Tweaking

Hello everyone!

Well this last week I took a step back to evaluate what I needed to work on and decided to make a few tweaks and changes to the original plans.  You see we purchased an XM stereo for the trailer so we can have our music without interruption anywhere and since it wasn't connected correctly and didn't work I was taking my time putting that back in until this weekend.  This weekend we took a short spur of the moment trip out with our youngest.  It was a, "hey what are we doing this weekend... nothing?  Well let's see if we can't get in at Kirk Creek" type of weekends.

Well we packed everything up that night and waited for storage to open the next morning to get all the trailer stuff (eventually the trailer will be there too when I'm done) and off we went.  I had taken my XM Roady XT to listen to the Belmont race and hockey game without having to scan through my husband's radio.  When we set up camp I looked at my XM and my Ipod home and the XM antenna I had already replaced on the trailer for the stereo and decided to try them all together... success, we had XM through my little Ipod home speaker!  Well this got me to thinking..... do I really need a big car stereo in the camper or could I hard wire my Roady to the speakers and use it and save on another XM subscription.  So we just gain space in the cabin and we have XM radio wherever we camp.

The Roady is about 3" x 3" with the base and you can program up to 30 XM channels.

We had added a weather station before we left and I highly recommend getting one with a storm alert feature as ours has.  The base runs on batteries or we can wire it in and the weather station runs on solar or battery.  It was great knowing what the weather was like before opening the door during the night and in the morning.  It brought over other campers and my husband said, "It's a cool old guy gadget."

I plan to paint the base yellow and add some stickers because we have dubbed it "The Yellow Submarine."

We added a wood base to the tongue and used a flag pole to mount the base to.

Our cabin stayed 73* and the outdoor temps were 64*.  We didn't turn on the storm warning feature because it was a weekender and we already knew it was to be sunny but we will be using this when we head out of state or take longer trips.

I decided to add a pull out shelf I can mount our little butane one burner stove to in the cabinet and I'm going to be putting that in later this week along with some of the kitchen improvements.  I'm going to seal off under the sink so if water drips from the sink hole it doesn't get on the stove or anything under it or damage any of the wood.  We are going to move the battery to the tongue so we can use that cabinet for more storage.  I'm also going to add a pull out to set the cooler on and I think make a curtain so it is hidden too.  This brings me to our curtains!  

I tell you when you are building your teardrop take it out and camp in it as you are working on it, it really does help with setting it up the way you want it.  So I brought the blackout curtains with us that I was going to repurpose into our window curtains.  Well they are great we really don't need them so I am going to turn them into awnings for both doors.  I also decided I am going to create an awning to swing out from the galley and give my prep area more shade without wrestling the easy-up.  It's little tweaks like this you learn as you camp in it a couple times and since we aren't finished it's easy changes right now.  I know for my side of the door I am making a pull around changing area so I can change standing up.  I'm adding pockets to the doors to stow shoes, flashlights, keys, and such in them and easy to grab and go.

A new gadget we are going to be bringing along a 12V powered shower.  California campgrounds are under water restrictions so no flushing toilets or showers until the drought ban is lifted which may mean all season so we want to be prepared. I'll get photos when we have it up and running

While we camped we had a lot of folks again stop in and look the trailer over asking questions.  The hubby is getting used to it a bit more and we had fun answering and giving tours of the camper.  Be prepared you will have company, a teardrop brings out the friendly in people. When we were heading home we ran into a couple that were camping in a tear they rented from Vacations In A Can.  They wanted to camp in one to get ideas for the one they were building.  I opened ours to them when they asked about the size, they may be making theirs a bit bigger now.  LOL

                                      

We were on a hill which reminded us that we still need to have new stabilizer jacks mounted to the frame. 

I see now where I need storage and how to make it work for us better so time to add some new features to the galley.

This time out the big hit when the stars came out were glow in the dark bubbles! These are extremely cool and wherever the bubbles popped they left behind glowing goo which made the field look like there was a firefly massacre on it after 30 minutes of bubbles.

 

The bubbles can be found at Walmart and are an inexpensive way to keep the kids entertained.

The California coast has so much to see and do and one of my favorite areas to photograph.

