Fulfilling a dream

[Rexlion]

Might consider adding Penetrol to the paint for improved adhesion and longevity. I have a good opinion of the stuff.

 

[JedidiahStolzfus]

Might consider adding Penetrol to the paint for improved adhesion and longevity. I have a good opinion of the stuff.

I'm just gonna rattle can it. It's not going to be seen once installed. Some rusty metal primer, and some flat black. The exposed parts will be covered with diamond plate. Right now I'm waiting for Amazon to deliver a rounded flap disc so I can finished cleaning up the inside corners.

 

[JedidiahStolzfus]

First light of the griddle. Griddle top is not attached right now because I still have to move this thing around. I think my pilots might be a little high.

 

[JedidiahStolzfus]

Pilot lights use a lot of gas and stink up the space, when Mom shifted to an electric ignition stove gas usage was probably halved.

I can't really eliminate pilot lights. I have 5 gas appliances, all of them with pilots. The good thing is, I have a huge window on one side, 2 smaller windows on other sides, and two big exhaust fans. I doubt I'll be smelling the pilots burning. There's a valve to adjust the height of those pilots. Just on the first light there was no way to know where it was adjusted. I'll be doing that this morning after I get back from errands. One of my favorite stores is giving out free Tshirts with any purchase, I got one yesterday, going up again for another one.

 

[Art Deco]

I can't really eliminate pilot lights. I have 5 gas appliances, all of them with pilots. The good thing is, I have a huge window on one side, 2 smaller windows on other sides, and two big exhaust fans. I doubt I'll be smelling the pilots burning. There's a valve to adjust the height of those pilots. Just on the first light there was no way to know where it was adjusted. I'll be doing that this morning after I get back from errands. One of my favorite stores is giving out free Tshirts with any purchase, I got one yesterday, going up again for another one.

Seriously you lit it without loss of beard or eyebrows, so that's a win. The rest is just "tuning the burner" as they say.

 

[JedidiahStolzfus]

100W solar panel is mounted, but not wired. I have a 20A Renogy MPPT charge controller to install once I get the battery.

 

[JedidiahStolzfus]

Who's hungry?

We finished getting the griddle in this morning before I had to take one of the kids to work and run errands. We got this going around 12:30 after getting home. One of the neighbors stopped by and had one with us. The sausage in the pictures is Jalapeno/Cheddar with Longhorn Pepper cheese.

 

[JedidiahStolzfus]

This is why you buy a full length truck bed.

#1 helping with installing the wheel wells.

First body panel is installed. #2 helped with this riveting task.

Second body panel installed.

 

[JedidiahStolzfus]

New lights are in. The original lights were 1157 automotive bulbs, which draw a tremendous amount of current. Plus, the previous owners had all the lights, 8 of them, tied into the fans, and the water heater. No wonder the original fuse box melted down. I've been able to break out all of those in their own circuits. The lights were drawing enough current to slow down the fans.

We have our first unofficial gig next weekend. Doing dinner for a friend's family reunion. Menu is sausage sammiches and hawaiian sliders, traditional amish style tater salad or Kartoffelsalat, pickled (red beet) eggs and fresh local sweet corn. Today I figured out that I can cook corn in the trailer using the steam table Probably make some brownies for desert.

 

[JedidiahStolzfus]

you Guys have corn already?

Yup, had some lastnight with dinner. It was good. There's a produce farm not far from me that regularly has early sweet corn. So far it's been a good growing season. Everyone got their fields ready early and crops in the ground. With the rain things have just been shooting up. Over all the farmers have been very happy this year.

 

[JedidiahStolzfus]

In a good year( plenty of rain no late freezes) if field corn is fence high by the fourth it is considered doing well, it has been for the most part too cold and dry to have any early things, might be better in the Shendoah Valley, the Mennonites usually have their corn in the ground by the second or third week in April( for better or worse) enjoy- what variety, can you tell me about that yummy "Holloway" corn?

