tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76010337223704551132024-03-14T00:22:59.480-04:00Victorian Bo(w)lerTransforming our 1976 Boler into a Mobile Steampunk RefugeLee Farrugahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09286357404053923193noreply@blogger.comBlogger38125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7601033722370455113.post-43088392055555940792014-06-05T08:30:00.000-04:002014-06-05T08:30:54.151-04:00Let's Talk About PrioritiesYes, it's been a year since I last posted here. Sorry for the delay. We have been plotting and planning since then, but we didn't have the funds to continue working on Tilley.<br />
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But... I've recently come into a wee bit of a windfall. The work on making Tilley self-sufficient is back on!<br />
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Last year we put in a 12v battery and last July I <a href="http://victorianboler.blogspot.ca/2013/07/more-power-for-tilly.html" target="_blank">mentioned that Pat had installed an inverter as well</a>. During the winter we found an incredible wee appliance for something that we feel is essential to our happy camping experience - a 12v coffee maker!! We thought we were all set to go with our lovely new inverter until we opened the coffee maker box and realized that the plug was for the battery directly. Dang it!<br />
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So the first thing we had to do was get a 12v socket just so we could use the coffee maker - early mornings when camping must have fresh coffee!<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qvWoAS1Ca6c/U5BewY6Z47I/AAAAAAAAAd0/48Cwtq0fyjI/s1600/tilley+12v+socket+and+coffee+maker.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qvWoAS1Ca6c/U5BewY6Z47I/AAAAAAAAAd0/48Cwtq0fyjI/s1600/tilley+12v+socket+and+coffee+maker.JPG" height="320" width="195" /></a></div>
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You can see it plugged into the new socket on the counter. We tested it too - thankfully it works.</div>
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The next thing Pat wanted to do was figure out how much electricity we expected to use for various things like lights, movie watching, computers (all on rainy days of course) and our coffee maker. He worked out that the item that would use the vast majority of our energy was the coffee maker. This is where priorities come in. I said we'd just have to get a bigger solar panel to cover the need for the morning coffee - no ifs, ands or buts.<br />
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To help keep the usage down (so more can go to the coffee maker) he found out that there are LED replacement bulbs for items that have halogen bulbs, which we do in Tilley. Less usage and they last a long time too. <br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5FA3PEnDbCk/U5BgTDYfXHI/AAAAAAAAAeA/TVyrQgjUkyI/s1600/tilley+lamp+w+led.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5FA3PEnDbCk/U5BgTDYfXHI/AAAAAAAAAeA/TVyrQgjUkyI/s1600/tilley+lamp+w+led.JPG" height="320" width="260" /></a></div>
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We replaced both bulbs. Less energy used </div>
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AND they are actually brighter.</div>
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While he was at it, he also got an LED light for outside of Tilley. We simply wanted something that we could have on in the evening to help us find our way back from any campfires we may have been visiting with friends.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pP2d5KbAbjI/U5Bg-LIVa-I/AAAAAAAAAeI/IR1q7gl3oBY/s1600/tilley+outside+light+red+led.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pP2d5KbAbjI/U5Bg-LIVa-I/AAAAAAAAAeI/IR1q7gl3oBY/s1600/tilley+outside+light+red+led.JPG" height="239" width="320" /></a></div>
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We got a red light so we could see it, but it shouldn't attract as many </div>
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bugs to our front door, or be glaring late at night.</div>
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Next step is to find a dealer for the type of solar panel we want. We'd like to get one you can roll up, flexible and waterproof. Now that we have all our information together and everything in place, that's our next step. I can't wait!<br />
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<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7601033722370455113.post-47670125804787894542013-07-23T11:49:00.004-04:002021-07-04T18:56:26.173-04:00More Power for TillyLong term plans for Tilly have always included the ability to recharge our computers and other devices and perhaps run a small appliance or two. To this end, we bought a basic power inverter along with some heavy duty cables to to hook it to the battery. Installation was accomplished last month in anticipation of a camping trip starting this weekend. No pictures as it was simply attaching yet another box under the counter. Now we wait for solar panels to go on sale....PatGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00379668269395518541noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7601033722370455113.post-38837268609649079182012-07-08T17:39:00.002-04:002012-07-08T17:39:20.887-04:00Blogging from the Belly of the BeastPoor Tilley was confined to the garage all winter, and sadly this spring as well. We have done a lot of travelling, but no where we could take her. This weekend we finally had a chance to let her freshen up. As soon as Pat moved her out and secured her in the driveway, I jumped in and got to work. I straightened and cleaned up inside.<br />
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I made a list of everything that had expired and that we needed to replace - like coffee and hot chocolate - I find they are more tasty when fresh. (and don't worry I never just toss out the old, we use at home for cooking or baking). I replaced our old travel mugs with four new ones we acquired during last weekend's travels.<br />
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Emily and Martin will appreciate that our wedding favours will be used in Tilley while enjoying the great outdoors.<br />
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I opened up all the windows and vents. That alone made a huge difference in helping to freshen up the inside. What a difference a breeze makes. Then I cleaned all her windows.<br />
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Look at that shine!</div>
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Now I am relaxing and blogging about Tilley from a comfortable spot inside, enjoying the quiet, and knowing that we will soon have somewhere to go where we can enjoy and appreciate her homey and luxurious comforts!</div>
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Aaaaahhhhh.....</div>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7601033722370455113.post-18720649126978412872012-05-19T21:15:00.001-04:002012-05-19T21:15:59.154-04:00SoapSadly it has been a little quiet on the camping front. I'm lucky I can enjoy the big blue room while walking to work and working in the garden, but it's camping I love best. It is incredibly relaxing. I do not look at a clock unless I absolutely have to, there is no set schedule, and all the fresh air gives me a lovely peaceful sleep.<br />
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I have been aching to take poor Tilley on a trip this year, but she is still waiting for that first outing of the season. We've been at weddings, birthdays, conventions, and celebrations of every shape and size. This has left us with no free weekend for the great outdoors. But as the weather has gotten warmer (and some days incredibly hot!) we have been constantly thinking about Tilley. We continue to make plans for our next addition and we spend what time we can getting her spruced up for our "hopefully soon" outings.<br />
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For example, this past Mother's Day my lovely husband bought me some Absinthe....in the form of a bath bomb and soap. The soap is fabulous and comes in a tin, which made me think about Tilley and how perfect it will be when cleaning up after playing in the big blue room. <br />
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At least it gives me a good reason to spend some time in Tilley organizing and looking for a place to put the soap.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7601033722370455113.post-12517365890186722442012-04-01T12:32:00.000-04:002012-04-01T12:32:42.252-04:00Spring has SprungIt is April 1st and that means it's almost camping season for us. As the weather has gotten warmer and the snow has melted I have been dying to get Tilley out of the garage for a clean up and to figure out what to do next. Money will be tighter this year as we're working on taking our girls to the UK in the fall, so any work on Tilley will have to involve little money and lots of creativity. <br />
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Next year when we're not travelling out of the country, I hope we can get Tilley's exterior painted. But for this year....hmmm... I'll have to get back to you.<br />
