You never know what's going to happen when you fly kites...

So this weekend is the first weekend I've been home in a couple months and the chores have piled up. I started out at breakfast with the family, then over to Harbor Freight to pick up some good deals and then to get dog food. After getting home I started looking at the list of things needing to be done. The first thing needing done was to pot some plants and then I needed to mow in the back. While I was out there I noticed that it was getting a bit windy. Of course that gave me the itch to go to the park and fly some kites. I had to go get my hair cut anyway so I was going to be half way there.

There weren't a lot of people at the park, which is a good thing. Only one guy flying a kite so I got out my Prism Quantum Stunt Kite and the 100 foot Gomberg tube tail. There was just enough wind to fly with the long tail. After I started flying, a guy showed up with his two daughters and they got out some classic plastic Gayla delta kites. After a while, the dad came over to talk to me about my kite. He was telling me that he had found the Gayla delta kites at a discount store for a dollar a piece. He got 13 of them! The Gayla Sky Spy kite was one of my favorites when I was a kid and that's what he was flying. He had an extra one with him and actually gave it to me. It happens to be my birthday and that was one pretty cool birthday present. I'll probably leave it in the package and never fly it. The date on the package is 1975. Like I said, you never know what's going to happen when you fly kites.

Buellton Vintage Trailer Bash 2011

From Buellton Vintage Trailer Bash 2011

Julie and I attended the 2nd Annual Vintage Trailer Bash in Buellton, CA at the Flying Flags RV Resort. We didn't go to this last year because it conflicted with the Spam Rehab meet. They had about 150 spots and there was a wide variety of campers. We camped with friends John and Debra from Ventura and Steve and Tony from Pomona. John and Debra brought their new Ratzlaff Camp Trailer (picture above), which they had bought the previous weekend. Steve and Tony brought their 1948 home built trailer.

I posted a picture and video of the Ratzlaff since everyone has already seen my trailer before. John and Debra also have a 1956 VW with a custom made matching teardrop trailer but due to circumstances beyond their control, they needed a trailer older than 1985. They've looked at a variety of trailers and last weekend I thought they were on their way to buy a Cardinal canned ham style trailer. I was camping at Woods Valley last weekend and John was having me look at several trailers online. They went to look at a Cardinal but it was rotten and would have had to have been rebuilt. Then I got a call from John that he had bought a trailer and that it was a 1940 Ratzlaff. A what???

It turns out that the Ratzlaff is a folding tent trailer and that we had seen a similar version of at the Pismo Beach rally in May. The trailer has many clever features and to set it up you crank up the top and then fold out the beds. This trailer is very complete and in decent shape. The biggest thing it needs right away is new canvas. View the video below to see how it works.

Because we were only camping at the event for two nights, I drove to John and Debra's house in Ventura the day before and camped in their driveway. This also let me get an early look at their new trailer and I'd get to the campground much earlier. The next morning we packed up and headed for Buellton. When we got there the place was already full of vintage trailers, we checked in, found our spots, and started setting up. Steve and Tony were already there and our spots were very nice. Next to the road but well separated from it with a green space. Nice shade and big spots.

We had a great time checking out all the old rigs and just hanging out for the weekend. One of my favorites was a 1948 GMC bus conversion that was done in 1959. One of the best old bus conversions I've seen. There was a big potluck on Saturday. The weather was pretty nice. A bit on the breezy side and cool at night but about perfect during the day. On Friday there was a spectacular lightning show in the sky to the east and north. Fortunately no rain.

Julie at 20 years old is dealing with canine Cognitive Dysfunction Syndrome (CDS) which is basically doggy alzheimers. She kept getting tangled up in stuff on her leash and would also wake up early in the morning jumping around the trailer wanting to pace. Her eyesight is also fading so any time you get near her she thinks you're going to give her a treat so it looks like she's trying to bite you. She's not really enjoying camping anymore so this will be her last trip. She also is not doing well in the car anymore. She constantly tries to jump out of her car bed and doesn't know where she's going. She's been a great camping companion but it's not fair to her to make her go through it when she's just happier to be at home where she knows the surroundings.

