Wednesday, April 30, 2014

EMERGENCY MOVE!!!!!


I just towed my trailer out of the storage lot where it has been for four years. I am in shock. It towed down the road with out a Hitch! HA HA HA HA HA!!!!
I went on a trip to Washington D.C with Monkey and Mr. Rusk to join with 350.org and the Cowboys and Indian's Alliance.

When I got back from D.C I found my notice of lease termintation.

Due to construction
remove your belongings   construction will be taking place
5 days

So I wired up the running + brake lights with heat shrink tubing and electrical tape
labeling and securing to the frame as I went




My friend came with his truck, but the hitch was too low on the vehicle. The front bottom of the trailer would have gotten stuck on the ground.


So we got it out of the lot.. @ least..... I have gotten a lot of practice now with raising the lowering the jacks and remembering all the things to do.. like chalk the wheels
I called a tow truck with a hydraulic hitch. He pumped up the tires, reached out and grabbed the hitch ball with a retracting arm he operated with levers. It was awesome to watch. I would love to learn how to operate that kind of machine.
Away we went.
backing down the drive way                 wink
I am in a bit of shock.. but it rolled nicely., and didn't get stuck on anything.. tip over.


Friday, April 25, 2014

The Days Are Numbered

I have been working on this home on wheels in this bay for 4 years. It was towed here in April of 2010. It has been a quite respite from the world, a place of creative concentration and meditative reflection. The days here are numbered. The storage company that own the lot is ready to develop it to more profitable interior storage units. Heavy equipment has started arriving to demolish the brick walls that form the bays. The old mulberry tree in the back will be uprooted and turned into fodder. The rabbits won't hop around here any more, the doves will not nest in the vines that cling to the walls, and Monkey will not reign supreme over the junk yard. I have just a few more things to do and my house will be ready to tow out of the lot, on to greener pastures and I will be ready to start focusing on earning the $$ I will need to tow it to Canada!!! It has been a wonderful experience working and living in this corner of the world.... just off the high-way, just off the radar, on out skirts of town.

Monday, April 14, 2014

Everyday getting alittle bit more done!!!!

 Pop-up book making corner in my bedroom

 Up to my old trix! loading a whole bunch of crazy crap in my bike trailer and riding around town with my dog!
 
wood from pallets saved for me @ the jittery Joe's Roaster. These will become the frames to go with the roofing tiles for my ceiling


 
Me and my long time old friend Bobbie! I met him when I was 16 and he always hollers at me and keeps his eyes out for me


 
I got these landscaping lights on super sale @ the hardware store. I mounted them in the basement area of the plumbing compartment so that if/when I have to get in there and work all i have to do is turn the lights on!

 
Nerding out over my plumbing! Do you know how awesome this solid fitting is!!!!! 3/4" ID threaded to 1/2" PEX barb!


 
1" - 1.5" copper reducers, elbows and Ts for the drain i have to build before i can connect the above floor plumbing to the basement plumbing. I need 3' each of 1' and 1.5' copper pipe



 Making pop-up books, gluing covers..
 My crew
 
Finished sealing and insulating the basement as far as I can. All that is left now is the area above the axles, which is open until I finish the plumbing. Today I installed the dishwater trays that will be the frames for the storage compartments


 
Finished sealing and insulating the basement. Today I installed the dishwater trays that will be the frames for the storage compartments


 
starting to build the wheel wells, using wood frames, covered with ISO boar and them will finish with metal. Port side in progress


 
Starboard side before.. shot of MC cable wiring
coming from the back of the trailer to the junction boxes in the front.

 junction boxes mounted facing up so that i can easily get at them from inside in the future
 junction boxes
 wood frame on the right, foam board on the left, wheel well in progress
 into the corner, gonna have to cut away some of the siding to make the wheel well bigger
 
bracket mounted to the frame to receive the exterior lights, holes marked and pre-drilled


 
Nice shot of the bird going into it's nest!


 
Butol on the back of the fixture before inserting screws through pre-drilled holes


 
through bolted to the frame, wires will be joined in the octagon box


 Exterior light! Now that it is installed I can finish insulating the walls!

 
Starboard side, back exterior light




Port Side lights
 
I salvaged all the insulation i could from the rolls that got rained/snowed on. They were wet about three inches into the pieces, so I just cut that away. there are two more large bags not pictured. This is mostly R-30 for the ceiling, with a little R-19 for the walls and R-13 to add to the basement. This is all the rest of the insulation I need to finish
.


I put a few coats of polyurethane on the cherry boar I made to mount the copper bathroom plumbing to. I think it looks nice!


 I made these burlap bags months ago, and am jut now able to install them, now that the sealing/insulation of the basement is completed. There are four of these under the floor storage compartments. The idea behind using fabric bags for the walls is that they wil be somewhat flexible, and if they get a bunch of dirt and crap in them I can juts lift them up and turn them inside out to clean them.. like emptying your pockets! This is not really a priority to finish, but like harvesting low hanging fruit, it is satisfying to have accomplished a project i have been preparing for months.
 The dish washer trays are in, and now I can install the compartment lining, as seen on the right.
 
I love burlap! These sacks are not actually burlap though, they are plastic made to look like burlap.. that way the won't get moldy!


 
Cut away the wheel well opening


 
Recycled burlap sacks for the storage compartment walls.


 
Yes, I am building my house with duct tape . Juts holding the metal i place while I reverse build the back wheel well wall. There is no way i could get a piece of metal in there behind the tires if i built the wall first.


 
Duct tape is the jam


 
Then the foam, had to be cut into four pieces to fit around the bar and floor joists.


 
Then the wood





 
looking back



 
thanks for the creeper Ken Ogletree!


 
I have taken several of these selfies in my door.. add this one to the collection


And one more!
 wiring enclosed
 SHINY!!!!
 my wind chimes were blown apart after all these years, so I fixed them with a hot water heater cap and some kite string
 work bench. building wheel well frames
 Monkey chillin' in the shade
This huge piece of equipment showed up today to start demolishing the lot where my trailer has been parked! I had better hurry up!!!!
Cover the installation with plastic to act as a vapor barrier and also to hold it in place. Ahh.. duct tape!
Bracing the deck hinges from inside with pressure treated wood and steel. The decks need to be installed to protect the glass door in transit.
Hand made hinges, bu Andrew Flage Saint Udio