Sunday, Feb. 3, 2013, Guerneville, CA.
Stayed home today to get some stuff done.
When I woke this morning the sun was shining so it looked like a good day to do a little painting under the van, as it might be warm enough for the paint to dry. So I moved the van out into the sun and started the packing process while I waited for the sun to warm up the van.
The canned goods box.
I went though the canned goods in the van and put a red mark on all the cans still in the van from last time and then added a lot more for this trip. Since I’ll be out in the desert most of the time, without much cold storage, canned goods are going to get used a lot this trip, especially since I have to stay away from corn products, which means I will not be able to eat out too much, as it’s just impossible to stay away from this corn stuff.
Painted a bunch of rust under the van and fixed the exhaust too.
After a couple hours I got under the van and started spray painting some of the rusty stuff under there. I was painting my gas tank and noticed the exhaust pipe was running very close to the gas tank, so I started the process of moving it over a bit. Of course the clamp nuts were frozen and one of the hangers was too short. I found a new clamp in my junk and welded a piece of metal to the short hanger and put it back together, much better now.
Epoxied the old vented gas cap too, good to go.
I’ve been meaning to get a new locking gas cap for the van as I don’t need a vent in the cap anymore as it now has it’s own vent system. Instead of buying a new gas cap like I’d planned, I put some epoxy in the old gas cap vent hole and called it good. Saved twenty bucks or so doing that.
Fabricated a latch for the new side door heater.
After that, I made a new latch for the new side door heater. That required some grinding and welding. That came out ok and I checked that off the list.
Sorted out the tools and parts in the van.
Next, it was time to go though all the tools and parts I carry. I wanted to made sure I had what I might need and I also was trying to move some of the tools I use more often into the new space under the new heater in the side door, as this spot is much easier to get to when I need a tool than digging them out in the back. I wasn’t real sure what to put where, but I put things where I thought they should go. Once I start to use these tools, they will end up where they need to be.
Where oh where do I put this stuff?
I moved and shuffled things around a bit trying to find places things would fit and also be in useful places for the use of these things.That’s not so easy in a little ol van, as there are lots of little places for things, but most things are too big for most spots.
I worked on a few other things and before I knew it, the day was over. Backed the van back in the carport for the night and called it a day.
I still have more packing to do, but I got a good start on it today. I still have at least a week to get it all together before I leave for Arizona so no hurry on that, but now I know what I still need to get as far as food.
The new TBI fuel injection system is a real peach.
Just moving the van in and out of the carport was a pleasure now that I have fuel injection in the van instead of a carburetor. Just start it up, no choke. It runs without dying. No restarting the engine and slipping the clutch and none of the barely having enough power until it warms up, anymore. The van is just a lot smoother running with the new TBI injection system. I’m very happy with that, so far.
Had a great day.