My tool kit consists mostly of metric sockets. And that's because prior to the motorhome, my 2008 Chevy HHR and Harbor Freight 4 x 8 Utility Hauling Trailer took mostly metric. In the event I ever needed an SAE tool, I bought them one by one. That's because with the car and trailer, sometimes, there isn't any weight to spare for extra sockets.
My current gear and tool bays are 4' x 3' x 3'. Even one of them won't fit in the HHR's tailgate. So if the motorhome does tow the car on a dolly, I may have to use different containers to redesign the tool and gear storage so that they fit within the unique curvature of it. And if it does tow, then trailer won't be available. Basically, it's still "doable," it's just doing it under different circumstances.
Right now, the car has stripped lug nuts on the right rear wheel. That tire also has a slow leak in it. I have a Damaged Nut/ Bolt Set from Sears with a socket that fits, but they take a 3/8ths driver. So, I got a 3/8ths breaker bar that I intend to get a pipe around and break the bad nuts off.
I ran some of HP's stock diagnostics on the hard disk drive and memory. But I noticed that my HP Pavilion 2000 - BF69WM laptop's performance with a Windows 10 overlay installation improved when I did I ran part of a "Run In" test. I didn't have time to run that test completely because it's very lengthy and I needed the laptop back for some tasks I was going to perform. But, I'm still not doing well running Internet videos over Wi-Fi on good signal.
Showing posts with label trailer. Show all posts
Showing posts with label trailer. Show all posts
2016/08/06
2016/06/09
Log 2016060901
I packed the car with essential gear. And because I've been working on the motorhome for about 34 days, I'm getting to point where I can't think or communicate with people. So I think I need something physical right now. Tomorrow, I'll be heading to Scioto Trail State Park to start hiking the on-road trail to assess what my abilities are now? It should take some of that 185 miles that I have left down quickly.
One of the bolts on the car's full size spare holder on the trailer need to be cut of with a hacksaw. Otherwise, I replaced the mounting bolts in both the full size car and trailer spare tire holders. The spare tire well in my 2008 Chevy HHR LS isn't large enough for a full size spare. And I wouldn't dare tow with the dough nut, especially if it had to be on one of the rear wheels. And I usually never tow my utility hauling trailer without a spare wheel for it. So that's why they both mount to the trailer's tongue.
One of the bolts on the car's full size spare holder on the trailer need to be cut of with a hacksaw. Otherwise, I replaced the mounting bolts in both the full size car and trailer spare tire holders. The spare tire well in my 2008 Chevy HHR LS isn't large enough for a full size spare. And I wouldn't dare tow with the dough nut, especially if it had to be on one of the rear wheels. And I usually never tow my utility hauling trailer without a spare wheel for it. So that's why they both mount to the trailer's tongue.
2016/05/21
Log 2016052002
I cut off the 6 flat connector from the trailer wiring harness on my 1988 Itasca Sundancer 25ft motorhome and attached a 7 round/ 4 flat connector. Well, after I got the 6 flat connector off, I peeled off some tape and found that the system never had electronic braking control, that wire was cut off shortly after the connector. But there's a component that I haven't been able to identify in the cab. It's mounted under the dash, rectangular, about 6" long x 4" wide x 1" tall with a plastic knob on a metal rod. The knob is similar in size to that of car's cigarette lighter.
So the only things that I didn't wire up were the electronic brake controller and the reverse light. I didn't have (forgive me if I don't know these proper names) was a wire Y splitter where one clips in the power wire, then takes the wire that they're hooking up on the other side, they bring a door down with a little metal bar and it pierces the shielding of both and makes a connection. What ever that is, I didn't go out to Lowe's and get some until after the storage unit closed. So it, putting the wires in conduit and tying them up will have to wait until tomorrow. In the mean time, I have no idea if they work yet, or if they'll blow every fuse in the block?
I had a look around where I live today. When I bring the motorhome here, I've always parked it between the street and sidewalk. But the power lines are on my side of the street. They run right above the street edge of the side walk. Since I've never tried to surpass that, I've never had cause to worry about it before. But the driveway is narrow, the power lines come off the pole and supply power and mount to the house at about 8ft near the garage.
The pole that supplies power to the house is about 12" from the edge of the narrow driveway. On the opposite side is a small tree. I might be able to get the motorhome most of the way in the driveway, but it might impede the sidewalk. And because of the pole and the tree, I'm doubting that I can maneuver it into the front yard to wash it with out clipping one of the lines going to the house with the motorhome's heater/ air conditioner? I guess the only way to know is to get it here and find out?
And I have another site that I could do it parallel parked on the road, but that city forbids it as per code. The two campsites that I plan on using next are boondocking only. So, I might have to pay a visit to the nearby state park again to get it washed?
So the only things that I didn't wire up were the electronic brake controller and the reverse light. I didn't have (forgive me if I don't know these proper names) was a wire Y splitter where one clips in the power wire, then takes the wire that they're hooking up on the other side, they bring a door down with a little metal bar and it pierces the shielding of both and makes a connection. What ever that is, I didn't go out to Lowe's and get some until after the storage unit closed. So it, putting the wires in conduit and tying them up will have to wait until tomorrow. In the mean time, I have no idea if they work yet, or if they'll blow every fuse in the block?
I had a look around where I live today. When I bring the motorhome here, I've always parked it between the street and sidewalk. But the power lines are on my side of the street. They run right above the street edge of the side walk. Since I've never tried to surpass that, I've never had cause to worry about it before. But the driveway is narrow, the power lines come off the pole and supply power and mount to the house at about 8ft near the garage.
The pole that supplies power to the house is about 12" from the edge of the narrow driveway. On the opposite side is a small tree. I might be able to get the motorhome most of the way in the driveway, but it might impede the sidewalk. And because of the pole and the tree, I'm doubting that I can maneuver it into the front yard to wash it with out clipping one of the lines going to the house with the motorhome's heater/ air conditioner? I guess the only way to know is to get it here and find out?
And I have another site that I could do it parallel parked on the road, but that city forbids it as per code. The two campsites that I plan on using next are boondocking only. So, I might have to pay a visit to the nearby state park again to get it washed?
2015/04/01
Log 2015040101
It was a productive day today. First, I drove to the Army Navy Store in Ashtabula and purchased an ALICE frame and shoulder straps. But the clerk there told me that they sometimes have a shortage on backpads because this ensemble is obsolete. That which I was after was issued during Vietnam and was phased out of most infantry units by the time I was in The Old Guard 12 years ago. Looks like I'll have to get it shipped in, but the drive back from the Marietta area next week will probably mean that I'll have to come back with the trailer completely unloaded. And I don't dare take that over 45MPH, that means that I'll be criss-crossing the state on primary and secondary highways (state and US routes) on the way home. And there might be an opportunity to pick one up along the way.
After that, I drove to Lowe's in Mentor of Lake County and procured a Kobalt 4 Tool Lithium-Ion Kit, some saw and wood sawzall blades. The kit came with a light and I wish it was an impact drill instead because it's not very big, so I can afford the expense in space to carry it and it will make working on the car easier. The employee at Lowe's told me that the kit came with 2 batteries, so, I purchased an additional one for about $60. Also, I puchased a tool belt since, I'll be hauling these through the backcountry for miles. Lastly, I had to get a broom handle because the previous one that I had rotted and broke from being stored outside all winter long.
-A 2 year warranty was purchased on the tool kit.
I got 4 long sleeve button up work shirts from Sears in Mentor of Lake County to go with the two long sleeve shirts that I already own. I'm looking forward to image pressing my "Section," "Supervisor" Buckeye Trail base and my "whipple" rockers on to them.
