Day 575, Ready to come home!

The Travaleze is basically ready to come home.  There are just a few little items that they want to finish up, but all the major projects are complete.

The interior of the Traveleze complete.

After work, I had my workout and then I headed to straight to check on the trailer.  The weather outside was snowing and cold.  Inside, the trailer was warm and it had a cozy glow gleaming through the windows.  Justin, his brother Jeff and Anna were there and a good friend of theirs George.  George is one of the king pins in the trailer world around the Northwest and he was checking out the Traveleze.  If it passes George's approval then its really has got to be something.  He loved the trailer and was very pleased with what he saw.  I still couldn't stop grinning from ear to ear and to get the nod of approval  from George, really made me feel good.  Justin and the team at Flyte Camp have really out done themselves and they have every right to be very proud of what they accomplished, I certainly am.  I just can't wait to get it outside and go camping.

I brought another box of goodies for the trailer and put a few of them out, so we could take a few pictures.  I have received several great gifts over the last year and a half, all meant for the trailer, so I wanted to put them in the trailer.  I had also purchased a few items for the trailer and it was time to finally put them out. 

It is really an amazing little trailer and we all just stood around it looking at it and smiling.

Day 574, More work on the Traveleze

The new blinds in place.

I had to look at the pictures of the Traveleze several times throughout the day.  I still can not believe how great it looks and I really can't take my eyes off the big whitewalls and center caps.  I'm not sure what it is about them, but whitewall tires just make me smile.

After work I headed to Bend and I brought along with me a few items to put inside the trailer.  I brought the lamp shade, just to see how they would look, the vintage spice rack that I had bought and a Pendleton, Glacier Park blanket I bought in Sisters.  The lamp shade took some adjusting, but I got them to work.  I really need to find smaller bulbs and something that gives off less heat.  The spice rack looks awesome and I plan on attaching it with double sided sticky tape to the stainless steel back splash just above the stove.  The Pendleton I thought would look great at as a bed spread. Now all I need to do is find some good sheets.

The Pendleton blanket on the bed

The highlight of the visit to the trailer was the fact that they had installed the wood blinds and they look amazing!  They had a bit of a challenge with attaching them to a curved wall, but they did a fantastic job getting them to hang appropriately. The trailer is really turning out better than I had I had imagined.  The restoration work is top notch and even though it's a completely rebuilt, it still has the characteristic and feel of a 62 year old trailer.

Day 573, New wheels and tires for the Traveleze

New white walls and caps

It was a big day for the Traveleze.  Justin is back from a two week tropical escape and the first thing he did was to get the new whitewall tires mounted on the new rims.  The Traveleze has an usually long axle and the moon caps didn't fit over the ends.  Luckily, Justin had another set of caps with a elongated bullet point that worked and the with the chrome trim rings looked amazing.  At first I thought they looked like "Turkish Nipple Armor", jokingly, but seeing them in person, I thought they looked great.

The Traveleze almost all done.

The entire trailer is nearly complete and tomorrow they will hang the blinds and other than polishing and some door trim, it should be ready to come home.  Naturally however, there is snow on the ground and the next big storm is coming in tomorrow.  I asked Justin about  having one of his guys polish it, but I really should get my butt in gear and do it myself.  I was so happy seeing the tires on the trailer and seeing it all come together.  It's been a long journey and a learning process for both Justin and myself.  I am very pleased with what Justin has done and the end result is a real work of art.

The new awning on the Traveleze

The awning for the trailer had arrived too, so we got it out and attached it to the trailer.  The awning is the perfect finishing touch and it looked fantastic.  The colors and strips add a vintage feel and a little extra creature comfort to the 50's camping experience.  I can't help but wonder what it would have been like to have bought the Traveleze new and to have gone camping in 1950?  Hopefully I will be able to re-create that experience as close as possible.

I also, can't help but wonder who bought the little trailer new and what did they pull it with? I know the family who owned it since the early 1960's and they still live in La Pine, Oregon. I plan on contacting them when the trailer is done and sending them some pictures. 

Hopefully this new life for the Traveleze will be less stressful on it than its first and hopefully it will be treated with lots care over its next 62 years.

Day 572, Sunday, church and cars

I am so happy with my new bed and last night I slept like a rock.  I laid in bed until 8:30 am and I could have stayed there another hour.  It was the perfect Sunday, I got up slowly, had a nice breakfast and spent the morning picking up around the house and listing to music on Pandora. 

At a little before 11 am, I headed off to church and I stopping to pick up my good friend Doug along the way.  For the first time, in a long time, we were early and actually beat the choir before they came singing in.  This is the first Sunday of Lent and there was a good attendance.  The music was good, the sermon was good and it was an all around great morning.  Just before church got out, I received a text that Rick was ready for me to bring the engine over.  I texted back that I would be on my way within a half hour.  Doug and I left immediately after the service and took Doug home and then I drove home to change cloths and get the truck.

Heading to Prineville

It was a beautiful morning and I was soon heading to Prineville to unload the engine and to share with Rick the pictures I took of the 53 Mayfair.  Rick was working on his 1970 Corvette Stingray that has been giving him fits with the brakes.  I helped him with bleeding the brakes and fixing the one pop-up headlight that was stuck. 

Rick had the engine out of my truck in a flash and he was pleased with what I had picked up.  We of course don't know what the inside looks like, but as long as it's not internally cracked we have something we can rebuild.  He was going to call the engine shop tomorrow and see if we can get it right in.

