I realized that I hadn't posted on a collection of things that broke all around the same time on Flash, the Jetta, so today I'll cover what went wrong and what I did to fix them.
Snow Shoes Grow
With a plan to hit the mountain for a taste of snow over the Christmas holiday, I pulled out the snow tires I got for Flash last Thanksgiving (Nov 2017). I got them new off of craigslist for $400 already mounted on universal steel rims. I say universal because they fit the 2 standard VW 5-bolt patterns. In looking back on my old posts, I don't think I ever posted on this purchase. Anyway, they are i-Pike tires and hold firm in ice and snow like no tires I have ever owned. Since we were down to one car, I had to swap the tires after Boo got home from work, so, on the night of December 23rd I set to swapping out tires in some nasty weather. I found, however, that the brakes were in pretty shabby shape and needed to be done as soon as possible. I found some locally-sourced pads (Adaptive One brand) and on Christmas Eve I did a brake job before we left for the mountain.
Lights? Who Needs Lights?
The pads fit well, and have performed extremely well, considering I'd never heard of them, and I didn't go with one of the usual VW-friendly brands. If Discount Import was still on the West Side, I would have gotten pads there. Anyway, while I was digging around the driver front wheel, I noticed a light bulb dangling by a wire. I concluded that it had fallen out of it's holder on the front bumper on one of the many times the bumper got ripped off by a parking curb. Yes, this happens often, and apparently happens to anyone owning a Jetta MK4. The TDI engine is an engineering marvel; the body it was delivered in, however, is not. Anyway, I put the bulb into the little hole, and finished the brake job. When I went to take a test drive, though, the brakes were great... but I lost my dash lights. That is, I lost all of the lights on the dash except the idiot light telling me I needed to replace my brake pads. Suddenly that light was on now. Love you, Flash.
Mountain Fun
We drove to the mountain anyway, having no idea how fast we were going. While we were still near the city, this was not much of an issue. We just stayed with the speed of traffic. Once we got onto US26 east of Sandy, though, we were alone. So, I checked speed periodically with a flashlight. We arrived in Welches after the local grocery closed for the holiday, so we just hit the cabin for the night. Christmas morning, we (me, Boo and T) drove up to Timberline Lodge, and we rode snow until sunset. We drove down, again without the benefit of dash lights, but the traffic was so heavy it didn't matter. By the time we hit the Damascus turn-off, the traffic was so crazy it really didn't matter how fast we were going; someone else was going to come racing up from behind anyway.
Dash Light Fix
As you may have surmised, the cause of the dashlight failure was that otherwise uninteresting bulb I found hanging. A small section of bare wire had become exposed, probably when it was force-ably removed from the bumper. When any one of your running lights creates a short, it blows a fuse... which also routes 12V to the lights on your dashboard. Either side can cause this. I find it so hard to understand how a fuse box with so many fuses doesn't isolate the dashboard from the running lights. Engineering marvel. So, I taped up the bare wire, replaced the fuse and the dashboard lights returned.
Brake Warning Light Fix
When I did the brakes, I plugged in the sensor in the new pads. Apparently, the sensor doesn't work. Maybe there is not enough metal material in the pad to conduct electricity or maybe these AdaptiveOne pads are NOT that great. Regardless, I check the condition of my car often enough that an idiot light should not be necessary. So, I cut the wire from the "sensor" in the brake pad and removed it from the car. I stripped and spliced the two wires together and plugged it back in. Warning light off: but also will never light up. So, I will be sure to check my brakes when I switch over to regular tires in March, and may just add that check to my oil-change routine.
Wipers Not Wiping
No sooner were we back to having an operational car than the wipers stopped working. Seriously, I fixed the lights on a Sunday night and on Monday morning the wipers stopped working. If you turned them on, the wiper would move a few inches and then stop. You could hear the motor, and since they tried to move, but failed, I thought the problem was in the linkage between the wiper arms and the motor. While waiting for linkage to arrive, I applied Rain-X water repellent. That stuff is magic. The following morning, we were greeted by ice on our windows. While letting the car warm up, I set to scraping. The windscreen was the only glass to which I had applied the Rain-X, and it was also the window which was freed of ice the easiest. Also, as we drove down the road, the little bits of left-behind ice quickly melted and beaded away.
I'll post on the wiper repair and the other fix (reverse lights) next time. Both of those jobs have more tale to tell than I can put in one post. Thanks, as always, for following along-
Showing posts with label snow. Show all posts
Showing posts with label snow. Show all posts
Tuesday, January 29, 2019
Monday, March 6, 2017
Cold Rain and Snow
Today, I'm going to geek out on our Pacific NorthWest snowfall this season.
Snow in the Mountains
Last Summer, the weather folks were calling for a La Nina pattern to develop over the late fall. This usually means the Pacific Northwest is colder and wetter than normal. If you don't live here, nor watching weather patterns here, let me tell you: they nailed it. Mt Hood, our local 11,000+ foot high mountain, has an incredible amount of snow. Based on the historical data, Mt. Hood is way ahead not just of average, but of historic highs. Based on the decade graph, most years Mt Hood has around 115' of snow. To date, they have over 150' and we have another month before the traditional snow pack peak. Snowfans (like me) are thrilled.
Rain in the Valley
There's a saying around here: "rain in the valley means snow on the mountain". It's usually true. This year, being a complete departure from normal, snow on the mountain could mean snow in the valley. To wit, Portland Public Schools closed for 9 days due to weather. Between the heavy snowfall, lack of plows and extended cold days, the snow became ice and travel actually got worse before it got better. We have also had multiple sub-freezing stretches which did not have precipitation. While that's not really a travel challenge if you're in a car... it is if you're in an old car or, as has been my case recently, riding public transit. Standing on a train platform in a stiff wind and below freezing temps is reality for so many. It's quite humbling for those used to driving every day (like I was).
Batteries Lost
On a personal level, standing on a platform wasn't really the biggest impact. Of our fleet of cars, we lost 3 batteries to the cold. I'm sure you're reading this and thinking "aw, the cold didn't do it". Maybe. All I know is these cars ran fine and then we didn't run them because the snow piled up and we didn't want to drive them on the ice. Next time we went to start them, they wouldn't start and wouldn't take a charge. In two cases, we took the batteries to Les Schwab and they confirmed they were in need of replacement. Honestly, I don't trust shops who benefit from giving you information that they generate themselves. But, I tried to charge them, and the charge wouldn't stick at home, so I figured they were all goners. The third one took a jump and after jumping it a few times (more like after taking a long drive), the battery is working correctly again. Still, we're thinking about replacing it anyway.
Installs
Funny thing how time just slips away. The cars who lost batteries were obviously not cars we drive all the time. Dude, our old Saturn, is on the block for selling this Spring. Getting the old battery out isn't too bad, but the new battery sat for a week before K, our now 21 year old, came over and installed it. It is literally 3 bolts holding it in. K needed to borrow the car, so he had the motivation that I lacked. The other dead battery was for our beloved microbus. That battery still hasn't been installed. Part of it is laziness, part of it is not really planning to drive him until the weather improves and part of it is that I've been distracted with a few different things. I'll go into those eventually.
Snow in the Mountains
Last Summer, the weather folks were calling for a La Nina pattern to develop over the late fall. This usually means the Pacific Northwest is colder and wetter than normal. If you don't live here, nor watching weather patterns here, let me tell you: they nailed it. Mt Hood, our local 11,000+ foot high mountain, has an incredible amount of snow. Based on the historical data, Mt. Hood is way ahead not just of average, but of historic highs. Based on the decade graph, most years Mt Hood has around 115' of snow. To date, they have over 150' and we have another month before the traditional snow pack peak. Snowfans (like me) are thrilled.
There's a saying around here: "rain in the valley means snow on the mountain". It's usually true. This year, being a complete departure from normal, snow on the mountain could mean snow in the valley. To wit, Portland Public Schools closed for 9 days due to weather. Between the heavy snowfall, lack of plows and extended cold days, the snow became ice and travel actually got worse before it got better. We have also had multiple sub-freezing stretches which did not have precipitation. While that's not really a travel challenge if you're in a car... it is if you're in an old car or, as has been my case recently, riding public transit. Standing on a train platform in a stiff wind and below freezing temps is reality for so many. It's quite humbling for those used to driving every day (like I was).
Batteries Lost
On a personal level, standing on a platform wasn't really the biggest impact. Of our fleet of cars, we lost 3 batteries to the cold. I'm sure you're reading this and thinking "aw, the cold didn't do it". Maybe. All I know is these cars ran fine and then we didn't run them because the snow piled up and we didn't want to drive them on the ice. Next time we went to start them, they wouldn't start and wouldn't take a charge. In two cases, we took the batteries to Les Schwab and they confirmed they were in need of replacement. Honestly, I don't trust shops who benefit from giving you information that they generate themselves. But, I tried to charge them, and the charge wouldn't stick at home, so I figured they were all goners. The third one took a jump and after jumping it a few times (more like after taking a long drive), the battery is working correctly again. Still, we're thinking about replacing it anyway.
Installs
Friday, March 11, 2016
Circus Circus, Tahoe and High Sierra Snow (part 2)
Continuing the look back on a trip to the Nevada, California and Colorado with my 17year old, T. Last post covered flights and hotels (Part 1 here, Part 3 here). This one covers our time in Nevada.