I got a new 26L Aquatainer, also in said city and county.
-Storage B was emptied and swept clean as per my contractual obligations with Uncle Bob's Storage in Mentor of Lake County. It's ready to be surrendered now and have my service terminated with them tomorrow. My 8' x 8' unit was adequate and the staff was always friendly. They performed well.
After that, I drove to Lowe's in Mentor of Lake County and procured a Kobalt 4 Tool Lithium-Ion Kit, some saw and wood sawzall blades. The kit came with a light and I wish it was an impact drill instead because it's not very big, so I can afford the expense in space to carry it and it will make working on the car easier. The employee at Lowe's told me that the kit came with 2 batteries, so, I purchased an additional one for about $60. Also, I puchased a tool belt since, I'll be hauling these through the backcountry for miles. Lastly, I had to get a broom handle because the previous one that I had rotted and broke from being stored outside all winter long.
-A 2 year warranty was purchased on the tool kit.
I got 4 long sleeve button up work shirts from Sears in Mentor of Lake County to go with the two long sleeve shirts that I already own. I'm looking forward to image pressing my "Section," "Supervisor" Buckeye Trail base and my "whipple" rockers on to them.
I got a new 26L Aquatainer, also in said city and county.
-Storage B was emptied and swept clean as per my contractual obligations with Uncle Bob's Storage in Mentor of Lake County. It's ready to be surrendered now and have my service terminated with them tomorrow. My 8' x 8' unit was adequate and the staff was always friendly. They performed well.
2015/03/29
Log 2015032801
Today, I went to my brother's house and hitched my Harbor Freight & Tools 4x8 Utility Hauling Trailer. Since I had the car's side of the wiring harness uncapped and exposed to the elements since October, one of it's ports was corroded and I was afraid that it would not make contact with one of the trailer's connections. But it did and everything works just like it should.
I drove over to Storage B today and started moving things over to my new storage location at in a relative's shed. Considering that I'll be on the road with most of that equipment, there won't be too much that will be stored there. And that which remains shouldn't be there too long.
One of the first things that I plan on doing once I'm in the Marietta area is getting another storage unit, this time smaller. All I need it for is to stage my gear so that I don't have to transport all of it, which all of that really taxes the weight capacities (in cab and the hitch) on my 2008 Chevy HHR LS. My plan is to sleep in The Cramper for at least a month before I rent a house or apartment in the area.
I now have a 30.3gal (121.1qt) Yeti Tundra 125 bear resistant cooler that I purchased from Cabellas in Tridelphia, West Virginia for $582 out the door. I've always known that I've needed this, but it's price has always been cost prohibitive. Nonetheless, I believe that it's a 20qt improvement over my previous Coleman cooler, which frequently ran out of space, it never sealed right, the screws stripped days after I bought it and it was never bear proof.
Years ago, the Whipple Section - Buckeye/ North Country National Scenic Trail was off-road between Cow Run Road and the Hills - Hildreth Covered Bridge. But enough property was purchased by one owner to necessitate shutting down a township road in the final leg that the trail was dependent on. As a result, the BT was re-routed to the north and according to Whipple's map, North Country remains rated on a truncated path to the Lane Farm Campground in the Wayne National Forest - Marietta Unit via a ford across the Little Muskingum River. I now have authorization to reestablish that footpath and white blaze it's route.
When you look at a national forest on a map, that which I call the "green blob" is it's administrative boundary. What most people don't know is that there's private property in there. But I have Global Imaging System (GIS) shapefile data displaying what the federal government actually owns. Without a guide, the spur to Lane Farm (as displayed on the map) is about 2 1/2 miles long. We have federal property well before that where hikers can disperse camp. This is where in the forest, camping is permitted 150 feet from the trail. So, with the BT/ NCT going in a new direction, the only thing I could see Lane being much good for is parking and campers.
But the problem with the ford is that governmental agencies aren't probing the Little Muskingum's water temperatures and publishing them in real time to Internet. But the nearest information that I can currently find on water temperature is the RECR8 Ohio River Report for the Meldahl Segment near Cincinnati. The more local reports only cover things like the flood stage, which I'm not too particularly concerned with considering that the river can be seen from multiple point on the spur and rather early along it. In person, it's the first thing that I'd recommend looking at. 2 1/2 miles is a long way to go to find out that it's not safe to ford. And this really only affects hikers in the clockwise/ westbound direction. According to Whipple's 10/2010 map, they're routed on the edge of that river about 5 miles prior to the Lane Spur (unofficial, that's my own name for it). On this map, the spur is marked in red diamonds.
I drove over to Storage B today and started moving things over to my new storage location at in a relative's shed. Considering that I'll be on the road with most of that equipment, there won't be too much that will be stored there. And that which remains shouldn't be there too long.
One of the first things that I plan on doing once I'm in the Marietta area is getting another storage unit, this time smaller. All I need it for is to stage my gear so that I don't have to transport all of it, which all of that really taxes the weight capacities (in cab and the hitch) on my 2008 Chevy HHR LS. My plan is to sleep in The Cramper for at least a month before I rent a house or apartment in the area.
I now have a 30.3gal (121.1qt) Yeti Tundra 125 bear resistant cooler that I purchased from Cabellas in Tridelphia, West Virginia for $582 out the door. I've always known that I've needed this, but it's price has always been cost prohibitive. Nonetheless, I believe that it's a 20qt improvement over my previous Coleman cooler, which frequently ran out of space, it never sealed right, the screws stripped days after I bought it and it was never bear proof.
Years ago, the Whipple Section - Buckeye/ North Country National Scenic Trail was off-road between Cow Run Road and the Hills - Hildreth Covered Bridge. But enough property was purchased by one owner to necessitate shutting down a township road in the final leg that the trail was dependent on. As a result, the BT was re-routed to the north and according to Whipple's map, North Country remains rated on a truncated path to the Lane Farm Campground in the Wayne National Forest - Marietta Unit via a ford across the Little Muskingum River. I now have authorization to reestablish that footpath and white blaze it's route.
When you look at a national forest on a map, that which I call the "green blob" is it's administrative boundary. What most people don't know is that there's private property in there. But I have Global Imaging System (GIS) shapefile data displaying what the federal government actually owns. Without a guide, the spur to Lane Farm (as displayed on the map) is about 2 1/2 miles long. We have federal property well before that where hikers can disperse camp. This is where in the forest, camping is permitted 150 feet from the trail. So, with the BT/ NCT going in a new direction, the only thing I could see Lane being much good for is parking and campers.
But the problem with the ford is that governmental agencies aren't probing the Little Muskingum's water temperatures and publishing them in real time to Internet. But the nearest information that I can currently find on water temperature is the RECR8 Ohio River Report for the Meldahl Segment near Cincinnati. The more local reports only cover things like the flood stage, which I'm not too particularly concerned with considering that the river can be seen from multiple point on the spur and rather early along it. In person, it's the first thing that I'd recommend looking at. 2 1/2 miles is a long way to go to find out that it's not safe to ford. And this really only affects hikers in the clockwise/ westbound direction. According to Whipple's 10/2010 map, they're routed on the edge of that river about 5 miles prior to the Lane Spur (unofficial, that's my own name for it). On this map, the spur is marked in red diamonds.
2014/09/25
Log 2014092501
Today, repaired electrical connections on my Harbor Freight 4 x 8 Utility Hauling Trailer. It seems that the last time that I folded the trailer, I took out all of my separation pins, but forgot to unplug my custom wiring harnesses. When I went to fold the tongue down, I torqued the wiring system, causing the wiring at the right taillight and side marker light to come undone from their crimped connections. They're repaired as of today.
