2 1/2 Days Journey - A trip to P&S Trailer in Ohio

This is not about May, this is about a journey to drop off our 1990 34' Excella for winters work at P&S Trailer Service in Ohio. Thanks to buddy Brad for joining me on this trip, and all the planning we did on May and his '57 named Holly. Both these fine Vintage trailers will be side by side in a shop that Brad and I rented starting this coming November 1st. We spent our many hours on the way to and from P&S planning, sharing, changing, and planning again what we are going to do with and to our trailers. Brad had some significant changes that he brainstormed for his plans for Holly, and I look forward to seeing his updated drawings. A '57 front bedroom? It sounds great to me!

The above picture is just after we arrived and dropped the Excella off the hitch. P&S is also a working farm, so yes, it looks like a farm house in the background. The 2500 Duramax/Allison Chevy was flawless as always.

A shot from the road looking at the farm. Check out all the shinning aluminum! There were also another 4 trailers in the buildings under going work at present.

A closer view of trailers and one of the "barns". Steve at P&S could not have been more hospitable to us when we arrived. Thanks to him for taking about an hour to show us around; ON SATURDAY no less!

More trailers awaiting various repairs, or possible sale. P&S also sells pre-owned Airstreams.

I of course have a soft spot for these old Shasta's. Readers of this blog will note my earlier coverage of the first trailer I camped in about 1964; you guessed it, a '59 Shasta.

1578 miles (round trip), 2.5 days, 6 states (should have been 5, but Michigan got thrown in for good measure, by accident), 13.4 MPG with the trailer on the way to Ohio, and 18.4 MPG without the trailer on the way back to Minnesota, and we managed to talk, plan and laugh the whole time. Thanks again to Brad for joining me on this trip. As for the Excella, I can't wait to see her again next Spring, with new clear coat, awnings, Fantastic Fans, new power supply, new tires, and a extensive but minor list of other items.

So May will move into her 6 month "winter" shop on November 1st. I am way pumped up and ready to get to work! Until next time.....

Work on May will soon begin again!

Please wonder no longer as to what May has been doing all summer. She has been on vacation! About the only thing that I worked on all summer was the few minutes it took to remove this flag box from underneath her. Note the box was open to the front, and you can see all the dirt and squirrel nuts that accumulated towards the back of the box. I am not saving this box as it really has no historical significance for me, and I will use retractable flag poles when I get that far along, so no pole box required.

I was very lucky in one regard this summer. I decided that I did not like working on May while I am at the Airstream Park, so I brought her home around June 1st. Since she had to sit on the front, south facing, black top driveway, I found very few days that were conducive to actually working on her. It was just plain too hot. I tried working on some rivets on the back tail lights, but decided the only right way to finish that project is to buck rivet. So there she sat in the driveway, with me feeling slightly guilty for not getting any work done. And then August 13th came along. The Airstream Park was hit by a MAJOR, and I mean major, hail storm! Many, many trailers were totalled. Our '90 sustained $18,800 in damage! I know of one trailer that sustained over $35,000 in damage! But were was May? She was safe in my driveway at home, no hail dents. Watch this blog for some pictures and text from a soon upcoming trip to P&S in Ohio.

I have decided working on any trailer in the outdoor elements is just about impossible for me. I have no Sun shade, and no way to duck the elements. My hats off to all the people that have restored Airstreams while being 100% out of doors. Again this year, I have rented a shop to work on May, this time for 6 months starting on November 1st. It is a very nice shop, only 12 miles from my house. And this year I will have company! Buddy Brad is joining me in the shop rental, and Holly, his 1957 Overlander will be working side by side with May! I am very jazzed! I covered Brad's acquisition from Doug (Tinman54) this past February. You can find Holly's thread on the Airforums here. We will be out of the Minnesota Winter elements, heated, with plenty of space.

I am off for now, but will soon have road trip pictures on the way to and from P&S in Ohio, and May restoration pictures once I get under cover again in a little more than 2 weeks! Until then....