We're already planning to return to Buellton next year and get the same spots. Click here for more pictures from the event.

Washington State International Kite Festival (WSIKF) 2011

From WSIKF 2011

I'm currently on a two week trip to the Northwest to visit my sister Debbie and her husband Mason in Portland and attend the Washington State International Kite Festival which was held last week in Long Beach Washington.

Click the picture above for more from the kite festival.

We spent 3 days over the weekend at the kite festival. When we got there, the beach was cold and windy with low clouds, so low that many of the kites were up in the mist. We walked around to check out what was going on and then I got a couple kites out and found a spot to fly. I put up my Gomberg Super Sled with a couple of taper tube windsocks and my 12 foot grinder spinsock. I anchored this to a sand anchor and then got out my Prism Quantum stunt kite and 100 foot tube tail. The wind was very strong so getting the stunt kite up with the tube tail was very easy. Even though the weather wasn't the greatest the beach was very crowded with fliers. Mason even took a shot at flying my stunt kite.

On Saturday the weather was beautiful but from the hotel it didn't look very windy. It was much different on the beach. Clear skies and strong wind. This time I decided to find a spot in the official flying fields. Once I found a small spot, I put up the super sled so that Debbie and Mason could find me. Besides one crabby Rev flyer who thought I was crowding their spot, everyone there was very friendly. I wanted to get my 12 stack of Dyna Kites up which take a lot of room. Also, I don't think I've ever flown them in as much wind as there was. My ground stake was too short for the beach sand so I had a little trouble setting up but one strong yank and the stack hit the sky.

These kites pull a lot in normal winds but this was crazy. I had a hard time keeping my footing while in the strongest part of the wind window. I flew them for a while and then Debbie and Mason came down to the beach. They were able to see the Dyna Kites from quite a distance down the beach. Mason took a bit of video of me flying them which is part of the video below. After a while I took a break from the Dyna Kites and switch to the Prism and long tail. Once again, Mason gave it a shot and did better this time. I think with lighter winds he'd pick it up quite well. With the strong winds the kite just reacts too fast and is easy to crash.

While I was flying the Prism, I looked over and saw my anchored kite acting up, I looked down and a Rev kite flyers had gotten his lines tangled up in my Grinder wind sock. I guess that's why they call it a grinder. It took a bit of work to get them untagled as the spikes on the grinder had hit different lines. Things like that happen when you're flying. The Rev kite flier was Brett from Eugene Oregon and they were happy they crashed into someone mellow. After getting his kite untanged he offered to let me try it out. I've resisted trying them because I don't need another expensive kite addiction. I actually have another brand of four-line kite but I've only tried to fly it once. I've been told that it's hard for two-line kite fliers to pick up the four-line style. Brett was very helpful in showing me the basics. It looks like I'll be getting mine out again.

After that, the wind seemed a bit lighter so I decided to get out the big stack again. Of course once I did the wind was stronger than ever. I flew them for a couple hours but had to take several breaks. One time I landed the stack, applause broke out behind me. I hadn't noticed that a croud had formed. Kind of embarassing. If I'd known, I would have tried some fancier stuff with them.

My trip to Portland continues until the 29th. Other things I've done is to travel quite a bit on the local public transit to see the sites. I also met up with an old friend who used to live in Atlanta and now lives in Portland. This coming weekend we're going out to the Coumbia Gorge before I return home. Overall it's been a great trip and it's been great to spend a lot of time with Debbie and Mason.

Click the picture below for more that I've taken during the trip.

Portland 2011

Hurkey Creek Campout 2011

From Hurkey Creek 2011

Julie and I made the trek to Hurkey Creek again for the second annual teardrop and vintage trailer gathering. This is group dry camping at its best. Great people and great weather all set under tall pine trees. We got there on Thursday and there were already quite a few campers set up. The temperature was in the 80s during the day and nice and cool at night. I set up my campsite next to John Samarin who I know from other campouts. He already had his canopy set up so I didn't need to set mine up this time. We had a good time hanging out during the weekend. I also met Mary from Scottsdale, Arizona, who creates wonderful pottery. The ones she had on display featured teardrop trailers.

