Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Rain and Trailer maintenance.

I got up this morning with the best intentions of going outside and mowing the yard.   But as luck would have it, rain began right after I was dressed and had some breakfast.

Really,  I hate it when the yard doesn't get mowed and the rain makes it even longer.  I end up with a mess to clean up when I do get it mowed.   Maybe tomorrow will be dry, but I wouldn't bet on it since it is still raining tonight.

We have decided that we will be taking the utility trailer to Arizona this year, with all the stuff inside, that we have hauled in the pickup in previous years.  Some of it could go in the underside lockers, but it is hard to get the ladder and bigger chairs, and table and Loyce's laundry cart underneath.

She didn't believe me that it wouldn't fit, until she had a go at getting it in herself.  And of course that means the motor scooter can go in the trailer too.
Which is a really big plus for me.

Last year, we had the car, and when Loyce was gone, I still had the pickup to use.  With the motorhome, the second vehicle is the motorhome itself, and packing that up to go out for a sandwich will not be as easy.   Like almost never!

So with the scooter, I can atleast head out to the local saloon for an attitude adjustment.  Just kidding, drinking and motorcycle riding are not a good combination. 

So in the rain, I decided to take the trailer over to KC Truck and Trailer, for a wheel bearing pack.  They are a Doolittle trailer dealer, so I felt they would know how to do the job right.

Also I have had a clearance light that has winked off and on ever since the trailer was new, and I asked to have that fixed as well.

Late in the afternoon, I got the call that they were finished, so I went to pick it up.   Its over an hour East of here in KC, Mo.  I paid my bill which was over $100 to pack the bearings, which is exorbitant.  But I knew the price in advance and decided that we have no place to deal with washed out grease here on the city lot.  You can't pour out greasy kerosene or solvent next to the neighbors fence, in the back yard.  They would call the law!

They said they had fixed the light too.    Wrong!  It blinked out in less than a block.  Rats!  I knew that unless they replaced the fixture, it wouldn't be fixed.

So this evening, in the rain, I went over to the local auto parts house and purchased another light, that didn't match, but had the same bolt hole pattern.  I cut out their repair wiring, and installed and wired the new bulb.
The lights on the trailer are light emitting diodes, but the replacement is a conventional bulb.  So it looks weird after dark, but at least it is lit up.

One step closer to leaving for Arizona.

Retired Rod 

1 comment:

  1. Bringing the scooter to AZ. is a great idea, Rod. You'll get a lot of use and fun out of that for sure. I guess you've proved again, with the light, that if you want something done right, you sometimes just have to do it yourself!

    ReplyDelete

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