UNR "Nevada"
I mentioned that the reasons for our trip was to visit schools. UNR wasn't really on T's radar before I mentioned it. He had been looking for a fairly large school, for breadth of programs, but one that was near snow. There are a bunch of schools that meet that general description, but not too many which are easy to get to from the PacNW. UNR is located north of the casino district, isolated from the rest of the city of Reno by a 6-lane Interstate.
We had arrived in Reno the night before and had only time for some breakfast before our campus tour. We got a little turned around on the way, but a friendly custodian walked us part of the way to the start of the tour. Like a typical tour, it started with forms and such, but soon we were being led about by a business major. Since we hadn't really seen the area at all, T and I were quite taken with the high desert and the dusting of snow on the surrounding hills, visible as we passed from building to building. There was a lot of construction going on. New dorms, a new physical fitness center and some thing else I can't remember were all in some mid-construction state. We saw the arts building, with the designated graffiti stairs and the knowledge center with the robotic book lending library contained within. We learned about the midnight pancakes, football tailgates and touring artists who visit. We left the tour impressed.
Port of Subs
After walking around the UNR campus for a few hours, we got a little hungry. Upstairs from the new student office, we found a food court which had a Port of Subs in it. When I went to UNLV, I worked at a Port of Subs, and hadn't seen nor heard of one otherwise. I assumed it was a 2 or 3 store chain based in Las Vegas. Turns out, there are a lot more of them. The main sandwich menu is exactly the same, 25 years later. They still slice the meat on the big Hobart slicer as you order, and everything. Such a flashback. We ordered, watched and grubbed. Still as good as I remembered too.
Reno
After eating, we figured we should "do the strip" or whatever it's called in Reno. So, we drove through town and hit Circus Circus. It was a Friday afternoon, so we thought the arcade would be bumping. We weren't quite right on that score. In fact, Circus Circus was kind of a bust. We headed towards mid-town, and found Recycled Records. Awesome record store. We pawed through old vinyl, cassettes and videotapes for a long time, but didn't buy anything. If T goes to UNR, we'll be back. We planned to hit snow the following day, so we hit Bobos (Bobos) for rental boards. The store was pretty chaotic, but the staff were very chill and they got us set up and out the door quickly.
Stocked with gear, we hit a Japanese restaurant (Sushi Lover) for dinner, breaking up a series of big meals with something lighter. We planned to taste some Tahoe snow the next day, so we wrapped our first full day in Reno with some Mighty Car Mods (these guys are awesome: MCM) back at the hotel.
Unreal Boreal
During the UNR tour, we learned there is a ski club who arrange bus charters up to the various resorts. Very cool. We also learned that Boreal Ridge (winter site) offers $15 Fridays for college students. Since we hadn't decided where we were going to see snow, and it was Friday... so, Boeral Ridge seemed obvious. After watching a few episodes of MCM, we looked at the snow report. 16" of fresh powder. We were flippin' out, and got up way early to maximize our snow. The drive was straight out a well-plowed and prepared I-80. 40 minutes after pulling onto the freeway, we were pulling into the parking lot. The lot was pretty full, but parking, dressing and ticketing was fast and easy. We were on the lift before 10.
Most of the skiers and riders were sticking to Accelerator or the Beginner lifts, making those lines longer. T and I immediately rode over to 49er and spent most of the day there.
The runs were really fantastic. The 49er zone offers lots of off-piste tree runs, and with all the new powder, we were in it over our knees. The trails were groomed, but enough fresh snow had fallen that the trails weren't corduroy. T and I were bonkers for that deep fresh powder, but most of everyone else was just taking it in stride. Apparently getting 16" overnight isn't as big a deal in the Sierra Nevada mountains. So, while everyone else took turns in the Neff Land terrain park or rode the trails, T and I had the tree runs and deep powder to ourselves. Epic. Unreal Boreal.
We rode until our legs wobbled and then watched day turn to evening as they shut our 49er lift down. We grabbed a bite and then walked over to the Woodward indoor center. I'd never heard of Woodward, but the boys have. It is an indoor skate / trampoline spot that's probably over 100' x 100' square and 3 stories tall. There is a large wood ramp on the far side from the entry that provides a safe place to try 10' (probably more) jumps on a bike or skate with a cushioned landing knuckle or a foam pit to land on/in. Next to that is an indoor concrete skate park. Closer to the entrance are a series of trampolines where action sports enthusiasts can practice aerials with or without planks attached to their feet. As evening fell, the indoor arena got very busy. Meanwhile, a rail jam signup was queuing for Neff Land. We watched some of the start of the rail jam, but felt the pull to get back to the hotel. As we were rolling out, the night crowd was rolling in. It looked like a great night to play in the snow.
South Lake Tahoe
When we got back to the hotel, we were totally spent. Showers, more MCM and then bed. We had arranged to connect with T's cousin who lives in South Lake Tahoe (SLT) the following day, so an early to bed was all the more a good idea. T's cousin, Adam, has been living in SLT for a few years, and now runs a rental office there. He's a talented guitar player too, so part of our time with him was spent hearing what he's been working on. He's totally humble; he's really good.
The drive from Reno to SLT is one of the prettiest drives I can remember. Untouched high desert with view points and vistas around nearly every bend. We had to climb up and over a few passes through the Sierra Nevada mountains, and that created all the more beauty. There were few creatures out, though. The night before I had talked with a few travelers at the hotel bar, and they had commented on how they hadn't seen a deer in years. On the drive to SLT, we saw one. And a few birds. So, maybe its all about looking in the right direction. Finally, we tuned around a corner and got our first view of Lake Tahoe. In retrospect, we shouldn't have been as surprised at its size, but we were not at all expecting such a large expanse. So pretty, with snow right down to the water's edge. T took pictures as we drove, but none of them really captured the scope of the view. I'll add one here later.
We made our way through the business section of SLT, Nevada, and passed into SLT, California, noting the casinos built right on the state line. Adam lived a few minutes from there, on the CA side. Our visit wasn't long, but it was great to connect with him again. Neither T nor I had seen Adam in years, and hearing him play, and having him show us his SLT was really special.
As I mentioned in my previous post, we were up at 4:AM the next morning to check out of the hotel, return the rental car and get through security in time to make a 6:AM flight. T and I were both a little sad to leave that old hotel, and Reno. Neither one of us had expected the area to grab us the way it did. High desert is beautiful, and when the alpine feel of overnight snow dusting the hillsides is added in, it makes for a pretty special place. Next time, I'll post on our stop in Colorado.
UNR "Nevada"
 |
| Knowledge Center with robotic library |
 |
| UNR Quad |
Port of Subs
 |
| UNR graffiti staircase |
Reno
 |
| UNR dorm |
Stocked with gear, we hit a Japanese restaurant (Sushi Lover) for dinner, breaking up a series of big meals with something lighter. We planned to taste some Tahoe snow the next day, so we wrapped our first full day in Reno with some Mighty Car Mods (these guys are awesome: MCM) back at the hotel.
Unreal Boreal
 |
| riding into the trees Boreal |
Most of the skiers and riders were sticking to Accelerator or the Beginner lifts, making those lines longer. T and I immediately rode over to 49er and spent most of the day there.
The runs were really fantastic. The 49er zone offers lots of off-piste tree runs, and with all the new powder, we were in it over our knees. The trails were groomed, but enough fresh snow had fallen that the trails weren't corduroy. T and I were bonkers for that deep fresh powder, but most of everyone else was just taking it in stride. Apparently getting 16" overnight isn't as big a deal in the Sierra Nevada mountains. So, while everyone else took turns in the Neff Land terrain park or rode the trails, T and I had the tree runs and deep powder to ourselves. Epic. Unreal Boreal.
 |
| view from UNR |
South Lake Tahoe
 |
| Adam plays |
The drive from Reno to SLT is one of the prettiest drives I can remember. Untouched high desert with view points and vistas around nearly every bend. We had to climb up and over a few passes through the Sierra Nevada mountains, and that created all the more beauty. There were few creatures out, though. The night before I had talked with a few travelers at the hotel bar, and they had commented on how they hadn't seen a deer in years. On the drive to SLT, we saw one. And a few birds. So, maybe its all about looking in the right direction. Finally, we tuned around a corner and got our first view of Lake Tahoe. In retrospect, we shouldn't have been as surprised at its size, but we were not at all expecting such a large expanse. So pretty, with snow right down to the water's edge. T took pictures as we drove, but none of them really captured the scope of the view. I'll add one here later.
We made our way through the business section of SLT, Nevada, and passed into SLT, California, noting the casinos built right on the state line. Adam lived a few minutes from there, on the CA side. Our visit wasn't long, but it was great to connect with him again. Neither T nor I had seen Adam in years, and hearing him play, and having him show us his SLT was really special.
As I mentioned in my previous post, we were up at 4:AM the next morning to check out of the hotel, return the rental car and get through security in time to make a 6:AM flight. T and I were both a little sad to leave that old hotel, and Reno. Neither one of us had expected the area to grab us the way it did. High desert is beautiful, and when the alpine feel of overnight snow dusting the hillsides is added in, it makes for a pretty special place. Next time, I'll post on our stop in Colorado.
 |
| Leaving Reno |
Thursday, December 31, 2015
Christmas at SkiBowl
Continuing my posts from the winter break, I was able to pull my wife away from her seemingly incessant workload to play in the snow for Christmas. Today's post covers that. No bus content this time.
