Post rally blues

With all the excitement of the Pismo rally behind me, it was tough getting back into my work routine. I had spent the majority of my time for over 8 months working toward that goal and now there was a bit of a let down. I am the type that thrives on a challenge. I need to stay busy - mentally and physically. The RR had been the perfect project for me. So now what?

I did have a few things to finish up on my trailer. First priority was the rock guard. The rock guard is a fiberglass awning that folds flat against the front window while towing. It protects the glass from debris kicked up on the highway. There was a couple at the rally who had the side of their trailer literally blow apart after a rock took out the front window of their Fireball while driving home. $4,500. in damage. Very sad to see the pictures. I had already removed and cleaned the aluminum frame. Now it was time to get it done.

I had a piece of semi-transparent corrugated fiberglass left over from a patio roof project. I just needed to figure out how to get this piece of material into the frame. After going over the frame carefully, I am convinced the edges were riveted together after the fiberglass sheet was installed. I would need to cut the sheet slightly smaller than the frame so I could bend it into place. I did my best to measure carefully - hard to do when the sheet is wavy and flexible. I cut it with my favorite tool - my old jigsaw (best 75 bucks I've ever spent!). Of course, as I cut, the sheet wanted to jump up and down with the movement of the jig blade. For the hundredth time, an extra pair of hands would have made it much easier! Where is that darn dog when I need her help?? Probably napping on 1 of her 3 beds ... I made the cuts slowly and held a 2 x 4 on top to keep it from bouncing too much. At $30. a sheet, I didn't want to have to do it twice. I laid the frame out on my work table and began to wedge the fiberglass into place. Just as I would get 1 edge into the frame, the opposite side would pop out. Argh! I ended up using clamps to hold the material in place. I finally got it assembled and of course, one edge was less than straight. No big deal. Here again, nothing that some big globs of caulking can't fix! I sealed it into the frame and let it sit overnight to dry.

The next day, I installed the rock guard on the front of the RR. The frame was a bit off - slightly askew like it had been twisted. No surprise on this trailer! I attached the side mounts for the arms that hold the guard open when parked. I was pleased that I was able to put it all together and that it actually worked! It is a wonderful finishing touch to the RR. And it gives me one less thing to worry about during my travels.