Originally, I wasn't sure what today's repair was going to entail. Honestly, I thought that I'd be crawling under the trailer and undoing electrical tape to find the problem. But it turned out to be too easy. With that said, the former electrical job would have pulled wires apart from at least 3 places. But today, I found that the main wires stood their ground under the stress.
2014/09/22
Log 2014092201
The mileage on my 2008 Chevy HHR LS is as shown in the picture. Today, I replaced the rear shocks. This means that the car now has new struts and shocks all the way around. The rear shocks are MacPherson style and are separate from their struts.
The job required jacking the car up in the the center of the rear axle. Because the lift on the car is only 6", I ended up having to jack up the rear driver's side area with a 2 Ton scissor jack, the get the center of the axle of the with the 3 Ton floor jack. The Chilton's manual for this model noted that there was a jacking spot in this area. Personally, I would have preferred the floor jack that they have at Harbor Freight Tools that has a plate on it. Because around the axle was a piece of angle iron. My round plate would never make contact with the axle, so I had to jack on the angle iron.
Once I got the jack stands in place, I dropped the axle enough to remove the lower mounting bolts for both rear struts. Then I released all the pressure from the floor jack and let the axle drop as low as it could go.
This job eluded me when I was at home port last. For some reason, I was unable to lift the springs out. But this time, I figured it out. The spring in question has to be grabbed down at the top. The upper shock tower is sitting on a peg and needs to clear it for disassembly. Well, with the brake line in place, it makes is hard to do that. In fact, I've heard of some disassembly instructions call for removing the brake lines. If I ever get anything bigger in there, I certain that I'll have to.
I was concerned when I compared my old shocks with their replacements. The coils on the old ones wrapped around the upper shock towers. The new ones dont come so close. And the new ones are longer. I consulted with a friend on Facebook about whether they'll coil around the towers in time and he says no. That's ok, it's merely consistent with having bought heavy duty shocks and struts. Which now means that my rear shocks now have an extra coil. And that's excellent for hauling my trailer.
I did the work in my brother's driveway. After I was done, I put the car on the ground and immediately coupled my Harbor Freight 4x8 Utility Hauling Trailer. And I was disappointed to note that the trailer is well below the HHR's 1,000lb towing capacity and the car still sunk down like it always had before today's servicing :-(. At least I know now that it's normal.
After I got the trailer to home port and uncoupled it, I took the car for a drive and noticed that my previous issues of driving around curves that hook with 20 & 25MPH advisories didn't feel like I was going to flip the car anymore. I'm glad to say that I solved that problem today. I can't wait to see its improvements in Southern Ohio on 03 October when I leave for Basecamp F at Scioto Trail State Park.
Lastly, the driver's side rear drum that I had to mount tightly is whistling and burning the shoes to the point that I can smell it. I expected this and hope that since the shoes are newer, that they'll just burn themselves free. The next time that I replace those, I'll just replace the shoes and rotary (again).
2014/07/21
Log 2014072101
- I just got the recessed D - hooks installed. They're rated for well in excess of what the trailer can haul.
- This morning, I called the VA medical center in Cleveland and found out that I have an appointment on the 25th. So, that will push my departure for my upcoming recreational trip back by about 22 hours.
2014/07/19
Log 2014071901
- At this time, it's difficult to write new log entries because the car and trailer are being prepped for departure for this upcoming recreational trip.
- As far as I can tell, my Nishiki Colorado mountain bike is running at peak efficiency. The 3" wide chubbys are mounted on the rims at the moment. Chubbys are tires that hardly have any tread. So, they're like road (racing) bike tires, but they're as wide as traditional mountain bike all terrain tires. The first three days of cycling on the American Discovery Trail in Ohio will be on improved surfaces.
- I just disposed of the rear tire that came stock with the bicycle about 2 years ago. I damaged the sidewall using a screw driver to dismount the tire & tube. These days, I use two tire levers and they work so quickly and well that I swear by them. Nonetheless, both front and back knobby (all terrain mountain bike) tires need to be replaced because I don't think that the chubbys have the traction to handle the backcountry roads in Southern Ohio.
- The rear left drum brake system in my 2008 Chevy HHR LS was giving me problems. After the tension bar fell out for a 3rd time, I got a new kit and put it back together. The problem is that if you unscrew the brake shoe separator too much, the drum won't fit back on, or it will cease. If you screw it in, the brakes will clear the drum, but a spring that spans from what I like to call the "ear" (which is mounted to the left brake shoe) to a hole on the right shoe. If the hook of the spring merely sits (and is not tautly clipped inside) within the hole, it will eventually fall out. That in turn will cause the ear and brake separator to fall. The system will then rely on the "W" clip to force the brake shoes and caliper back, but it's not good enough. Eventually, the contact on one of the brake shoes will come out of the caliper's groove, causing the "W" clip to bring it back cockeyed. The next time you press the brakes, one of the pistons is going to make contact with the misaligned shoe. And with enough pressure from the master cylinder, it will cause it to come out, bend and break, spewing brake fluid inside the drum and causing the car to loose the ability to brake until the system is entirely out of fluid.
What I did this time was got one of the forks on the separator unscrewed as much as as the drum could handle with out ceasing. Afterwards, I used the teeth that the tensioner uses with my fingers to expand the separater out more until the the hook in its hole pulled tight. The drum mounted afterwards, but the car failed it's next braking test on Seeley Road in LeRoy Township of Lake County while pumping them coming down a hill. For those of you who don't know, Seeley Road has the steepest hill on a dirt road that also includes two 90° hairpin turns on it, plus a road surface that closely resembles that which the Chevy will be driving on in Southern Ohio in the upcoming weeks.
I was caused to remove the rear left wheel and remount the spring on the shoes in a trailhead before I turned and came back home. The next day, I went back there to repeat the test, but this time, I didn't pump them. The spring maintained its mount in the brake shoe hole. But I think I might have a potential problem with the tensioner while pumping the brakes. Basically, take your left hand and cause your fingers to make the first two bends, but not the third. Rest your thumb flat on top, but extend your pinky finger completely out. This is what the tensioner looks like, but it's smaller. The part that is your pinky finger is what makes contact with the gear teeth that affection the tension of the brake separator. And the other end of this spring is connected to this "ear" piece somewhere above there.
- Electrical conduit has been installed on my Harbor Freight Tools 4' x 8' Utility Hauling Trailer around as many wires as was feasible.
- A new hole was drilled in the hull of the doughnut/ battery compartment. I fed the wires for the new trailer lighting harness through them, wired them up and siliconed the remainder of the hole shut.
- A new mount was installed on the bar of my trailer hitch to keep my new outdoor trailer harness in place while I plug, unplug it and tow.
- And in the midst of everything else being done, I've been packing my own personal belonging here at Home Port, transporting them to Storage B and helping my family put my grandparents condo on the market and making runs to the landfill.
- As far as I can tell, my Nishiki Colorado mountain bike is running at peak efficiency. The 3" wide chubbys are mounted on the rims at the moment. Chubbys are tires that hardly have any tread. So, they're like road (racing) bike tires, but they're as wide as traditional mountain bike all terrain tires. The first three days of cycling on the American Discovery Trail in Ohio will be on improved surfaces.
- I just disposed of the rear tire that came stock with the bicycle about 2 years ago. I damaged the sidewall using a screw driver to dismount the tire & tube. These days, I use two tire levers and they work so quickly and well that I swear by them. Nonetheless, both front and back knobby (all terrain mountain bike) tires need to be replaced because I don't think that the chubbys have the traction to handle the backcountry roads in Southern Ohio.