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Until then, here is the <a href="http://www.ikea.com/ca/en/catalog/products/20217126/" target="_blank">pillow</a> from Ikea I want to purchase for Tilley.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OVVvaOfGanQ/T3iC6rHvJaI/AAAAAAAAATI/XQkbx2DBTis/s1600/ikea+pillow.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="208" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OVVvaOfGanQ/T3iC6rHvJaI/AAAAAAAAATI/XQkbx2DBTis/s320/ikea+pillow.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7601033722370455113.post-90579414927209007012011-11-01T16:08:00.000-04:002011-11-01T16:08:26.032-04:00Special Anniversary PostOur Wedding Anniversary is tomorrow, November 2nd, and it also marks our second year with Tilley.<br />
Sense would dictate that I would post something not today, but on the big day, or at least about the big day. Of course sometimes I don't make sense, but read on and I guarantee it will all make sense in the end....did that make any sense....any way....<br />
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I'm posting now because our special friends have made today their Wedding day! <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Congratulations to Shane and Brynn!</td></tr>
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What, you may ask, has this got to do with our work on Tilley. Well, Brynn put a little idea in Shane's head and he made us a little steampunk something .....<br />
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</div><div style="text-align: left;">Say hello to our little friend. Shane knit us a Squid! Our squid was slated to go into our steampunk library, but they gave him to us while camping, and we love him so much hanging around in Tilley that he is staying there to protect our trailer from invaders....and air kraken! </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>We're also celebrating another wonderful Tilley related event today. An article published in the <a href="http://steampunkchronicle.com/FrontPage/tabid/149/Default.aspx" target="_blank">Steampunk Chronicle</a> about the beginning of our beautiful relationship with Tilley. You can read it <a href="http://steampunkchronicle.com/ArticleView/tabid/238/ArticleId/125/Tilley-the-Steampunk-Trailer-And-you-thought-a-Bo-w-ler-was-just-a-hat.aspx" target="_blank">HERE</a><br />
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It's been a wonderful and auspicious day for our friends, ourselves and our fabulous Tilley!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7601033722370455113.post-77824235452621199812011-06-27T11:40:00.002-04:002011-06-27T11:47:06.218-04:00Electrifying Tilley (2)<i>What follows involves a little temporal jumping around and I hope to add some more photos later. </i><br />
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The push was on this weekend past to get the electrics in Tilley finished up for an impending camping trip. As detailed in previous posts, when we first got her, Tilley's electrics were in a state with 12v AC and 12v DC trailer circuits, 12v DC running lights and even a 110vAC circuit all going into a single un-fused connector box with a terminal block pop riveted to its lid. That has all changed with the running lights on their own panel, the 12v DC trailer circuits on their own <b>fused</b> panel connected to the deep cycle battery and the 110 v AC on hold until further notice. <br />
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Locating the battery box was a bit of an interesting exercise. I have seen many Bolers with tongue mounted batteries and others with batteries located in the front stowage area. I was not too keen on this as we already have a 30lb propane cylinder up front so I was reluctant to add more weight there. Under the sink would have been ideal as there is good ventilation there and I had hoped room for the battery where the Frankenstein's monster of an AC transformer was located. Sadly there wasn't quite enough room for a 27 series battery box and as it turns out, the last thing you want to do is put a wet cell battery near where sparks might be generated by the electrics. In the end, I put it in the rear left storage compartment. with flex cable running to the electrical panel. The weight is more or less over the axle and is about the same as the weight of the original water tank so handling should not be affected. Now the rear side storage bins are pretty much sealed which raises the problem of ventilation. I was reluctant to cut more louvre holes in the trailer. so I went looking for other solutions.<br />
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I didn't really find anything helpful in the travel trailer sites so I did some thinking about other types of vehicle that needed ventilation. Boats! I thought - tight enclosed spaces with lots of nasty fumes to get rid of. Now where to find boat stuff? Years ago, my father took a good chunk of a lifetime to build a motor sailor out of white oak and marine plywood. In doing so, he spent a lot of money at a local boat supply company. With little hope it was still in business, I went on line and found it still was.<br />
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<a href="http://www.thechandleryonline.com/index.php">The Chandlery</a>. is the <i>Naughty French Postcard</i> of my Boler modding world. While I had been doing most of my shopping at the automotive supply store, this store sells the same things in greater variety and sometimes at less than 1/3 the cost. One does have to be to careful stay away from some of the much more expensive marine grade equipment like salt water rated electrics, but then there are treasures like this: <br />
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A purpose designed vent in chrome plated brass - for $12. One small hole, a fitting, some hose and a little epoxy putty later and the battery box now has its own built in venting system to the outside world. <br />
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The main job on the books for this weekend past was to get the lights wired up. Again as mentioned in previous posts, the wiring to the pantry side especially was <i>interesting</i>. with wires changing colours and gauge as they went from fuse panel to fixture. I did a quick total of what was already on the circuit, rounded that up to 10 amps and did the standard double for safety. The 18 gauge wire that wasn't buried was barely rated for the job. Knowing that I will want to add canopy lights, a 12v socket and other goodies in the future, the existing wire had to go. Blue Seas systems has a <a href="http://beta.circuitwizard.bluesea.com/">handy little tool</a> to calculate wiring requirements based on load, wire length, operating temperature and other factors. Based on paranoia and the assumption I might want to put some heavy loads on the awning side of Tilley - maybe a sound system or something similar, I bumped up the maximum possible load to 30 amps (or only about 3 hours of use before the battery goes completely flat!) and came up with 12 gauge wire. So that is what went in. There are many advantages to getting a professional to do the work, like the trailer socket described earlier, but one of the advantages in doing it yourself is that you can up the specification without worrying about profit margins. <br />
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Of course, no desire to do the right thing goes unpunished so to actually replace the wiring required removing the two rear seats. This almost put me off until I discovered the woefully inadequate piece of 20 gauge wire that made up part of the previous magical colour changing wiring system. Another joyful discovery was that to make the wire bins fit in the pantry, they had been cut with a hacksaw or more properly hacked with a cut saw. Getting the one bin in and out to re-wire and install the terminal block was a bit of work and involved a little coarse language. A longer term solution will be required. The last job remaining before our trip is to hook up one more light - some epoxy putty to affix the cable run for this is setting up as I write.<br />
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Future projects will be the solar panel, an inverter and a battery isolator so I can charge Tilley's battery from the car. Then there are those solar powered ventilation fans from the Chandlery, and the 25 LED mast head light that would make a nifty TARDIS like homing beacon for Tilley and....<br />
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Till next time.PatGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00379668269395518541noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7601033722370455113.post-83664640281252249962011-06-19T18:21:00.002-04:002011-06-19T18:24:10.295-04:00Electrifying TilleyThis past week Pat was able to get the car in to the lovely gentlemen at a Ziebart garage near us. They installed a brand new brake and lighting electrical wiring system for pulling Tilley. This weekend Pat decided to test it and make sure everything was connected and working properly and working between the car and Tilley. Of course things are never easy. There was a mess up between what was supposed to be blinking or glowing and what actually was. He had to take the brake light and side light wiring apart to find out why this was happening.<br />
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Luckily it was a simple case of right wire in the wrong place and it had nothing to do with the work we had just paid for. He was able to get it fixed very quickly once the mystery was solved. Then he moved on to the next thing needed in order to get Tilley electrically self-sufficient.<br />
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As Tilley is very small, she is currently covered in tools, wire and other bits and pieces Pat needs to put the electrical puzzle together.<br />
