May is on the move!

Picked up May at Hart RV yesterday. It was a beautiful day for the 240 mile road trip. Stopped on the way up at the Airstream Park to make sure all was well, and to pick up my set of four large wheel chocks. The Park was devoid of people and trailers, but on such a nice warm (45 degree) sunny fall day, it seemed like it should be open and in full swing.

May will need a new shorter drop hitch, as the new axle has raised the trailer by at least 2 inches. You can see in the picture that she is not sitting horizontally even. Today she will go in her new winter indoor home, and the work can begin again. I think today I will be spending time measuring and taking pictures, and get well prepared for the work to begin next weekend. Until then!

FOUND! Winter Shop to work on May!

Just a quick excited post to announce that I just came to terms on a heated shop to work on May this winter! It is 19 miles from my house, out in farm country. I will have the better part of a 40x40 shop from next weekend until April 1st. I will go get her next Friday or Saturday, and back her into her new winter home. Ultimately a plain old newspaper ad is how I found this option. In fact, I had two phone calls from two different parties with 40x40 shops within a few minutes of each other. So for less than $20 and 2 weeks worth of ads, I was finally successful. Soon I am back to work!

Labor Day Weekend Naked Butt!

Yes, I said it, Naked Butt! But first I digress.

Now that the leaves have completely fallen off the trees (exception as always, the oaks), our summer weekly and weekend road (mostly Airstream) travels have also finally come to a satisfying but timely completion. In a way I am glad to be off the road (literal), as it seems I (we) have been on the road forever. At least I have a couple Airstream stories to tell! As the winter and fall breezes are upon us, and time begins to slow down to a Fall and then even slower Winter pace, I will have more time to tell those stories (albeit late). Now on to that Naked Butt.

On Monday September 7th of the Labor Day weekend, I surveyed what I had accomplished on the '64 this first summer of '09, and felt mixed emotions on how far (or not far) the work had come. I learned how to polish, got some actual polishing completed, and put new wheels and tires under May for her to stand and drive on. I made numerous future plans, and began the search for a winter home to work on May through the cold and snowy months. Indoor work space of course, with allowance for power and heat, and that search continues. Ok, really now, on to that Naked Butt!

Being able to work on May only summer weekends that I was free and the weather cooperated, turns out to be not that much time (duh). But what is also now done is the deinstallation of the original rear lights, both running, turn and license plate. I installed temporary stop/turn lights after the picture below (thank you for your help on those temporary lights Jim!). I have wiring issues to resolve before the new and permanent replacement lights will work. This finding of wiring issues should not have come as a surprise to me, and to which some hours where devoted to resolving. Mark it down as just another one of those restoration tasks that was not planned. I spent all that time trying to get the the lighting (wiring) figured out, thought I had it resolved, did not have it resolved, challenged with LED grounding, resolved that, still not working correctly, ahhhhh!! But now you can see what May's Naked Butt looked like as of Labor Day Monday, September 7th, 2009:

I look forward to resolving the wiring, completing the rear polishing, and installing those brand new lights. By the way, look what else is in the rear, under the window, and right above the rear utlities door.

This AAA Emblem appears (and feels) to be stamped right into the aluminum! I will have to do some research on it, and will also look forward to getting a rear view of it when I strip the interior including the interior skin.

Until my next time, peace!