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Friday, September 29, 2017

Getting Sherman ready for his adventure

Had a great sleep Wednesday night back in the motorhome. Seems like it only took the one night to get caught up on the lack of sleep from our travels the night before. So that's good. We got our bags unpacked and everything sorted out to live in Sherman on and off for the next three and a half weeks or so.

I say "on and off" because we're headed down to Ruth's sister's for a night, and then Pelee Island next weekend. And then of course we'll be up at Ruth's dad's for a few nights along the way and I've got my guys weekend away on the 20th of October.

We know the time here is going to fly by, and we've got a lot to accomplish with regards to getting Sherman ready for his big two year adventure. So we're trying to do a little bit each day and I knew that I had to start yesterday if we're going to get it all done by the 25th of October when we leave for Barbados for 19 days.

I checked all the tire pressures and topped them up. All six tires were actually pretty good, they only needed a couple of pounds each. But, I need new valve extensions for one set of the rear tires. They don't seat properly, and one of them has a loose head. So I'll get them ordered today.

First of all, the exterior was filthy. They had a lot of rain here over the summer, and there was actually green stuff starting to grow in places, the same way it had when we had him parked in Mexico for a year.

So first on the agenda was a major scrubbing. I got the roof done, and most of the right side. I'll finish up the rest this morning.

Then I'll install the new charge controller for the solar system. I think I just need some 8 gauge wiring and a few connectors and I should have everything to complete the job. I still think the batteries are pretty much done. In fact I tested them last night with just two interior lights on, and the voltage is dropping far faster than it should. But, they are seven and a half years old, and most people are lucky to get five years out of them so it's not a surprise that they are due to be replaced. We'll do that in the U.S. in November or December.

And I'll call the nearby Kal Tire to see if they can do the mechanical work that I'm not willing to do myself. They'll also check the brakes and do a full inspection. Planning on leaving him there when we go to Pelee Island and hoping it can all be completed by the time we return.

On a different note, here is Chester!

Chester.

Chester is our daughter Lindsey's family dog. He's a Rottweiler. He's only ten and a half months old and he weighs 120 pounds! A full grown male is supposed to be between 100 and 132 pounds, so he is obviously going to be at the higher end of the scale when he's an adult.

When we were here in April, he was five months and 80 pounds.

Lindsey, with Chester. He's a big goof.

He's still got some growing to do yet!

He's a big slobbery guy, but he's still a puppy so he just wants to wrap his big slobbery jaws on my forearm and play with it! He loves people.

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And in Canada...




10 comments:

  1. You probably do this Kevin, but have you flushed you brake lines and filled with new fluid recently? Having lost my brakes in the mountains of Chiapas its always on my mind! Have a blast in Barbados, I'll be curious to see what you think! Hope to see you and Ruth this winter. We are in Dallas headed to Coz for a couple weeks.

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    1. Yes, we will be getting the brake fluid changed and the lines inspected. Hope to see you guys in mid February. We'll be at Paamul for a few days, whether we like it or not!

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  2. It will be nice to get Sherman in ship shape again, before your bug adventure. Travel safe around Ontario and get things all done before tour Barbados trip which will be fun. Travel safe.

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    1. It's always a good idea to get everything in tip top shape, mechanical and otherwise before leaving on a long journey. Hopefully then there will be less actual problems on the road.

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  3. I think if you can get the batteries fully absorbed at 14.5V or more you'll see a vast improvement in performance.

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  4. Chester is bigger than Lindsey! We're now in Alabama, with lots to do before we leave for overseas in a month, including visits to friends and family. Like you, we know the time will disappear in the blink of an eye. Jimmy has to replace Tergel's water pump again, but that's not a big deal. Good luck with everything.

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    1. He sure is and he weighs as much as Lindsey too.

      Enjoy your time with your family and friends before you head out on your next adventure. I am curious to find out where you will be headed. :-)

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  5. Re Your header picture....Sherman is the backhoe?....:+)......

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    Replies
    1. Yep, and you should see how well we have it set up! ;-)

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