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Pat was able to make a lot of progress this weekend. He took out more old wiring and old lights that we won't be using. He also rewired a lot and added a brand new fuse box.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SI6VbF209DE/Tf5z9Na9XHI/AAAAAAAAAM4/g3BWAzxQJPY/s1600/Tilley+Pat+cramped+working+conditions.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SI6VbF209DE/Tf5z9Na9XHI/AAAAAAAAAM4/g3BWAzxQJPY/s320/Tilley+Pat+cramped+working+conditions.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Pat looking like a pretzel as he works on installing the new fuse box and cleaning up the mess of old and dangerous wiring that was in Tilley when we bought her.<br />
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Whether house or trailer, we seem to have a knack for getting old places with lots of spirit and potential, but that were muddled with to the point of being a death trap. I'm sure Tilley smiles (in her own way) every time Pat enters in with his tools, knowing she is getting the love and attention she deserves.... and I smile knowing that we won't be sleeping in a death trap.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7601033722370455113.post-73806825883986928712011-06-06T12:38:00.002-04:002011-06-06T12:45:51.676-04:00Power for Tilley - It has BegunIn my last post in April I mentioned that Pat would be getting down to business within a couple of weeks. Well the old saying "life is what happens when you're busy making plans" came to pass. Life took over and poor Tilley had to wait until this past weekend to continue getting her electrical makeover. During 'life', Pat did do a lot of research to find out where he could purchase the right battery for us, as well as all the bits he would need to get our beautiful brass lamps (that we ordered and received in January) installed.<br />
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He found he was able to get our battery and a charger at our local Canadian Tire. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VNq8AkQBHeI/Tez5ARt2YYI/AAAAAAAAAMU/LRD824jen6g/s1600/Tilley+battery.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="228" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VNq8AkQBHeI/Tez5ARt2YYI/AAAAAAAAAMU/LRD824jen6g/s320/Tilley+battery.JPG" t8="true" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Luckily we have quite a huge Canadian Tire store near us and they had everything he needed for installing the lamps as well.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hMYLRBHDvuE/Tez5SZ7MxwI/AAAAAAAAAMY/vgAQfW5L4TA/s1600/Tilley+lamp+bits.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hMYLRBHDvuE/Tez5SZ7MxwI/AAAAAAAAAMY/vgAQfW5L4TA/s320/Tilley+lamp+bits.JPG" t8="true" width="239" /></a></div>Gratuitous photo of Pat enjoying a break and his lunch while checking to see how well wifi works in Tilley...<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-B8cLbd0L_M8/Tez6LTcoaNI/AAAAAAAAAMc/kag1n3_2wgI/s1600/Tilley+Pat+checking+wifi.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-B8cLbd0L_M8/Tez6LTcoaNI/AAAAAAAAAMc/kag1n3_2wgI/s320/Tilley+Pat+checking+wifi.JPG" t8="true" width="320" /></a></div>After Pat's well deserved break, he went back to work installing our new lamps. He made an interesting discovery: (the story from Pat himself)<br />
"I wanted to test the new lights using the existing 12 volt AC wiring. The wires started off as yellow and brown at the panel but by the time I got to the cupboard - they had become two white wires - not very helfpul for DC.<br />
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Based on the design I had thought that the tin can supplying 12 volt AC was original equipment so I was reluctant to take it out. However, the outer sheathing protecting the insulated supply wires had come off and I have no plans to use 12 volt ac in the future so I thought it best to remove the transformer carefully and put it away with the other original parts we have changed. The can was held to its moutning bracket with wood screws. When I removed these, there was a loud clunk from inside the can. When I opened the can I found a larger donut shaped transformer mounted in the can with a bit of broomstick with some insulating foam wrapped around it. This was obviously not original manufacture and not original Boler as born out by the "Transformer for residential track light" sticker I found inside the can. Needless to say the can was removed and will end up in the bin - after I figure out if the copper is worth selling :) "<br />
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Unfortunately he had cleaned it up by the time he told me and I was unable to get a photo of the crazy muddle he found. I did however get photos of the wonderful end result...<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mAhka2quUGE/Tez7HHGwduI/AAAAAAAAAMg/cqxmC0GICQo/s1600/Tilley+light+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mAhka2quUGE/Tez7HHGwduI/AAAAAAAAAMg/cqxmC0GICQo/s320/Tilley+light+1.JPG" t8="true" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">When closed this way they are very tight and won't move when travelling.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RmPbHJpiJR4/Tez7LIlO9bI/AAAAAAAAAMk/O75VdqX_jt4/s1600/Tilley+light+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="237" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RmPbHJpiJR4/Tez7LIlO9bI/AAAAAAAAAMk/O75VdqX_jt4/s320/Tilley+light+2.JPG" t8="true" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">They easily open up and the head swivels to point where you need the light.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Rxw5B1Wh4tI/Tez7Ptvt5HI/AAAAAAAAAMo/JgVR3h3JHm4/s1600/Tilley+light+3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="215" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Rxw5B1Wh4tI/Tez7Ptvt5HI/AAAAAAAAAMo/JgVR3h3JHm4/s320/Tilley+light+3.JPG" t8="true" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Aren't they gorgeous! </div><br />
The next stage will be to finish the wiring and connect it all to the battery, as well as to make a space to house the battery. I'm very much looking forward to reading, eating and perhaps playing a game or two in the evenings by the light of our new lamps.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7601033722370455113.post-26185463212881164542011-04-24T11:08:00.000-04:002011-04-24T11:08:27.411-04:00Power for TilleyEarlier, we decided on a 12 V battery as one of the power sources for Tilley. While Pat intends to wire her so we can plug her in at various camping spots, we don't want to rely on this all the time. Also, we want to be self-sufficient and more environmentally friendly with our energy use. To this end, we did some investigation on the use of solar power for trailers.<br />
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We looked around a little here and there, but didn't see anything useful, portable or that wasn't wildly expensive. Then a few weeks ago we decided to go and gawk at the mammoth RV cousins of our little Tilley at our local RV show. There we found the goliaths and krakens of the RV world. Huge monstrosities that could house a small village in each one. <br />
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Then, tucked away in a little spot between two of these behemoths, was a little table that caught Pat's eye. The poster said "Go Solar RVing". We stopped dead in our tracks and went to speak to the lady standing there. What we found was exactly what we were looking for! They have just what their card says... thin, flexible, light weight solar panels...and they don't cost an arm and a leg! We had a lovely chat with the lady, who was soon joined by her husband. They were both delightful and not your usual pushy sales people. They were very knowledgeable about their panels and solar power in general. The other wonderful thing we found out was that although the panels are manufactured in the US, the couple live and sell the panels in Canada. Their website <a href="http://gosolarrving.com/">GoSolarRVing.com</a> has all the information you need to choose the best panel(s) for your trailer, cottage, even your tent. However you prefer to live in the great outdoors. <br />
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Pat will be finishing the wiring and installing the interior lights in the next couple of weeks. After that, we will have to decide on the type of panel we want. We're torn between their <a href="http://gosolarrving.com/FoldableSolarPanels.htm">folding panels</a><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lyzLMzz956A/TbQ5XmI_mVI/AAAAAAAAAMM/iEeHjkl9MKc/s1600/all_foldables_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="190" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lyzLMzz956A/TbQ5XmI_mVI/AAAAAAAAAMM/iEeHjkl9MKc/s200/all_foldables_1.jpg" width="200" /></a></div> and their <a href="http://gosolarrving.com/RollableSolarPanels.htm">rollable panels</a> <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JiNjFg6aT-A/TbQ5f8vFvqI/AAAAAAAAAMQ/r-F8sKU_W08/s1600/rollable+panel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JiNjFg6aT-A/TbQ5f8vFvqI/AAAAAAAAAMQ/r-F8sKU_W08/s200/rollable+panel.jpg" width="200" /></a></div> <br />
Either way, we can't wait to get one and save money, help the environment and just generally make Tilley even more self-sufficient and amazing!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7601033722370455113.post-39362596304293844702011-02-23T08:17:00.000-05:002011-02-23T08:17:12.836-05:00New Pretties for TilleyBack to more of the design aspect of our work on Tilley...<br />
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I was out at our local Canadian Tire to get a few things for a renovation of our back room - sandpaper, wood filler, stain blocker, the basics. I happened to notice that they were having a huge sale on all of their winter things....and....they were unloading all their new spring items!<br />
