Time permitting, I’ll cover it tomorrow about how we drove most of the way to Homestead to get some special case-hardened steel [replacement] bolts for my camper wheels. All I can say about metric fine thread is that it is too easy for an amateur like myself to crossthread. And doing so cost me $15 for four new bolts.
We again talked about a place up country but I’m leery of spending any money before the economy shows some signs of going either way. Also, I don’t do partnerships unless there is very little other choice. And the days of that are long gone. We also did some grocery shopping and what did I tell you? Everything in Publix is now $5.00. A melon, a package of pistachios, a few slices of turkey breast.
That didn’t stop us from making okra-cheese spaghetti and lacing it with hot pepper. JZ bought a bulk pack of that pepper two years ago and it somehow retained full potency. We were talking mainly about phlebotomy. Honestly, although I’ll learn the bedside manner, I’m more interested in the analysis end than details of anatomy and physiology. I can pass any test, but careful of misinterpretation: high marks on an exam do not indicate any interest in a subject on my account, I may even detest or disagree with the material.
We wound up having a lengthy discussion over mis-named veins¹, during which I learned plenty about why blood samples use veins. In fact, the process of taking the blood sample is called venipuncture in the textbooks. My feeling is the course I am considering cannot possibly cover as much in twelve weeks as JZ says I have to know. I have one high-school chemistry course, which I passed not because I could visualize the reactions, but because I’m good with formulas.
At the deli mentioned above, we walked past Hooligans. Or what used to be Hooligans. For a reminder, this is the place I never liked the few times we went there. It was full of the type of middle-class people I don’t care to even meet. They are not generally an intellectual crowd and pay far too much attention to other people’s business. This is also the place that cut the lock on JZ’s bicycle and impounded it because he had chained it to a handicap signpost on the sidewalk. No warning, nothing, just took his bicycle.
Speaking of padlocks, JZ and I also bought some at Home Depot. He wanted to go to Target, but I wanted to spend the money and get the best locks commonly available, Master locks. Those who buy cheap locks must not value their property like I do. I replaced the lock given to me by the robotics club because despite a bath in oil, it would still jam in a half-closed position that was not really locked. A healthy tug, if you kept trying, could dislodge the shackle. I could get away but decided not to risk it.
On the way home, I stopped at Alaine’s, who inspected the camper and asked all the correct questions. Why the bigger wheel size? How will I stay warm in the mountains? What are those pieces of electronic gear? Her husband came out for a peek, but that guy is a specialist engineer and I was almost shy to have him look at the best I could do. Alaine gave me a card for the trip, a patron saint. I put him in the windshield.
Last, it was not part of the planned test run, but I drove the sidecar and camper home on the freeway at night. It does have a sweet spot at 48 mph. As stated above, return another day, probably tomorrow, for a synopsis.
¹To me, a mis-named vein is any whose medical term is misleading as to its purpose or its location. For example, the cephalic vein does not go anywhere near the brain or have any nervous function, yet is too similar to cephelatic. They are plain too easy to confuse. I am also against the naming of any biological entity as anything it is not, like “whale shark”, “rice grass” or “Swedish ivy”. It’s like calling a squirrel that glides a “flying fox”. It is not colorful, it is plain dumb.
ADDENDUM
The camper is dominating every day now and I want to hit the open road within 36 hours. Open road means no freeways, in case you just got here. I’ve been questioned about weight and I want to emphasize that my concerns for weight were over distribution, not total pounds. A motorcycle won’t pull a lop-sided load like you could get away with using a car. All current designs being marketed as motorcycle campers weigh in the 260 to 345 pound range and are easily pulled by a 900cc or better bike. My unit weights in at 265.
Other campers lack the solar panels and require a connection to the towing vehicle to operate. My unit can function independently and only uses motorcycle electricity to trigger a relay to the brake lights and turn signals, which are super bright LEDs powered by the solar panels by day, by the on-board battery by night. My camper is designed only for barely comfortable sleeping, not for evening lounging or entertaining. I already know it will save enough real money that there is no need to haul food along. Stop at the nicest places.
Furthermore, my camper is not a final product. Though I would love to discover there is enough electricity for a microwave oven or small cooler, but that was never a consideration when I began. The “roof” of my camper is removable to expose all the innards that might need M&R. This feature also means I could convert the camper from a hatch entry to a swing up roof or a roof that actually rises up to any practical height.
The Honda sidecar is far more stable than a motorcycle. It is rated to tow 1,440 pounds, meaning I could pile on another 605 pounds. I prefer a light trailer, as backing these things up is tricky. My camper can be moved with one hand. Another nice thing is the low weight means the camper does not rut even fairly soft ground and it will easily roll over lawn grass. (That’s something the motorcycle can’t do. It sinks almost instantly in any wet soil.)
Overall length is 14-1/2 feet, so I can park the cycle-camper combination in a regular car space, but always taking care that I can pull out by driving forward. The camper is not noticeable when towed and does not affect the motorcycle handling. But I’m expected a penalty in my already-anemic gas mileage of 33 mpg. Only long-distance trips will tell, but when they do, you get tales from the trailer court.
I’ve never used a tent camper, but I don’t believe the wild claims they are easy to use. I think unless you are into gymnastics, a set-up take-down camper still requires the standard half-hour before you get underway in either direction. They are also insecure and too conspicuous when unattended. My camper stays clamped on the hitch unless I park it in a compound. Facilities are easy to find on the roads in America, at least anyplace I’m likely drive.
And remember, this frees up the side car trunk for gas cans, cables, and emergency gear. I’m happy to have brought this camper along at a low enough cost that leaving it stored won’t cost me anything and it won’t lose much value when not being used—something the other campers [camp trailers] may have difficulties with.
