Lehigh Valley Cruise In (AKA DutchDubbers), ..........

[matt]

...Maybe I'll see someone there I know

         Anyone going to this event?

It's this coming Sunday, and supposed to be a nice ride up rt 100
Will be helping Ted replace a front axle in his Toyota  tomorrow, and IF there are no bad things that happen, I'll be going to the dutchdubber show

Matt

[skibumtgm]

Tell Uncle teddy i said hi.  im going to be in the garage getting ready for camping next week so not going ot be at this one.  when are you guys breaking out the roof tent.  i think a rematch is long over due for a foot race.  im fully prepared to loose worse then i did last time.

[matt]

Still working on the damaged tent - camper as much as I can, (my work load is worse at work, and a lot of home projects/repairs are piling up, & just got all the downed trees from the winter storm cut, ................................................... now have to finish splitting the logs (Oooo my back!!!     bawlin)0  bawlin)0  bawlin)0 )     but .. almost done    : :jump4jo":


  Damaged tent frame was very difficult to get off the board. Apparently the company had a machine bend the frame around the board - I had to cut a frame section to be able to remove the whole thing.




Prior to this getting the tent beading out from the frame took about two nights,  &(rage_  &(rage_  no ideas as of yet how to get it back in,   :confused04:;  :confused04:;    again, a machine was apparently used to curve the metal around the lower tent beading... I will worry about that later.  My niece who is a seamstress should be sewing in a new tent screen next week.  Locating a good tent screen was a pain in the butt.  For the  3 inch tent tear, I ordered a recommended top quality patch for canvas tents

Bending out smashed frame



Straightening the frame..







Sourced new "arch supports" which was a real pain to find   &(rage_,     here, placing them to new oak spacers, and large metal reinforcement backing plates - improvement over original design, but about 3 lbs heavier. - New arches  were drilled out for their angle slots  Arch metal is pretty thick, so that was a pain...






............but better than the old aluminum ones!(One of these supports just crumbled when I heated it when I attempted an initial repair - forget doing that!)






But these backing plate will not let the arches will not be pulled out!   -  as the old ones were  only held in with small anchor screws.. and I think that is what gave way in the high winds..  they pulled right through the wood.       These backing plates for each support are not going anywhere.. Note new board  is in, framed,  & waterproofed!








Some of the feet which go the arches and mount to the car were mangled.
Straightened them out, but this caused a widening of the screw slot, to which I had to weld a thin strip of metal in the slot to
make the hole more narrow.   The weld here is done, but not smoothed out - finishing touches needed & slight widening of the adjustable slot. This foot had to be cut in a few places to be moved back - then welded & painted.








Had trial fit to determine exact positioning of the arch supports







I've also have done some welding to make brackets for retractable lifting handles. It took almost superhuman strength to hold the camper over the bug with arms outstretched to put it on. A few times the tent was almost dropped through the bug's sunroof  bawlin)0 - so these handles, which I hope will not bend will greatly ease putting this tent on the bug.



That's about it so far, whenever I have time, I'm working on it!


Should I go to the show or work on the tent?........

[lovebus (jack)]

Work on tent!!!

[matt]

Hmmmm
  Have to see.... what I feel like doing - but maybe you persuaded me..

Hey, you posted that before 8:00 am!  Whoa!  .. were you -walking typing?

[Bob(Herbie)]

Very nice work Matt!  %$oldcit

[lovebus (jack)]

 

Hey, you posted that before 8:00 am!  Whoa!  .. were you -walking typing?

#@rofl3

[skibumtgm]

that thing is coming along nice