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Last year when we were looking for general houseware items for Tilley I was looking online for some nice dishware. I was also looking at every possible store in our area that would carry the same thing - unbreakable but stylish dishware. The online pieces were beautiful but expensive and by the time we were looking in stores, most of their stock was already sold. We would find something we like, but they would only have one or two pieces left. Most annoying.<br />
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As I noticed that the Canadian Tire spring stock was being unpacked, I also noticed that the spring outdoor dishware was being unpacked.....and "Oh Glory Be" I found it! <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-aW5CJhdZ6H8/TWUF9plqxnI/AAAAAAAAALo/YEqktJ7Yy3A/s1600/Tilley+plates.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="237" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-aW5CJhdZ6H8/TWUF9plqxnI/AAAAAAAAALo/YEqktJ7Yy3A/s320/Tilley+plates.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>If you look a little farther back in our posts, you will see that we had decided on green for our glassware and dishware and had found ourselves some lovely cups and goblets. Well now we have dishware to go with them! I absolutely love the Victorian style botanical pattern and perfect green. When I first saw them I was thinking "nuts they're porcelain" and I had to actually walk up close and tap them to see what they were. I was incredibly pleased to find they are melamine. I purchased four of each so we can accommodate guests as well. I am very much looking forward to using them this season!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7601033722370455113.post-19351752108170492592011-02-21T11:32:00.001-05:002011-02-21T11:33:22.737-05:00Electrical Work, an UpdateNow that Pat is finished with the safety aspect of our lighting, he can begin working on installing the reading lights into Tilley as he mentioned in an earlier post. We also still need to redo some wiring for our outside door light and get our 12v battery. We'll be able to get some serious work done soon as the weather warms up.<br />
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For now, here are before and after photos of Tilley's new tail lights.<br />
<b>Before</b><br />
(yes, they were being held together with tape) <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-k-Od-2aFH3Y/TWKR8rzEYII/AAAAAAAAALY/2iUlYEa-eNA/s1600/tilley+light+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="256" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-k-Od-2aFH3Y/TWKR8rzEYII/AAAAAAAAALY/2iUlYEa-eNA/s320/tilley+light+1.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0uhvvymhemk/TWKSHLNNdqI/AAAAAAAAALc/q1z8-xEIiug/s1600/tilley+light+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="262" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0uhvvymhemk/TWKSHLNNdqI/AAAAAAAAALc/q1z8-xEIiug/s320/tilley+light+2.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> ... and <b>After</b><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZRHBi9n6K-I/TWKSRZG0hsI/AAAAAAAAALk/wg6-2RIL1f8/s1600/tilley+light+3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="269" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZRHBi9n6K-I/TWKSRZG0hsI/AAAAAAAAALk/wg6-2RIL1f8/s320/tilley+light+3.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-O8BJUGlsJJU/TWKSRKxEFcI/AAAAAAAAALg/HYD94NflQ7Y/s1600/tilley+light+4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-O8BJUGlsJJU/TWKSRKxEFcI/AAAAAAAAALg/HYD94NflQ7Y/s320/tilley+light+4.JPG" width="239" /></a></div>So much better and safer. The LED lights are going to make her shine!<br />
More coming soon....Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7601033722370455113.post-30831467348276682292011-02-08T22:04:00.002-05:002011-02-08T22:06:35.030-05:00IntermissionPat has started working on Tilley's electrics. He even took some nice photos to share with everyone. Then I asked him to clear off the card....of course forgetting about the photos. Sorry! So until he can retrieve them so we can show you what he's been up to, I would like to share with you a couple of Canadian sites dedicated to the Boler:<br />
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The first is <a href="http://www.bolerama.org/Bolerama/Welcome.html">Bolerama</a> The site is dedicated to the preservation of Boler trailers. It was established in 1999 by Linda Vanderwiel in Saskatoon. There is a great history page. It has an interview with the father of the Boler, Ray Olecko. It also provides a forum, a page of rallies across Canada, photos, tips and even manuals!<br />
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Another site is <a href="http://www.bolerlife.com/index.html">Boler Life</a> Here you can find how to's and information to restore and repair your Boler with lots of before and after photos. You can even buy Boler decals. <br />
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There are also two Facebook Groups for Boler lovers : <a href="http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2319709377">The Boler</a> (US based) and <a href="http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2344319156">I own a Boler </a>(Canada based) <br />
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Some of the restoration work people have done really shows the love owners have for their Bolers.<br />
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Check out the beautiful exterior work on this Boler owned by Mark Bergen.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Q049J8khFXs/TVH_ubeTMDI/AAAAAAAAALQ/6AiiS7D3Hcc/s1600/boler.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Q049J8khFXs/TVH_ubeTMDI/AAAAAAAAALQ/6AiiS7D3Hcc/s320/boler.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>There are a lot of people who like to restore their Boler to match their fabulous antique car!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Q049J8khFXs/TVICigobREI/AAAAAAAAALU/5gZGJ1lVZgQ/s1600/boler+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Q049J8khFXs/TVICigobREI/AAAAAAAAALU/5gZGJ1lVZgQ/s320/boler+2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>(photo and owned by Beverly Wayne Armstrong)<br />
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Cheers to all you Boler fans out there!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7601033722370455113.post-89753866562432992692011-01-11T13:23:00.002-05:002011-01-11T19:44:05.288-05:00Coming Soon IIManly? Yes<br />
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Well electrical any way. One of the things we noticed when we first bought Tilley was that the tail lights were very dim and one lens cover was cracked. A little research showed that the dimness was a common complaint. Our choices were to replace the lens cover and maybe work out something with the existing bulbs, or go with new LED tail lights. Bolers have always been a little quirky and one of these quirks is that they use School Bus size tail lights. Big monster 7" tail lights. <a href="http://www.princessauto.com/trailer/trailer/trailer/trailer-electrical/8059586-7-led-stop/turn/tail-transit-light">Big monster LED tail lights</a> the size of small dinner plates with 31 LEDs and the ability to leave streaks of blood red light behind Tilley like something out of a TRON re-make as she boots down the midnight road..... <br />
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Ahem - for safety's sake we decided to go with new LED tail lights that would maximize safety and would make Tilley safer to tow safely. So off with the old lights (which will be kept in case we ever want to restore to original specs). What were these monsters held on with? Four little 1/4" <b>long</b> screws into the fibre glass shell. That's not going to work on the new lights - the mounting holes are 1/4" <b>wide</b>. So it's back to the hardware store for some nice 1/4" stainless steel bolts. Sadly brass was not available in a long enough length. So it's stainless bolts with big acorn nuts for Tilley - she's beginning to look a little butch.<br />
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The new reading lights were a different story. They were designed for household use so I bought all the right mounting plates and other bits required. But a fibre glass trailer cupboard is not 1/2" drywall so a re-think was required. Upon disassembling the Italian brass light bases, I found a Y shaped mounting yoke in solid brass. Perfect - 6 brass screws and washers and we are in business.<br />
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Next up - putting it all together.PatGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00379668269395518541noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7601033722370455113.post-75548063460784084272011-01-11T07:59:00.000-05:002011-01-11T07:59:32.323-05:00Coming Soon...In our October 24, 2010 post "....And the Votes are In!", I mentioned that we had decided on the light fixtures and had ordered them. Well, just before Christmas they arrived. They are more beautiful in person than online, and heavier too.<br />
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Now that the holidays are over, it is time to get back to work on Tilley. During the next few cold months the goal is to work on the electrical components - incorporate a 12v battery, redo quite a bit of the wiring, add in the lights we had custom made, as well as replace the old and broken tail lights with new LED ones. <br />
