Log 2013091301

Some how, I transposed the date of the BTA Informational Booth with Liz D from Saturday the 7th to Friday the 13th.  I alerted the staff at the elementary school, got stopped by a Sheriff's Deputy (because of it) and I'm disoriented trying to figure out how I made this error. 
Well I know now.  On the 6th, I finished up my last 32mi on the NCT - NW Ohio Independant.  It spilled very late into the morning on the 7th.  So, I probably went to bed having dismissed the the event alarm the day before, or it went off in my sleep.  
So I spent the rest of the morning shopping at Walmart and the auto parts store.  I got a new rachet set, so I can remove the old one out of my tool bin and into the spare tire compartment incase the car breaks without the trailer.  Then I purchased two small tool boxes to prop and relieve my tool basket in the tool bin.  I also purchased one torque wrench for a possible belt replcement and a 18 1/2" breaker bar.
A new propane two burner range was picked up today along with a 2 year extended warranty.  The warranty was registered with Wal-Mart's service on-line today.
Pictured here is the condition of my passenger's side rear brake shoes and hardware.  What is not pictured is the caliper, which is its boots are chewed up and the piston is warped and the unit is spitting brake fluid inside the drum.  Overall, I'd say that their condition is "destroyed."  The replacement drum cylinder (containing the caliper) is scheduled to arrive at 7pm tonight in Napoleon of Henry County.  I won't be there to pick it up until tomorrow.
The tail gate had some problems releasing today.  So, I performed some diagnostics.  It indeed has a 20 amp fuse along with its relay and both are in perfect working order.  But the latch itself is weak.  Sometimes I have to activate the electronic hand popper three times to get it to release.

Propane Cylinder and The Cramper

The 1lb propane gas cylinder is really inefficient connected to the small grill. I'd say that it must have used it up in 5 days, compared to the range's 20.  But I was using it to bake potatoes on high heat the whole time.

In the 20# canister, when the valve is shut off, the line still retains enough propane burn for 3 minutes on one range burner.

In the last 12 days, there's been a temperature differential of 30° F.  We had a heat wave come in this past week and I was slightly uncomfortable then.  Prior to 12 days ago, during transport, the range lost one of its fuel regulation knobs.  But while cooking, it doesn't seem to get too hot to touch yet.

A couple days ago during resupply in the Village of Wellington, I procured a dish soap wand.  I was getting concerned about the rate in which the dish soap was being used.  Also, I was concerned about not being able to produce bubbles when I was canning. I'm hoping that the new wand will slow the rate of consumption down. Since it's new that remains yet to be seen.

These logs are public.  Blogger is owned by Google and my logs hit their search index pretty fast.  If anyone wishes to build a caRV, or Chevy HHRv, or a "Cramper" and is searching online about how to build such an improvised thing, they might want to consult every entry made here.

Right now, there are ways that The Cramper could be perfected.  The floor (for instance) does not need to be made of 3/4 ply held length wise by a system of 2x4's.  That ply could be 1/2" and the 2" x 4"s could be 2 x 2's if they were treated.  It will cost less to design and it will be easier to put together and take apart in camp.

My unit right now has a spoiler for the back end which supports a cooking area.  It uses spaces between the floor's 2 x 4" designed to mount the 32" foot of the floor.  In the back, I call these "expansion slots" and that's what my retractable cooking area mounts to.

Well, I used metal angles to mount the floor's 2 x 4"s to the ply.  They're about 1/16" thick and I didn't account for them.  Since my cooking area has 2 x 4's that slide into the expansion slots, the catch the metal angles and now that this The Cramper's 5th camp, the wood has settled and now they won't slide all the way in.  So, I'm going to need a plainer to shave down the 2 x 4"s so they'll mount again.

Ever since I've been cooking, water consumption has gone up from 8 to 22 liters a day.  When I was canning, it was about 78 liters then.

I still have
2 packages of egg noodles
26 unused pint size mason jars
24 bands and lids
5 pint chilli
1 pint lasguana (sp?)
1 pint cheeseburger meal
Most of a roll of tin foil 25yds x 12"
Most of a bag of potatoes
4 onions
1 1/2 green peppers
Majority of small tub of margrine
About 2lbs dry milk
About 8lbs sugar

Lasguana and the cheese burger meal were the latest canning experiments.  Since ground beef has worked well in my chilli, I decided to continue on with it.  I made it from boxed kits that I found at Aldi and so far in the last 12 days, the tops are still down.  But like always, it was a mess to clean up.
I washed everything in the wheel barrel that night.

6 screws holes on the long cooler stripped out and will no longer mount its lid. So I dismounted the remaining hinges and work with out them now.  I always place my 25lb iron disc weight and my 40lb weight vest before securing the trailer's load tarp over it every night.  So far, I have not had another mold infestation like last time.  But I have questions about using it in the rain as I'm not sure it will hold up with out all that pressure being on it while it's in use.

Log 2013073101

The second green propane canister just ran out today, which is the 41st day The Cramper has been down trail.  For some reason, it's been the biting flies that have come out here in Punderson this morning.  I lit my last remaining citranella candle at breakfast.
An old friend from high school passed away a few days ago.  My Facebook news feed is feeling a little empty right now.  And the last of the Christmas in July people moved out of the park on 2 days ago. I am starting to feel alone.  I came for the distance, not the solitude.  However, as a solo hiker, the one sometimes comes with the other.

Log 2013073001

This is The Cramper's 40th day down trail.  So far, the stove burners are working well, but I went through a green canister of propane in this time. At first, I wasn't sticking to just one, so, it could be as much as 1.25 canisters. The cooler has lost 4 of its 12 hinge screws.  If I don't fix it soon, it will completely fall apart.
I have gatorade that is sealed in a zip loc bag.  It handled the rains and I just had some today. The  mosquitos continue to be terrible here in Punderson.  Other than that, I hiked around Stump Lake.  The maintenance crew pulled up in a Gator and asked how I liked the trail.  Personally, I have mixed feelings about the trails being cut to 60".  As a distance hiker, that's what we call a "boulevard."  And boulevards are undesireable.