We went up to Kirk Creek as our first choice but they were full so we went back down into San Simeon SP and camped in their lower campground.  San Simeon SP is a great campground and they actually have two campground in the park, the lower San Simeon Creek and the upper Washburn. 

Washburn is about 1 mile from the beach access and is set up for RVs mainly but we've tented there just fine.  It is not fancy there and do not have flushing toilets or showers but endless skies at night and wonderful hiking/biking trails.

San Simeon Creek is set up for tents and RVs and it has flush toilets and showers but are currently under water restrictions so they are not in use. In the lower camp you can walk under Highway 1 to the beach. About 1-2 miles up the road is Hearst Castle and state beach.  It's a great paddle spot and they do have kayak rentals there.

I'll leave you with another camp cooking tip.  Marinade and freeze your meals ahead and mark them.  It makes cooking easier.  They also making aluminum foil grilling bags which I cut in half and used them as potato bags.  They are extra strong so they can be put in the coals.

Tri-tip, roasted green beans, baked potatoes, and garlic biscuits baked in the dutch oven.

Well I am going to sign off for now but I will be adding more this week as I make improvements and add some touches to the trailer.  Thanks for reading.

Morro Bay SP - Review and camping share

Good morning!

Today I wanted to come back and give a review and share some camping info, I don't want this to only be about the trailer because well once you have one where will you want to take it out and it's always helpful to share information.

We camped at Morro Bay SP which is one of our favorite campgrounds.  It is close to a lot of activities and our put in spot for kayaking is just across the road so we don't have to haul very far.  Morro Bay sits at the mouth of an estuary and if you are mindful of the tides is a great paddle to bird watch.  There is a sandbar in the middle that you will get stuck on if you aren't careful when the tide is going out.  Our brother-in-law has done the drag when he let his guard down one year.  There is a lot of wildlife to see including harbor seals, sea otters, and California sea lions.

Town is just down the road and it has a lot of cute shops and restaurants to cover anyone's tastes.  If you want to travel about 40 miles up the road you will encounter the elephant seals at their sanctuary.  As far as the eye can see they are stretched out sunning themselves or sparing at play.  During the new year the mothers are giving birth on the beach but during this time of year it is the young males and pups enjoying the protected bay and bountiful fishing away from predators.

Morro bay offers beautiful campsite from tents to pull through trailer spaces.  This is an older campground and the evidence of the bygone craftsmanship of the pioneering Forestry Service which includes the stone cooking pits, tables, and wash stations. In 1933 the Civilian Conservation Corps was created to help upgrade campgrounds and new construction projects.  After WWII there was another huge boom in the camping world and many teardrops were born then.  Take a walk and look around at the next camp you are on, chances are you will see the handy work of an era gone by.  They used natural materials that were found locally to create the fire pits, camp ovens, tables, and buildings.

CCC enrollee putting finishing touches on stone fireplace at Allegheny Forest Camp, Pennsylvania, 1937.

Our camp location did not have shade but we came prepared with our easy-up.  The sites range from the standard with fire pit and table to full hookup sites toward the front of the park.  The huge eucalyptus trees host beautiful monarch butterflies and Morro Rock is home to countless sea hawks.

The park is very clean and the staff has always been extremely friendly and helpful.  They are improving the showers and restrooms.  On busy weekends remember to keep a roll of TP with you, you may need it on a midnight run to the loo.

This was our first camp in the lower campground and I was a bit nervous because we call it the war zone with all the kids.  It was remarkably quiet and we loved having the kids come over to chat about the trailer and pirate flag.  Some of the great things we saw when we were out for those camping with kids is the older ones brought their folding scooters and zipped from one end of the park to the other.  As we looked around some of the camps had smaller children and utilized camping carpets and the portable dog playpens as a safe toddler area.  We saw folks with bouncer saucers and the johnny jumps attached to trees.  I would recommend a bumbo and tray for feeding time, they are super soft and weight nothing but are super convenient when feeding a little one in camp or on the go.

There were larger trailers camped with ample room and privacy.