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For more details I now pass you to the mechanical/electrical minded half of us - Pat - who will post <i>The Manly Explanation</i> of what we'll be doing next.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7601033722370455113.post-1213219408132929932010-11-03T12:35:00.000-04:002010-11-03T12:35:03.045-04:00Sweet Surprise!Yesterday, November 2nd, was our official, legal wedding day. In 1990 we tied the knot and became our new selves of "Pat and Lee Ann". I say that because whenever anyone refers to us it is never Pat, or Lee Ann, or the Gillilands (which would be silly anyway since I kept my maiden name), but always Pat and Lee Ann. It's not that we are glued at the hip, but we were friends with similar interests before we got married and we still enjoy doing fun things together.<br />
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Of course, this year being our 20th Anniversary, and as you all already know, we bought Tilley as our gift to each other. Our fun thing to do together for the next 20, or 30, or 40 years. <br />
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We have been putting all our anniversary gift funds into making her our steampunk haven for two. As well, yesterday was a week day and we both had to work and do regular every day taking care of business chores. So I was of the impression that we would be having a quiet evening watching something interesting on the television with the girls. Well, I was greatly mistaken.<br />
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My lovely husband set up a little surprise for me. Here is a hint...<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Q049J8khFXs/TNGKs4_588I/AAAAAAAAAKc/1aV20s4g0io/s1600/sushi+candle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" px="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Q049J8khFXs/TNGKs4_588I/AAAAAAAAAKc/1aV20s4g0io/s1600/sushi+candle.jpg" /></a></div>The candle is sushi shaped, one of our favourtie foods (which you can see in the photo, as well as umeboshi). Some lovely ladies at a now closed Japanese grocery store gave us the candle for an anniversary a few years earlier.<br />
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Have you guessed?!<br />
He made some of my favourite Japanese dishes and set up a romantic dinner for two in Tilley.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Q049J8khFXs/TNGLpY8JTEI/AAAAAAAAAKk/Xo4Vn6iIesY/s1600/anniversary+dinner+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" px="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Q049J8khFXs/TNGLpY8JTEI/AAAAAAAAAKk/Xo4Vn6iIesY/s320/anniversary+dinner+2.jpg" width="205" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Q049J8khFXs/TNGLmUJy2pI/AAAAAAAAAKg/K8P11ECQ4-I/s1600/anniversary+dinner+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" px="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Q049J8khFXs/TNGLmUJy2pI/AAAAAAAAAKg/K8P11ECQ4-I/s320/anniversary+dinner+1.jpg" width="239" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">As Tilley is now parked in our garage and it's November in Canada, he even warmed her up before he surprised me. We had a wonderful, quiet, special meal in our lovely santuary. We spoke only of us related topics. It was fantastic! </div><br />
Here's to many more wonderful future anniversary dinners in Tilley (whether in the garage or on the road).<br />
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Happy Anniversary Honey!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7601033722370455113.post-65713958150735015302010-10-24T09:17:00.000-04:002010-10-24T09:17:55.854-04:00....And the Votes are InWe have recently been discussing what to get each other for Christmas this year. We knew we wanted to get something for Tilley as well. It was a hard choice between getting some lovely elegant melamine dishware from <a href="http://bongenre.com/patterns.html">Bongenre</a> or lighting from <a href="http://www.arevcolighting.com/">Arevco Lighting</a> as talked about in the post before this.<br />
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Well, the decision was made yesterday. We live in a quaint neighbourhood where you can walk to various wonderful stores, and since our girls were both away, and it was a lovely autumn day, we decided to go on a stroll to check out one of our gift options. We went to Arevco Lighting - it is literally a 10 minute walk from our house - lucky aren't we! We spoke with the lady of the establishment and told her of our recent lighting style research for Tilley, which included our favourite from her store. The only problem was that we did not see it displayed! Well, to our great joy she informed us that they make them! The parts come from Italy where the brass is cast and they do the rest. <br />
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Pat's main concern was whether it would work on 12 volts as one of his plans this winter is to integrate a battery power system into Tilley. With no hesitation she informed us that the transformer could easily be left out and work perfectly well with the system Pat will be putting in....and the lights would then cost us less as well.<br />
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Needless to say we have decided, wholeheartedly, to get two of these fantastic lights as our gift to each other. They will be custom made to our specifications and will be in "dark antique". The order is in and the down payment is made!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Q049J8khFXs/TMQwZ6gIaNI/AAAAAAAAAKY/JnwOcxAXhDw/s1600/lighting.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="292" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Q049J8khFXs/TMQwZ6gIaNI/AAAAAAAAAKY/JnwOcxAXhDw/s320/lighting.jpg" width="320" /></a></div> Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7601033722370455113.post-50655983759047519682010-09-16T22:33:00.000-04:002010-09-16T22:33:35.629-04:00Cold Weather Creeping InAs the weather has been terribly rainy and cold the last while in our neck of the woods, Tilley has been nestled snug in the garage and we have not done any more camping. At the same time, we have been incredibly busy on the homefront and our energies have gone elsewhere.<br />
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Of course that's not to say we haven't been thinking about her, it just means we will be doing a little less for the next while as life settles into back to school and some of our favourite autumn and winter holidays. We plan to get back to work on Tilley in the winter. We still have a lot we want to do with Tilley like....do we fix the old refrigerator, get a new refrigerator, or simply add more storage in it's place, how to paint the exterior, how to paint the gas tank (after we buy a new one), and very important - new wiring and battery. <br />
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Wiring is very important because we want to install some fabulous lighting. Here are some options we have been investigating - something like this<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Q049J8khFXs/TJLPaJoeLuI/AAAAAAAAAJ4/yb6dfzLhjNI/s1600/lighting+brass+arms.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br />
</a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Q049J8khFXs/TJLPaJoeLuI/AAAAAAAAAJ4/yb6dfzLhjNI/s1600/lighting+brass+arms.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Q049J8khFXs/TJLPaJoeLuI/AAAAAAAAAJ4/yb6dfzLhjNI/s200/lighting+brass+arms.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>Or this<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Q049J8khFXs/TJLPmhzSW-I/AAAAAAAAAKA/hX1cbXW8rHM/s1600/lighting+brass+candle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Q049J8khFXs/TJLPmhzSW-I/AAAAAAAAAKA/hX1cbXW8rHM/s200/lighting+brass+candle.jpg" width="143" /></a></div>But our favourite is this...<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Q049J8khFXs/TJLPvsN4o8I/AAAAAAAAAKI/5yR499igYWk/s1600/lighting+perfect.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Q049J8khFXs/TJLPvsN4o8I/AAAAAAAAAKI/5yR499igYWk/s320/lighting+perfect.jpg" /></a></div>...and lucky for us it is for sale just down the road from our home at <a href="http://www.arevcolighting.com/">Arevco Lighting</a>. We have bought from them before and their light fixtures are all beautiful, well made pieces. Now the question is do we get it in "polished brass" like above or in "dark antique" like below????<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Q049J8khFXs/TJLRg3Inr7I/AAAAAAAAAKQ/3p24mRcuWR4/s1600/lighting+perfect+antique.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Q049J8khFXs/TJLRg3Inr7I/AAAAAAAAAKQ/3p24mRcuWR4/s320/lighting+perfect+antique.jpg" /></a></div>We'll be sure to let you know as soon as we decide.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7601033722370455113.post-5337427352548411762010-08-17T07:43:00.000-04:002010-08-17T07:43:49.554-04:00Most Often HeardTilley is currently taking a short siesta, but that certainly doesn't mean that she is forgotten. Over the past few weeks we have had so many questions: How is Tilley? Have you been enjoying Tilley? Have you done anything new with Tilley?.... I could go on and on.<br />
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Tilley seems to have taken on a life of her own. Twice very recently we have had people look at and then give us something while saying "That would be great for Tilley". Yes, it's true, she's getting gifts now.<br />