Packard 282 engine stamped 8-28-40

I spent most of the afternoon hanging out with Rick and we talked extensively about the 53.  There is a lot of work to do there.  It is a great car to work with, but it pretty much needs to be completely restored again.  I really love the car and would love to have it and restore as I go.  Much of the work that needs to be done immediately will require the rest of the restoration to follow quickly.  Rick gave me a number where he thinks the car should be and then I need to determine how much I'm willing to move from that price to meet the owner wants for a price.  This is always the part that causes me to freeze, from the fear of offending someone.  I just need to think what I want to do and move from there, it's a business transaction and finding the middle ground is what its all about.  One thing for sure, the 53 would look amazing pulling the Traveleze.

It was a beautiful evening and I finished up a few chores around the house and just enjoyed the remainder of the weekend.  I even caught the last hour of Oscars on TV.  At bed time it started snow and it looked like it had the potential to really amounting to something.  I guess I will just have to wait and see what happens in the morning.

Day 571, A cold snowy day.

A light dusting of snow, February 25, 2012

I went to bed around 1:30 am last night, or is that this morning.  It was windy and stormy all night.  When I woke up around 7 am, it was snowing and blowing sideways.  I closed my eyes and fell back to sleep for another 45 minutes.  It was so nice not to have to get up in a hurry.

There were the usual weekend chores that I needed to do and I was behind on laundry, so I got up and started the first load.  The kitchen was a mess from last night and I cleaned up the mess from all the Seattle trip.  The cats were demanding their breakfast too, so I fed them.  Why they will not eat the cat food that is in the bowl, I will never know.  I always have to give them a scoop fresh from the bag out on the deck.

A Packard 282 engine, waiting to be rebuilt.

I sent a text off to Rick to see if I could bring the engine over and I was eager to tell him about the 53.  As it turns out they had a funeral to go to and we scheduled for tomorrow.  I spent a little time looking at the engine in the back of my truck.  It looks pretty crusty, but I think it will be a good core and we hopefully will be able to rebuild it.

The only other outing for the day was to head to Vet to pick up shots for my cat.  As it turns out he is vitamin B12 deficient and I get to give him shots for the next 12 weeks.  I hope this will show some results and I can get some meat back on his skinny bones.

I couldn't help but think about the 53 Packard all day, it consumed my thoughts.  I calculated the cost for bringing her back to her former glory.  The cost quickly started adding up, body and paint work $10-$15k, interior $5-$7k, new window felting, rubber doors, trunk and top seals, rust repair etc.  I could easily see myself spend another $25-$30k on the car, but wow, would it be stunning.  A lot of this could happen over time and I wouldn't have to rush on restoring the car.  I would definitely want to fix the floors and give her a tune up.  The hydraulics would need to be fixed, so the windows and top were functioning.  The rest could be started in stages over the years.  Of course I have to have to have a hitch attached to the frame as soon as possible, so I can tow the Traveleze.

It was a nice day and enjoyed being home and just puttering around the house.

Day 570, The Seattle endurance run.

I don't know what possessed me to think it was a good idea to drive to Seattle, up and back in one day, but that was the plan.  My friends Tracy and Christian had signed on for the journey and we were leaving bright and early.  Christian was at my house by 5 am from Bend and we then picked Tracy up about 5:20 am.  The estimated travel time to Seattle was 6 hours, give or take, depending on traffic.  I had my truck fueled and loaded down with everything I thought I might need to bring back an engine block for my 42 Packard.

Naturally, I was not feeling good and I couldn't stop coughing, despite my medication.  I probably should have cancelled the trip and gone to see my doctor again, but I wanted to go.  I drove to Sandy, Oregon (about a hundred miles) near Mt Hood and we stopped for our first rest stop.  I was really starting to feel crumby and I thought if I could rest a bit it might help, so I let Christian drive.

Tracy in back, Christian driving and myself.

We made great time and actually arrived at Takwila, WA just south of Seattle, at 11 am.  I was feeling much better and was happy I was making the trip.

The plan was to meet the owner of the 53 Packard Mayfair convertible at noon, so we had time to eat and do a little shopping.  There was a great shopping and restaurant complex right next the warehouse area where the Packard was being stored, so we had lots of choices.  We were all hungry and ultimately decided to go to iHop.  Afterwards, Tracy went shoe shopping and Christian went to visit a Verizon store, which is the company he works for.  The timing was perfect, Tracy had two new pairs of shoes, Christian had a nice visit with the store and I received the phone call that the Packard was ready for us to visit.

1953 Mayfair Convertible

A few minutes later, we were at the warehouse to see the Packard.  It was even more impressive in person than the photo.  I started to look the car over from top to bottom.  The owner had done a great job explaining the condition of the car.  He had said there were rust issues and I found them.  The trunk area being the worst.  The front floors seemed to have held up better, but had a few holes too, as is common with most convertibles.  The car sounded good and all the doors were solid, trim was good, interior needed work, but nothing told me to pass on the car.  Probably the biggest surprise was the amount of crazing and fatigue that was happening at the back fender area where they are welded to the body.  The paint was getting ready to let go and this area will require attention soon.  I took lots of pictures which I will show to my friend Rick (who restores cars) to get his his expert feed back.  Christian and Tracy loved the car, and so did I.  The owner of the car was a super good guy and I told him my plans to show the pictures to Rick and get his input.  He was more than accommodating and assured me he would work out a deal if I was interested in the car. 

It's always a fine line when buying a car that needs restoration work, knowing what needs to be done, the costs involved and then not paying too much up front that it sinks you, is always a balance  Since I have to hire almost all the work done I can't invest much sweat equity.  Buying a car already restored is almost always the best way to go for someone like me and it eliminates the frustration of restoring a car.  However, I have always followed my heart and buy what speaks to me and unfortunately this car is speaking to me.  I fear an expensive restoration is in my future.