Getting There
On its surface, this should be relatively obvious: get in the car and drive there. Duh. Well, the TDI Jetta, Flash, has been hard starting since the weather started getting colder in the valley. He had some starting issues in late Summer/Fall too. I verified the alternator and replaced the battery, even re-did the vacuum lines and replaced the anti-shudder valve along the way (the original had a bunch of PO goop on it presumably to keep it working). My last resort, which I probably should have done sooner, was to replace the glow plugs. I replaced the glow plugs in the bus a while back and that motor fires right up every time. Since I went off-script for sourcing those plugs, I went to the same source for the Jetta: AccurateDiesel. They are based in Michigan and manufacture glow plugs for all kinds of vehicles, mostly domestic trucks. For $55 delivered, they make TDI plugs. I'm sure some will read this and bristle at not using Bosch plugs. It's okay. Make your own choices. These plugs work great, and the Jetta starts more responsively than before.
Anyway, I replaced the plugs on Christmas Eve, so we were car-ready. Boo had to work until after dinner time on Christmas Eve, so I got all our gear ready while I waited for her to come home. We awoke early on Chirstmas, not wakened by excited little ones, rather, an alarm like it was a workday. Swift shower, breakfast and coffee, and we loaded up Flash. We were leaving the Portland west side by 7:AM.
Expectedly, the traffic through the city was very light. It wasn't until we were on I-84 that we started really seeing other cars. With such light friction, we were in Sandy shortly after 8 and chaining-up along the 26 in the Mt Hood Forest by 8:30. We were met with cries of Merry Christmas from the parking lot attendant at SkiBowl, as well as a less-than-1/3-full lot.
The Fluffy
The weather guys in the Portland area have been trying to outdo each other with their descriptions of the snow that has been hammering the Cascade Mountains this past week. Each day, there has been measurable snowfall of more than 6". Some days have seen almost a foot. With the weather folks going bonkers and the resorts also describing the snow as some of the best ever, our expectations were suitably high. Very high. We were gloriously not disappointed.
The snow was arguably perfect. There was maybe 2-3" of fluff atop a firm base. Aside from a little bit, and I mean little, of icy at the very top of Upper Reynolds where the sun break had struck, SkiBowl was ice-free. The riding was fast, but controllable, allowing new and experienced riders alike an opportunity to have a day of their choosing. Most of the resort had been groomed, but "Surprise" hadn't so we were able to get our rough-stuff-fluff fix in as well.
The Staff
After the horrible season last year, SkiBowl had to almost completely re-staff. While there are a few folks around who have been there for a few years, most of the staff are brand new. Their new-ness was pretty apparent, but not entirely in a bad way. We met Josten, a brand new server in the Cascade Lodge who brought an energetic positive energy. There was a new woman working in the gift shop alongside a couple of old pro's who seemed right with the flow. At the lifts, though, the new folks didn't quite have the vibe yet. On Lower Bowl, there was some confusion, resulting in only one of the picket lines getting used. This created what looked like a backup on the SkiBowl camera, but the queue actually moved quite quickly. The biggest miss was at the Multipor lift where the guy managing the queue didn't have the vibe at all. He created a longer queue of more frustrated people because of how much time he would spend with each person, verifying their pass. I've had an easier time getting on an airplane. I'm sure he'll mellow out, but he needs to be paired with an old-timer to get a better handle on how SkiBowl operates.
The Services
Boo and I tried just about everything SkiBowl had to offer. We started at the Beer Stube after getting our passes, and sampled the platter of fries from the cafeteria next door. The pours were strong, and the pile of fries big enough that we shared it with the ladies at the table next to us. After some runs and another round, we took the shuttle over to the Cascade Lodge (SkiBowl East) for dinner. Once we conquered the queue at Multipor, we hit the Historic Warming Hut for Americano's. At each stop, the servers were great, friendly and responsive. The shuttle driver chatted us up as we negotiated the traffic in Govy.
The Crowd
The Govy traffic was completely hidden from us on the slopes, but the crowds that blew in from that traffic were most certainly not. Around mid-day, SkiBowl got quite busy very quickly and the crowd changed from mellow and content. Turns out, there was a major car fire on Timberline Highway, blocking traffic in both directions to/from Timberline Lodge while the fire was put out and the occupants treated. Since it was Christmas, many had their holiday "ruined" by the blocked road, so they chose to suffer the rest of us at SkiBowl with their misery. As awesome as the snow and the workers were, many of the patrons were not. Boo made a point of shouting "Merry Christmas" at the lift riders as we slid under or from the lift as others passed. These calls were almost entirely met with a flat look. The restaurants and bars were filled.... with somber faces. To those who chose to spread their ruined Christmas, I ask that next year you just wander into the forest or go home. SkiBowl doesn't need your second-place attitude.
We had a great holiday, arriving home completely tapped from playing in the snow all day. With comments of the "best Christmas ever", we both look forward to what could be an amazing season on the mountain. So, if you were like me, skeptical of snow after last year, I strongly encourage you to go up... just bring your positive happy-to-be-there energy :)
That's it for today. Thanks, as always, for following along, This will be my last post for the year, so Happy New Year 2016.
Getting There
On its surface, this should be relatively obvious: get in the car and drive there. Duh. Well, the TDI Jetta, Flash, has been hard starting since the weather started getting colder in the valley. He had some starting issues in late Summer/Fall too. I verified the alternator and replaced the battery, even re-did the vacuum lines and replaced the anti-shudder valve along the way (the original had a bunch of PO goop on it presumably to keep it working). My last resort, which I probably should have done sooner, was to replace the glow plugs. I replaced the glow plugs in the bus a while back and that motor fires right up every time. Since I went off-script for sourcing those plugs, I went to the same source for the Jetta: AccurateDiesel. They are based in Michigan and manufacture glow plugs for all kinds of vehicles, mostly domestic trucks. For $55 delivered, they make TDI plugs. I'm sure some will read this and bristle at not using Bosch plugs. It's okay. Make your own choices. These plugs work great, and the Jetta starts more responsively than before.
 |
| Beer Stube deck |
Expectedly, the traffic through the city was very light. It wasn't until we were on I-84 that we started really seeing other cars. With such light friction, we were in Sandy shortly after 8 and chaining-up along the 26 in the Mt Hood Forest by 8:30. We were met with cries of Merry Christmas from the parking lot attendant at SkiBowl, as well as a less-than-1/3-full lot.
The Fluffy
The weather guys in the Portland area have been trying to outdo each other with their descriptions of the snow that has been hammering the Cascade Mountains this past week. Each day, there has been measurable snowfall of more than 6". Some days have seen almost a foot. With the weather folks going bonkers and the resorts also describing the snow as some of the best ever, our expectations were suitably high. Very high. We were gloriously not disappointed.
The snow was arguably perfect. There was maybe 2-3" of fluff atop a firm base. Aside from a little bit, and I mean little, of icy at the very top of Upper Reynolds where the sun break had struck, SkiBowl was ice-free. The riding was fast, but controllable, allowing new and experienced riders alike an opportunity to have a day of their choosing. Most of the resort had been groomed, but "Surprise" hadn't so we were able to get our rough-stuff-fluff fix in as well.
The Staff
 |
| Upper Bowl from lift |
The Services
Boo and I tried just about everything SkiBowl had to offer. We started at the Beer Stube after getting our passes, and sampled the platter of fries from the cafeteria next door. The pours were strong, and the pile of fries big enough that we shared it with the ladies at the table next to us. After some runs and another round, we took the shuttle over to the Cascade Lodge (SkiBowl East) for dinner. Once we conquered the queue at Multipor, we hit the Historic Warming Hut for Americano's. At each stop, the servers were great, friendly and responsive. The shuttle driver chatted us up as we negotiated the traffic in Govy.
The Crowd
 |
| Upper Reynolds from below |
We had a great holiday, arriving home completely tapped from playing in the snow all day. With comments of the "best Christmas ever", we both look forward to what could be an amazing season on the mountain. So, if you were like me, skeptical of snow after last year, I strongly encourage you to go up... just bring your positive happy-to-be-there energy :)
That's it for today. Thanks, as always, for following along, This will be my last post for the year, so Happy New Year 2016.
Friday, December 18, 2015
Planning Winter Break
My employer shuts the offices down for the week between Christmas and NewYears. Half of my team will be taking the week of Christmas off as well, so I figured I would too. Today, I'm going to try to string together a plan for how to get some bus stuff done over the 2 weeks without spending all (or none) of my time wrenching. I have 16 days from this Saturday through the final Sunday. I added actual time spent edits in orange for my own benefit for when I want to make estimates next year. Goes to show that high level planning is wise, but getting too deep into detail is a waste.
Holidays
It is the holidays, after all, so I should expect at least one family event. Bowl games, the Winter Classic NHL game, etc. Assume another day there. Instead of 16 days, now its 14 days. One family event plus shopping for gifts. NHL Winter Classic plus a bowl game and some NFL. All in, there were probably 4 days "lost" to actually taking a break. Actual burndown at 12.
Snow
I've been pretty transparent about my love of playing in the snow. Snow has a peculiar sound when you're on the mountain away from the crowds and the bustle. I fully intend to visit the mountain a few times, so there's got to be room for at least 2 day-trips to snow. I'd love to make one of them in the bus, but I've posted enough on that score. Playing it safe, I'll assume 3 day trips so reduce to 11 days. EDIT: went twice. Burndown to 10.