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The first was at a swap meet a few weeks ago and we were looking at this...<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Q049J8khFXs/TGpyuscUjsI/AAAAAAAAAJY/yJ1KTLM4VeI/s1600/Tilley+sconce.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Q049J8khFXs/TGpyuscUjsI/AAAAAAAAAJY/yJ1KTLM4VeI/s320/Tilley+sconce.JPG" /></a></div>...and a friend near us said "I think that would be great for Tilley". Well, of course, we agreed and took it for her. It is solid metal (we think maybe brass) and looks to have been a wall sconce at one time.<br />
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The next item came when my dear husband went to a lovely artist and corset maker friend by the name of <a href="http://shamelessfashion.com/">Robin Dostaler</a> to pick up a brooch she had made for me. He arrived to find her with the brooch and this<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Q049J8khFXs/TGpzlo9rDDI/AAAAAAAAAJg/OljMKLEK18k/s1600/Tilley+knob+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="176" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Q049J8khFXs/TGpzlo9rDDI/AAAAAAAAAJg/OljMKLEK18k/s200/Tilley+knob+1.JPG" width="200" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Q049J8khFXs/TGpzrr5U2wI/AAAAAAAAAJo/EyyTceKKlxo/s1600/Tilley+knob+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Q049J8khFXs/TGpzrr5U2wI/AAAAAAAAAJo/EyyTceKKlxo/s320/Tilley+knob+2.JPG" /></a></div>She said it was something she has had for a long time and it came from her family and she just felt it was perfect for Tilley.<br />
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I am a little flabbergasted that people are gifting our trailer. On the other hand I am very pleased that she has taken on a life of her own and that her personality inspires people to help make her more beautiful.<br />
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Note: We are not above accepting lovely things for Tilley - thank you!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7601033722370455113.post-36591618070427745252010-08-03T20:14:00.000-04:002010-08-03T20:14:43.231-04:00Have Tilley Will TravelLast week we finally had time to take Tilley on a long journey for an entire week. We took her to our friends' campground, <a href="http://www.ravensknoll.ca/">Raven's Knoll</a>. It was great to finally take a break from fixing and decorating and actually live in her. One word to describe the experience - Sumptuous!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Q049J8khFXs/TFirlRJIgEI/AAAAAAAAAJA/oz3xMonBFS0/s1600/boler+KG+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="250" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Q049J8khFXs/TFirlRJIgEI/AAAAAAAAAJA/oz3xMonBFS0/s320/boler+KG+1.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Evening photo of our set up. We decided, as it is quite hot in our area right now, to not cook inside but to cook outdoors on our three burner stove. Notice the kettle on top ready for tea.<br />
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On the inside we were ready for comfort. Every person who came by wanted to see her insides and we proudly showed her off. Many people were talking of looking for a Tilley of their own after visiting ours.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Q049J8khFXs/TFisNBu6RkI/AAAAAAAAAJI/Je6gkB44BOA/s1600/boler+KG+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Q049J8khFXs/TFisNBu6RkI/AAAAAAAAAJI/Je6gkB44BOA/s320/boler+KG+2.JPG" /></a></div>Here is our eating area during the day, notice the lovely pillows on the benches, you'll see them again soon. The books on the table will hopefully one day be set on a self above the window behind them.<br />
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In the evening, the same space is transformed into our incredibly decadent sleeping area. The pillows you see in the first photo are feather and the covers come off. Just add bamboo pillow cases and Voila! they do double duty. <br />
You can see the cushions that go from bench to bed, but on top is a feather mattress. On top of that is the softest, warmest blanket we have ever owned. The pillows, covers, mattress and blanket all come from a little shop called <a href="http://www.quiltsetc.com/default.aspx?">Quiltsetc </a><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Q049J8khFXs/TFis0HHiqFI/AAAAAAAAAJQ/Ue16bullghs/s1600/boler+KG+3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Q049J8khFXs/TFis0HHiqFI/AAAAAAAAAJQ/Ue16bullghs/s320/boler+KG+3.JPG" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Best sleep we have ever had camping...ever!</div>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7601033722370455113.post-78507907121534873912010-07-15T07:46:00.000-04:002010-07-15T07:46:42.778-04:00Time for a QuickieSince our last post about Tilley, we have not done anything new to her, but we did take her camping. We spent three wonderful sunny days at a friend's campground near Eganville, Ontario called <a href="http://www.ravensknoll.ca/">Raven's Knoll</a>. It was a joy to park and be finished with set up (of course the girls still had to set up their tent, but they didn't seem to mind so much). We had a number of visitors come to visit and there was much Oooing and Aaahhing. Our bed with the new feather mattress and feather pillows was extremely comfortable and we had the best camping sleep of all time.<br />
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We will have another opportunity to live in Tilley (and this time for a full week) when we attend <a href="http://www.kaleidoscope-gathering.ca/">Kaleidoscope Gathering</a>. We will be attending to give a Steampunk 101 workshop and hold a steampunk cocktail party on the Friday evening.<br />
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I leave you with a photo and a query<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Q049J8khFXs/TD7zEkGYa2I/AAAAAAAAAI4/ZLF-XpfRbtI/s1600/boler+goodies+6.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Q049J8khFXs/TD7zEkGYa2I/AAAAAAAAAI4/ZLF-XpfRbtI/s320/boler+goodies+6.JPG" /></a></div>Brass and glass outdoor thermometer - we know we can attach it with earth magnets or screws to one of the larger windows. The questions are - do we place it outdoors for an accurate measurement but possibly lose it by theft or inside for safety but not quite an accurate temperature reading....and/or.....do we use screws for more permanency or earth magnets so we can put it away for travelling.<br />
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We hope to have many photos and stories to tell upon our return from Kaleidoscope Gathering. <br />
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Until then....ta ta for now.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7601033722370455113.post-52530607138116116212010-06-27T14:48:00.000-04:002010-06-27T14:48:40.064-04:00A Few Baubles for TilleyWhile Pat was performing his manly and practical alterations to Tilley, and other than the practical (and beautiful) painting of the wheels, there were some lovely adornments bought for Tilley that have now been added to her interior.<br />
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Some more practical than others, we purchased a few kitchen items to make cooking more enjoyable and our table arrangements more beautiful.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Q049J8khFXs/TCePkCHjpxI/AAAAAAAAAHo/eby6ANShPn4/s1600/Tilley+goodies+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Q049J8khFXs/TCePkCHjpxI/AAAAAAAAAHo/eby6ANShPn4/s320/Tilley+goodies+1.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>The serving dish and green pitcher in the back are unbreakable, the spoon is bamboo, the pan is by <a href="http://www.kitchenaid.ca/flash.cmd?/#/en/page/home">Kitchenaide</a> (one of my favourite brands). The goblets have green stems for a very special reason...<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Q049J8khFXs/TCeRnaY0KHI/AAAAAAAAAIA/HjX8twNA6MA/s1600/Tilley+goodies+3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Q049J8khFXs/TCeRnaY0KHI/AAAAAAAAAIA/HjX8twNA6MA/s320/Tilley+goodies+3.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>When we were first married, I found these antique green stem liqueur glasses (only one in the photo but we have 6 in total) and fell in love with them. They were one of our first major, decorative purchases as a couple. The unbreakable goblets were bought as an ode to these little beauties. We also purchased tumblers in the same green.<br />
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We enjoy lovely cutlery and so a new set was purchased just for Tilley.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Q049J8khFXs/TCeQZcaO6CI/AAAAAAAAAHw/yCP9p0KEobw/s1600/Tilley+goodies+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Q049J8khFXs/TCeQZcaO6CI/AAAAAAAAAHw/yCP9p0KEobw/s320/Tilley+goodies+2.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>If you look closely you can see that the handles are shaped like inverted hearts. Tilley is, after all, our Anniversary gift to each other.<br />