A wet 1949 Packard Custom

From Takwila, we headed an hour north to Marysville, WA to pick up a Packard 282 engine to rebuild and put in my 42.  With the help of Christian's GPS, we got there with no problems and our timing was perfect.  Naturally, it started to rain, but we still had the opportunity to look over a huge collection of Packard parts; I was in heaven.  Christian was in awe and was snapping up pictures to send to his brother in Denmark, where big American cars are few and far between. It only took about 20 minutes to have the engine loaded in the back of my truck and we were soon heading down the road and right into the heart of rush hour traffic on a Friday.

Seattle rush hour traffic

The traffic was unreal and what had taken us an hour to drive up was taking us three hours to do going home.  In all it took us 6 hours to get out of the State of Washington and we arrived into Portland at 8:50 pm, which gave just enough time for Christian to run into the Ikea store for a few items he wanted.

After a quick pit stop and refueling, we were on the road and heading for home.  As we started to climb the pass over Mt Hood, the rain and road glare was a bit much for Christian and we switched, so I could drive us home.  The roads were very hard to see in the rain with the glare of on coming headlights, but the rain soon turned to snow.  The snow was easier to see in but harder to drive on so I shifted into 4 wheel drive and kept going.  It was really snowing hard and it was actually nice to have the extra weight of the engine in the back.  It was a long three hours, but we were finally made it home.  I dropped Tracy off at 12:10 am and I was back home to my house at 12:20 am.  Christian then had to drive another 20 minutes to get home.

It was a long journey and one that we kept describing as crazy.  It was crazy, but also boarding on epic.  We had a lot of fun, just talking looking at the scenery and singing to the radio.  It is definitely a trip we will all remember.  If all goes well, the 282 engine will be rebuilt and live on for many years in my 1942 Packard convertible.  And as for the 1953 Mayfair, I might have just found the perfect tow car for the Traveleze. I just need to talk myself into it and run some numbers.   One thing for sure the memories of this road trip are priceless and will live with us for a lifetime.

I wouldn't have, or couldn't have done this trip without Tracy and Christian.

Day 569, A beautiful day!

It was nice to wake up to full sun after yesterdays overcast skies and high winds.  It set the tone for the whole day.

There was really nothing to notable about today, it was pretty much business as usual.  I made a few arrangements for tomorrows road trip up to Seattle and hopefully every thing will fall into place as the day unfolds.  Trying to calculate arrival times with Seattle traffic is virtually impossible, but with cell phones and texting I think I can keep in touch with the my two appointments.

At 5:30 pm I have a Son's of Norway meeting and Tracy was going to meet me at my house to ride in together.  I had stopped off at Lowes on my lunch and picked up several repair items that were requested for the Lodge and I figured I could get most of them accomplished before the meeting started. The meeting was long, but they served us dinner, which was very good. 

Tracy dropped me back off shortly before 9 pm and I wanted to head straight to bed to get a good night sleep.  I coordinated with Tracy and Christian and we should be on the road at the crack of dawn.

Day 568, Not a heck of a lot to report

It was a pretty uneventful day.  I took the cat Scrappy back to the Vet for more blood work and spent another $250 on 16 year old cat.  They told me he was worth it for all the love and companionship he provides.  I looked the cat straight in the eye and said "hear that, love and companionship does not mean bring me a live mouse at two in the morning".  They are hoping that with this next series of tests they can pin point why he is loosing so much weight and we can correct it.

My workout was at 4:30 pm and boy was I stiff.  My trainer had me do all kinds of stretches and rolled my back on a foam roller that really worked out a lot of knots and popped my back numerous times, it felt great!  My sinuses have still be bothering me it makes it hard to breath when my heart rate is up.  I managed to survive and I actually felt pretty good when I left.

I got home about 6 pm and it was getting dark.  It had been super windy all day and the temperature was starting drop, but I wanted to wash my truck.  It has been covered in glycol and I wanted it washed off.  I don't think it has been washed in nearly two months and it needs it bad.  It only took me about 20 minutes, but by the time I was done, the water was starting to freeze on the surface.  I quickly dried it off and put it in the garage. My hands were freezing!

I checked on the chickens and refilled their feed and collected only one green egg.  I spent the evening napping on the couch with Harris (the other cat) and listening to music.  It was a great evening.

 

Day 567, Back to work

It was great having a three day weekend and I actually woke up before my alarm.  Maybe it was the new bed or the extra day off, but whatever it was I felt great.  I checked my emails over breakfast and I received an email from the Packard parts guy.  He has the engine I want and said I could come look at it, but he would not have time to break it down and check it out.  This could be a bit of a bummer for my Friday plans to pick it up and to see the 53 convertible.  I sent an email back asking for some clarification and I hope I can pick it up.

I was up and out the door on time and I spend the first part of the morning sorting through emails and four days of newspapers.  The day was busy and productive with a business After Hours and a Ribbon Cutting for the Hospital's new family birthing center.   As a work days go, this was a really good one.

53 Packard hood ornament

I was glad to be home with enough day light to check on the chickens and to let them out for quick run.  There were the usual two eggs and with fresh water and a replenished food dish they were back in for the night.

The owner of the 53 convertible sent me several pictures and I couldn't help but get somewhat excited about the car.  I know it's orange and it has a few issue, but it's really a neat car.    I can just see the car pulling the Traveleze, but I'm envisioning a different color.

Day 566, Presidents Day

Scrappy going to the Vet

It was so nice to have the extra day off and I had planed to sleep in with the alarm turned off, knowing that I could sleep as long as I wanted.  Unfortunately one of my friends wasn't aware I had the day off and texted me at 7am, jarring me out of a sound sleep.