Regular chore stuff
Any break brings with it hopes and dreams of some non-vehicular job getting done. Clean this, fix that, etc. Reduce to 10 days. This was an ongoing affair, but all in, there were probably 2 days worth of time spent doing this kind of stuff. Now 8.
Kid's Car
The A4 has a few problems, including a bad thermostat. Since everything takes longer cuz I"m slow. I'll set aside a day, even though it shouldn't take more than a couple hours. Now 9 days. EDIT: didn't fix the thermostat, but fixed a few other things and changed the oil. Thermostat on an A4 is a huge deal, like change the timing belt huge. Maybe in the Summer. Regardless, days now at 7.
Mrs.
Inevitably, I'll want to do stuff with my wife. I love spending time with her, and she works a lot, so there will be time spent dilly-dallying in front of the fire while she works. Maybe this is where I fit in the regular chore stuff. Assume a day lost, so now we're down to 8 days. We fit time around the edges. She worked every day except Christmas Day, and we spent that on the mountain (See Christmas at SkiBowl). She works too hard. Still 7.
The Painted House
I think I posted pictures last year or the year before of my usual Christmas tradition of painting a ceramic house for one of my family members every year. With the intensity around work, I haven't started yet. It usually takes me many many hours. While the one I have selected isn't crazy complex, it will still take me a while. Figure 3 days lost there, so now I'm down to 5 days. EDIT: this actually took over 4 days. Looks great though. Down to less than 3 days.
What Fits?
Like anyone who owns a project car, there is a long list of stuff to do and a short list of hours available to do it. Estimating can be a challenge because you never really get a big block of time to do things. Looking back on things, it's hard to tell how long it took, so you can't use past experience to help estimate new things. Awesome. Here's my list of things I want to do in approximately the order in which I'd like to do them, and my rough guess of how long it will take.
- Fuel Gauge. I haven't found any how-to's on the internet. All links lead to replacing the float in the tank, which isn't the problem. Since I'll have to figure it out (and then post about it), figure 1/2 a day. I fiddled with this a few times (see Fuel Gauge Replacement), but in the end it's an issue with the float, not the gauge. Awesome. Down to about 1 day.
- Heat / Leak. Like the fuel gauge, there's no roadmap to follow. In order to really test it out, I need to get the bus engine up to normal operating temperature (NOT) and look for leaks. 1/2 day. I was able to identify and solve the leak (see Vanagon Rear Heater Leak Fix), but it took me most of a day to do it. This left no time for anything else.
- saggy butt. There are lots of how-to's on fixing the saggy butt problem on a bus. Since the rear end hasn't ever been apart, I expect this to take a while. Knowing my ability to take much longer than everyone else, I'm saying a day per side, so 2 days. Early during the break, I went to Discount Import Parts (VWFLAPS), but with the holidays causing such disruption to deliveries, they couldn't have my bushings until almost NewYears. cancel this job until the Jetta's are solid runners. I have the bushings in-hand now, though
- Rear brakes. I haven't really addressed the rear brakes in years. I'm sure they're over due for at least new shoes. I have complete brakes innards, so I'd like to just completely replace everything. The first side will take most of a day while I figure it out, the other side will take 2 hours. So, 1 day. Never touched them, but I did find all the hardware I had and remembered that I did the shoes a few years ago. Since the bus doesn't see much travel, they could be okay. I need to pull the drums and see, though.
- wheels / rims. Remember those? Yeah, me too. What happened? Life, and now they're sitting patiently for me to get back to them. They need sanding down and another coat of primer, maybe some filler. Then I need to finish sand them, color and clear coat. Figure a 1/2 day per rim, so that's 2 days. Didn't touch them other than to move them around the garage.
Hmm... math says I'm down to -1 days. Something has to give, but knowing I have more to do than I have time ahead of time is better than regret at the other end. Maybe I collapse the chores into one of the "holiday" days of watching football and hockey. Maybe I leave the brakes or the saggy butt (or both) for a weekend. We'll see.
That's it for now. I expect to spend close to a week working on cars and some time playing in the snow, so there will be plenty of raw material for future posts. Thanks, as always, for following along. I hope you have a happy, rest (or project) filled holiday season-
Post holiday, I did things around the edges that I hadn't planned on: changed the air filters on 2dot0 and Flash, replaced the glow plugs on Flash, fixed the slider door (the cable became detached) and started working on a new shelf idea or the bus. I took a stab at constructing my own kick panels but decided it wasn't worth the work compared to just buying a pair, clowned around with the stereo in the bus and got the unlock codes for the junkyard stereo I got for Flash. I also went out to a movie with my wife (that Hunger Games one) and a movie (Star Wars 7) with one of my boys. Overall, it was a great break. One thing to remember for next year: the week I have the boys I really can't plan for much of anything. They need my time.
Holidays
It is the holidays, after all, so I should expect at least one family event. Bowl games, the Winter Classic NHL game, etc. Assume another day there. Instead of 16 days, now its 14 days. One family event plus shopping for gifts. NHL Winter Classic plus a bowl game and some NFL. All in, there were probably 4 days "lost" to actually taking a break. Actual burndown at 12.
Snow
I've been pretty transparent about my love of playing in the snow. Snow has a peculiar sound when you're on the mountain away from the crowds and the bustle. I fully intend to visit the mountain a few times, so there's got to be room for at least 2 day-trips to snow. I'd love to make one of them in the bus, but I've posted enough on that score. Playing it safe, I'll assume 3 day trips so reduce to 11 days. EDIT: went twice. Burndown to 10.
Regular chore stuff
Any break brings with it hopes and dreams of some non-vehicular job getting done. Clean this, fix that, etc. Reduce to 10 days. This was an ongoing affair, but all in, there were probably 2 days worth of time spent doing this kind of stuff. Now 8.
Kid's Car
The A4 has a few problems, including a bad thermostat. Since everything takes longer cuz I"m slow. I'll set aside a day, even though it shouldn't take more than a couple hours. Now 9 days. EDIT: didn't fix the thermostat, but fixed a few other things and changed the oil. Thermostat on an A4 is a huge deal, like change the timing belt huge. Maybe in the Summer. Regardless, days now at 7.
Mrs.
Inevitably, I'll want to do stuff with my wife. I love spending time with her, and she works a lot, so there will be time spent dilly-dallying in front of the fire while she works. Maybe this is where I fit in the regular chore stuff. Assume a day lost, so now we're down to 8 days. We fit time around the edges. She worked every day except Christmas Day, and we spent that on the mountain (See Christmas at SkiBowl). She works too hard. Still 7.
The Painted House
I think I posted pictures last year or the year before of my usual Christmas tradition of painting a ceramic house for one of my family members every year. With the intensity around work, I haven't started yet. It usually takes me many many hours. While the one I have selected isn't crazy complex, it will still take me a while. Figure 3 days lost there, so now I'm down to 5 days. EDIT: this actually took over 4 days. Looks great though. Down to less than 3 days.
What Fits?
Like anyone who owns a project car, there is a long list of stuff to do and a short list of hours available to do it. Estimating can be a challenge because you never really get a big block of time to do things. Looking back on things, it's hard to tell how long it took, so you can't use past experience to help estimate new things. Awesome. Here's my list of things I want to do in approximately the order in which I'd like to do them, and my rough guess of how long it will take.
- Fuel Gauge. I haven't found any how-to's on the internet. All links lead to replacing the float in the tank, which isn't the problem. Since I'll have to figure it out (and then post about it), figure 1/2 a day. I fiddled with this a few times (see Fuel Gauge Replacement), but in the end it's an issue with the float, not the gauge. Awesome. Down to about 1 day.
- Heat / Leak. Like the fuel gauge, there's no roadmap to follow. In order to really test it out, I need to get the bus engine up to normal operating temperature (NOT) and look for leaks. 1/2 day. I was able to identify and solve the leak (see Vanagon Rear Heater Leak Fix), but it took me most of a day to do it. This left no time for anything else.
- saggy butt. There are lots of how-to's on fixing the saggy butt problem on a bus. Since the rear end hasn't ever been apart, I expect this to take a while. Knowing my ability to take much longer than everyone else, I'm saying a day per side, so 2 days. Early during the break, I went to Discount Import Parts (VWFLAPS), but with the holidays causing such disruption to deliveries, they couldn't have my bushings until almost NewYears. cancel this job until the Jetta's are solid runners. I have the bushings in-hand now, though
- Rear brakes. I haven't really addressed the rear brakes in years. I'm sure they're over due for at least new shoes. I have complete brakes innards, so I'd like to just completely replace everything. The first side will take most of a day while I figure it out, the other side will take 2 hours. So, 1 day. Never touched them, but I did find all the hardware I had and remembered that I did the shoes a few years ago. Since the bus doesn't see much travel, they could be okay. I need to pull the drums and see, though.
- wheels / rims. Remember those? Yeah, me too. What happened? Life, and now they're sitting patiently for me to get back to them. They need sanding down and another coat of primer, maybe some filler. Then I need to finish sand them, color and clear coat. Figure a 1/2 day per rim, so that's 2 days. Didn't touch them other than to move them around the garage.
Hmm... math says I'm down to -1 days. Something has to give, but knowing I have more to do than I have time ahead of time is better than regret at the other end. Maybe I collapse the chores into one of the "holiday" days of watching football and hockey. Maybe I leave the brakes or the saggy butt (or both) for a weekend. We'll see.