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Another wee piece we purchased to make Tilley just a little more posh was this lovely brass foot from one of our favourite shops, <a href="http://www.leevalley.com/Default.aspx">Lee Valley Tools</a>. It has been added to cover the rubber tip on the table leg. Much nicer than rubber.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Q049J8khFXs/TCeRFnMZCyI/AAAAAAAAAH4/VYK6Pkznxtw/s1600/boler+leg.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Q049J8khFXs/TCeRFnMZCyI/AAAAAAAAAH4/VYK6Pkznxtw/s200/boler+leg.JPG" width="136" /></a></div>We were finally able to add in a lovely lamp/candle holder we purchased a while back. It is from Lee Valley Tools as well and is a Victorian reproduction. One good thing about the lamp/candle holder is that it comes in two parts<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Q049J8khFXs/TCeUKgLa05I/AAAAAAAAAII/S5tbrtD_zWQ/s1600/lamp1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Q049J8khFXs/TCeUKgLa05I/AAAAAAAAAII/S5tbrtD_zWQ/s320/lamp1.JPG" width="248" /></a></div>The first part attaches to the surface of your choice. We have chosen to attach it to the side of the kitchen area cupboards. This is wonderful, because when traveling, we can remove the heaviest part of the holder and store it away. When put together...<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Q049J8khFXs/TCeUhzpUJMI/AAAAAAAAAIQ/54CBSadX6OY/s1600/lamp2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="297" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Q049J8khFXs/TCeUhzpUJMI/AAAAAAAAAIQ/54CBSadX6OY/s320/lamp2.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>...We have a lovely piece of artwork on its own and a practical holder for lamps and small candles (in the photo there is a porcelain dish and a flameless candle. The other lovely thing about this holder is that it swivels and so can be moved out of the way for guests sitting on the couch below.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Q049J8khFXs/TCeVGdX6fNI/AAAAAAAAAIY/DHn-czVskXU/s1600/lamp3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Q049J8khFXs/TCeVGdX6fNI/AAAAAAAAAIY/DHn-czVskXU/s200/lamp3.JPG" width="150" /></a></div><br />
Finally, I have saved the best for last. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Q049J8khFXs/TCeVQ7vY6bI/AAAAAAAAAIg/2SM1oXF3MIE/s1600/artwork+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Q049J8khFXs/TCeVQ7vY6bI/AAAAAAAAAIg/2SM1oXF3MIE/s320/artwork+1.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>"What?!" you say, "strips of velcro, how is that decorative, artistic or even worthy of the title 'bauble'?". Well, it is the first part of an art installation. When one is traveling with a trailer, everything must be stored securely so as not to be jostled and broken. We bought some lovely original art for Tilley and this way we can have them away and safe when moving her and then displayed when we are set and still.<br />
And here they are, attached to the velcro. They actually came with velcro already attached on their backs, which gave us the idea on how to hang them in Tilley.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Q049J8khFXs/TCeWI5_oUlI/AAAAAAAAAIo/Rs12M3I_HV4/s1600/artwork+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Q049J8khFXs/TCeWI5_oUlI/AAAAAAAAAIo/Rs12M3I_HV4/s320/artwork+2.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>They are done by a wonderful artist named <a href="http://www.danielmartelock.com/">Daniel Martelock</a>. He is a local Ottawa artist and his steampunk works are fabulous. Here is a close up of his wonderful art that we will be proudly displaying in Tilley.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Q049J8khFXs/TCeW0bq12ZI/AAAAAAAAAIw/lB9XqyR3z0g/s1600/artwork+3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Q049J8khFXs/TCeW0bq12ZI/AAAAAAAAAIw/lB9XqyR3z0g/s320/artwork+3.JPG" /></a></div>Trust me, there is more to come. I have more luxurious plans for Tilley.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7601033722370455113.post-83063975882970187652010-06-20T21:52:00.000-04:002010-06-20T21:52:50.397-04:00Wheel PainWhen we bought Tilley it was decided to store her in the garage. What we found is that she is 2" too high and so each time we would go to park her Pat would have to take quite a bit of air out of her tires and then we would have to pull her in on flat tires. Of course the opposite would happen every time we needed to take her out again. Not good for Pat or the tires.<br />
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So Pat found a brilliant solution online, which we will talk about a little later. First he would have to remove Tilley's original tires. Suddenly there was a problem. There was a wheel lock on each tire. A wheel lock that needed a key. A key we did not have. Pat was optimistic that there would be no issues since the locks on the spare tire came off easily without the key. But of course that never happens in real life.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Q049J8khFXs/TB6a-9dpJqI/AAAAAAAAAGI/JvcEIYWgymw/s1600/wheels+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br />
</a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Q049J8khFXs/TB6a-9dpJqI/AAAAAAAAAGI/JvcEIYWgymw/s1600/wheels+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Q049J8khFXs/TB6a-9dpJqI/AAAAAAAAAGI/JvcEIYWgymw/s320/wheels+1.JPG" /></a></div><br />
This was the state of the tires - flat and locked on.<br />
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Pat worked hard on removing the wheel locks all Saturday and some of Sunday as well. He ran out of removal options. He even bent the pliers. He ended up pounding them off with a cold chisel and hammer. Finally he was victorious!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Q049J8khFXs/TB6b4h-Je1I/AAAAAAAAAGQ/xz_X11u7DXI/s1600/wheels+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Q049J8khFXs/TB6b4h-Je1I/AAAAAAAAAGQ/xz_X11u7DXI/s320/wheels+2.JPG" /></a></div> Pat looking tired but with a sense of great accomplishment after having defeated the evil wheel lock.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Q049J8khFXs/TB6ci2z0oYI/AAAAAAAAAGY/kyzGwrM6nfc/s1600/wheels+3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Q049J8khFXs/TB6ci2z0oYI/AAAAAAAAAGY/kyzGwrM6nfc/s320/wheels+3.JPG" /></a></div>The wheel lock did not come out looking so good.... (sorry about the blurring)<br />
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Now that they were finally off, we decided we might as well spruce them up. I like to spruce things up, so I took on the job of making them spiffy.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Q049J8khFXs/TB6c7lk4V_I/AAAAAAAAAGg/TRVrUprfGsg/s1600/wheels+4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Q049J8khFXs/TB6c7lk4V_I/AAAAAAAAAGg/TRVrUprfGsg/s320/wheels+4.JPG" /></a></div>Before sprucing up - they were dirty and basic white - they really needed a new look.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Q049J8khFXs/TB6dLfvJWRI/AAAAAAAAAGo/kU6e3sClY7U/s1600/wheels+5.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Q049J8khFXs/TB6dLfvJWRI/AAAAAAAAAGo/kU6e3sClY7U/s320/wheels+5.JPG" /></a></div>After cleaning all three tires and prepping them, I got down to the business of painting them. I used the same paint and technique that I used on the stove top to make them look antique and worn.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Q049J8khFXs/TB6dd8X8efI/AAAAAAAAAGw/AjQcLRCxOMQ/s1600/wheels+6.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Q049J8khFXs/TB6dd8X8efI/AAAAAAAAAGw/AjQcLRCxOMQ/s200/wheels+6.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Q049J8khFXs/TB6ds70JOXI/AAAAAAAAAG4/VJXg1kaZXFs/s1600/wheels+7.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br />
</a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Q049J8khFXs/TB6ds70JOXI/AAAAAAAAAG4/VJXg1kaZXFs/s1600/wheels+7.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Q049J8khFXs/TB6ds70JOXI/AAAAAAAAAG4/VJXg1kaZXFs/s320/wheels+7.JPG" /></a></div>Here is after a primer coat and the first gold coat of paint and then after a few layers of gold and charcoal coats of paint for the final distressed and antique finish. Much better than glaring white!<br />
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Now that the original tires were off (and spiffy) Pat could do the impressive and creative part of the wheel saga. Pat found online what were described as "storage wheels". They are wooden wheels, made smaller than the original wheels in order to store one's trailer indoors more easily.<br />
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Step 1 - Lay up a panel of recycled 2 x 4s. They are glued and pinned with dowels.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Q049J8khFXs/TB6fcvvAyQI/AAAAAAAAAHA/itiqaeKmVJg/s1600/wheels+wood+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Q049J8khFXs/TB6fcvvAyQI/AAAAAAAAAHA/itiqaeKmVJg/s320/wheels+wood+1.JPG" /></a></div><br />
Step 2 - Measure, draw and cut the wheel disk.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Q049J8khFXs/TB6fjvrrwtI/AAAAAAAAAHI/JGjvgc-SCKE/s1600/wheels+wood+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Q049J8khFXs/TB6fjvrrwtI/AAAAAAAAAHI/JGjvgc-SCKE/s320/wheels+wood+2.JPG" /></a></div><br />
Step 3 - Ta Da - circles of wood...<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Q049J8khFXs/TB6fobHi3HI/AAAAAAAAAHQ/3a3eC0280sU/s1600/wheels+wood+3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Q049J8khFXs/TB6fobHi3HI/AAAAAAAAAHQ/3a3eC0280sU/s320/wheels+wood+3.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Step 4 - Cut the hole for the hub. Drill the holes for the bolts. Route away excess wood and test fit.</div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Q049J8khFXs/TB6fszvP5tI/AAAAAAAAAHY/q1D9D1waFAg/s1600/wheels+wood+4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Q049J8khFXs/TB6fszvP5tI/AAAAAAAAAHY/q1D9D1waFAg/s320/wheels+wood+4.JPG" /></a><br />
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And the grand finale - Add a couple of reinforcing strips a la Asterix! And once again.... Ta Da!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Q049J8khFXs/TB6gUeuYUNI/AAAAAAAAAHg/yGINlvI9yOA/s1600/wheels+wood+5.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Q049J8khFXs/TB6gUeuYUNI/AAAAAAAAAHg/yGINlvI9yOA/s320/wheels+wood+5.JPG" /></a></div><br />