I had a huge list of things to get done including taking my 16 year old cat to the Vet to see if we can do anything for his weight loss.  $214 later we had taken some blood for tests and I was out the door.  This once huge 20 lbs cat is now 7 lbs.  I'll know more tomorrow after the test results are back, but at 16, I'm not expecting much in terms of good news.

Mattress in place

I took the cat home and then headed to the Post Office to mail my tax information to the accountant.  At this point I have done all I can do and hopefully he can figure out the rest from here.  The next stop was The Mattress Factory in Bend to pick up the mattress for the Traveleze.  I was anxious to see it and see if it fits.

At the store the mattress looked great and they quickly loaded it in my truck.  It was a short distance to Flyte Camp and the Traveleze and I was a little worried about it fitting into the the tight space.  I cleaned out a few items in the trailer and then walked the mattress on my back from the truck to the trailer.  It took a little maneuvering, but it fit in and it was perfect.

Traveleze coming a long, needing polishing, wheels and tires.

I spent the rest of the afternoon, cleaning out the garage and trying to put resemblance of order back in place.  After several hours I actually felt pretty good about the appearance of the garage but I still way too much "stuff" and I need to clean out every cabinet and drawer and get rid of most of it.  With a lot of the garage picked up I was actually able to vacuum the carpet in the garage that boarders the cars.  I went inside for dinner and was please with my accomplishments for the day.

Day 565, A beautiful Sunday

I slept so great in my new bed, it was incredible, and I laid in bed until 8:30 am.  I got up and fed the animals and then started my favorite task of the year, sorting through  my receipts in preparation for preparing my taxes.  After about an hour of sorting receipts and filling out my tax workbook I had everything ready to send to the accountant on Tuesday.

Church was at the usual time and my buddy Doug was gone for the day, so it was just me.  The service was very good and I always enjoy hearing our Pastor speak.  It was kind of a sad service however, a good friend of mine and her husband are moving to Seattle and this was their last service. We always sat together in the balcony and it will weird not having them there. They have the truck packed and are driving up for good tomorrow morning.  I am going to miss them terribly.  I did tell them that I am looking at a Packard convertible in the Seattle area and that I hope to get up there on Friday.  It would be great to see them if we can connect and as it turns out the car is about 10 miles from their new home.

A 1952 Packard in Carolina Cream, a much better than orange

I have come up with a plan to head to Seattle next Friday and pick up a 282 Packard engine that I can have rebuilt for my120 and then I can swing by and check out the 1953 Mayfair when I am there.  As it turns out the 53 had the engine replaced in 2006 and the guy who I am buying the 282 from, thinks he has the original engine from the car.  I am going to get him the Vin number from the car and he will go out and see if can find it.  He said he has over 50 engines.

I called the owner of the 53 and told him I hope to come up on Friday if that worked with his schedule.  He was very pleased and was happy to get me the Vin number, so I could try to find the original motor.  Even with the car being orange I think it will be great fun and someday I can return it to it's original Carolina Cream.

It was a beautiful day and I was finally feeling well enough to do a little work outside.  The first thing on my list was to get the Christmas lights out of the trees!  It took me about an hour and they were all down.  They sure come down a lot faster then they go up.  It was so nice I even let the chickens out and I kept my eye out for the red tail hawk.

Tomorrow I hope to be able to wash a few of the car and especially my truck!

Day 564, A restful sleep

Third time is a charm, when it comes to beds.  I finally got a bed that feels great and supports my back and isn't too soft, or to hard, but is just right. 

I had a long list of errands I wanted to accomplish today, so I was out the door around 10 am.  First thing I wanted to do was run to Fred Meyer and buy some foam to put under my mattress to give it more height.  This new bed is not as tall as the old mattress, so I figured a piece of 3" foam between the mattress and box spring would give it the height I wanted.  Fred had the foam and I stuffed two pieces of it in the trunk of the BMW. 

1942 Packard 120 suspension parts

From Fred's, I headed to Prineville to check on the Packard, and to give Rick a transmission manual I have to see if it would help.  I also wanted to give him a copy of the Central Oregon Magazine which featured the Apex Awards and the yellow Corvette that he built for our friend Jon.  The manual turned out not to be of use, but he enjoyed seeing the Corvette.  Outside in the driveway were all the suspension pieces of my 42 Packard.  They had all been power washed and next week they well be sandblasted, primed and repainted.  Rick has ordered all new bushing and will completely rebuild the suspension.  The transmission is a still a bit of an issue and I took several pictures of the broken and damaged pieces to send the parts guy in Seattle.

I talked to Rick at length about the 53 Mayfair convertible and  he thought it would be a good car and one worth looking at.  I need to make a trip to Seattle to look at it and to pick up a 282 engine for my 42.  Perhaps on Monday I will jump in the car drive up there.

From Prineville I drove to Bend to go to Costco.  I wanted to check out their eye glasses and see what how their costs would compare. I had ordered a pair from my eye doctor's office and the cost after insurance was $445 for basic glasses.  At Costco I could get a pair for $199 and then turn it into my insurance and I should get $150 back, making the glasses $49.  I order them on the spot and will get them in about a week.

At 5:30 Tracy, Christian and I were all going to the Sons of Norway Appreciation Dinner.  We figured it would be fun and since I'm the President of the lodge I really needed to be there.  There were 65 people in attendance and the food was excellent.  We all stayed to help clean up and headed for home around 10:15 pm.  It had been a long day and I was really starting to get tired.