Camping with kids you can come up with some fun entertainment even when the sun goes down.  We saved our empty water and soda bottles and filled them with water and dropped a glow stick into them.  We used the glow necklaces as rings and had a blast playing glow in the dark ring toss.  They come in packs and are inexpensive and after the fun is over and it's time for bed they become great nightlights for the kids tent.

One of the best things about camping is the food!  What doesn't taste better when cooked over an open fire.  We brought our meat frozen which helped keep everything in the cooler cold until we needed to thaw.  I recommend heading into town and look for something that may be local.  Corn and veggies fresh from the farm are always better than from the store.  When we are up around Tomales Bay we love going and getting fresh oysters from the local farms to BBQ.  Oh so yummy.  Whatever your food choices try some local flare you won't be disappointed.

Okay here's a bit of camp cooking 101.  :)  Leave your corn in the husks and cook them over your coals (away from them on the grill) keep turning them then when they are hot and ready peel them back and enjoy.  Good sweet corn doesn't even need butter this way.  Potatoes you can wrap in foil (I like to add a bit of butter and stab them with a fork so it can soak through the skin) place them in the hot coals and rotate them a bit, they are done when you can squeeze them and they are no longer hard.  Now when we are doing steak I like to add my sea salt and sear them in my cast iron skillet then put them on the grill, this keeps them from drying out and gives a great flavor.  After they are cooked I top with a touch of butter then I add my season salt and pepper and let it rest a few minutes so everything has time to settle and so when you cut into the steak all the juice doesn't pour out.  

We brought s'more fixin's and instead of the normal graham crackers I brought some tasty soft cookies.  Our next camp out I'm going to bring some fruits and some other goodies to mix in instead of the norm.  Flavored marshmallows are great and the coconut ones are the bomb when you pair them with chocolate and caramel.

Freeze some of your water bottles before you leave and use them as part of your ice.  Make sure you empty some before doing this or they may explode.  We also keep a shopping tote with us in the trailer, we have come to towns that are very green and you have to supply your own so it's good to have on hand.  Morro Bay is one of these towns.  

I'll leave you with the Cajun duck with dirty rice recipe for your dutch oven (you can use chicken and regular rice if a little spice isn't your thing.)

Cajun Duck and Dirty Rice for the Dutch Oven

4 boneless duck breasts skinned

1 package of Zatarain's Dirty Rice

2 TBSP butter

water as directed on rice package

breakfast sausage in the chub 

cajun spice

Start your coals, you want them ready when your pot is filled.  Line a medium size dutch oven with parchment paper to prevent the rice from scorching.  Add the rice and water according to directions, add butter and pieces of the uncooked sausage.  Place the duck on top and sprinkle with cajun spice.  Cover the pot and now it's time to take it to the coals.

Make sure that the coals are placed evenly around the bottom and top of the dutch oven to ensure it cooks correctly.  Ours is a rounded top and a bit trickier to stack coals on than the flat top ones but it makes a mean meal.  Here are a couple of charts to help you.

I kept this at about 325* for about 45 minutes (while we set up camp), keep an eye on your coals and replace them for longer cooking times.  I only checked this once to give the rice a quick stir then let it cook until the duck and rice were tender.  It had been over 15 years since the last time I used mine and it's like setting up your crockpot and one of the easiest ways to make a camping meal or dessert.  Cornbread and chicken dumplings are divine in the dutch oven, I highly recommend adding this to your chuck box.

Have fun and stay tuned for more!

I'm Back!!!

Hello everyone!  Sorry for the long delays between sharing.  Ever feel like there just aren't enough hours in the day sometime, well that is what happened to me.  Oh there has been so much that went on for the month of May so where to begin.... well let's start in the beginning of the month.

Aside from putting all my free time into fixing the multitude of issues on this trailer I work a regular job of 40+ hours a week and as if that wouldn't keep me busy enough I also sit as President for wonderful nonprofit charity that assists law enforcement families.  Sharing this with you leads me into why May was off the charts busy.
Every year during May the nation honors all the fallen officers during Police Week.  Our organization runs a booth in DC during the activities and our Auxiliaries host numerous memorial events statewide.  This puts me and the Board of Directors into a flurry of activity managing everything from merchandise to memorial arrangements.  My heart is completely devoted to assisting the law enforcement community and making sure the families know they are never alone.  My plans were to go to DC this year to assist during the week long events but I couldn't because my extra money has been diverted to fixing this money pit.  During this time of year we are also scanning, processing, and scoring hundreds of scholarship applications for the WBTB Law Enforcement Children's Scholarship which is awarded in May.