- The rear left drum brake system in my 2008 Chevy HHR LS was giving me problems. After the tension bar fell out for a 3rd time, I got a new kit and put it back together. The problem is that if you unscrew the brake shoe separator too much, the drum won't fit back on, or it will cease. If you screw it in, the brakes will clear the drum, but a spring that spans from what I like to call the "ear" (which is mounted to the left brake shoe) to a hole on the right shoe. If the hook of the spring merely sits (and is not tautly clipped inside) within the hole, it will eventually fall out. That in turn will cause the ear and brake separator to fall. The system will then rely on the "W" clip to force the brake shoes and caliper back, but it's not good enough. Eventually, the contact on one of the brake shoes will come out of the caliper's groove, causing the "W" clip to bring it back cockeyed. The next time you press the brakes, one of the pistons is going to make contact with the misaligned shoe. And with enough pressure from the master cylinder, it will cause it to come out, bend and break, spewing brake fluid inside the drum and causing the car to loose the ability to brake until the system is entirely out of fluid.
What I did this time was got one of the forks on the separator unscrewed as much as as the drum could handle with out ceasing. Afterwards, I used the teeth that the tensioner uses with my fingers to expand the separater out more until the the hook in its hole pulled tight. The drum mounted afterwards, but the car failed it's next braking test on Seeley Road in LeRoy Township of Lake County while pumping them coming down a hill. For those of you who don't know, Seeley Road has the steepest hill on a dirt road that also includes two 90° hairpin turns on it, plus a road surface that closely resembles that which the Chevy will be driving on in Southern Ohio in the upcoming weeks.
I was caused to remove the rear left wheel and remount the spring on the shoes in a trailhead before I turned and came back home. The next day, I went back there to repeat the test, but this time, I didn't pump them. The spring maintained its mount in the brake shoe hole. But I think I might have a potential problem with the tensioner while pumping the brakes. Basically, take your left hand and cause your fingers to make the first two bends, but not the third. Rest your thumb flat on top, but extend your pinky finger completely out. This is what the tensioner looks like, but it's smaller. The part that is your pinky finger is what makes contact with the gear teeth that affection the tension of the brake separator. And the other end of this spring is connected to this "ear" piece somewhere above there.
- Electrical conduit has been installed on my Harbor Freight Tools 4' x 8' Utility Hauling Trailer around as many wires as was feasible.
- A new hole was drilled in the hull of the doughnut/ battery compartment. I fed the wires for the new trailer lighting harness through them, wired them up and siliconed the remainder of the hole shut.
- A new mount was installed on the bar of my trailer hitch to keep my new outdoor trailer harness in place while I plug, unplug it and tow.
- And in the midst of everything else being done, I've been packing my own personal belonging here at Home Port, transporting them to Storage B and helping my family put my grandparents condo on the market and making runs to the landfill.
2014/07/01
Log 2014070101
So my E85 experiment was botched because I still have 5qts of dirty motor oil in the car. But with that oil, I can say that at 65MPH, my 6 year old 2008 Chevy HHR LS was averaging 33MPG, which is right where it should be with regular 87 octane unleaded gasoline (what it's rated for). I just got off the road about 20 minutes ago and the car is in the garage bay on ramps and cooling off before I attempt to drain the oil pan.
My day started with a 27mi trip to the VA medical center in Cleveland of Cuyahoga County. Afterwards, I purchased a drill bit extension with a hex end and a 4 flat trailer lighting harness test connector from Harbor Freight in Eastlake of Lake County. I then realized that I needed to replace all of my metal drill bits and drivers with one's that have hex bottoms. Harbor Freight didn't have any that came with a case, so I drove down to Sears in Mentor of Lake County and picked some up there.
A couple of days ago, I cut out 8 holes in the trailer's floor for some big recessed hooks that will secure the bins when their transported over the axle. They're metal D-rings on a 5" square plate. Well initially, I purchased four of them and forgot where I got them from. So, I drove to Tractor Supply in Chardon of Geauga County and they didn't have them. But I did get some steel strips that I plan on cutting down to help brace recessed hook mounts. Because after cutting the floor, I realized that I made two rows of four holes and the only thing that supports them are little edges of 1" thick ply wood.
I then went to Auto Zone in the same city to see if they had my hooks... and they did not. But one of their employees gave me a lead on a hardware in Montville Township of Geauga County. I called them up and found that I had 55 minutes to get there before they closed, so I left Chardon immediately.
When I got to Hemly Hardware Store, I found that not only did they have my other four recessed hooks, but they sold the nuts, bolts and washers by weight. And they had an assortment of steel, both plates and strips in what I estimate to be a 20' x 30' area. I told people on Facebook that I "struck gold." Tractor supply has some steal strips at retail, but this place has much more and at different widths, too. The other thing that I liked about them is that they had a better selection of metal cutting reciprocating saw blades than Home Depot or Lowes. They had a box of Diablo's there retailing at $85 on the shelf. I really wonder what those could do??? As somebody who's still inexperienced with that saw, I was rather impressed with the Diablo's that I currently own that I used to saw through a 17mm bolt head which connected the stabilizer bar link to my front struts and stabilizer bar (itself). Finally, there's a good assortment of trailer supplies there, too.
Hemly Tool Hardware Store
16445 GAR Hwy
Montville, OH 44064
(440) 968-3717
GAR stands for the Grand Army of the Republic and is routed as US-6.
My day started with a 27mi trip to the VA medical center in Cleveland of Cuyahoga County. Afterwards, I purchased a drill bit extension with a hex end and a 4 flat trailer lighting harness test connector from Harbor Freight in Eastlake of Lake County. I then realized that I needed to replace all of my metal drill bits and drivers with one's that have hex bottoms. Harbor Freight didn't have any that came with a case, so I drove down to Sears in Mentor of Lake County and picked some up there.
A couple of days ago, I cut out 8 holes in the trailer's floor for some big recessed hooks that will secure the bins when their transported over the axle. They're metal D-rings on a 5" square plate. Well initially, I purchased four of them and forgot where I got them from. So, I drove to Tractor Supply in Chardon of Geauga County and they didn't have them. But I did get some steel strips that I plan on cutting down to help brace recessed hook mounts. Because after cutting the floor, I realized that I made two rows of four holes and the only thing that supports them are little edges of 1" thick ply wood.
I then went to Auto Zone in the same city to see if they had my hooks... and they did not. But one of their employees gave me a lead on a hardware in Montville Township of Geauga County. I called them up and found that I had 55 minutes to get there before they closed, so I left Chardon immediately.
When I got to Hemly Hardware Store, I found that not only did they have my other four recessed hooks, but they sold the nuts, bolts and washers by weight. And they had an assortment of steel, both plates and strips in what I estimate to be a 20' x 30' area. I told people on Facebook that I "struck gold." Tractor supply has some steal strips at retail, but this place has much more and at different widths, too. The other thing that I liked about them is that they had a better selection of metal cutting reciprocating saw blades than Home Depot or Lowes. They had a box of Diablo's there retailing at $85 on the shelf. I really wonder what those could do??? As somebody who's still inexperienced with that saw, I was rather impressed with the Diablo's that I currently own that I used to saw through a 17mm bolt head which connected the stabilizer bar link to my front struts and stabilizer bar (itself). Finally, there's a good assortment of trailer supplies there, too.
Hemly Tool Hardware Store
16445 GAR Hwy
Montville, OH 44064
(440) 968-3717
GAR stands for the Grand Army of the Republic and is routed as US-6.
2014/06/28
Log 2014062802
The DC jack on the Midland WR-100 is 12V and tip positive. I purchased a DC car power adapter for this unit today and confirm that it works. It will be replacing my former weatherband radio which did not tune well. This one is digital and performs better.
