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[VACList] Plexiglass and little things



Hi fellow Airstreamers,

It's been a week since leaving Burlington and our dust bowl parking. Last
evening at Fish Creek CG after we went to bed, the skies opened wide with an
all night rain. This morning the thick layer of dust on our Airstream is no
more. It's gone, gone, gone. We have an almost clean trailer again.

1 - Along with the heavy rain came cooler temperatures and 20-30 mph winds.
There were white caps on the lake 20' behind our Airstream. At 50 degrees
this morning, the wind chill factor was low enough for our 6100 BTU
catalytic heater to get it's first use this year (albeit on the lowest
setting). With a roof vent slightly open and our fridge's access door ajar
at floor level, there was plenty of circulation to avoid condensation.

2 - Not being satisifed with the door closed, I reinstalled our plexiglass
screen door inserts. Now the door is left open for full sunlight and warming
without losing heat. Our screen door became our plexiglass screen door.

The plexiglass inserts were made by me in 1998. I had saved the old
screening material for templates when I put in new screening. From there,
each section of plexiglass was cut and later, filed to fit as needed.

Securing the plexiglass on top of the screening material was done with small
copper wiring clips provided by WBCCIer Ed Wellington. Each clip was broken
in half. The half with a hole in it was saved and bent (one bend) into what
looks like a low slung elongated letter Z.  This configuration matched the
shape needed to secure the plexiglass tightly against each section of
screening and the screen door frame.

The size of the clip hole is the same size as the hole I made in the screen
door frame. Tiny screws hold the clips in place which in turn hold the
inserts in place. I used 11 clips/screws for the big section with three of
them along the upper curved area of plexiglass. They were needed for shaping
and holding that portion against the frame. Eight clips/screws were used for
the lower section. 

It took almost two hours to cut and fit the plexiglass and another hour to
drill the holes and install everything. During warm weather, I remove the
inserts, wrap them in a blanket and store them under the sofa seat beside
the door. The screws and clips are left in the door frame. The screening is
never removed and is always in place ready to keep flies and mosquitoes out
when the plexiglass inserts are removed.

Today, when I wanted to install the inserts, they were within reach under
the sofa and needed only a quick cleaning. The clips/screws were already in
the screen door frame. Generally, I don't drop any clips or screws on the
ground when loosening them before sliding the inserts in place. A piece of
carpet under the door makes it easier to find errant tiny screws. If they
bounce into the grass I don't look, I just replace them from my "stash."

3 - At night, our Coleman lantern sits tall on a 30# Worthington aluminum
propane bottle. I installed a shiny aluminum backing plate - offset from the
globe for directional focusing of light. The wide beam of light fills the
inside of our Airstream.  When we changed from 20# to 30# propane bottles, I
hoped the height would not be too tall (it isn't).  A block of wood under
the lantern keeps it stable on the neck ring of the propane bottle.

Light from the lantern supplements 12 volt lighting when we're boondocking.
Little things are sometimes a large convenience, especially when we've used
more than our normal amount of 12 volt power during the day, i.e. automatic
bread maker, Sandie's curling iron, my Makita battery charger, etc.

4 - This weekend was "Woodsmen's Days" in Tupper Lake (10 minutes away). We
didn't get to see the men and women competing for who could cut big logs the
fastest, but I did see some of the women who were as large and powerful
(bruisers) as the men.

The Chainsaw Carving Contest ended with an auction ($100 + up). We heard the
autioneer all the way across the street in the McDonald's parking lot. We
missed the "Horse Pull Contest," "Tug of War" and "Climbing the Slippery
Pole" events. 

The Big Equipment Contest was this afternoon and included backing up an 18
wheeler along a curving course and positioning it for huge logs to be
loaded. Some drivers drove too fast and lost points when they mistakenly ran
over marker flags. 

All events were held in the Municipal Park and had the usual BBQ food
booths. This was a different kind of festival for us. Life in the north
country woods brings out the crowds just as life along the sea brings locals
to seafood festivals.

More later, 

Terry
mailto:tylerbears@airstream.net