That's it for now. I expect to spend close to a week working on cars and some time playing in the snow, so there will be plenty of raw material for future posts. Thanks, as always, for following along. I hope you have a happy, rest (or project) filled holiday season-
Post holiday, I did things around the edges that I hadn't planned on: changed the air filters on 2dot0 and Flash, replaced the glow plugs on Flash, fixed the slider door (the cable became detached) and started working on a new shelf idea or the bus. I took a stab at constructing my own kick panels but decided it wasn't worth the work compared to just buying a pair, clowned around with the stereo in the bus and got the unlock codes for the junkyard stereo I got for Flash. I also went out to a movie with my wife (that Hunger Games one) and a movie (Star Wars 7) with one of my boys. Overall, it was a great break. One thing to remember for next year: the week I have the boys I really can't plan for much of anything. They need my time.
Saturday, November 1, 2014
300
Somehow, I've managed to work my way to 300 posts over the last 7 years. Rather than a real-content post today, I'm going to reflect back kind of like when TV shows do a "best of" episode. Frankly, I hate it when TV shows do that, and promptly switch the channel when they do, so my following that model is actually kinda funny.
0 - 100: The Start of Many Things
Ranging from January of 2007 to September of 2009, my first 100 posts ran the gamut of topics. That's probably true of any cross-section. In looking at what was happening with the bus, the blog starts with him running the original type4 engine, but I soon started the TDI work. Early posts ranting on some old air-cooled vehicle abuses like removing the cooling system shifted to engine options and then to solving the install of a water-cooled plant into an air-cooled body. Deciding on the engine was recorded on April 13th, 2007 (see Engine Decided) and a year later, the engine was still sitting on my garage floor, a failed first attempt on both the fuel tank relining and the engine mount had slowed me. That winter was spent getting the engine and transaxle to mate for the first time (see first and second attempts). I broke an adapter plate, and my spirit over that winter. It took going on the road to see the Dead and starting the separation from my ex-wife to get the project going again in early 2009. The first 100 posts ended with the new rear engine mount being fabricated, the starter adapter solved (see starter adapter corrected...), the vacuum completed (see what's that soft sucking sound) and the fuel fill set up.
101-200: Transitions
Starting in September of 2009, this block of 100 posts carried through late July of 2011. I started this period sleeping in a spare room at my now ex-wife's house and ended this period completing a divorce and living in a townhouse apartment. Still, the middle section of 100 posts started with the same urgency which the first 100 had at the end, in terms of bus work. The fall of 2009 included the fuel tank (see Fuel Tank Solved) shape / vacuum pump issue, buttoning up the turbo, vacuum, starter, CV joints and moving the bus off the mud and onto concrete for winter work. Over the Winter, the radiator/cooling was addressed (see Radiator test-fitted, shrouded and Installed) and the bus project really started to roll. The hatch was finished, intake routed, electrical, clearing codes, finishing the coolant routing, primary electrical, etc. By December of 2010, my ex- and I had decided to call it quits. I spent January through March staying on my parent's couch trying to get the bus into a will-travel-under-own-power state before the divorce finalized. I was able to get him running-ish, and had a muffler installed by Meineke (see Exhausted) during that working-remotely period. By April, I had a townhouse-style apartment with a dedicated garage space and focused a considerable amount of free time into the bus' interior. I swapped out the fridge for storage, applied more sound killer, installed an accessory battery and fuseblock (see fused) and ended the late July with installing a Riviera pop-top in place of the original ripped-up Westy top.
201 - 300: Moving
Picking up in late July of 2011, the final 300 posts carry us to today (early November 2014). I started this period as a divorced father of 2 boys and an old bus, and I now conclude this period remarried father of 4 boys and an old bus. We moved out of the townhouse apartment when they raised my rent past the point I could afford, and into Boo's condo. From the condo, we moved into the house we've been in for 18 months now. Frequency of posts dropped during that housing change and life settled into a very different pattern of family play versus self mechanic'ing. This period, though, marks the time when the bus went from stationary project to daily driver. In August, we camped in him for the first time in years (see One Small Step for Van). Later that Fall, we hit the road to Eugene for Furthur but needed a tow home. Like I've said before, the journey is the destination, and we had to pull the tank to get re-lined.
I returned the original engine harness to service, and struggled with coolant leaks while trying to keep him on the road. I discovered a new love of snowboarding, and bonded with a new family at Mt. Hood. The bus underwent more transformations as well. He has a middle row bench seat (see Vanagon Seat Install, no longer has a grossly underused kitchenette (see Enter Summer, exist posting) and has a rebuilt jalousie window (see parts one and two). I dropped his engine 3 times in this stretch of posts, twice having to separate the engine and transaxle. Both of his bumpers have been hammered straight-ish and painted to an almost good-looking state (see front 1,2,3,4 and rear) and he now sports door cards as well as cards for most of the interior. The ceiling doesn't sag anymore. This past Summer, we had 3 flawless road trips to Nye Beack on the Oregon coast, Horning's Hideout and to the Black Sheep Family Reunion.
So, What's Next?
I guess that's always the question when you don't draw a map ahead of time. I honestly don't know. Frankly, I couldn't have drawn a map to this point and I wouldn't have ended up here if I'd tried to. I look forward to many sights like the one below, simply driving the posted speed and enjoying the sights out the front windscreen. As before and always, thanks for following along.
0 - 100: The Start of Many Things
101-200: Transitions
201 - 300: Moving
So, What's Next?
I guess that's always the question when you don't draw a map ahead of time. I honestly don't know. Frankly, I couldn't have drawn a map to this point and I wouldn't have ended up here if I'd tried to. I look forward to many sights like the one below, simply driving the posted speed and enjoying the sights out the front windscreen. As before and always, thanks for following along.
Tuesday, May 20, 2014
Whatcha Hiding?
I realized that I hadn't posted about the screens I have been working on, or at least I can't find a post where I did. So, I'll get remedial and cover that today.
Screens
In the later year campers, there is a closet blocking most of the left-rear window (on the driver's side, but all the way to the rear). The driver couldn't see out this window anyway, so it doesn't create a blind spot. I thought it would be neat to create a few screens to put over the window since the only thing a passing motorist would see otherwise is the backside of a closet. When I built the ski rack (see Rack 'em, Snow Bum), I realized that I needed a screen if for no other reason to hide the equipment.
In the interests of spending no money, I went digging through my supplies. I found the ceiling panel from the donor bus from which I got the Riviera Top. It didn't fit my bus, and I didn't need it anyway, so I didn't bother with it. Some careful measuring later, and I had 3 equal-sized screens that each completely blocked the rear window. I set them on top of one another, and drilled mounting holes through so they would all mount the same. Last, I held one against the inside of the window and marked drill holes in the steel. A few minutes with the drill later and I had 3 interchangeable screens.
I base coated 2 of the screens with the same bright white that I painted the front bumper (see Front Bumper part 4), thinking I'd use them as a landing zone for themes of stickers. I hadn't really thought about what all of the themes would be, but I figured I'd have at least the one about snow. For that one, I drew mountains based on pictures of various resorts around the Pacific NorthWest (the top picture). Whatever stickers I had, or acquired, for snow would go on that screen. I used the other white one first, just to block out the sun last Fall when I went to Eugene to see Furthur (see A Tale of Two Trips). I just taped a picture and some inspiring words on there as a placeholder. This Saturday, I completed my vision for a screen dedicated to music and music festivals: completely covered with images of ticket stubs plus the VW-your-face that was on the original screen when we went to Furthur. I don't yet have a plan for that last screen. Maybe, I'll use that as a spot for stickers, pictures, etc dedicated to camping, for those trips we take that aren't music-venue focused.
That's it for today. I've been driving the bus to work lately. With the mufflers on the pop-top springs (see Spring Sprang Sprung), its conversationally quiet at idle. With the window rebuilt (see Jalousie Window rebuild), its quiet enough to have an "outdoor volume" conversation while driving. Its pretty fantastic.
Screens
In the later year campers, there is a closet blocking most of the left-rear window (on the driver's side, but all the way to the rear). The driver couldn't see out this window anyway, so it doesn't create a blind spot. I thought it would be neat to create a few screens to put over the window since the only thing a passing motorist would see otherwise is the backside of a closet. When I built the ski rack (see Rack 'em, Snow Bum), I realized that I needed a screen if for no other reason to hide the equipment.
 |
| snow-themed screen lying on my garage floor |
 |
| work in progress. top screen is the "Furthur" one bottom screen was 1st draft layout |
 |
| installed screen viewed from the outside. |
Tuesday, April 22, 2014
Timing your Purchase
A friend of mine asked me about getting a VW bus this past week. I thought I'd do a little post about what advice I gave. T and I spent Saturday playing in the snow on Mt Hood, so I'll write a little about that too.
