Had a good time

 Hello everyone,

Didn’t get a lot done this past week. Had our grandson for a few days in the first half and went to see our youngest son In Tennessee for Christmas.

Had a blast all week, Christmas with the youngest son was really fun.

Got home on Christmas Day and then on Sunday I repaired the garage door that was broken and installed one of the running boards on the new van.

Started on the driver’s side but, as has been the case lately, all of the hardware wasn’t in the kit. I’ll go this week to the hardware store and pick up the few things I’m missing. Should get all the electronic gear ordered and start pulling wires this week.

Today we’re having Christmas at the oldest boys house and I’m going to bake cookies and get myself spruced up this morning.

Hope everyone had a good Christmas and I’ll talk to you soon.

TVI

Moving along

 Hello everyone,

Been doing mostly new van work. Put up things temporarily to get an idea of how it’s going to lay out.

The new fan is installed, except for wiring.

This will be the basic setup. The walls behind the seat will be the “water closet”, the box in front of the seat will hold the batteries and the electronics. They’ll all be done is materials like the bathroom walls.  There’s going to be shelving above the seat and the bed plus some storage and shelving opposite the bathroom and seat.

Hopefully I’m going to start the wiring this coming week but, we’re going to Franklin to see our youngest son for Christmas about midweek. So, most of it will get done next week.

We’ll, I think that’s all for now.

Talk to you soon,

TVI

Still at it

 Hello everyone,

It may not look like it but a lot is happening. A lot of work on the new van, Thanksgiving week with our youngest son and a great trip to Branson, Missouri.

Let’s start with the trip to Branson.

First pic is at a winery on the way home, great folks! The third picture was the waking view at the winery beautiful!! The second and fourth pictures are in Branson, very pretty country.

Since we’ve been back, we’ve moved along pretty good with the van. The wife has carpeted quite a bit of the white metal, and I’ve gotten most of the bed cut out and fitted. I’m almost to the point of running wires.

The boards in the bottom pic will hold our chairs and our awning. The third one down shows the carpeted parts. The first one and you get an idea of the bed and storage underneath. I have all the parts cut for the bed and I’ll post a pic of that this coming week plus the intention is to install the new roof fan in the next couple of days.

We’re going to order the batteries and start getting the electronics here and then I can start running wires.

I think that’s all for now.

Talk to you soon,

TVI

Lots happening

 Hello everyone, 

Well, we’ve been cutting more wood, still not finished. Still better then we were.

I’m about at 3 1/2 rows.

The wife picked up some racks for storing the new bikes in the garage and I put them up the other day.

Plus we’ve been working on the new van. Got the sound deadening in, some insulation, and the flooring installed. 

The flooring is sitting with weights on it at home and we took a trip to Branson, Missouri. Our youngest son was home for Thanksgiving for the whole week, we had a ball. He left on Sunday and we packed up and headed out on Monday. The wife had the week off this week and so off we went!

When we get back, I’ll start building the boxes for the bed so I can get an idea of where all the electrical components are going to go and be housed and ran. I need to get batteries still so I can figure out where they’ll go also.

Well, I think that’s all for now.

Talk to you soon, 

TVI

Kind of an about face

 Hello everyone,

Yeah, it’s unfortunately time to set the bike aside for awhile. For now probably into February. I’ll still be getting parts when I can but, I won’t be working on it for now.

The reason is, well, actually several reasons, but, first and foremost is this;

The wife and I bought a new(to us) van. It’s a 2020, with 5000 miles on it. It’s taller, so I can stand up in it, longer, so I can make a proper “ water closet”, and I can upgrade the electrical system so the wife and I can go on longer trips.

This project is on top of finishing the wood and putting down the new floor for the kitchen.

The wood for an entire winter has to fill the platform in the top pic! So, there’s still a lot of wood to cut. The floor in the kitchen has become a little bigger project also. We’re going to put bead board on the walls in the laundry room as well as put the same flooring down as the kitchen and mud room and half bath!! Woo hoo!!