The new wheels give Tilley the right height so it will now save Pat's time and the life of the regular wheels, but Pat accidentally found that they also roll a lot more easily on concrete than the regular wheels - beware of unintentional movement and be sure to use chocks.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7601033722370455113.post-75943736849408610302010-06-06T12:09:00.002-04:002010-06-17T22:27:20.106-04:00Odds & EndsIn just one week since having Tilley home we have been very busy.<br />
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Last weekend we took her out for her first sleepover. We have friends with land and they invited everyone for a weekend there. It's currently quite rough camping, but they were kind enough to hack out some flat land for us to park Tilley near the entrance...and so we did.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Q049J8khFXs/TAu-sn8GMdI/AAAAAAAAAE4/ZmUi1h6qzEw/s1600/Tilley.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Q049J8khFXs/TAu-sn8GMdI/AAAAAAAAAE4/ZmUi1h6qzEw/s320/Tilley.jpg" /></a></div>It was wonderful spending time with our friends in the great outdoors, and even better sleeping inside Tilley on our new feather mattress. It was wonderful!<br />
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This weekend Pat and I (but mostly Pat) added a few odds and ends to Tilley. First off, to add some extra comfort for future trips, I used some recycled stuffing, some second hand and dollar store purchases and a little sewing and voila...<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Q049J8khFXs/TAvCYedXcSI/AAAAAAAAAFA/ccdb8OHjCTg/s1600/boler+pillows.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Q049J8khFXs/TAvCYedXcSI/AAAAAAAAAFA/ccdb8OHjCTg/s200/boler+pillows.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><br />
Decorative and comfortable pillows. I will be adding a few more as the right materials come together. As the look we are going for is gentlemen's club,steampunk, posh, cozy....how's that for descriptive...you can rest assured that there will be no frills or lace involved.<br />
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Pat used his birthday money (gift card from <a href="http://www.leevalley.com/Default.aspx">Lee Valley</a>) to purchase a number of bits and decoration pieces. One such piece we have dubbed moustachio. One of the finest looking of all time....<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Q049J8khFXs/TAvDv39RbNI/AAAAAAAAAFI/6SM9A_Y7zv0/s1600/boler+moustache+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="155" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Q049J8khFXs/TAvDv39RbNI/AAAAAAAAAFI/6SM9A_Y7zv0/s320/boler+moustache+1.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>It is cherry wood. This is before staining.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Q049J8khFXs/TAvEBNGZjLI/AAAAAAAAAFQ/KeqZXNi0xzg/s1600/boler+moustache+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="154" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Q049J8khFXs/TAvEBNGZjLI/AAAAAAAAAFQ/KeqZXNi0xzg/s320/boler+moustache+2.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>And after staining....<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Q049J8khFXs/TAvEJcyBW-I/AAAAAAAAAFg/opmdhYmhhlg/s1600/boler+moustache+4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="178" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Q049J8khFXs/TAvEJcyBW-I/AAAAAAAAAFg/opmdhYmhhlg/s200/boler+moustache+4.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Q049J8khFXs/TAvEHRpo_FI/AAAAAAAAAFY/knR3bk6hh5g/s1600/boler+moustache+3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Q049J8khFXs/TAvEHRpo_FI/AAAAAAAAAFY/knR3bk6hh5g/s200/boler+moustache+3.JPG" width="200" /></a><br />
....and in its destined place of honour.<br />
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I have saved the best for last. Pat bought some very important pieces that are lovely and practical as well.<br />
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First a puzzle....<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Q049J8khFXs/TAvFZVJrNAI/AAAAAAAAAFo/bg7_B-Aa1-g/s1600/boler+cupboard+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Q049J8khFXs/TAvFZVJrNAI/AAAAAAAAAFo/bg7_B-Aa1-g/s320/boler+cupboard+1.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Why would anyone put a hole in the center of a cupboard door???<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Q049J8khFXs/TAvFjlk1IvI/AAAAAAAAAFw/vk6cKAAbHX0/s1600/boler+cupboard+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="218" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Q049J8khFXs/TAvFjlk1IvI/AAAAAAAAAFw/vk6cKAAbHX0/s320/boler+cupboard+2.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Pat working hard on his secret project....<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Q049J8khFXs/TAvFvhfyqrI/AAAAAAAAAF4/kSu7T1IcB-E/s1600/boler+cupboard+3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="195" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Q049J8khFXs/TAvFvhfyqrI/AAAAAAAAAF4/kSu7T1IcB-E/s320/boler+cupboard+3.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Teaser of instrument in cupboard door....and finally....<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Q049J8khFXs/TAvGEEHtuLI/AAAAAAAAAGA/0RC4mVzjCUY/s1600/boler+cupboard+4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Q049J8khFXs/TAvGEEHtuLI/AAAAAAAAAGA/0RC4mVzjCUY/s320/boler+cupboard+4.JPG" /></a></div>The cupboard doors with instruments installed. There is a hygrometer, a clock and a barometer. All very practical when in the great outdoors. Every explorer should have them.<br />
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There is more to come, but still in the planning stages. There is work to do on the electrics and also the propane cooker. As well, our refrigerator may not actually work so we will need to decide on whether to fix it, replace it, or use it to store our clothes.<br />
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....Until next time.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7601033722370455113.post-26856106141023181262010-05-29T07:40:00.002-04:002010-05-29T07:43:21.640-04:00Behold the Magic of the Guru!We have our dear Tilley back! It was a long wait, but well worth it.<br />
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First, let us revisit the sad and pathetic condition in which we dropped her off at the guru's home....<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Q049J8khFXs/TAD456cPf6I/AAAAAAAAAD4/ThIsVmX_xRU/s1600/interior+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Q049J8khFXs/TAD456cPf6I/AAAAAAAAAD4/ThIsVmX_xRU/s200/interior+2.JPG" width="200" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Q049J8khFXs/TAD5CkhWeJI/AAAAAAAAAEA/JlrIAyNaP-w/s1600/interior+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Q049J8khFXs/TAD5CkhWeJI/AAAAAAAAAEA/JlrIAyNaP-w/s200/interior+1.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><br />
Cream of Blah and peeling off the walls - not very cozy or plush in my opinion....<br />
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But now....<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Q049J8khFXs/TAD5d_nGY7I/AAAAAAAAAEI/hNDzj3kQPfE/s1600/Brad+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Q049J8khFXs/TAD5d_nGY7I/AAAAAAAAAEI/hNDzj3kQPfE/s320/Brad+2.JPG" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Q049J8khFXs/TAD5iW4r7LI/AAAAAAAAAEQ/N_cngJSAuDc/s1600/Brad+3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Q049J8khFXs/TAD5iW4r7LI/AAAAAAAAAEQ/N_cngJSAuDc/s320/Brad+3.JPG" /></a></div>In this one you can see a copper horn that Pat had made a long while back and left at the guru's home. The guru repurposed it into a decorative way to hide the wires going to the top cupboards.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Q049J8khFXs/TAD5mScAB6I/AAAAAAAAAEY/Bg7wCKOefH0/s1600/Brad+4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Q049J8khFXs/TAD5mScAB6I/AAAAAAAAAEY/Bg7wCKOefH0/s320/Brad+4.JPG" /></a></div>Yes, you are seeing it correctly - upholstered wainscotting - the man is brilliant!<br />
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The colour is actually called Oxford Oxblood and it looks like distressed leather, like an antique men's club chair. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Q049J8khFXs/TAD5oD-eDoI/AAAAAAAAAEg/RE_aDFw5nC4/s1600/Brad+5.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Q049J8khFXs/TAD5oD-eDoI/AAAAAAAAAEg/RE_aDFw5nC4/s320/Brad+5.JPG" /></a></div>The<span style="font-size: small;"> pièce de résistance</span>! Part of the Steampunk Canada logo is forever a part of our Tilley...I almost cried!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Q049J8khFXs/TAD5rjMiShI/AAAAAAAAAEo/4stlZHBdkOw/s1600/Brad+7.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Q049J8khFXs/TAD5rjMiShI/AAAAAAAAAEo/4stlZHBdkOw/s320/Brad+7.JPG" /></a></div>Here we have put in the new handles, the current curtains and the cushions. The newly painted cooktop matches wonderfully with the copper horn.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Q049J8khFXs/TAD5tOjTPfI/AAAAAAAAAEw/Scm0jaTpcOM/s1600/Brad+8.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Q049J8khFXs/TAD5tOjTPfI/AAAAAAAAAEw/Scm0jaTpcOM/s320/Brad+8.JPG" /></a></div>And one last picture with cushions, curtains and the guru's fabulous work!<br />
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We highly recommend Brad McDonald for any interior upholstery work. He listened to what we wanted and added his creative flair. Make sure you have lots of time to leave it with him, but it's well worth the wait!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com5