Day 563, TGIF

It has been a long week and I was very glad it was Friday.  The weather was beautiful, but the forecast for late in the day was for rain turning to snow on Saturday.  I worked through my lunch, so I could leave at 4:10 pm and run pick out new glasses (which they had ordered in for me to look at) and then take my mattress back and bring a home a new one.  Tracy said she would go with me, so by 5:00 pm I had the mattress loaded in my truck when she got to my house.  We drove to Bend and picked out the mattress I wanted, third time is a charm and we headed back to Redmond.  I had also called my Doctor one more time, as I so tired of coughing and I know I still have a sinus infection.  They called in prescription for antibiotics and I'm hoping this time it will kick it.  We stopped on the way home at the pharmacy and then the grocery store.  After running those errands we headed home to unload the bed.

At 6:15 pm our friend Christian, said he would bring us dinner.  He brought stuffed chicken breast with a broccoli cheese and rice stuffing that was fantastic, and a salad.  I had picked up a loaf of garlic french bread and Tracy made a pan of brownies for desert, which we served warm with french vanilla ice cream.  Dinner was amazing and I was so stuffed afterwards I could hardly move.

53 Packard Mayfair from the back

We finished the evening by playing a game called dice and watching the movie The Curious Case of Benjamin Buttons.  We all had a good time and it was a fun way to start the weekend.

Also, during the day I had received more pictures of the 53 Packard and I can't help but think this is the car for me.  It's a funky color, and it needs some body work, but I still think it has potential.  If nothing else it has convinced me that I need a convertible to pull the trailer.

I couldn't wait to get to bed and try out mattress number three.  This better be the one, or I'm going to go crazy.

Day 562, Leadership and Sons of Norway

It was a full day with the Leadership program today covering the topics of Government and Legislative.  We spent half the day talking with our city officials and then the second half we traveled to Bend to meet with our County Commissioners, our aids to our US Senator and Congressman and then a phone conference with our State Representative.  It was a great day and many of the class participants said it was the best yet.

After class, with my friend Tracy and Charlie from my office I asked if would be OK to stop off at the mattress store and finalize the final switch of mattresses.  They both said yes and they wanted to try them out and see what all the fuss was. The store proprietor thought I was nuts bringing in a back up crew to test the mattresses.  Tracy and Charlie both agreed on the one I had picked out, so hopefully this will be the bed that is "just right".  I have a feeling I will be called Goldilocks for years to come.

At 6 pm Tracy and I had a Sons of Norway Audit Committee meeting at my house.  There was just three of us in the committee, but the audit needs to be done in order for us to be eligible for Lodge of the Year.  We met for just under two hours and review the procedures and the numbers and we felt that everything was in order to the best of our abilities. 

It was a long day and tomorrow is Friday!  I'm very much looking forward to my last night sleep on this mattress and tomorrow I will take my truck with the mattress back to Bend for the exchange.  Friday night will be clean sheets on new mattress and this mattress saga will hopefully be over.

As for the chickens, two eggs, one blue, one brown.

Day 561, Wednesday

It was a beautiful day and work seemed to cruise by quickly.  At 3:45 I left work for Bend and my workout.  I also needed to drop off an award from our Annual Dinner in January to the recipient, who just happens to be located right next to my gym.

I had a great workout and manage not to cough too much.  For a while there I thought my cough was going away, but not I'm not so sure.  It's really getting annoying.  Following the workout I headed to the Sons of Norway building to pick up the mail for Tracy and then over to see the Traveleze.  I doubled checked the measurements for the bed and then I drove over to the Mattress Factory and custom order a bed.  I paid more for the bed for the trailer than the one I'm battling with at home.

After returning home I placed a call and had a nice conversation with owner of the 53 Packard Mayfair convertible.  He is going to send me more pictures and I'll have to do some serious thinking to see if this car is the for me, and the Traveleze.  It sure would be a conversation piece if I hooked the two of them up together.

Tomorrow is Leadership Redmond, so it's early to bed.

Day 560, Good news about the Packard transmission

It was spitting snow off and on all day today and the temperature hovered around 31 degrees.  It was the perfect day to stay inside and work.  Today was our monthly Board meeting, so it was a very busy day.

I was very pleased to receive a phone call from the Packard guy that I bought the transmission from and he is fully willing to stand by the transmission and provide the parts and the manuals to get it working.  He is really a good guy and it was nice to have assurance and support.  He also has a 1941 282, block which is exactly what I need for the Packard, so I might have to make a trip to his shop to pick it up.  It will need to be completely rebuilt, but it will make my Packard more valuable to have the correct motor in it.

1953 Packard Mayfair

I also received an email from a Packard Club member about a 1953 Packard Mayfair convertible that is for sale from another club member.  He sent me pictures of the car it looked great, with only one problem, it was painted orange!  The original color was Carolina Cream, so if I bought the car it would have to be painted back to cream.  I can just see pulling the trailer with a Packard convertible, WOW that would be something to see.

I actually got home today with plenty of day light to actually let the chickens out for a bit.  I stood right with them as they ventured out for the first time in months.  I keep my eye out for hawks and they enjoyed scratching and pecking the ground.  They have been pretty consistent with laying one brown and one blue egg a day. With fresh food and water I put them back in the pen and closed them in for the night.

Day 559, Packard transmission issues

Service manual for Packard transmissions

Today I got call from Rick who's working on the Packard and he wasn't happy.  It turns out the very expensive transmission and overdrive I bought for the Packard are in sad shape.  I was told they were good from the seller who runs a large Packard parts business and I trusted him.  As it turns out the insides are pretty chewed up and it is going to take a substantial amount of work to get them working again, after we find all the parts needed to rebuild them.  Luckily, I am a member of the Oregon Packard Club and with one email I had the call out for help amongst the club members.  With their help I am pretty sure we will be able to find the expertise and parts we need.  Rick needs an "explosion" of the transmission and overdrive to identify all the pieces and the order in which they go together.  I have several manuals and service books, but they don't go into the detail which he needs.