The bad news is that I don't know if a marine head unit would perform better? It would need to have its own GPS, or actively scan for the nearest station and interrupt whatever I'm listening to when a weather emergency occurs. I just haven't found a head unit like this.
Today, I purchased an eyelet to screw in to the tailgate latch plate that will route my paracord so that I have an easier manual release. Also, I purchased some silicone. The plan is to drill through the hull of the battery and spare tire compartment to run my trailer lighting cable out of the car so that I don't have to slam it in the tailgate door anymore. On the trailer hitch, I'll be installing a mount for it. I also purchased a small flashlight with a key ring small enough to to fit the loop hole on the HHR's manual tailgate release.
All of the trailer lighting connectors that I previously prepared for the tounge, separation point and lighting had to be replaced. I didn't keep track of the color coded wires that I snipped off and thought that they were irrelevant.
Earlier, I found a set of orange side marker lights that have and actual ground wire.
The drilling is going to require lifting the back end of the car up. The only way to safely do without a lift that on my Chevy HHR LS is to back it up on ramps. So, I got those out of storage today, as well as some hiking gear. Once I get The Cramper's equipment out of there, Storage B will be pretty thin.
2014/06/10
Log 2014061001
I installed the new 5/8 trailer hitch pins in the rail mounts. They're snug and do the trick better than the 3/8 bolts that I was previously using.
At this time, I don't believe that the rails need to be redesigned.
The company that sold me the rim for my full size spare, gave me one with a four hole pattern, instead of a five. Today, they sent me a return label and I dropped it off at the UPS store for an exchange. They told me that as soon as they get confirmation of it being shipped, they'll send out the replacement. But the spare tire apparatus is mounted to the trailer now and is awaiting that wheel.
At this time, I know that the castor wheels on the utility hauling trailer need to be replaced with larger ones.
Recently, a new Sawzall, jigsaw and 1/2" corded electric drill was procured. I was unable to get the previous nose off of my former corded drill so I could switch it from 3/8" to 1/2". After taking the Sawzall to it in attempt to destroy half of the nose, I found that I couldn't break through the metal center to lop it off, so I ended up going to Lowe's in Mentor of Lake County and purchasing a superior Skil unit with a rotating second handle. It was necessary to support my new 5/8ths metal and wood drill bit that I needed to bore out the trailer hitch pin holes that mount the rails where it had used 3/8ths before.
Right now, there are a bunch of items being shipped that are late. The new rear rack bicycle bag is one of them. That part of the bike is already tore down and awaiting their arrivial.
Right now, the new detachable wiring harnasses for the trailer's underside deck separation and rear lights quick wiring bypass are cut and ready to be installed.
Today, I ordered 2 sets of rubber trekking pole bottoms. I purchased them for about $7.50 a pair on Amazon.com.
2014/06/07
Log 2014060701
I repadded my cycling helmet today. And the SC Delco manual transaxle fluid for my car came in the mail today. Otherwise, I took my utility hauling trailer to my relatives house today and loaded up some yard waste, but with the license plate light still being out, it was too late to haul it to the recycler.
My automotive repair tasks have been prioritized. And I just started the list for the trailer rails upgrade. I found that the back door would have to be 48in tall to act as a ramp itself. That is unacceptable because it would be taller than the car and act as a wall when the caravan is in motion. I, instead, opted to build the rails to 3ft tall and install slots on the outsides so that they transport four ramps of 1" x 6" that are 6' long. They'll have slots on the back door and together, they should make a 6' ramp. The tool bay has wheels. And it's the heaviest thing that I transport. It's probably over 300lbs and is the hardest thing to load and unload. Last year, I avoided doing it at all costs.
I wanted to get some front bars mounted like you would see on the front of a police interceptor. If it's legal, I could mount a 5,000lb wench. My Chevy HHR and trailer are about 4,600lbs together and if I ever got stuck, I could just get myself out. But finding this for a car, and not a truck is difficult. So, these items are not essential to me at the moment are a "would be nice" item.
2014/06/06
Log 2014070602
Last year, I mounted my large gear and tool bays along the front and side rails if my utility hauling trailer because I wanted their weight to rely more on the car's rear suspension. But in all that time, I questioned whether that was the right decision, especially since I've recently done some work on the car's springs and struts.
This year, I plan to relocate those bins so they sit directly over the trailer's axle. Well, strapping them over the trailer width wise like I always have isn't a problem. But, doing it length wise is now.
There's two problems when mounting there. First is that I'd have to use towing steps over the top of the bins that would reach around and hook to the bottom of the frame. That would interfere with the proper packing of the trailer.
The other thing is that I could install hooks, but since the back rails are being redesigned to function as a ramp, specifically for the bins (they're heavy and have wheels. Standard hooks would I'm peas the bind and defeat the purpose of the new rear door.
So, I purchased some new recessed hooks. Special holes in the trailer's floor will need to be cut out in order to mount them.
Log 2014060601
Last year, I did an adequate job wiring my 1195 Lb. Capacity Heavy Duty Folding Utility Trailer that I purchased from Harbor Freight Tools. But I left it's wires drooping in anticipation that I was going to fold it someday. Well, when I placed it in storage, while folding it, I taunt and stretched the wires. With all of the wire shorting problems that I've had between the trailer and car, I don't dare trust them again. So, the trailer needs to be rewired.
But I got to thinking this evening that there's no way to do this right when folding without having some kind of separation. Last year, I probably played around with using some kind of bullets. But as I understand, those are usually designed for wires typically used in model aircraft and small RC cars. I never found one that could interface to a 6 gauge battery cable so that my marine battery on the trailer could charge on the trailer while it's in motion.
So, what purchased today from Walmart in Mentor of Lake County are 5 - trailer extension wiring that have both a male and female ends for a 4 flat connection. I intend to use the first two at the midsection and the others at the trailer's taillights. That will give me the separation that I need. And the midsection connections should be rugged enough to stay connected and not accidentally ground to the frame.
Since my floor is wood, I also purchased some mounting brackets that one would use in a house to pin coaxial cable to a base board. I plan on tacking that up under the trailer to hold my wires so that they don't sag. The connectors at the taillights are there for diagnostic and by-pass purposes. If I'm down trail, I may not be readily able to diagnose, by-pass, or re-wire the main lines. With these new connectors, I can run a temporary by-pass on top of the floor and have full running lights in the meantime.
On a seperate note... I applied this year's sticker on the trailer's license plate today. The temporary by-pass lighting was mounted to the rear rails. But I discovered that the left turn signal wasn't working. I tested them two days ago and found that both worked. Therefore, there is a short in the car at the location where the hitch wiring was installed.
Leaving the Storage B, there wasn't any issues with the trailer linking up to the car or while driving. While at the gas station, they didn't have any alkaline AAA batteries, so I reluctantly purchased some lithium ion's instead. With the main taillights out, they were for a headlamp that I wrapped around one of the taillights that serves as the license plate light as well. The headlamp is for people who go in caves, or hikers. But it has an elastic band that I mounted to the taillight so it would illuminate the license plate.
But I got to thinking this evening that there's no way to do this right when folding without having some kind of separation. Last year, I probably played around with using some kind of bullets. But as I understand, those are usually designed for wires typically used in model aircraft and small RC cars. I never found one that could interface to a 6 gauge battery cable so that my marine battery on the trailer could charge on the trailer while it's in motion.
So, what purchased today from Walmart in Mentor of Lake County are 5 - trailer extension wiring that have both a male and female ends for a 4 flat connection. I intend to use the first two at the midsection and the others at the trailer's taillights. That will give me the separation that I need. And the midsection connections should be rugged enough to stay connected and not accidentally ground to the frame.