Spring in the Air, Snow on the Mountain
This has been one of the weirdest ski/snow seasons I can remember in the Pacific NorthWest. We had virtually no ride-able snow until after the Winter Solstice. SkiBowl wasn't officially open until well after New Years Eve (and they've been closed since the first weekend in April). After a lame early and mid-season, the late season snow has really been coming on strong. I'd seen that Timberline had been getting consistent snowfall last week, so after hosting a family friend from Australia and helicopter-parenting C to an 8:AM lacrosse game, T and I spent Saturday on the mountain. The roads were wet from the steady rain, SkiBowl looked like late Spring and the Summit ski area looked like a spring meadow. Our expectations for sliding were quite low. As we ascended Timberline Highway, though, the rain slowly gave way to wintery-mix and then a steady snow. The parking lots were nearly empty, but the falling snow wasn't sticking... to the asphalt. It was definitely sticking to the slopes.
The smaller terrain parks on Thunder and Walt's Way had been taken down, leaving just the jumps. So, while the high-fliers and hard-core terrain riders played on the big stuff fed by the Stormin' Norman lift, T and I had Thunder and Walt's Way to ourselves. Neither of us had been on the snow much since his concussion, so it was really nice to just feel the snow under our feet and hang out together again. As the day wore on, the snow got better, and the jumps less scary. By the last run, we were both getting air (T doing tricks, me mid-air panicking) and sticking landings consistently. It was a great day to play in the snow.
Pick One
As I mentioned at the start, I was asked about buying a VW camperbus. I obviously love the idea. There are 4 viable used models to choose from: splitty (T1), bay-window (T2-called "bays"), vanagon (T3) and eurovan (T4, T5). They all have their upsides and downsides. Splitties look neat, but they are the most under-powered and probably the most rusty. They can be very spendy as collector cars since they fell out of production in 1967. Bays were sold from 1968-1979 in the US and were the most widely built/sold around the globe. They were manufactured through 2013 in Brasil, making part availability unequaled. Of the 4 styles, these are probably the least expensive. The vanagon (1980-1990) is probably the most roomy, or at least it feels the most roomy, and is more powerful than most bays. Called water-leakers by many, the early cooling systems are prone to rusting and failing. Still, the Synchro (all-wheel-drive version) is really cool, and the camping portion of the vanagon is well done when compared to the bay (especially the early bays). The Eurovan (T4 1990-2003, T5 2003-current) doesn't feel like you're driving a bus, but the interiors are very nice. It could be the most reliable on the day of purchase, but also the most expensive to maintain, and it still feels like a standard mini-van behind the wheel.
When to Buy, When to Sell
Once you've chosen a target vehicle make/model, the next most important step is deciding when to buy it. While this may not seem terribly important, it very much is. You could considerably overpay if your timing is wrong. I'm kind of a used-car market geek, trolling craigslist and eBay alot, and I've noticed distinct patterns. We are entering the worst time of year to buy a car. Car dealers hold "dad's and grad's" sales, so you'd think there would be excess inventory they are selling off. In reality, there are lots of buyers in the market heading into Summer, and the car lots are trying to get those shoppers. Who doesn't want a new-to-them car to play with all Summer? Lesson to shopper: wait. Wait until July when the price spike starts to pass. As Summer wears on, prices drop until they bottom out in October. By then, anyone who wants to get rid of a car before Winter is willing to take a loss rather than store it. What remains after mid-October are cars held by sellers who think their car is worth more than it is, or very unusual cars which hold their value, but are only interesting to a niche market. Over the Winter, the supply is thin so prices stay somewhat stable; not at late-Summer deal prices, but not as high as late-Spring either. By March, prices start to climb again. So, if you want to buy a bus, wait until the end of the Summer when the last guy who had that dream has decided he doesn't want to deal with it over the Winter. Deal for you, and they found a new loyal owner.
That's it for today. Sorry I didn't have any pictures of us playing in the snow. We were too focused on enjoying the conditions to record how good it was. Seriously, there's still snow in them thar hills. Go play while you still can!
Spring in the Air, Snow on the Mountain
This has been one of the weirdest ski/snow seasons I can remember in the Pacific NorthWest. We had virtually no ride-able snow until after the Winter Solstice. SkiBowl wasn't officially open until well after New Years Eve (and they've been closed since the first weekend in April). After a lame early and mid-season, the late season snow has really been coming on strong. I'd seen that Timberline had been getting consistent snowfall last week, so after hosting a family friend from Australia and helicopter-parenting C to an 8:AM lacrosse game, T and I spent Saturday on the mountain. The roads were wet from the steady rain, SkiBowl looked like late Spring and the Summit ski area looked like a spring meadow. Our expectations for sliding were quite low. As we ascended Timberline Highway, though, the rain slowly gave way to wintery-mix and then a steady snow. The parking lots were nearly empty, but the falling snow wasn't sticking... to the asphalt. It was definitely sticking to the slopes.
The smaller terrain parks on Thunder and Walt's Way had been taken down, leaving just the jumps. So, while the high-fliers and hard-core terrain riders played on the big stuff fed by the Stormin' Norman lift, T and I had Thunder and Walt's Way to ourselves. Neither of us had been on the snow much since his concussion, so it was really nice to just feel the snow under our feet and hang out together again. As the day wore on, the snow got better, and the jumps less scary. By the last run, we were both getting air (T doing tricks, me mid-air panicking) and sticking landings consistently. It was a great day to play in the snow.
Pick One
As I mentioned at the start, I was asked about buying a VW camperbus. I obviously love the idea. There are 4 viable used models to choose from: splitty (T1), bay-window (T2-called "bays"), vanagon (T3) and eurovan (T4, T5). They all have their upsides and downsides. Splitties look neat, but they are the most under-powered and probably the most rusty. They can be very spendy as collector cars since they fell out of production in 1967. Bays were sold from 1968-1979 in the US and were the most widely built/sold around the globe. They were manufactured through 2013 in Brasil, making part availability unequaled. Of the 4 styles, these are probably the least expensive. The vanagon (1980-1990) is probably the most roomy, or at least it feels the most roomy, and is more powerful than most bays. Called water-leakers by many, the early cooling systems are prone to rusting and failing. Still, the Synchro (all-wheel-drive version) is really cool, and the camping portion of the vanagon is well done when compared to the bay (especially the early bays). The Eurovan (T4 1990-2003, T5 2003-current) doesn't feel like you're driving a bus, but the interiors are very nice. It could be the most reliable on the day of purchase, but also the most expensive to maintain, and it still feels like a standard mini-van behind the wheel.
When to Buy, When to Sell
Once you've chosen a target vehicle make/model, the next most important step is deciding when to buy it. While this may not seem terribly important, it very much is. You could considerably overpay if your timing is wrong. I'm kind of a used-car market geek, trolling craigslist and eBay alot, and I've noticed distinct patterns. We are entering the worst time of year to buy a car. Car dealers hold "dad's and grad's" sales, so you'd think there would be excess inventory they are selling off. In reality, there are lots of buyers in the market heading into Summer, and the car lots are trying to get those shoppers. Who doesn't want a new-to-them car to play with all Summer? Lesson to shopper: wait. Wait until July when the price spike starts to pass. As Summer wears on, prices drop until they bottom out in October. By then, anyone who wants to get rid of a car before Winter is willing to take a loss rather than store it. What remains after mid-October are cars held by sellers who think their car is worth more than it is, or very unusual cars which hold their value, but are only interesting to a niche market. Over the Winter, the supply is thin so prices stay somewhat stable; not at late-Summer deal prices, but not as high as late-Spring either. By March, prices start to climb again. So, if you want to buy a bus, wait until the end of the Summer when the last guy who had that dream has decided he doesn't want to deal with it over the Winter. Deal for you, and they found a new loyal owner.
That's it for today. Sorry I didn't have any pictures of us playing in the snow. We were too focused on enjoying the conditions to record how good it was. Seriously, there's still snow in them thar hills. Go play while you still can!
Monday, April 7, 2014
Film at Eleven
With the start of April comes the Pacific NorthWest's faux-Summer. We're really experiencing that now, with mid 70's temperatures, clear blue skies and bright smiles on everyone's face. In an ironic contrast, I spent Sunday afternoon in my sun-blasted garage solving the water-block problem both under the belly-pan and in the passenger door. I'll hit that today.
Plastic Fantastic
First, I need to give credit where due. I stumbled upon this website while trying to figure out a viable way of keeping the water that makes it past the window seals from damaging the new inner door panels / cards. The old plastic was pulled out, and the cards were destroyed. The guys at the vw-resource web site had a great suggestion for using BlueTak on their page dedicated to the doors. In my last post, I mentioned that I bought some of the 3M stuff that was basically the same. I borrowed their picture on the right here. The 3M stuff is white, so it doesn't show up as well in pictures. I posted one here anyway.
Note how much less I used (I relatively uniformly used around 1/4" thickness). That became an issue when I tried to hang visqueen. The plastic sheeting that you get in most home remodeling shops is too slickery, and won't stick easily. Instead, I considered what was originally in there: a very thin film. I grabbed a kitchen garbage bag, and hung it on there instead, aligning the bag bottom with the door top and one edge against the front edge of the door . Because of the static electricity built up in the bag, it immediately clung to the steel, making the pressing into the 3M stuff much easier. I cut the bag in half along the front / leading edge of the door, and folded it back against the rest of the door. Some simple trimming later, and the door is sealed. Like the vw-resource guys, I poked holes where the rubber bits will be going and made sure to run loops of sticky-stuff around those holes. Be sure to run loops of the sticky-stuff around the holes for the window winder, door pull and the latch. One other thing to note, I didn't run the plastic to the very bottom of the door; only to the very bottom of the hole in the door and then put multiple runs of sticky stuff along the bottom. Remember, the whole idea is to keep inside the water that's inside the door, so it runs out the bottom.