Testing out mattresses in the store

After work I went to look at mattresses and I laid on several for nearly an hour.  I couldn't tell the difference and the ones I thought were perfect were too soft and the firm ones all seemed too hard.  I couldn't find anything that seemed balance the two and I started to wonder if I was just going slightly crazy.  There was one mattress that after I laid on it for 30  minutes, my back wasn't hurting, so maybe that is an option.  My friend Tracy stopped in after I had been there 40 minutes, she was on her way to a class, and she laid on several mattress and she suggested I give the bed I have at home some more time and see if I just need to adjust to it.  This seemed like a good idea and on her way home from her class she said she would stop by and see of what I'm complaining about is fact or a sign that I'm going nuts.  I thought this sounded like a good line for getting in my bed, but hey whatever works.  The guy in the store chuckled and wasn't quite sure what to think of us.

I was exhausted and tired of laying on beds; I was ready to go home and take a nap!?

Tracy stopped by after her class and confirmed the mattress was not comfortable and while at first seemed soft it was very firm with no support, so I'm not totally nuts.

Day 558, A drive to Prineville

The old Prineville Redmond highway

I woke up after one the worst night sleeps I have  had in a long time.  The new mattress is rock hard and I now feel like Goldilocks, the first bed was too soft, this bed was to hard.  I'll call and see what I can do this afternoon after church.  I can not believe I am having this much trouble picking out a mattress, I'm not that picky.  I must be getting old!

After church, I took a drive to Prineville to have a look at the Packard.  Rick had called during the week and said they had the transmission out and most of the dash components.  I was really anxious to see just what it looked like and I had a pretty good pictures in my head.  I knew the back end was out, the gas tank was was off the car and all the suspension should be off too.

The Packard covered for protection during restoration.

The drive to Prineville is very scenic and I always take the old Prineville / Redmond, highway which is seldom traveled and it take you through the Crooked River valley below the high desert plateaus.  It is a picture right out of the old west and something that can only be described as a slice of Americana.  I have driven this route many times with the Packard and one of my most memorable trips was with a good friend of mine after a car event one summer night.  It was a full moon and the temperature was in the high 70's at 11 pm at night.  The top was down and I had Glen Miller playing, it was flashback to simpler times.  It was an amazing drive and one that is forever in my memory.

Some of the parts waiting to be used in the restoration.

I got to Rick's and the car was covered in sheets and plastic to keep it somewhat protected from all the dust.  It looked like I had expected and Rick said that they had most of the dash parts working, including all the lights and both heaters.  The interior was out of it to give them room to work.  Rick and his crew have created a list of all the parts they need to order for the rebuild of all the suspension and other components that need attention.

It was exciting the see the car coming along and the fast progress on the mechanical restoration.  There is still lots to do and Rick and I talked about getting a new 282 block to rebuild.  We have located one in the Seattle area and I really need to make the trip up there and get it.  It would be nice to have the correct engine in the car and have it completely rebuilt and ready for today's gas.

It was great weekend and I wish I had another day off to get caught up on more chores, but it's back to work tomorrow.  I did call the mattress shop and they are determined to  help me find the right mattress for me.  They are great people and fantastic to do business with.

Day 557, A new bed

After waiting a week, I went bed shopping to find the right bed.  Last weekend I brought home a bed that was way to soft and the store was getting in two new lines that they thought I might want to try.  I headed into Bend around 11am to see what they had and the three firm mattresses all felt great.  I couldn't make up my mind, so I ultimately chose the mattress that was the same price that I had paid the previous weekend.  The other two beds were were a little more money and I'm sure slightly better, but I couldn't tell the difference. Tonight will be the big test and if I like the mattress I'll keep, if not I will return it and go the next level up.

I had hoped to run to Prineville to check on the Packard, but ran out of time.  I desperately need to start cleaning out and getting rid of a bunch of clutter.  Everywhere I look I see piles of stuff and its starting to get on my nerves, so I need to do a little early spring cleaning.  I'm hoping that after church I can spend most of the day cleaning up a bit.  I did manage today to cut up all my cardboard and take it to the recycle bin at my office. It was nice to get that huge mess out of the garage.

Tonight it's in bed early to try out the new bed.

Day 556, Looking back on the Traveleze

Something about this trailer called to me to save it.

Today, I looked back over all the photos of the Traveleze from the last 556 days; what an amazing journey.  I don't know what it was about this little trailer that had me cough up the money in first place, but there was something about it's shape.  When I look at the rot in the interior paneling and gallons of tar on the roof, that should  have been enough of a sign to have caused me to turn and run, but I didn't.  I really believe there is a reason for everything and for some reason I was meant to find this trailer and learn something from it.

The rot and water damage was extensive

Whatever the reason is, what Justin and the team at Flyte Camp have created is truly a work of art.  Yes, I spent way more than I had every dreamed of, but I kept shooting for better and better and that is exactly what they have done.  This is simply got to be one of the best examples of a 1950 14' Traveleze there is and it will be a reminder for future generation for years to come of what camping in the 1950's was all about.

Radiant and beaming from within, restoration nearly completed

There is still a few things to do, but the list is getting very short.  The few things remaining on the trailer to still do are, polishing the exterior, stripes, wheels, tires, hub caps, blinds, front shelf, mattress, awning and then calking all the seams.  Also, I will be keeping my eyes open for two windows to eventually replace the temporaries that we have installed.  They have got to be out there somewhere and hopefully someday I will find them.

If tomorrow is a sunny day I hope I might be able to pick up the Traveleze and maybe start to polish her up.  If not, plan B is to run to Prineville and perhaps work on the Packard a little.  I also need to go pick out my mattress which I bought last weekend for home and order one for the trailer.  It will be a busy weekend, not matter what I end up doing.