Auxiliary T-shirt fundraisers going on during May.

Participating in Police Week was a huge success and our committee is already working on plans for next year.

Okay you can start to see it is a busy month, this was only part.  We decided to take our annual Mother's Day camping trip because I was very depressed over missing the opportunity to attend Police Week in DC.  We chose one of our favorite state parks that was close.  I was excited because this was also the first time all the girls and our new grandson could go since the older girls entered the workforce.  About three days before we left the older girls canceled due to getting called into work.  Well that left Bill, myself and our youngest.... still a good time so we continued on our plans.

The day before we left we got a surprise, our feral cat had four kittens.  They were healthy and cute and momma was taking good care of them.  Okay off to camp!  Morro Bay was wonderful and it was a great way to test everything I had done to date.  Our first evening there was very windy and I decided while we set up camp I would dust off my dutch oven skills and cook dinner while we set up.  On the menu for dinner was Cajun duck, dirty rice, and stuffing.  I loaded my dutch oven and set it with coals and went on setting up camp.  With the new tongue jack it really made stabilizing the trailer so much better and wow pulling it was a dream!!

This was the first trip since we put in the new wiring, insulation, and walls (I had brought my trim hoping to get a chance to work on it in camp....no such luck.)  With the battery fully charged we turned on our galley light and man oh man was it great!!  It didn't dim like it had before we rewired everything when Bill turned on the cabin light or when I tested the new charging port I added in the galley while I charged my phone.  Lights that work!!!  That was success!!!

We had a great visit from another Tearjerker member on Sunday.  It was great chatting and hopefully we'll see him again at their next gathering.  :)  Camping in a teardrop brings out the social in everyone and even the kids through the camp loved coming over to watch the pirate flag, especially the girls since it was a sugar skull flag.

Dinner was excellent and I guess I wasn't as rusty as I thought I'd be using my dutch oven.

These are the memories we live for and why we trusted to have the trailer built for us.

You can see we still have a lot of work left but we did enjoy the trip and learned what we needed to work on.

Dutch ovens are great, the crock pot of the camping work...set it and forget it until it's done.

Our Mother's Day feast was slow roasted buffalo, sweet corn, and sweet potato with sour cream and chives..YUMMY!!!!

I bought glow sticks and glow necklaces for glow in the dark ring toss,as you can see huge hit!  We recycled our water and soda bottles and filled them with water to use for the game.

After we returned it was time to get back into work..... well we thought we would.  We came home to the kittens and after 1/2 a day home it was clear momma met her end while we were away.  I had the kittens gathered up and went out and picked up supplies to start bottle feeding them.  A heating pad, basket, and some towels and we are in business.  It took awhile to get them eating well but it was worth the effort.

After getting them eating well my girlfriend agreed to take them and raise them for us.  I was so happy I know they have a great home.

Okay so this brings us up to this weekend and getting back into the swing.  It was a struggle I won't lie because the desert summer has started early and we battled 100* heat all weekend.  After measuring and cutting all my wood I started assembling the back wall frame that I secured to the existing frame and affixed the fuss box to the new back wall.  Once it was in I added the insulation and called it a night.  I'm going to add the back wall and then add the new galley shelf so then I can get the cabin cabinets and nose cabinet.  The to do list gets smaller but of course new issues pop up.  We still have to address the galley lid issue.

The new back wall is coming together with the insulation and framing in.

The new fuse box looks so good and everything works like a charm.  I'm very proud of my wiring skills.

You can see the existing framing behind the new wall frame.  The pink wood there is the wood I added behind the aluminum Crybaby used as our back wall.  This is now very stable and with the insulation it is now warm too.

This was a nice way to get back into the swing of the trailer but man I could do without the heat!