Bag in the Pan
After such a simple success with the door, I slid under the front of the bus and pulled the belly pan off. My drive-by-wire electronics are under there. This has been a source of concern any time I go for a drive when the pavement isn't dry. While it is really just a simple resistor attached at one end to the pedal and the other to a wiring pigtail, its still an expensive replacement. If it got wet, it would fry, and I'd need to replace it. As I write this, I realize that there aren't any fuses in the wires either, so if something shorted out, there could be ECU troubles. Anyway, in looking at the exposed electronics, I noted so many openings where water could get through: from the rear where all the controls go through, over either side of the main frame members, etc. Yikes.
I had thought of plastic-sheeting the entire area, but that would have been nearly impossible. Instead, I figured I could just "bag" the electronics by running a circle of sticky along the bottom of the floor and sticking another kitchen trash-liner against it. It totally worked. It has a small hole for the pigtail, but otherwise, its protected from water. Once the rainy season returns for May and June (like it always does), the bus will be road-capable.
That's it for today. I spent Saturday watching C play in 3 lacrosse games, starting the Spring sports season. We hoped to hit Mt. Hood on Sunday, but it was raining up there, trashing those hopes. I'm starting to believe that the Ski Bowl season is about over, between that rain and today's warm temperatures. I've heard it will hit the mid 70's through next weekend. So, after an unimpressive snow season, our Spring conditions appear to be disappearing. Time to plan camping season instead! Thanks for following along-
Plastic Fantastic
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| from vw-resource.com |
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| trash-liner door-liner |
Bag in the Pan
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| exposed electricals. 3M sticky |
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| same view, but bagged now |
That's it for today. I spent Saturday watching C play in 3 lacrosse games, starting the Spring sports season. We hoped to hit Mt. Hood on Sunday, but it was raining up there, trashing those hopes. I'm starting to believe that the Ski Bowl season is about over, between that rain and today's warm temperatures. I've heard it will hit the mid 70's through next weekend. So, after an unimpressive snow season, our Spring conditions appear to be disappearing. Time to plan camping season instead! Thanks for following along-
Tuesday, January 28, 2014
Front Bumper (part 1)
In my last post, I celebrated returning Flash to drive-able Hapy to daily-driver status. With one extra car than I need, I immediately returned Hapy to the garage to start improving his looks. Today, I'll cover what I'm getting into, but none of this changes my re-set expectations. I'll have some or all of the front bumper back on the bus in the next 2 weeks or I'll drive him to the mountain without it.
Bigger Plan
I have visions of a new (albeit amateur applied) paint job. I thought about getting a nice one, but this isn't a car-show vehicle. I take him camping... where branches scrape the sides... and state parks put short unexpected tree-colored posts around camping spots that dent bumpers. I plan to take him into the snow where skis, poles, boots and boards will bang against the sides, doors and floor. In the end, a nice paint job would just get destroyed. So, I'm at the other end of the spectrum; the $50 paint job end. Okay, not really $50, but pretty close. I bought a can of white Rustoleum at Home Depot for $20 and I painted the poptop with it 2 years ago. I intend to bring that bright white down to the belt line as well as paint the bumpers and camping outlets. For the rest of the body, I'm looking at Neptune Blue (thanks Wolfsburg West for the color image) or something in a darker blue. I haven't decided on whether I'll paint with colored Rustoleum or use a truck-bed paint without the non-slip agent. The bed paint would withstand more punishment, but would probably look worse and would definitely cost more.
Front is First
I started down this path on Sunday after adjusting the shifter. I set aside the afternoon, and it took me about 15 minutes. So, I grabbed the plain wood panels I had cut for the rear driver's side window and quickly painted them with the white Rustoleum. I'll get into that plan another day. Regardless, I had now stepped into make-it-look-nice mode, which is nothing but trouble. I found some sandpaper and cleaned up the windshield wiper arms. "They need paint," I thought and then I looked down at the haggard front bumper. Dented and scratched, it still had a political bumper sticker from the Bush-era. So, I grabbed my ratchets and removed it. 4 13mm nuts hold cap-bolts to the bumper mounts. 4 15mm bolts hold the bumper mounts to the body. On the ends, 2 pairs of 13mm bolts hold the steps to the body. Last, 2 pairs of 13mm nuts mate the steps to the front bar. The license plate is held on with square nuts backing bladed-screws. Lastly, on the passenger side there is a tow hook bolted to the body with the same bolts as the bumper mount.
Banging Around
Once separated, I looked at the rubber bits. They're all original, so 40 years old. The steps were hiding 40 years of water seepage and the seam-rubber had hardened to stiff plastic. Once the steel was exposed, I could start getting a sense for how much work there is. There's a bunch. I focused on the dents. Even the small ones were easy to find: there was a corresponding rust mark on the inside of the bumper. Someone with skills or access to good tools will probably cringe at this, but I grabbed by framing hammer and started backing out the dents. With one hand behind the dent to feel for progress, I slowly moved the steel back to around where it was supposed to be. I'm not going to make it sound like I got it all perfect, but in a couple of hours my bumper went from moonscape to dimpled. I'm not done yet, though. There's one more big dent and the lower lip near the driver's mount still needs wrangling. Overall, though, it should look a lot better. Next, I'll grind out the rust, prime and paint it.
Parting Thoughts
My tow-hook was completely flattened (see picture). I have feelers out for a viable replacement, but I think its pretty common for them to get smashed. When I removed the driver-side bumper bracket, I broke-off one of the bolts. Overall, some part of every nut-washer-bolt combination was rusty. In some cases, the entire bit was heavily rusted. I chose to order a full bolt-set from Wolfsburg West for $21 as well as the new rubber steps and seam-seals.
In my last post, I said that I'd upload pictures of the parts we removed. Well... Boo was very helpful and got rid of all those parts before I could photograph them. So, you'll have to take my word for it that the coolant pump had all this sealant all over it and the rollers looked heavily worn. That's it for today. Thanks, as always, for following along.
Bigger Plan
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| front bumper in pieces |
Front is First
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| rubber step: what lies beneath |
Banging Around
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| smashed tow hook |
Parting Thoughts
My tow-hook was completely flattened (see picture). I have feelers out for a viable replacement, but I think its pretty common for them to get smashed. When I removed the driver-side bumper bracket, I broke-off one of the bolts. Overall, some part of every nut-washer-bolt combination was rusty. In some cases, the entire bit was heavily rusted. I chose to order a full bolt-set from Wolfsburg West for $21 as well as the new rubber steps and seam-seals.
In my last post, I said that I'd upload pictures of the parts we removed. Well... Boo was very helpful and got rid of all those parts before I could photograph them. So, you'll have to take my word for it that the coolant pump had all this sealant all over it and the rollers looked heavily worn. That's it for today. Thanks, as always, for following along.
Wednesday, January 1, 2014
Hapy New Year
Duh... Failed to put a title on this one. I'll blame the post holi-daze. So, Hapy NewYear everyone. I have spent a few hours playing with the bus, and I'll cover that first. Otherwise, its been a week with the boys, and I'll touch on some of our adventures as well.
The week started with getting the jalousie (jealous) window installed into the sliding door. For all the other windows, there is a rubber seal that you really have to work onto the glass. Then, you use the rope trick to get the seal-rimmed glass into the hole and sealed. The jalousie window is different. It is held in with a bunch of screws, and the rubber seal doesn't go over any lip in the door. I tried to seat the window, but it wouldn't. Maybe it was the new paint gripping the rubber. I wasn't sure, so I color sanded the new white with very very fine sand paper. Even then, and after cleaning the powder dust with cleanser the window wouldn't go in. Finally, I ran a bead of KY jelly along the edge of the hole in the door. This removed the friction problem, and I was able to force the window into place. It didn't go easily; in fact, I needed to lightly smack the rear-end with a rubber mallet. Once in-place, the window was simply screwed down. Word of caution: do not use lubricant when installing a window that is not a-fixed with screws or bolts, otherwise it will not hold under pressure (read: collision).
Slider Window Install
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| window in color sanded paint looks shiny, eh? |
Fixing a Hole Where the Rain Gets In
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| tools for patching a hole |
In the 1972 Westy, there was originally a sink / ice box behind the front passenger seat. This unit requires 2 drains: one for the sink and one for the melting ice from the ice box. The drains route through a hole in the floor. Well, 2 holes if you consider the hole in the floor and then another below it in a belly pan. The sink / ice box units came with rubber seals to keep road moisture from coming up and in. When I removed the old unit, I didn't address the hole that was left behind. Years ago, when I bought the 1979 Westy interior, I installed the kitchenette / sink-hob down to the pair of holes in the floor. Now that I no longer have the 1979 kitchen, I no longer need the corresponding holes in the floor.
 |
| driver-side hole patch |
To fix a hole in a place where it really can't be seen, its much easier than "real" bodywork. I got some aluminum sheets for the install of the radiator unit, and I had a bunch left over. I cut a small square and bent it to fit the contour of the belly pan (see picture, there's a rectangular bump-out over a flat-file). I drilled 3 (1/8") holes on each side and then a-fixed the patch with rivets. I'll shoot the patch with under-body rubber stuff so it seals tight. Later, I'll put something in the body cavity to reduce road noise. We know we want whatever I put in there to be closed-cell, so any moisture that could get in doesn't get absorbed. I have a roll of that foil insulation I could use, but I don't think it is very effective at absorbing noise.... at least not as effectively as it insulated temperature. I may put some down on the bottom anyway. Once I figure that out, I'll patch the hole in the floor. While I think about it, I'll patch the floor in the belly pan from the original ice box / sink unit.