Since my floor is wood, I also purchased some mounting brackets that one would use in a house to pin coaxial cable to a base board. I plan on tacking that up under the trailer to hold my wires so that they don't sag. The connectors at the taillights are there for diagnostic and by-pass purposes. If I'm down trail, I may not be readily able to diagnose, by-pass, or re-wire the main lines. With these new connectors, I can run a temporary by-pass on top of the floor and have full running lights in the meantime.
On a seperate note... I applied this year's sticker on the trailer's license plate today. The temporary by-pass lighting was mounted to the rear rails. But I discovered that the left turn signal wasn't working. I tested them two days ago and found that both worked. Therefore, there is a short in the car at the location where the hitch wiring was installed.
Leaving the Storage B, there wasn't any issues with the trailer linking up to the car or while driving. While at the gas station, they didn't have any alkaline AAA batteries, so I reluctantly purchased some lithium ion's instead. With the main taillights out, they were for a headlamp that I wrapped around one of the taillights that serves as the license plate light as well. The headlamp is for people who go in caves, or hikers. But it has an elastic band that I mounted to the taillight so it would illuminate the license plate.
2013/12/04
Log 2013120401
As you can see, these logs are also used as maintenance records. Normally, it takes a website 3 - 9 months to be cataloged by something like Google to come up in a search result. Because this log is on Blogger, and it's a part of Google, my log entries tend to get indexed by their search engine much faster. So, I'm careful to mention my car's year, make, model, edition and mileage. Also, my blog entries can be searched from my user interface. I can use that to determine if I performed a certain repair before? If there's any "tricks" to making the repair easier? Or, I might be able to determine if there's pattern of some kind? Or, I can use it to estimate when a part that I worked on before will go bad (such as the brakes, which were fully replaced recently noted as per the log)? In this case, when down trail for extended periods of time, it would be advantageous to anticipate its replacement.
The #'s 22 & 69 and spare 10amp fuses on my 2008 Chevy HHR LS were replaced at 130,073 miles on the odometer in Cleveland Heights of Cuyahoga County. The #69 is a 10amp fuse for the air conditioner. There's nothing wrong with that system at the moment. It's just that I ended up needing it because I was out of spare 10amp fuses and it was expendable this time of year.
The #22 slot is for the rear parking lights. I transferred #69's fuse into the #22 slot while the trailer was hitched and it blew that as soon as I it a load (power). There is no doubt anymore that the trailer's wiring has a short that is causing a power surge greater than 10amp to try and get through the fuse box.
This isn't the first time that the trailer has had a short that blew the #22 fuse. At one time, I believe that it blew one of the rear taillight bulb filaments. Because I have one package of 2 bulbs with one of the missing, and then another full pack in addition. I think that I used that one bulb because one of my turn signal filaments was burnt out.
The trailer's electrical seems to work on a series circuit.
The brake lights and turn signals have been unaffected. Since the parking lamps only come on with the headlights and hi-beams (but not the daytime running lights), they're irrelevant during the day. So, I've been using it to haul items to the dump and transport plywood.
Well, the trailer will need a couple hours for me to wire it correctly. And I'd rather do that at my storage unit under daylight where the drive is paved and is easier on the caster wheels to sit on and roll into storage. Because I think that the problem with the trailer's wiring was that the unit was folded into it's storage mode where the back part of the deck is unbolted and folded onto the front. Then unit is tilted up from its main to the caster wheels and rolled into storage vertically. When the trailer was assembled, it was never wired while the unit was in storage mode. The wiring came after and I never bothered to check it in that configuration.
Well, when I folded the trailer into storage mode last month, the wiring was a bit tight. And it's very possible that I may have stretched and broken the insulation shielding somewhere along the frame. Regardless, the wiring needs to be re-routed through custom drilled holes anyways and get clamped to the frame in a way that accommodates its storage mode.
The #'s 22 & 69 and spare 10amp fuses on my 2008 Chevy HHR LS were replaced at 130,073 miles on the odometer in Cleveland Heights of Cuyahoga County. The #69 is a 10amp fuse for the air conditioner. There's nothing wrong with that system at the moment. It's just that I ended up needing it because I was out of spare 10amp fuses and it was expendable this time of year.
The #22 slot is for the rear parking lights. I transferred #69's fuse into the #22 slot while the trailer was hitched and it blew that as soon as I it a load (power). There is no doubt anymore that the trailer's wiring has a short that is causing a power surge greater than 10amp to try and get through the fuse box.
This isn't the first time that the trailer has had a short that blew the #22 fuse. At one time, I believe that it blew one of the rear taillight bulb filaments. Because I have one package of 2 bulbs with one of the missing, and then another full pack in addition. I think that I used that one bulb because one of my turn signal filaments was burnt out.
The trailer's electrical seems to work on a series circuit.
The brake lights and turn signals have been unaffected. Since the parking lamps only come on with the headlights and hi-beams (but not the daytime running lights), they're irrelevant during the day. So, I've been using it to haul items to the dump and transport plywood.
Well, the trailer will need a couple hours for me to wire it correctly. And I'd rather do that at my storage unit under daylight where the drive is paved and is easier on the caster wheels to sit on and roll into storage. Because I think that the problem with the trailer's wiring was that the unit was folded into it's storage mode where the back part of the deck is unbolted and folded onto the front. Then unit is tilted up from its main to the caster wheels and rolled into storage vertically. When the trailer was assembled, it was never wired while the unit was in storage mode. The wiring came after and I never bothered to check it in that configuration.
Well, when I folded the trailer into storage mode last month, the wiring was a bit tight. And it's very possible that I may have stretched and broken the insulation shielding somewhere along the frame. Regardless, the wiring needs to be re-routed through custom drilled holes anyways and get clamped to the frame in a way that accommodates its storage mode.
2013/11/08
Log 2013110801
Ever since I unloaded the expansion floor and folded up the trailer, it seems that my 2008 Chevy HHR sits higher. I must say that I don't understand it because my car should fit 5 grown adults. Regardless, if this is true then the new rear struts are good, but need to be upgraded. I thought I felt that the back end is riding higher, but all I know, it's just my imagination.
Like I mentioned before, I folded the trailer and placed it into storage today. When I got the tool bins down, they might have been 300lbs a piece? And the gear bin wasn't too much lighter than the tools. Between that, the trailer's dry weight, the 5500 BTU airconditioner and miscellaneous car repair equipment, it's possible that I was over my towing capasity. But, it's hard to tell without using an industrial scale. And if I had one, I think it'd be pretty close.
The trailer, gear, expansion floor & twin size memory foam mattress are in the 10' x 10' storage unit. The next thing to do with it is see if my belongings will compact to one side so I could free up my uncle's office that I'm using for storage? To be honest, I'm not really sure it will work? There might be insufficent space in the new unit?
Right now, my bicycle is in the new storage unit until I cut enough plywood to block the windows on my parents shed. And my master portable gasoline tank was emptied out into the car today. As of now, it's empty, but I still have about a gallon of 40:1 mix that I doubt I'll get rid of. In my chainsaw class that I had at Buckeye Trail Fest 2013, I was informed that 40:1 mixed fuel isn't much good beyond 90 days after it was mixed.
Right now, I still have pain in my back from sleeping awkwardly in The Cramper. But its getting better by the day with stretching. Last night, I put a rice filled cold compress on it before I slept for about 42 minutes. The cold disapated too quickly. I'm really looking forward to working out at the gym again.
