rico is along the way. It's another former mining town teetering between decay and gentrification. They hope to snag some of the tourist dollars, but I think most travelers would rather continue on to Telluride. However, the real estate market is hoping to entice those who have been priced out of the big resort town up the road.

Lizard Head Pass really appeals to me, even thought I haven't been able to spot the mountain that's supposed to look like a lizard's head. Alpine meadows, coniferous forests and striking mountains. I spent a couple of hours there in a semi-meditative state.

And just north of the summit is Trout Lake. More hanging out ensued.

I skipped Telluride. The bluegrass festival is on and it would've been a pain to get into town. Some other day.

There are side roads up into the mountains I want to explore. They're a good reason to keep coming back.

Teamwork

This is how I found Forrest and Cyan when I returned from the road. No tools in hand, but deep in discussion about the engine of Cyan's truck. If you ever need ideas for couples time...

The C. W. McCall web of interconnection

C.W. McCall is the stage name for William Dale Fries, Jr.

William Dale Fries, Jr. worked in advertising. So did I.

Fries/McCall wrote and performed Wolf Creek Pass. I just drove through there.

Fries/McCall moved to Ouray, Colorado, and was elected mayor. Ouray is ten miles from where I'm staying, in Ridgway.

John Billings, of Ridgway, makes the Grammy Awards. He also casts Rubber Duck hood ornaments (from the song Convoy) for Fries/McCall. I've toured Billings' shop. Forrest has a Rubber Duck and I painted the eyes and cigar for him last year.

I guess all that's left is for me to bump into Fries/McCall on the street. And I'm not even much of a fan.

Road trip

The drive to Denver and back reignited my wanderlust. I looked at the map. Highway 149 said, "Try me." So I did. From Blue Mesa Reservoir near Gunnison, through Lake City, over 11,530 foot Slumgullion Pass, past Spring Creek Falls, to Creede, following the Rio Grande to South Fork. Then US160 over 10, 857 foot Wolf Creek Pass (of C.W. McCall fame) to Pagosa Springs. A night at Ute Campground then on to Durango, where I'm writing this and trying to decide whether to take the short way back to Ridgeway via US550, which I've driven before, or take the long way via Cortez, Lizard Head Pass and Telluride. I'm leaning toward the latter, even though I've been that way before, too. Just not as recently as US550. In the meantime, here are pictures from the first leg of the trip.

Lake San Cristobal as seen from Slumgullion Pass

Uncompahgre Peak (sixth highest in Colorado)

Spring Creek Falls

Main Street, Creede

A section of Wolf Creek Pass

It's harder to cut crooked than straight

While Cyan and Forrest were dealing with tires, Lou and I worked on the shower floor. The unique requirements of the monster truck's camper wouldn't allow for a standard shower pan or stall. It's all going to be built from scratch, starting with a floor that tilts toward the drain.

Angle here, taper there, measure, cut, test fit, adjust, lather, rinse, repeat. But we got it done.

That's the drain in the corner

I don't know what the next step is. Lou has it mapped out. I just assist. And make unsolicited suggestions. And ask questions. And kibitz.

Tires!

New rubber is finally going on Cyan's truck. She and Forrest spent hours pounding, prying and swearing as they struggled to get the old tires off the rims and the new tires on.

Cyan is a very hands-on type of person. She works on the truck herself. Last week she was under the engine, changing the filters. Pay someone to do what she can do herself? Ridiculous.

Just do it

I'm the type of person who mulls things over. A long time. I'll come up with different solutions for some small situation, weigh the pros and cons, eliminate the ones that probably wouldn't work or are too complicated or too expensive, contemplate the remaining ideas, maybe resurrect part of one of the rejected ideas, think it all over some more, come to a tentative decision, then wait for the time to be right to execute it. I think it's my father's deliberation genes expressing themselves.

One such overthought problem was how hold the rear door open part way so that it would resist opening farther or closing because of the wind or the slope of the land. It should be quick and easy to set up and take apart. I have been thinking about it for about three years.

Forrest, on the other hand, is a man of action, a let's-do-it-now type of guy. After I changed the way my solar panel was mounted, I thought, "It would be good to trim down those uprights," which in my mind comes with the assumption, "sometime in the convenient future." But when I mentioned it in passing to Forrest he went into the shop, brought out his handheld band saw and cut the suckers. Oh. Okay.

So when I told him about the door thing he walked over to the van, looked it over as I shared some of my solutions, said, "A bungee to hold it closed and something to prop it open." Then he walked to the side of the shop, came back with a piece of two-by-four, set it on the bumper and closed the door until it stopped part way open. Oh. Okay.

"Now I just need to get a short bungee cord," I said, thinking I'd need to go to the store. At some convenient time in the future, of course.

"I probably have one in the shop."

He did.

I hooked it on the latch and a screw that was already in the door. Presto, all that mulling, over all that time, laid to rest in about five minutes. Damn.

A do-nothing day

Lou headed off early to do laundry and shopping. Forrest has been here and gone and here and gone. Nothing is happening on the monster truck. I've been reading and web surfing and having random thoughts instead of doing anything about the stuff on my list. Ya gotta have days like this once in a while.

Making holes

It's for either a window or a TV from the '50s

Scratch one more thing off the to-do list

Most of the time my super plush mattress stays on the bed platform, but it tends to slide around when the roads get twisty. No big deal, really. I just shove it back into place. The problem solving part of my brain wasn't happy with that. It wanted something done about it. First there was an arrangement of bungee cords. Then rope. Then clamps. They were more trouble than they were worth. And they didn't work that well, either.

Since I'm at Forrest's place, with access to a variety of woodworking tools, I decided to do something that looked less jerry-rigged and would probably actually work.

Start with a one by six board, use the chop saw, the band saw, the router, some sandpaper, the drill, paint it...

Et voila! It should keep the bed in place without getting in the way of my enjoyment. In theory. We shall see.

Now, about the eleven other things still on the list...