So lots to do and it all needs to be done before I can get back to the bike.

We’ll, I think that’s all for now.

Talk to you soon,

TVI

Just a quick add on

 Hello everyone, picked up a couple of more parts for the bike this week.

The kidney shaped tool box and the rear crash bar. The rear bar was a bargain because one of the tabs is missing, should be no big deal to repair.

Hopefully get to those soon.

Finally got the glue for the flooring and, as expected, the wife wants it done first!! LOL!!

We’ll, I think that’s all for now.

Talk to you soon, 

TVI

Sorry about that

 Hello everyone,

It’s been awhile, not much has been going on really. Picked up some parts for the bike at a local auction. Mostly doodads, and a few needs.

I just picked up a tool box and rear crash bar also, off of eBay. So, I’m still collecting parts, just not a lot of progress.

I have gotten some wood cut, although not near enough yet.

The wood shed next to the stove will probably last until December, depending on the weather, but that’s all I have stacked up at the moment! Lots more to do and very late start!

Went to our last concert in early October, saw Lynard Skynard In Indy.

We spent the last few weeks dealing with the “cooties”! Wife got sick first and then me. Almost fully recovered just not a lot of energy.

We ordered ourselves a couple of Ebikes, and they arrived over the last couple of weeks. I got them put together and charged up, and I have to say they’re pretty cool so far. Haven’t had a chance to ride them far yet and still trying to find a rack for the van to haul them around with, but I think they’ll add to our fun quotient a little bit!

Well, other than trying to get my energy back, I think that’s all for now.

Talk to you soon,

TVI

Moving along

 Hello everyone,

Pretty much the same as last week. I’ve ordered a bunch of parts for the bike, even got one very cool piece for the sidecar. This is the spare tire wheel lock.

It was a little expensive but about 1/2 the price I’ve seen them sell for in the last couple of years. I also signed up for a local auction and hope to pick up some parts there also.

I’ve got everything ready now to start cutting wood.

That job will start tomorrow. Outside work is always good here!

Still waiting for the tile for the kitchen catastrophe. I’ll start on that when the wood cutting is done.

No concerts for a while, but have several weddings to attend in the next couple of weeks.

Well, I think that’s all for now.

Talk to you soon,

TVI

Just the usual, until this weekend

 Hello everyone,

The past couple of weeks have been slow progress on the bike and just mowing and weed whacking etc.. 

BUT, this past weekend was a big switcheroo! Started out on Thursday, took the grandson out for his birthday to a go cart/ game place and had an absolute blast!! Everyone but his mom came,( she had school meetings unfortunately), and our youngest son( who lives in Tennessee).  We played laser tag, raced go carts, ate pizza and just had a blast!!

Got up the next morning and drove to Cincinnati, and saw Billy Joel Friday night!

It was a great show! We’ve seen him several times now and it is always really good!

So we messed around Saturday and ended up spending the night at a winery. Pretty nice place out in the country, got up early on Sunday and drove to a park just down the street and spent a few hours there. Went for a walk, had an extra cup or two of coffee and then drove to Dayton Ohio.

We drove to Dayton to see the 2021 Motorcycle Cannonball Race. If you’ve never heard about it, look it up! These are all pre 1930 motorcycles, that they drive about 250 miles a day for roughly 14 days! These people who are the riders, are all tougher than boiled owl, as my brother would say. There were 88 drivers that started on Friday in Michigan and on Sunday the were still 84 running bikes. There were 9 women also racing! The oldest bike was a 1909 Harley, and the oldest rider was 84!! I’m telling you that still, sitting here this morning writing this, I am absolutely amazed that these people on these bikes do this every couple of years! These bikes are worth a fortune, and most of the time you only see them in museums, and yet, here they are out racing for 3600 miles!

After spending the afternoon and evening with these people and listening to all the stories and joy, I’m quite inspired to finish mine, and get some joy and have some stories to tell as well.