Like I mentioned before, I folded the trailer and placed it into storage today. When I got the tool bins down, they might have been 300lbs a piece? And the gear bin wasn't too much lighter than the tools. Between that, the trailer's dry weight, the 5500 BTU airconditioner and miscellaneous car repair equipment, it's possible that I was over my towing capasity. But, it's hard to tell without using an industrial scale. And if I had one, I think it'd be pretty close.
The trailer, gear, expansion floor & twin size memory foam mattress are in the 10' x 10' storage unit. The next thing to do with it is see if my belongings will compact to one side so I could free up my uncle's office that I'm using for storage? To be honest, I'm not really sure it will work? There might be insufficent space in the new unit?
Right now, my bicycle is in the new storage unit until I cut enough plywood to block the windows on my parents shed. And my master portable gasoline tank was emptied out into the car today. As of now, it's empty, but I still have about a gallon of 40:1 mix that I doubt I'll get rid of. In my chainsaw class that I had at Buckeye Trail Fest 2013, I was informed that 40:1 mixed fuel isn't much good beyond 90 days after it was mixed.
Right now, I still have pain in my back from sleeping awkwardly in The Cramper. But its getting better by the day with stretching. Last night, I put a rice filled cold compress on it before I slept for about 42 minutes. The cold disapated too quickly. I'm really looking forward to working out at the gym again.
2013/09/16
Log 2013091601
filling master cylinder
I do not prefer using a cyphon pump. I can't get it to pump yet with out plugging one end with my thumb.
My trailer will now carry DOT3 Brake Fluid, a corrosive chemical.
I rebuilt the right rear brake system today and installed a new brake cylinder at 126,563 miles on my 2008 Chevy HHR. It seems to be working. But my brake pedal goes almost all the way to the floor. Also, a new cabin air filer was installed.
I changed the oil, but later found out that I purchased the wrong oil filter. So, I test drove the car afterwards. It does brake, but still, my foot goes all the way to the floor. At present, I believe that it will still haul my trailer, but on county roads and under 45MPH. The trailer's light enough for me to pick up still. At present, I guess that my next camp, Harrison Lake State Park will be about 45 miles from here.
I can rule out the hydrolic brake system's master cylinder as a problem since the brakes were responding today. That leaves only one problem to check... When the previous brake cylinder was destroyed, it unleashed an ample supply of hydrolic brake fluid inside the drum. At which time, the seals on the hydrolic fluid ruptured, causing air to get in the lines. That air needs to be relieved by bleeding the fluid to that brake only.
Now, I just hand crafted a "2nd person." Apparently, somebody needs to depress the brake, while another person releases one of the brake's relief nuts under the car. That "2nd person" is a hand crafted 2" x 2" made to fit between the driver's seat and the depressed brake pedal. What I have to do is release the nut and watch for air bubbles in the leaking brake fluid, while at the same time monitoring the brake fluid resevoir under the hood to make sure it doesn't run out of fluid in the process. She (the car) just has to get me to Harrison and I'll have all the time in the world to get done there. Right now, because of the state campsite maximum stay is 14 days, my time will be up in about 40 hours from now, or 1300hrs on the 18th. She'll do it so long as I bleed it at Harrison.
While I was out, I drove to Napoleon on the old Buckeye Trail route, where I picked up 5 quarts of oil, the proper oil filter, a wire spark plug gapper, a 3/8th nut socket for the oil filter canister and some shop towels. Tomorrow, I plan to spend the day packing and maybe do some more tune ups and repairs.
I do not prefer using a cyphon pump. I can't get it to pump yet with out plugging one end with my thumb.
My trailer will now carry DOT3 Brake Fluid, a corrosive chemical.
I rebuilt the right rear brake system today and installed a new brake cylinder at 126,563 miles on my 2008 Chevy HHR. It seems to be working. But my brake pedal goes almost all the way to the floor. Also, a new cabin air filer was installed.
I changed the oil, but later found out that I purchased the wrong oil filter. So, I test drove the car afterwards. It does brake, but still, my foot goes all the way to the floor. At present, I believe that it will still haul my trailer, but on county roads and under 45MPH. The trailer's light enough for me to pick up still. At present, I guess that my next camp, Harrison Lake State Park will be about 45 miles from here.
I can rule out the hydrolic brake system's master cylinder as a problem since the brakes were responding today. That leaves only one problem to check... When the previous brake cylinder was destroyed, it unleashed an ample supply of hydrolic brake fluid inside the drum. At which time, the seals on the hydrolic fluid ruptured, causing air to get in the lines. That air needs to be relieved by bleeding the fluid to that brake only.
Now, I just hand crafted a "2nd person." Apparently, somebody needs to depress the brake, while another person releases one of the brake's relief nuts under the car. That "2nd person" is a hand crafted 2" x 2" made to fit between the driver's seat and the depressed brake pedal. What I have to do is release the nut and watch for air bubbles in the leaking brake fluid, while at the same time monitoring the brake fluid resevoir under the hood to make sure it doesn't run out of fluid in the process. She (the car) just has to get me to Harrison and I'll have all the time in the world to get done there. Right now, because of the state campsite maximum stay is 14 days, my time will be up in about 40 hours from now, or 1300hrs on the 18th. She'll do it so long as I bleed it at Harrison.
While I was out, I drove to Napoleon on the old Buckeye Trail route, where I picked up 5 quarts of oil, the proper oil filter, a wire spark plug gapper, a 3/8th nut socket for the oil filter canister and some shop towels. Tomorrow, I plan to spend the day packing and maybe do some more tune ups and repairs.
2013/09/04
Log 2013090401
As stated in previous logs, the 32 gigabyte microSD card in the smartphone was filling up fast. That's because I have a massive music collection and their mostly high quality files that on board. 32GB is the maximum size attainable under the SDHC, or high capasity format of microSD card. To get any larger, I would have to go to a SDXC, or "extended capacity" card. My Samsung D-700 Galaxy S smartphone was manufactured prior to the XC's and doesn't necessarily support it, 32mb on the HC's is supposed to be the limit. But I read online and noted other people using higher capacity XC cards on the HC readers and they said it would work, but it's possible it could have a problem and not function correctly on occasion.
Earlier today, I attempted to transfer 5 CD's that ripped to the laptop. What I did was tried to cut and paste the computer's music directory to the card, which apparently was 18.5GB. But before the computer asked me if I wanted to ignore all the redundant items, Windows 8 just came back and told me that there was insufficient space, when indeed there was 3.6GB left and that should have covered it.
While purchasing the replacement trailer bulbs at Wal-Mart in Perkins Township of Erie County, I picked up a 64GB unit for $55. It was a bit of a risk and if I were to have purchased this online, it might have only been just a fraction of that cost. But seeing as though it looks like I won't be returning home to Northeast Ohio soon, I decided to get it there.
The people online were writing that the unit will not work with the factory installed exFAT file format. And that it would have to be formatted to the standard File Allocation Table, or FAT. So, I placed the card in the SD adapter and attempted to do just that from the laptop, but my format options were only NTFS (microsoft), or exFAT. I then safely removed the card from the laptop and tried inserting it into the smartphone. When during the file scan, it aborted and retured an error stating that the disk was damaged. So, I used the phone's format option and it worked. It now picks up over 55GB of storage space.
I'm now in the process of migrating about 26GB of data from the old to the new card. The unit is a SanDisk Ultra 64GB microSDXC. The manufacturer claims that it is "water proof, temperature proof, shock proof, x-ray proof." Which is great for the data, however, I don't own any devices this sturdy.
While I'm at it, my Sony digital camera is making some weird noises when the lens extends. It is not a water proof unit and it probably got some moisture when it was stored on my day hiking pack in the former roof rack when it took on some moisture.