Stay tuned I'm going to try and get the wall up and the galley shelf in before the weekend.  Thanks for staying tuned.

Our welder is the Bomb!!

Well that didn't take long, it was so very nice to not only have been given a completion date for the welding but then to have it done early and beyond fabulous! I had expected that I wouldn't be blogging again until next week but I got a text this afternoon from our welder and he was done with the trailer!

He had to remove the red powder coating on part of the tongue so that the weld would hold properly.  We went over the welds he used and how he added a bar to hold the chain, then when we went to put the wheel on it wasn't the right one.  Oops, the neck wasn't wide enough but that wasn't an issue, we walked back to his shop found the right one and then we got to watch him in action.  Man oh man he made it look like a walk in the park.

He was such a pleasure and was worried because he didn't have chairs so we could sit.  I giggled and told him I was just happy to watch him work.  I enjoyed it thoroughly watching him measure everything out with ease, welding, grinding, and buffing things out to a beautiful finished product.  He asked if I wanted him to paint it and I told him it doesn't need to be that pretty it only goes on to move the trailer around.

Just about the time we were swinging the trailer around to hook it up his lovely wife came back from the store and asked how we liked his work.  These folks are like part of the family you just feel so at ease with them both.  He chuckled and said he can guarantee that hitch and tongue jack were not going anywhere and would last a lifetime.  He saw the front corner where the side skin doesn't fit right and fixed that the best he could so it wouldn't leak.... we didn't even ask him to.

He loved the work we had done to it and said we have a ways to go but he can see we are putting quality into it and eventually it will be a lovely trailer.

Watching the master at work.

A weekend off last week and with the welder this weekend

I am sorry I took last week off from the trailer.  My father came out for an unexpected but welcomed visit and it gave me a chance to show him the trailer first hand.  He was overwhelmed with how the trailer was, what still needs to be fixed and was so proud to see the work we had put into it and how far it has come.

My trim came last weekend but since I spent time with my dad I waited for this weekend to put it in.  We also received the new Bulldog trailer hitch rated at 3000 lbs and the new forged steel bulldog a frame coupler. Well that turned a bit too when today we took the trailer over to the welder to have the new coupler and tongue jack installed.

Our welder is amazing, 45+ years with aerospace as a machinist/fabricator.  He is responsible for four (4) of the Mars robots which are all currently still working and running on Mars as I type this.  This man knows his stuff and is super nice.  Once he took a look at the trailer he exclaimed, "Well here's your trouble with the trailer jack, he bolted the coupler on and didn't weld anything so your tongue has been flexing which tweaked the jack.  Well that and he didn't use washers here with the bolts which is a big no no."

 

Here is how our tongue jack is tweaked to the side, we use the blocks to stabilize it.

Here is one angle you can see he didn't weld our frame as they claim they do for all trailers, they didn't even use washers to install the coupler properly.

No washers were used with the bolts and the tongue coupler was never welded.

We paid for a front tongue shelf which was never installed or refunded.

He remarked on the quality of jack and hitch we brought to him and said this is the best quality he has ever had someone bring in, it was the best quality anyone could install to a trailer and complimented it was a perfect setup.  He is pulling the old coupler and tongue jack off and he is welding our tongue, coupler, and jack together so it will be one piece and we will not have any future issues.

We went through the other issues we'd be returning to have repaired or installed too.  The front tongue shelf that was never installed.  We were told not a problem he'd be so happy to weld one for us.  He said the under the bed shelf would not hold anything and that it will be tricky, he'll have to climb under and really take a look..... a project for the future.  He and his wife laughed at the stabilizer (car jacks) that were installed and said when I have the new ones they wouldn't take anytime to weld on right.  When we take it back next time we are having the trailer welded in all the joints like Crybaby claims they do but didn't to ours.

So our trailer is with them now and we will pick it back up later this week once he has completed the first of many welding projects we have for him.

Our new forged steel a frame coupler.

This is the best trailer tongue jack and fits right into the a frame coupler for a perfect hitch set up.

Once we have the trailer back I'll post photos and show you how it looks put together right.  We will feel so much better now knowing that our tongue jack won't fail and our trailer won't come unhitched while we are towing it.