Day 555, A gray Thursday.

I woke up exhausted, but slept great.  I think I'm still fighting this cold and I'm on my second round of antibiotics for a sinus infection.  I can feel the pressure in my head start to give way, so I'm hoping that I'm getting better.

There was no news on the Traveleze, the roads are still wet and nasty, so it is staying put until the weather cooperates.  If I can get the trailer home this weekend I'll start the polishing process and see if I can get that mirror finish I want.  I also need to order a bed this week and it looks like I'm going to have to spend $650 for a custom mattress.  Even if I go with foam from an upholsterer I'll pay $450 and then have to have a cover made for $150.  I still can't believe foam cost that much, but what do I know.

I did get a call from Prineville regarding the Packard.  The transmission and all the suspension are off the car and they are going to be rebuilding everything and once they start to put the car back together they will put in the new overdrive transmission that I bought last April.  Maybe when I get the Packard put all back together I'll trust it to pull the trailer.

As for my chickens, for the last four days they have been laying two eggs a day, one brown and one green.  It's nice to be getting some production out the four hens.  I was starting to wonder if their egg days were over and it was time to fire up the barbeque. 

Day 554, Wednesday

With my heart firmly beating again, my brain had been working overtime trying to come up with all the excuses on why restoring a 14 foot trailer wasn't the dumbest thing I have ever done.  First I came up with the fact that I love the trailer, it's shape and cozy character are awesome.  Second, it was an interesting learning process and we saved a unique piece of American trailer history.  Third, if I enjoy the trailer half as much as I think I will, then it is worth it.  Many people buy cars or motor homes and loose substantially more then I will if I were to try to sell it.  Fourth, I got to meet some great people at Flyte Camp, who I hope will be friends for a long time.

12' 1954 Traveleze

The plan for the day was to bring the Traveleze home around 9:30 am, but we had show on the ground and it was now starting to rain.  The roads were covered in glycol and cinders, due to the snow and ice, so the road condition were downright ugly.  Justin texted at 9 am and said lets hold off and see how the day goes, but the day remained wet and nasty and we decided to hold off until the weekend.


For some reason I found myself looking on line under Traveleze and I came across an posting for a 12' 1954 Traveleze that received a rebuild much like mine.  It was stunning and when I get my trailer fully polished I think I will have something equally as spectacular.  I then found another posting for the same trailer, only this time it was a For Sale listing.  The price nearly stopped my heart again, $11,000!  I started to get light headed and think "what have I done" all over again.  It took a little investigating, but I soon realize that the posting was nearly 11 years old, so if I figured with inflation and the recent surge in the interest of vintage trailers, I wasn't to far off. Plus mine was 2' longer, it has a heater and AC, and it has an oven (I was grasping for any justification for what I spent).

The fact is, nothing is cheap anymore. Labor and materials are all expensive and I didn't do the work myself (a good choice) and the end result is one awesome trailer.  If my trailer looks half as good as this 1954, and I know it will, I will be very happy.

Day 553, Tuesday and the Traveleze is almost ready to come home.

I had a 5:30 pm meeting in Bend, so I left the office a few minutes early to drive in and to leave me a few minutes to visit the Trailer.  They would like to send the Traveleze home with me for a few weeks and then bring it back when the new wheels and the blinds arrive.  This will give me time to polish the exterior and determine if there is anything else I want fixed or adjusted.

The plan is to bring the trailer home tomorrow and I'll have two weeks to play with it.  This also means I needed to make the final payment on trailer.  The project had grown tremendously from the original discussion, but the shock of the final number nearly stopped my heart.  I think none of us realize just how time consuming a project it was going to be.  Absolutely nothing was standard on the Traveleze.  I know I have done some really stupid things in my life, but restoring a trailer has to be the all time pinnacle of ridiculousness.  My initial discussion with Justin we actually talked about crushing the little trailer after seeing the extent of the damage and sending it off to a landfill.  In hindsight that is exactly what I should have done.  However, what Justin and his team have created is a true work of art, and something that turned out far better than my imagination could dream of and something that truly belongs in museum.

Luckily I have the funds to pay for something so magnificent, but my brain kept telling me "what in the heck did you just do?"  I blew way past my comfort zone in expense for a 14' trailer and it will take me weeks or months to come to terms with what I spent on it, if ever.  I do anticipate that with time and lots of enjoyment I will be able to rationalize and even justify the cost in my head.

I think the color returned to my face around 9:30 pm and I cleaned out a space in my shop for the trailer to spend the next few weeks.  It was starting to snow, so who knows what tomorrow will be like, but I have a place for the Traveleze inside if it can get here.  After 9 months the Traveleze is coming home.

Day 552, Big day for the Packard

It seems when it rain it pours.  I took the Rolls in to be repaired and I'm hoping for a miracle that it wont cost and arm and leg.

The 1942 Packard ready for some much needed restoration work.

At around noon I received a phone call from my good friend Rick, who runs a professional car restoration shop that he is ready for my 1942 Packard.  I have been waiting for 5 years to get my car into him and he is now finally ready for it.  He is going to do a complete mechanical rebuild, fixing everything back to original condition and making sure that everything is functioning properly.  There are so many things not working on the car, it was easier to tell him what worked. 

I left work at 4 pm to drive the Packard to Prineville and Rick's shop.  I cleaned out the car and loaded all the parts that I had accumulated over the 5.5 years that I have owned the car.  It was 23 degrees for the high temperature for the day and I was driving a car with no heater.  The under the dash heater is in a box in the trunk along with an overdrive transition, brake parts and lots of other stuff. 

