I suppose it has been a while

It has been quite a long time since I was last able to sign into this blog and do anything with it.  It seems like google has taken over absolutely everything, and navigation has to start and end with google.  I personally do not care for all the attention that it demands, and consider it spying.   There ya go, google, I said "SPYING"! Now I am sure to get a visit.....

 Now that I am signed back in, finally, I still am having trouble negotiating the blogging tundra.  I'm sure that sooner or later, luck will be on my side and I will do something that works, maybe even save a worthwhile post.  Meantime, I will just try to catch up with the subjects at hand.

The Airflyte arrived home safely.  It was welcomed into the stable of Shastas.

The first matters at hand seemed to be cleaning it up.  It was still going to need to be torn down for repairs, but the need to see its potential was great.  I believe spending time "bonding " with it helps to sort out how best to proceed.  I began to understand a lot of the amenities, and the versatility of the setup of the utilities.  There are certain options that make it possible to camp with or without hookups at a campground. One of the more curious finds was the adapters in the light sockets.  They held a 12-volt automotive bulb in place, and apparently was set this way so that the system could be run n the woods on a 12-volt car battery.

I found a few of the original parts, like the slats for the dinette bed.  The table does not make the surface of the bed, it is too narrow to span the bases of the seats.  The slats make the support of the span, and the framed seat cushions make the bed.

Proper supervision is important.

Times were different in the early 60's....

The interior cleaning was followed by a proper bath outside.  the roof was a bear.  It had the rot of leaves from decades past coating the roof rather tightly, and took some extra effort to clean off.  But once it was cleared away, it was even harder to surrender the trailer to the rebuild process.

I was in the process of attempting to round up parts and materials for the Airflyte when I last left off.  The parts have been slow coming, and the materials even worse.  The good part of it is that most of the original parts to it are still good, and usable.  The really tough part is that it seems like birch paneling in 1/8-inch thickness is more rare on the East Coast than people who have ever heard of it.  I have a source but it is a two-day trip to round up a few sheets of paneling.  The things we do for love....

One of the last things that happened before the dismantling began was a test with the 12-volt battery.  The markers did not want to work, as they were all quite rusty and impossible to get a ground.  However, with no effort at all, the rear lit up, for probably the first time in 30 years.

Today, it remains in a torn-down state, living in the crumbling shelter of our "portable garage".  The need for finishing this is going to get to be pretty great, just so it can be moved to better shelter.  There is a lot of framing to be done, and  I am wanting to do as much of the framing and interior paneling together as possible. 

 It is hard to believe it has been sitting nearly 3 years now.  I hope to get something done with this one soon, I can't wait to take it out and use it.  We moved it out of the tent a couple weekends ago, so that we could do some repairs to the shelter.  It was good to see it out in the daylight.
There is plenty of story to follow that explains why it has been on the back shelf for so long.  Stay tuned.