We’ll, I think that’s all for now, today is travel home day. I’ve got my parts list made up for the bike and should have everything ordered by the weekend for the next few steps in the process. Wood cutting starts this week as well. Still waiting for the tile to come so that project is still in the offing.

Talk to you soon,

TVI

Had a minor catastrophe

 Hello everyone, 

Progress has been slow on the bike for the past couple of weeks. Managed to get a few pieces in place but that’s about all. 

Went out to Shipchewanna for a few days, ran up into Michigan and went to the Gilmore Auto Museum, which was pretty cool. Came home and had some things to take care of and then….

Catastrophe struck!! The little plastic water line for our ice cube maker in the fridge broke, luckily I was still awake when it happened but, I was outside and I’m not sure how long the water was spraying!! I got it shutoff but it ruined our floor in the kitchen and part of the dining room. We had 10” wide southern yellow pine plank floors and this buckle was not the worst of them!

I waited about a week with fans and a dehumidifier running before I ended up having to pull it all up. 

At least I won’t have to pull up the underlayment. I guess we’re going to go with some kind of tile, and at the same time we’re going to do the mud room, laundry room and the powder room.

So, with wood cutting and this project it looks like the bike will get shoved back for a month or so.

That’s ok, I’m going to order some parts while I’m waiting, so when I get back to it they should be here waiting.

Went to a couple of concerts this past week. Saw Daryl Hall and John Oats last Thursday and last night saw The Doobie Brothers! Both were really fun concerts! 

As far as this week goes, kind of the same old same old. Mowing, weed whacking, weed pulling stuff. Might do a little on the bike, if I can squeeze it in.

We’ll, I guess that’s all for now.

Talk to you soon,

TVI

Kind of a slow week

 Hello everyone,

I fought a summer cold for about 10 days, and finally got over it in the last couple of days. 

So, that being said, I didn’t get a lot accomplished this past week. I did get the pickup truck fixed and back running again. That took awhile but it’s done.

I also got a few parts ordered for the bike. The linkage for the sidecar brake to the bike is here, I need to make the holes slightly bigger and I got the bike brake return spring and it’s installed. I’ve got some parts ordered to mount the headlight and, when they come in I discovered that I have a piece of the front fork assembly on in reverse. So, when I get those parts in I have to take the front end apart anyway to install the slider covers. Then, when I reassemble it all the pieces should be on there and not have to come off, plus I can get the front brake cable installed and make sure it’s long enough. I stuck some 4” risers on the bike and it feels more comfortable at that handlebar height.

I’ve been doing the mowing/ weed whacking thing. That is an almost full time job here!!

We’ll, I think that’s all for now.

Talk to you soon,

TVI

Well, I got a little excited

 Hello everyone,

So, for the first time in a very long time I have a summer cold. Seems weird but, still have it. 

At the moment I still don’t have the parts for the pickup and I was going to sand blast the side car frame before I put it on the bike. We’ll, I couldn’t wait to do it so….

I stuck it on there so I could get a feel of what it is I’m actually building. I’ve only driven one sidecar in my life and that was around the block many years ago.

I like it so far. That said, I had sandblasted and painted most of the parts to mount the body on and so…

Now the body isn’t bolted down yet, I think I mounted the rear holder upside down. I need to swap it around and see if it levels the hack out some. I still have to put on the new tire, it’s shorter by about an 1 1/2”. I just have it hooked on there, no settings or anything, but I’m really starting to get a feel for what I’m creating here and I really like it!

I’m thinking that, I’m a little ahead of schedule, but there is still a mountain of things to do.

Today I’m house sitting at my oldest son’s house. He had a new pool installed and I’m here to let the electrician in to finish up the install for the pump.

Hopefully in the next few days I can do a few things on the bike. The parts for the truck should be here on Wednesday or Thursday. I need it put back together because I’m still trying to sell it.

We’ll, I think that’s all for now.

Talk to you soon, 

TVI