On Saturday there was a big potluck dinner where the dutch ovens were lined up ready for everyone to sample what was made. I made my usual spicy meatballs which are super easy and people seem to like. They were all gone. Each night there was a big central campfire where you could sit around and talk and enjoy the night air and the stars. There were quite a few shooting stars over the weekend. As usual it was a relaxing time and I thank Carrousel and Ray Corliss for putting it on and look forward to next year. Click on the picture above for more.

A day wasted...

From Ken-Skill Fenders

You ever start the day thinking you're going to get something done and every step along the way things just start happening to foil your progress? Well that's what happened to me when I planned to replace the fenders on my 1947 Ken-Skill teardrop trailer. Now of course I have to back up to the process of acquiring the new fenders. The original fenders on the trailer are stamped aluminum and fairly fragile. Mine have dents and dings and cracks and even some bondo. The only replacements available are made out of fiberglass. I've seen these fenders on other people's trailers and they looked nice enough. The guy that sells them is in Montana so I give him a call to find out about getting a pair. He's a real crotchety guy and has a reputation for not being too easy to deal with, I've experienced this myself in the past. He tells me he I need to send him an e-mail with my address and that he'll send me the fenders and then tell me how much the total with shipping is so I can send him a check (doesn't take credit cards anymore because he doesn't want the government knowing what he's doing). I think this is kind of odd but ok, I need the fenders so I'll do whatever he needs. About a week later he sends me an e-mail telling me the fenders are on their way so I put a check in the mail and wait. And wait. And wait...

I thought I was going to get the fenders before I went on my camping trip to Wrightwood but they didn't show up. I left a message for the guy telling him I hadn't gotten them and that he probably needs to file a claim with the shipper. Shouldn't take two weeks to get here from Montana. Got back from my camping trip and didn't get a reply. Well next I get a call from him asking if I got the fenders and of course I hadn't, he seems confused and says he'll check on it and oh by the way, could I send him a check. I had already seen that he had cashed the check. A few days later he calls me and says that there had been a problem with the box and that they hadn't actually been shipped but would soon, and guess what, would I send him a check. This is getting old explaining that I already paid for the darned things. I asked for a tracking number and he says he'll get it for me but never does. He doesn't actually handle the shipping, the place that makes the fenders sends them. Anyway, they finally show up, oh and could I send him a check. Really, that again?

Well the fenders are pretty nice. Heavy fiberglass and gel-coated in white which is good since I can't easily match the teal paint on my trailer. The only thing I did to get ready to mount them was to spray some rubberized undercoating on the inside to cut down on the white color and also to protect the inside from rocks. I thought about drilling the mounting holes and the holes for the new LED Lincoln Zephyr taillights I got but it's a good thing I didn't. This is where the day started going wrong. I went to get the trailer out of my friend's garage where I store it and of course I can't get into the garage using the keypad, looks like the battery might be dead. I tried the house keys he gave me but they didn't work in his front door. My friend is out of town so I gave him a call and left a message and then went back home. A couple hours later he calls me and said that he had changed the locks but forgot to give me new keys. His neighbor has a set so he called her to tell her I'd be over again. I took a battery with me for the garage door keypad. That actually fixed it so I was able to get the trailer.

So I bring the trailer over and jack it up and remove one of the wheels so I can remove the fender. I cut the taillight wires since I was going to redo them anyway. Of course the bolts that have been on there since 1947 aren't going to cooperate so I ended up breaking them off. There were some other screws in there as well since some of the original bolts were missing. Anyway, the fender is off fairly quickly. I'm thinking this is going ok so I go get the replacement fender and as soon as I get it near the trailer I'm thinking there is something wrong. I line up the front of the fender where the old one mounted but the back end isn't anywhere near lining up. I tried several different positions and nothing is working. I compare it to the old fender and they are a different shape. The aluminum fender is fairly flexible but the fiberglass one is very stiff and can't be moved into shape. I measure across the bottom of the fender and the fiberglass one is two inches longer. So guess what my next step is...

