The Caboose actually went down the road today, for what was probably the first time in about 40 years!!  I got the tires aired up again (the left side ones don't want to hold air, not sure if the tires are bad or if the rims are just that rusty) and stuck the magnetic towing lights on it, got it hitched up and hauled it out of the campground and down the road about 6 miles to the marina. I had stopped at the marina Friday and asked if I could park it there for a few days since they're pretty slow this time of year. The campground folks have been getting pretty antsy about getting out of there, so today I got it moved.  Top speed was only about 40 due to the very narrow, windy, twisty and very hilly  road, but it seemed to do just fine. No trailer brakes on it, so the slow speed was fine with me especially going down the steep hills to the lake/marina.

Here it is at the lake!     


I'm going back up tomorrow and see if the guys at the marina will jack it up and remove a wheel for me, then I'll go into Paducah and get 4 new rims and tires that I know aren't going to blow out on the highway going to TN. May ask them what they'd charge to wire the brakes for me too. It sits a bit higher on pavement than it looked in the woods at the campground.  :yes:

Thanks for going to the trouble of posting it, Night!

LOOKING GOOD!

YIPPEE!!!

 

Nice To see it moving!!!!!!

Cant wait to get free of here to head over and see it!!

Congratulations, Nightsky.

Good thinking on replacing the wheels as well as the tires.  If there is any rust at all in the wheels, it could weaken their strength, considering how long that trailer has set without moving.  You've not made a mention as to whether the trailer has a spare tire or not, but if it does, take that with you when shopping for wheels.  When getting tires, be sure and look at the best load range that you can afford.  Be sure and inform the sales people that the tires are going on a camper, not a vehicle or a regular cargo-type trailer.

Now, when Mike and Pierre get there to help you with the remodel, be sure and include pictures of them as well.  That is, if they don't mind.  Good luck and have fun.

Terry

Thanks so much for the post and picture. Please keep posting, there are many of us that really would enjoy "following along."

I would say that you are getting famous and when you complete this project you will be more so. Sorry to hear about the setback and it stayed together while you moved it. I looked at the blog photos, hope it looks worse than it actually is. I couldn't see the frame to well. It looks to be a boxed metal frame. You may have to do a frame up restoration; and if that is the case, it would be wise to study ways to make it lighter-weight. I would imagine you will want to make it self contained. You have plenty of time to toss around many ideas.

 

Wow! 1970, this makes the 'Caboose' going on 53 years old. I will be turning 62 this coming year and the doctors started a restoration last March at the age of 60 with those 3 stents. HMMMM! Gave me a thought, when I recieve my early SS in August, maybe I will let the doctors do a restoration on me too!!!! LOL! Hey; what am I laughing about, may need it by then!

PIEERE

-- Edited by PIEERE on Tuesday 18th of December 2012 10:33:46 AM

-- Edited by PIEERE on Tuesday 18th of December 2012 10:34:28 AM

Well, there's been a HUGE setback today. I drove up to KY again up to see about getting new tires etc, and noticed the tongue was angled upward quite noticeably, to the point it is bending the base of the siding. I went inside to see what the interior looked like, and the whole front end is coming apart. There's a massive crack in the passenger side wall behind the front window, and where there was a gap yesterday with an inch of daylight showing through is now a gaping hole about 4 inches wide. There's also a crack in the bathroom on the driver's side, not quite as big but still bad bad bad.

This discovery led to me crawling underneath to look around, something I wasn't able to do when it was sitting in the woods at the campground. The frame is rotten. Really rotten. The worst visible areas are actually at the rear, not the front where the cracks have formed, but the wood frame is also in better shape at the rear so maybe that's holding it together. All the gruesome photos are on the blog.

Frankly I'm surprised it didn't all come apart yesterday when I was towing it to the marina. I'm going to have to find someone to haul it on a flatbed or something, I don't see any other way to get it home. The folks at the marina are great and I gave them a month's storage fee so I don't have to rush to get it out of there. Any comments and suggestions would be extremely welcome!

On a more positive note, after what seemed to be a futile 20 minute chat with the folks at the courthouse in KY about getting some sort of tag/title/permit to pull it home (this obviously was before I discovered the damaged frame) I mentioned there was a KY electrical inspection sticker on it. They gave me the name and number of the fire marshall who keeps track of such things, and he was very helpful. He searched for the number and said if it was inspected there must be a title or registration for it. He said according to their records it was sold in January 2009, and gave me the sellers (a business) name and phone number. When I called got a recording saying they are closed Sunday and Monday so I'll try again tomorrow. I don't want to get my hopes up too much but I have my fingers crossed tight, since I would LOVE to get it titled as what it actually is and NOT as a homebuilt.

Also, the blog has 1000 page views, and hits are coming from RV and camper forums I didn't even know existed! Does this mean I'm almost famous?? LOL

Suggestion on the frame is to have it C- Channeled full lenth and welded......would way that against the price of having it flat bedded home. If you get it home alot of the cost of channeling it right can be reduced by doing most of the work up front....


another option would be to find a trailer at the same lenth or longer that is junk because of water damage........we could take yours and fit it to the new frame........again at home labor but most of the cost for this type of job is labor.......if we remove most of that from the equation its not to bad


Final Idea!!!!..............Register it .......insure it as an antique with full coverage , come back at nite to haul it home and hope it doesnt make it !!!!!!..............(please know Im joking on this one!!)

NightSky >>>>>