Usually my days are filled with Get-r-Done! Moving from one project to the next, making sure things are going well and making all sorts of decisions but sometimes days like that give way to some times where fruits of the labor are realized and it all comes together on a project.
For me, such a time is now with Fandango. We are doing that last punch list, polishing things … we’ve had a heck of a time deciding a proper latch for 6 inside cabinet doors…. just doing all that’s needed to cut the ropes holding the coach to the dock ready to go out into deep water…. a delivery is upon us!
For the past 20 years, when one of these things comes together…. for some part of time it’s MY baby. It’s our latest pride and joy offering not maybe as wild as the last one… maybe so as in this case but every one put together with the owners input…. making their particular style statement and wether you would like to have it or not…. brother there it is! These time go by so fast, fade and what’s left is more work on the next project but for now….. as RamDas book pronounces with it’s title “BE Here Now”…. yes now is the time for that so I wanted to put you behind one of 3 different glasses I now find myself behind and give you a start of one of these pretty special days… at least for me.
Now they don’t always go like this, some more traumatic than others…. you MUST realize we are opening the doors to a new house with every appliance, circuit and living space in a comfortable living space AND every little switch, doodad, feature and option in a 70’s era hot rod…. designed to withstand 8.1 Richter Scale vibrations forever… oh and BTW the box all that’s squeezed into as FORTY YEARS OLD!!!!! Crap, I mean WHAT could go wrong!!!! Hey and since this is the first RV Bill has ever owned and there’s just so much for him to learn I’m going to drive back with him to upper Georgia to be sure he figures things out AND heaven forbid something happens I’M gonna be in that sinking dingy! Hey no pressure here ……. Now let me ask you again…. What… Could go wrong? OK, lets see, hold my beer….
It’s raining this morning, a good sign… 2 years ago I would have swallowed my tongue! We’re inside and rain just tells me to park up front and come in the front door. This is where I find myself having to spend more time on paperwork and all the on line stuff like this. Hey, it’s a part of my life now too. So I flip on the lights to the “showroom” A pile of chairs, the only air conditioned room folks hang out here. The “sofa” is in here, the Slot machine, to the left there I just got an Arial view of the shop……. NO, I didn’t use a prone, my son would kill me……… it wasn’t much to let an older flier keep his hours up and take a pic for me. It’s kind of a neat thing… these guys share ownership in the plane, all retired pilots and they go up and take pics like this…. I thaught the guy who came buy…. one of the pilots was just a special guy and even more than having the pic…. not really but I’m glad he could get some funtime up in his plane
I asked him to also capture our old shop… part of it is the light colored roof to the left. There’s a better pic of out new place on the front page of this site. You can see how packed what was a huge improvement on the place we had…. it’s all covered up. I see one spot on the north wall open… quick get over were and fill it!
Sorry, had a management morning meeting… very important.
So heading to the workshop is one set of shelves I wanted to show you. Here are some of the unique stuff we have… we don’t keep “everything”, we don’t need to. If you can get it locally we tall you how…. parts are not a profit line on our business, we have them cause we need them. Wanna use our stuff great. From left to right….. our upholstery guy can do as crazy as you want to be, those Delco brake pads are riveted not bonded and being organic won’t grind up the rotors and we know what it takes to replace one of THOSE! The standard pad next there are angle cut at the sides not giving fill contact til you are way into the pad… what’s that about! But most pads do that so no one complains about the noise of the pad seating maybe! These Delcos are full surface…. Original flush entry lights are being made again!!! Forgot the cost but it’s cheap to have it brand new! Fuel/vapor separators are $89, every fuel system needs a new one and we have Teflon lined, breaded stainless sleeved rear and front brake hoses. Smaller engine vents that fit the side of the front fender and double wrap, 7mm stainless.
Getten pretty boring, I’ll move on….. Outside, there it is… not Fandango but the next awesome machine ready to hit the roads…
Meet “Rock the Alps”
Still needs it’s mirrors and the Zip Dee awning reinstalled but we may be changing the fabric color. Delivery waiting for a date but we are “done”. The front is…. looking good, I would call it “New” So much happening and Bill’s coming in today I think to get acquainted with Fandango that is now behind the curtain for it’s debut.
Yes, it’s a cool thing walking into a shop like this on a special day like today.. heck and all weekend for that matter. I get some seat time on the road showing Bill about his new toy!
And there is the Alper staring at me from the dark It’s gonna be a good good good good day!
Oh and check out what landed on our runway yesterday It’s a rare 1975 Revcon with a Toronado drive train but only 2 rear wheels… a 25 footer! Built like a Bluebird bus this is a cool machine. BTW, the windshields are useable! Meet the guy who wants to put this together
. Oh yeah, this is going to be fun!
See ya tomorrow….