Silver queen is still the favorite around here. There's a bi-color that's very good too. Never heard of hollowway corn. Last year during the middle of the season I heard a woman in the grocery with a thick NJ accent yell to her husband "All this is that white corn, they don't have any yellow" I'm thinking to myself that she has no idea what she should be looking for. No one gets yellow corn here, lessen than you're livestock.

I cannot stand the people that shuck corn in the store, stupid mothershuckers. The corn in the area is good, it's incredibly rare to find any with extra protein inside. I just grab a dozen from the bin and bag it, while other people give me funny looks leaving a mess in the store.

 

[JedidiahStolzfus]

Driving out to the propane shop (twice) today I saw several fields with shoulder high corn.

 

[JedidiahStolzfus]

My steam table is fixed. We tried lighting it lastnight but weren't getting any gas. Figured there might be a nest or something inside. Took it to the local propane shop this morning around 9am, they called at 11am and said it was fixed. New thermocouple, a cleaning and a replaced nut that was cracked through. They also fixed another one that I had from the coffee machine we aren't using. Asked them to go over it too so I can use it as a spare.

We got it lit, now corn on the cob is a go for next saturday.

 

[JedidiahStolzfus]

Sounds like they are doing good.

We tested corn in the steam table today. Turned out perfect.

 

[JedidiahStolzfus]

We just lit the water heater for the first time. I don't know if I posted it a while ago, but the water heater that was in it showed signs of electrical meltdown and we didn't want to trust it, especially considering the control module was $200+. We found one pulled from a 2022 RV for $170 locally and bought it. Just a little bit longer than the other one but narrower. We got it mounted a while ago but never got to test it until today because it needs to be filled to fire. We just got done the plumbing and decided to fire it. Hooked up 12v, opened the gas line and within a few seconds the igniter fired, and a couple seconds after that, the burner fired. I spent most of the day yesterday sorting out the rats nest of 12vdc and 120vac wiring that all came together in one spot in the ceiling.

Now there's a nice new switch panel I put together and all the 120vac lines are sorted and connected

The exhaust fans are now set that can be run individually.

Here's the squat test to see if I need to add more air to the suspension with it hitched up. I think it looks good.

We should be ready to roll by saturday afternoon.

 

[Rexlion]

Let us know how the event turns out!

 

[JedidiahStolzfus]

I'm not really sure how the original plumbing was done so that the system didn't create a syphon and drain the fresh water tank through the overflow. But I came up with a method that doesn't do that. When filling the fresh water tank and the water heater at the same time, when they get full, water start to flow out the overflow, letting you know you're full. I installed a T off the overflow out to a vent stack beside the water heater Once water hits the over flow, I can turn off the inlet, and then close the overflow and the vent stack allows air back in. I have to be careful though because if I fill at full pressure from the hose, I'll get water spraying out of the vent stack.

Water system is pretty much done, 3 sink system and hand wash all have hot water, and my on demand pressure pump is working great. At the start of the day I'll have 16 gallons of fresh water plus an additional 5 gallons to pump into the steam table, as soon as I get the pump in place.

 

[JedidiahStolzfus]

Do you have a CO monitor?

Not yet, we will, plus an LP monitor. That's the kind of stuff that goes in last. I won't be buying them from the RV store I was at today, those guys are expensive. I'm not terribly worried about LP or CO since there's so much ventilation, like the 6' wide window on one side, and the two windows on the other side, plus the exhaust fans running. But we're still going to put them in.

 

[Rexlion]

Whip up some "Boston Coolers" (Vernors ginger ale and ice cream) and I might show up!

 

[JedidiahStolzfus]

Whip up some "Boston Coolers" (Vernors ginger ale and ice cream) and I might show up!

My favorite is Root beer floats with chocolate ice cream. I also make my own ice cream when I have time. An amazing dark chocolate that's super rich and creamy and a really creamy cantaloupe that's really good over fresh melon.