1920 Premier Roadster

It takes about 40 minutes to get to Prineville and Rick's shop and I got there about 5:15 pm with plenty of day light which is a good thing as the headlights like to periodically shut off while driving at night.  Rick had several cars in his shop and I was particularly drawn to a 1920 Premier roadster that  he was working on.  The original family was having "Grandpa's" car restored.  The store is that Grandpa bought 2 Premiers the same day in 1920 and this roadster is the only one know to exist and cost a staggering $4,000 in the day.  Even in primer, the car's lines are classic.

My friend and neighbor Jon, picked me up and brought me home.  I will be anxiously awaiting the next few months to pick my car up and see how much better it drives and operates.  

Day 551, Returning a bed

Wow, did I not sleep well.  The bed seemed to get softer as the night went on and kept sinking into it.  I knew there was no way I could live with a bed that was that soft.  At 10am I called the store and they said no problem bring it back it and they would help me find the right bed.  I took the sheets off, pulled the mattress cover off, unzipped the mattress cover and put the mattress back in the plastic bag.

After church my friend Tracy came over to help me load the bed.  We almost got the mattress in the Truck when Tracy realized that she was in between the bed and the truck, so she bent over backwards and passed the bed over her head.  We both started to laugh and then her hand went back and got caught between the mattress and the truck, smashing her finger.  Only she didn't just smash her finger it sliced the finger deep nearly taking the finger print off. 

We quickly stopped and accessed the injury and treated it the best we could.   I suggested going to see a Doctor, but she said no.

After Tracy was patched up we took the mattress back and I did a little more research testing out mattresses.  They have one new mattress coming in next weekend I decided to wait and try it out before I made up my mind.

I was bummed the mattress didn't work out, but the store was so helpful, I am sure I will find the perfect bed.

Day 550, Saturday and shopping

Different spices that match the rack I bougth

Lazy Saturday's are my favorite day of the week.  I went antique shopping with Tracy to see what we could find for the trailer.  We spent several hour just looking at stuff, but we didn't find anything that I couldn't live without.  I did find two Crescent spice cans that match the spice rack I bought (I didn't buy them).  We had a late lunch at Mazatlan and then headed to Bend to look another antique store that was are commended to us.  As we entered Bend we say a new Mattress store and I wanted to stop to look at what they had.  I have wanted a new mattress for months so we pulled in.

The store was new and owned by a young family who just moved to Bend.  The prices were far less than other stores and more in line what you find at Costco.  After laying on several, I bought one that I thought would be great.  For some reason I drove the car today, so I arranged to come back at 4:30 pm to pick it up.

Tracy and I ran to the antique store, and while it was a very retro store, I didn't find anything I couldn't live without.

I headed back home to get the truck and returned to get the mattress.  Tracy helped me unload the mattress and then I took her home.  I removed the old bed, tossed the new mattress cover and my mattress pad in the wash and waited to put the bed together.  I was so looking forward to a good night sleep.

Day 549, It's Friday!

I am very glad it's Friday.  I am really tired and ready for the weekend.  I didn't hear anything new on the trailer, so I assume the final details are going together.  I hope this weekend I can get a few things bought for the interior but I have nothing in mind, I just hope to find a few inspirational items at the local antique stores.

I came home from work at 5:30 pm and laid down on the sofa and thumbed through my new Packard magazine and the latest issue of Hemmings Motor News that came today.  The next thing I knew I was sound a sleep and I woke up at 7:30 pm.  I guess I was a little more tired than I had thought.  I was also hungry and really I didn't have anything in the frig to eat.  I thought I should run into town and I fired up the Mercedes for the first time in over two months.  The immediately came to life and I had forgotten how great this car was to drive.  At over 6,000 lbs the long period of sitting was not good for the tires.  I could feel the flat spots, which took several miles to round out.

At the store I bought milk, cat food, cereal, fruit and a oven roasted chicken.  It's never a good idea to go shopping when you are hungry.  The chicken was outstanding and I ate half of it when I got home.

I put clean sheets on the bed and I was ready for a restful night sleep.

Day 548, Thursday

I had a very busy day, starting off with a meeting in Bend at 8 am, that lasted 2 hours.  The rest of the day flew by with an open house at our Business of the Year recipient and a ribbon cutting at another business at 4 pm.  I ended the day driving back to Bend for a Sons of Norway meeting.  Tonight I am being installed as the new President.  I was scheduled to be installed in January, but was too sick and couldn't attend.  The meeting was fun and we also welcomed 14 new members into the lodge, it was a very fun night.

There was no new word on the Traveleze.  They are finishing up with small details, and we are waiting on the glass, blinds and wheels.  I still need to order the lamp shades and Anna has an idea on how to get a great mattress for the bed, so I'm anxious to hear what she has in mind.

This was a great day and everything seemed to be working in harmony.  It was a very nice feeling and I couldn't help but feel blessed.

Day 547, Hump Day

I was out the door at 7:15 am, in order to make it to a 7:30 am, meeting and I was right on time.  The entire day just seemed to hum along and before I knew it was time for my workout.  I have cut my workouts with my trainer down to once a week and with this cold, it's been more than enough.  Working out when you are short on breath and low on energy is no fun.

The Rolls backed up to the Traveleze last year, for kicks.

I didn't hear anything from Flyte Camp today and I drove by on my way home and they were already buttoned up. They work very hard and are usually still at it when I show up around 5:30 pm.  Today they must have something pressing after work and were gone, so I have nothing to report on the Traveleze. I am so excited to see how great the Traveleze has turned out.  I couldn't have picked a better group to restore this little gem, they are just awesome people, doing amazing work.

I did manage to call and make an appointment for the Rolls and will take it in next week.  I am going to keep my finger crossed that all the problems can be fixed with relative easy, air bag light, ABS light and a broken alternator belt.