Nothing like a day off puttering in the yard. I underestimated the time to make the wagon waterproof but when it is done, I’ll caulk every seam with silicon anyway. The biggest task this afternoon was installing the piano hinge, something I’ve never done before. It works great, but use a punch to start your pilot holes dead center and take your time. Hardware was the only big mistake I made, I bought hinges that “close” instead of “open”, another gem I discovered by trial and error.
The form of the unit is complete and all the moving parts fit nice and snug. I will disassemble it piece by piece to put the final paint layers and ensure all the bolts are tightened as a unit. I don’t think we’ll have any trouble passing muster at the DMV. I think if anything, the rig is over-built. We even have a cover story, that it is to be used as a parade float.
See the fake box over the tongue? That’s where my feet go. It will be painted dark green while the rest of the box is black. The lid is removable to make it a regular utility trailer. I don’t know if you can see the hinge across the back. The solar panels rest on the flat area on the front. I can easily upend the trailer with one hand and push it back into the space beside my workshed. It also sits perfectly level to the ground while on the hitch—that was planned last year in Denver when I had the hitch installed.
Ta-da! I’m no carpenter or electrician or mechanic. And if this project had taken much longer I’d have needed another vacation from building it. This is what 90 hours of labor look like, and yes, I fully realize it took me twice as long as necessary. I’m not a genius like everybody else in the small towns I grew up in. I know they were geniuses because they never made mistakes, were experts on everything, and knew what was good for you. Every damn one of them.
And did you know that in Florida, they suspend your driver’s license without notice if you miss a child support payment? That’s the kind of activity that ensures the DMV will always get the kind of respect they deserve from the general public. Technically, Florida demands you get a driver’s license if you “engage in an occupation”, enter a child into school, or “establish residency”—even if you do not drive or own a vehicle. Now there’s three more issues that tell you how well the Florida DMV knows how confine themselves to motor vehicle concerns.
Last, this blog does not publish comments. If you feel strongly about something and wish to express a point of view, please create your own blog. This blog is my opinion, not a forum or a debating society. I read all e-mails, but respond only to general requests for more information as published daily. Do not send me your notions here, I don't want them and they go straight to my recycle bin. Furthermore, this blog is hardly going to stop because of a few disgruntled losers who don't like their report card.
This blog is openly hostile to the stupid, the uneducated, and the boring. Those who send me lame commentary fit that bill exactly.
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