Holidaze
It's been an interesting holiday season, switching from no kids to a house full of them and, soon, back again. Boo and I hosted my extended family holiday event and laid-low on the actual Christmas eve and day. For NewYearsEve, we took 6 kids up to SkiBowl for Cosmic Tubing. The Tubing was fun, and SkiBowl put on a great time even with hardly any snow. The resort is effectively closed pending snow, and the others aren't much further along. Without some fresh snow, they will have to start shutting down lifts too. We hit Timberline on the 27th (our anniversary), and the snow was pounded flat with a little powder on top. That was a week ago, and they haven't gotten any freshies since. I don't think I'll go back until something comes from the sky. Hopefully, that'll be very very soon.
That's it for now. Thanks for following along.
Holidaze
It's been an interesting holiday season, switching from no kids to a house full of them and, soon, back again. Boo and I hosted my extended family holiday event and laid-low on the actual Christmas eve and day. For NewYearsEve, we took 6 kids up to SkiBowl for Cosmic Tubing. The Tubing was fun, and SkiBowl put on a great time even with hardly any snow. The resort is effectively closed pending snow, and the others aren't much further along. Without some fresh snow, they will have to start shutting down lifts too. We hit Timberline on the 27th (our anniversary), and the snow was pounded flat with a little powder on top. That was a week ago, and they haven't gotten any freshies since. I don't think I'll go back until something comes from the sky. Hopefully, that'll be very very soon.
That's it for now. Thanks for following along.
Saturday, August 17, 2013
Rack 'em, Snow Bum
Sure, I know its August. Yep, most folks are taking vacations or at the least thinking about the sweltering heat. Even here in usually-temperate Oregon, the humidity has been over 65% (which is downright humid for these parts in August). Sweaty. It reminds me of my old lawn-mowing days in upstate New York with 80%+ humidity, 80*+ temps. To combat the weight of the dog-day heat, I think cool thoughts. T and I will talk about the drop into the bowl on the Thunder run at Timberline or Ski Bowl's Lower Surprise trail. It's funny how talking about losing an edge and cartwheeling downhill in deep powder can cool you off. I spent yesterday afternoon in my 90* garage building a ski/board rack for the bus. I'll detail that today. Stay cool my friends. 2013-2014 Fusion season passes go on sale in less than 3 weeks (Sept 3rd!).
Starting with What?
The bus was a 1972 Westy when I first bought it. It ran a 1700CC air-cooled non-original engine with a Weber 32/36 Progressive carb, 009 dizzy and a worthless heat-exchanger exhaust (65HP, 18mpg @best). It had the original 1972 Westvalia interior and canvas bellowed pop-top. Today, it runs a 1.9L TDI from a 1998 New Beetle (90+HP, 30mpg). Inside, it has the rock-n-roll bed, rear closet and refer cabinet from a '79 Westy plus a middle row seat from a Vanagon. Up top, it has a 1972 Riviera (straight up) poptop and bed. That may sound crowded inside, and it can be. Since I've been working on the engine, I have had the rear closet (left side with a front-facing door and cubicles at the rear) out of the bus and sitting in the garage. This leaves the engine electronics, which sit in the spare wheel well, exposed. I have a solution for that, but that's for another day. Anyway, I started looking at the 14" gap between the left side wall and the middle row / rear seat, thinking.... "couldn't we put our ski stuff there?"....
Think, Measure, Think
I started simply by setting a shoe box on top of the refer cabinet and putting my snowboard on top. Surely I could make something work there. I grabbed a set of skis and held them above. "Yep, I should be able to make 3 racks, each holding either 2 boards or 2 sets of ski's," I thought. The racks need to be far enough apart so snowboard bindings fit between them, but close enough together so our youngest ski's fit. That last part proved too much, but he needs new planks anyway, so it should all work out. Holding the ski's in the air, I made pencil marks on the wall to give me a sense as to where the rails should sit.
I wanted the rack to have some give, so I chose to connect the rails to the side supports with hinges rather than angle braces. On the other end, I thumb-screwed eye-hooks so we could pull one-to-all of the racks upwards, suspended from another eye-hook in the ceiling by a length of chain. I haven't completed that part yet. Last, the equipment needs to stay put. To address that, I replaced one hinge wood-screw on each rail with a eye-hook bolt run through to the bottom. On each rail, a 12" bungee is attached from hinge eye-hook to rail-end eye-hook. I am waiting for the arrival of some bath-tub tread material that I will apply to the rails to make it complete.
Material List
2 6' lengths of 1x3 cedar for the side supports and rails.
3 packs of 2" utility hinges (2 in each pack)
3 packs of #8-32 x 1-5/8" eye-bolts (2 in each pack)
3 packs of #208 Screw Eyes (2 in each pack) - for rail ends
1 pack of #206 Screw Eyes (2 in pack) - for ceiling
1 8-pack of mini bungee's
some #10 washers
Cuts and Drills
I started with a clean-up cuts on the ends of the cedar. Lumber yards don't make perfect square cuts, so this is always a good idea. I cut 2 24" long pieces for the supports and 6 12" long pieces for the rails. I set one of the supports against the sidewall to consider rail placement. To make it simple, I pressed the support against the headliner support. I transferred the pencil marks on the wall to the support. Recognizing that we need 9" between each rail (our tallest binding was 4-1/2"), I lined up the rails 9" apart, adjusting the pencil marks. Once I had a plan, I set the support back against the wall, held the rails up to see how it would feel. Then, I pre-drilled the holes for the hinges (making one on each rail large enough for the eye-bolt) and assembled. I also pre-drilled holes at the top and bottom for wall-mounting.
Installation
Once the rack was put together, I wanted to see it in-place. I discovered that the bottom rail was so low that I had to remove the eye-bolt so the hinge would open enough for me to access the mounting holes. Hmm.. opportunity for model improvement.. I pre-drilled one hole in the wall and mounted the rack with a 1" sheet metal screw. This held the rack in place so I could pre-drill the remaining holes without the rack slipping.
A test installation wouldn't be complete without filling it with snow equipment. I put 2 boards (mine and T's) on the bottom rack, 2 sets of ski's (K's and C's) and Boo's set on the top rack. K2 gets new-to-us ski's this year, so I left his off. With the bungee's, the equipment sits well. I will apply bathtub treads to help hold things in place, but it looks like the passengers will be comfortable and safe, and the equipment a-fixed.
That's it for today. I still have some clean-up to do, but in just 4 hours this went from concept to installed. We may use the racks as garage wall-mounts too. Each one attaches with 4 screws. Neat. More next time, and thanks for following along-
Starting with What?
 |
| thinking about it |
Think, Measure, Think
 |
| aligning the rails |
I wanted the rack to have some give, so I chose to connect the rails to the side supports with hinges rather than angle braces. On the other end, I thumb-screwed eye-hooks so we could pull one-to-all of the racks upwards, suspended from another eye-hook in the ceiling by a length of chain. I haven't completed that part yet. Last, the equipment needs to stay put. To address that, I replaced one hinge wood-screw on each rail with a eye-hook bolt run through to the bottom. On each rail, a 12" bungee is attached from hinge eye-hook to rail-end eye-hook. I am waiting for the arrival of some bath-tub tread material that I will apply to the rails to make it complete.
 |
| parts list |
Material List
2 6' lengths of 1x3 cedar for the side supports and rails.
3 packs of 2" utility hinges (2 in each pack)
3 packs of #8-32 x 1-5/8" eye-bolts (2 in each pack)
3 packs of #208 Screw Eyes (2 in each pack) - for rail ends
1 pack of #206 Screw Eyes (2 in pack) - for ceiling
1 8-pack of mini bungee's
some #10 washers
Cuts and Drills
I started with a clean-up cuts on the ends of the cedar. Lumber yards don't make perfect square cuts, so this is always a good idea. I cut 2 24" long pieces for the supports and 6 12" long pieces for the rails. I set one of the supports against the sidewall to consider rail placement. To make it simple, I pressed the support against the headliner support. I transferred the pencil marks on the wall to the support. Recognizing that we need 9" between each rail (our tallest binding was 4-1/2"), I lined up the rails 9" apart, adjusting the pencil marks. Once I had a plan, I set the support back against the wall, held the rails up to see how it would feel. Then, I pre-drilled the holes for the hinges (making one on each rail large enough for the eye-bolt) and assembled. I also pre-drilled holes at the top and bottom for wall-mounting.Installation
 |
| testing installation |
A test installation wouldn't be complete without filling it with snow equipment. I put 2 boards (mine and T's) on the bottom rack, 2 sets of ski's (K's and C's) and Boo's set on the top rack. K2 gets new-to-us ski's this year, so I left his off. With the bungee's, the equipment sits well. I will apply bathtub treads to help hold things in place, but it looks like the passengers will be comfortable and safe, and the equipment a-fixed.
That's it for today. I still have some clean-up to do, but in just 4 hours this went from concept to installed. We may use the racks as garage wall-mounts too. Each one attaches with 4 screws. Neat. More next time, and thanks for following along-
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