The roof rack bag was replaced. The former unit was water resistant and the one I have now claims that it's water proof. But it was a totally different strapping procedure. I purchased some ratcheting roof straps from Advanced Auto Parts in Sandusky because that the buckle driven factory issued ones would make the bag inconvenient to live out of daily down trail.
The interior of the previous one flooded months ago. The cover had two layers, a thin canvas on top with a thin plastic lining on the bottom. Well, the plastic had ruptures all over the bag. They were like streaks, or tears across its length and many of them. That's when I knew that this bag was done. The old bag had an aerodynamic shape and the new one is "box" like.
The fuel gauge in my 2008 Chevy HHR has some play now. I've notice on several occasions that the car seems to start up with less gasoline than when I was operating it last. And that my drop in fuel did not measure up with the mileage that I last drove it. Well, I noticed today that it was migrating up as I drove.
Other than that, I hitched the trailer last night in anticipation of leaving Sandusky for the campground at Mary Jane Thurston State Park. I noticed that it seems to bounce quite a bit, but that could have been just the wind and US-250 with that light trailer.
Earlier today, I attempted to transfer 5 CD's that ripped to the laptop. What I did was tried to cut and paste the computer's music directory to the card, which apparently was 18.5GB. But before the computer asked me if I wanted to ignore all the redundant items, Windows 8 just came back and told me that there was insufficient space, when indeed there was 3.6GB left and that should have covered it.
While purchasing the replacement trailer bulbs at Wal-Mart in Perkins Township of Erie County, I picked up a 64GB unit for $55. It was a bit of a risk and if I were to have purchased this online, it might have only been just a fraction of that cost. But seeing as though it looks like I won't be returning home to Northeast Ohio soon, I decided to get it there.
The people online were writing that the unit will not work with the factory installed exFAT file format. And that it would have to be formatted to the standard File Allocation Table, or FAT. So, I placed the card in the SD adapter and attempted to do just that from the laptop, but my format options were only NTFS (microsoft), or exFAT. I then safely removed the card from the laptop and tried inserting it into the smartphone. When during the file scan, it aborted and retured an error stating that the disk was damaged. So, I used the phone's format option and it worked. It now picks up over 55GB of storage space.
I'm now in the process of migrating about 26GB of data from the old to the new card. The unit is a SanDisk Ultra 64GB microSDXC. The manufacturer claims that it is "water proof, temperature proof, shock proof, x-ray proof." Which is great for the data, however, I don't own any devices this sturdy.
While I'm at it, my Sony digital camera is making some weird noises when the lens extends. It is not a water proof unit and it probably got some moisture when it was stored on my day hiking pack in the former roof rack when it took on some moisture.
The roof rack bag was replaced. The former unit was water resistant and the one I have now claims that it's water proof. But it was a totally different strapping procedure. I purchased some ratcheting roof straps from Advanced Auto Parts in Sandusky because that the buckle driven factory issued ones would make the bag inconvenient to live out of daily down trail.
The interior of the previous one flooded months ago. The cover had two layers, a thin canvas on top with a thin plastic lining on the bottom. Well, the plastic had ruptures all over the bag. They were like streaks, or tears across its length and many of them. That's when I knew that this bag was done. The old bag had an aerodynamic shape and the new one is "box" like.
The fuel gauge in my 2008 Chevy HHR has some play now. I've notice on several occasions that the car seems to start up with less gasoline than when I was operating it last. And that my drop in fuel did not measure up with the mileage that I last drove it. Well, I noticed today that it was migrating up as I drove.
Other than that, I hitched the trailer last night in anticipation of leaving Sandusky for the campground at Mary Jane Thurston State Park. I noticed that it seems to bounce quite a bit, but that could have been just the wind and US-250 with that light trailer.
2013/07/23
Log 2013072301
I woke up at 0230hrs this morning, had some cerial and laid back down for a while. After watching several hours of Star Trek, I started doing some final packing and loaded items in my car.
The trailer is getting heavy and I normally have to pick it up and slam it down for the hitch coupler to lock. Well, the driveway was down hill and one of the wheels must have drifted out and I missed the mark. That brought the trailer's tounge down to the cement where it pinned my left ring finger against it and my chains. Luckily, I was able to lift it off with getting only a scratch.
The new rear struts did nothing to lift the car when hitched. So far, the back end still sags. With the hitch receiver being so extended, I still have to be very careful when coming up or down curbs, or a part in the road that suddenly drops. The car still maneuvers around turns like it's top heavy. That could be due to the gear in the roof bag, which is a recent edition.
I ate breakfast at Bob Evans this morning where I had an omlet, home fries and orange juice. Afterwards, I got to the VA an hour and a half early. Parking the trailer was easy as I found two spots, one in front of the other on the 3rd parking deck. Normally, I have to park on the 4th deck by dropping the trailer in one spot and parking the car next to it.
I think some people would ask me if I trust my gear there? I do. In a 1.7 mile block, there are 5 police departments. The VA and University Circle is probably the safest place to be in Cleveland. I like to call it an "oasis."
After having a medical appointment, getting a prescription filled, making an optometry appointment and having lunch, I was out the door. And bound for Base Camp Delta at Punderson State Park.
Because the VA in Cleveland's Wade Park closer to the center of the city's eastside, the quickest way to Punderson was to take Mayfield Road through Little Italy, Coventry, South Euclid, Lyndhurst, Mayfield Heights, Gates Mills, Chesterland to Sperry Road, then OH-87. I'm familiar with the route on Mayfield, it was part of my 21 mile hike from the VA to Lake County this past winter.
I'm in Punderson now. It's a beautiful campground, probably the 2nd best that I've ever been to. I believe that I'm 2.7 miles from the Burton Section - Buckeye Trail. Punderson isn't directly on it, so I'm not sure.
The trailer is getting heavy and I normally have to pick it up and slam it down for the hitch coupler to lock. Well, the driveway was down hill and one of the wheels must have drifted out and I missed the mark. That brought the trailer's tounge down to the cement where it pinned my left ring finger against it and my chains. Luckily, I was able to lift it off with getting only a scratch.
The new rear struts did nothing to lift the car when hitched. So far, the back end still sags. With the hitch receiver being so extended, I still have to be very careful when coming up or down curbs, or a part in the road that suddenly drops. The car still maneuvers around turns like it's top heavy. That could be due to the gear in the roof bag, which is a recent edition.
I ate breakfast at Bob Evans this morning where I had an omlet, home fries and orange juice. Afterwards, I got to the VA an hour and a half early. Parking the trailer was easy as I found two spots, one in front of the other on the 3rd parking deck. Normally, I have to park on the 4th deck by dropping the trailer in one spot and parking the car next to it.
I think some people would ask me if I trust my gear there? I do. In a 1.7 mile block, there are 5 police departments. The VA and University Circle is probably the safest place to be in Cleveland. I like to call it an "oasis."
After having a medical appointment, getting a prescription filled, making an optometry appointment and having lunch, I was out the door. And bound for Base Camp Delta at Punderson State Park.
Because the VA in Cleveland's Wade Park closer to the center of the city's eastside, the quickest way to Punderson was to take Mayfield Road through Little Italy, Coventry, South Euclid, Lyndhurst, Mayfield Heights, Gates Mills, Chesterland to Sperry Road, then OH-87. I'm familiar with the route on Mayfield, it was part of my 21 mile hike from the VA to Lake County this past winter.
I'm in Punderson now. It's a beautiful campground, probably the 2nd best that I've ever been to. I believe that I'm 2.7 miles from the Burton Section - Buckeye Trail. Punderson isn't directly on it, so I'm not sure.
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