From Ken-Skill Fenders

Time to call the guy in Montana. I give him call and he actually answers. He says he's never heard of this problem before. Now keep in mind that if you are building a trailer or redoing one and replacing the sides, you probably wouldn't notice the difference but I have to fit these to the exact spot where the original 1947 fenders were. He suggests several things including taking them to a fiberglass place and having them reshaped. That's a bit much. I told him I'd try a few things and see what happens. After about an hour of wrangling these things every which way I can think of I pretty much figure that they will not fit in an acceptable manner and that I'll have to stick with my originals. Of course now I have to fix the cut taillight wires and replace the broken bolts. At least I have the new hardware I was going to use with the fiberglass ones. Didn't get to all the other things I needed to do other than a fix to the windows which took two trips to the hardware store to get the right fasteners.

Now to deal with the bad fenders. He says he'll take them back. I'll be sure to get a tracking number and call him a bunch of times asking for a check.

From Ken-Skill Fenders

Fourth of July Weekend

This past weekend my friends Jim and Alan came down from Long Beach for a visit. One of the reasons for the visit was to check out the Gustav Stickley exhibit at the San Diego Museum of Art in Balboa Park. We also went to the Marston House which is also in Balboa Park. I've been to the Marston House several times but this is the first time since SOHO had taken it over. The tour was much longer and went in areas that you didn't see before. They also moved the gift shop out to the carriage house. The place needs a lot of work but hopefully the new management of it by SOHO will allow that to happen. I'm still hoping they can take over the Villa Montezuma before it's too late.

The exhibit at the museum was great. Very diverse collection of items and well displayed. They didn't allow photos to be taken. I had my camera with me but I'm respectful of rules, and anyway there was some staff member tailing us to make sure we didn't snap any photos. After the visit to the museum, we walked over to the Botanical Building to check out the plants. There were quite a few orchids in bloom there. After that it was time for lunch so we walked back through the park to the car with a stop by the Spreckels Organ Pavilion which houses the world's largest outdoor musical instrument.

After lunch we went for a drive to see a couple more San Diego landmarks. The first was the San Diego Administration Building. This building that serves both the city and the county of San Diego was built in the 1930s as a Works Progress Administration (WPA) project. It has amazing tile work and plenty of WPA symbolism in its details. Next we went to the 1915 Santa Fe depot to look at the impressive tile work it has. A lot of running around but I enjoy being the tour guide when it's places like that.

Jim and Alan left early Monday to head back to Long Beach. I headed off to the junkyard to get some parts for my Hall GTC and then went to dinner with my friend Max and his partner Jim. We walked down the street from his place to watch the fireworks over the harbor and then back home. Overall a relaxing weekend.

• Click here for more pictures.
  

What Motorhome Dreams Are Made Of

I don't know if you've ever heard of the Blastolene Brothers but over the years they have made some incredibly outrageous automotive creations based on anything from semi trucks to tanks. I've seen a couple of them in person and they are even more awesome in the flesh. Jay Leno has brought his Tank Car to the Spring Fling Mopar show in Van Nuys a couple of times.

Randy Grubb is now working on a new project which tickles my vintage motorhome heart. Based on a GMC motorhome chassis with a White COE cab and even a flying bridge where he'll be able to drive the coach from in the open air. All that Art Deco goodness in the shape is droolworthy as well. Doesn't look like there will be much room for camping on the inside but I'm sure it will be decked out in high style like the outside. This is one rig I've definitely got to check out in person some day.






UPDATE: The Decoliner is finished!

• YouTube Video of the Decoliner
• Decoliner Work In Progress Page
• Jay Leno's Tank Car
• Blastolene Piss'd Off Pete at Jay Leno's Garage Site.
• More Blastolene Vehicles on the Blastolene site