Notes From "Life On the Slant"

[Dallas]

Anyone ever notice that no matter how well you level your coach, bus, RV, camper, tent, cardboard box, it always ends up with something being not quite level?

I had a 1984 Winnie Chief that I bought in 1986 with less than 25,000 miles. That poor old S&S was worn out from the day I got it.. not the drive train, jeez, that was like new. Other than having a itty bitty fuel tank and a 4-8 mpg average, it was great.... except...

One day while traveling through Nebraska or Eastern Wyoming, I was watching in the mirrors and noticed that the upper part of the body was wobbling back and forth about 8". This didn't concern me too much since I figured it was getting tired, after all, I'd put another 25K miles in less than a year.

I stopped at a campground for the night and thought I would check out what was going on... I peeled back part of the galvanized roof to see what was what and found that the rafters were attached to the side of the wall studs with 2 staples each... one leg of each staple was in the end of the rafter and one end was sunk into the upper plate. Whee!

I closed it up quickly and sold it shortly thereafter when I found a convenient rube ummm, I mean highly motivated buyer.

I saw this same Winnie on eBay about 2 years ago, in Ga. and it went for the same price I sold it for, and, coincidentally the same price I bought it for.


The biggest thing I remember about that RV was that it wasn't nearly as much fun to drive as my 1935 ACF-Brill had been, but it sure was a lot warmer and slept a lot better... even if it did lean to the left rear, no matter where I jacked up the frame.

Now, let's hear some stories of Bus conversions, SOB's and tent's if you will.

Dallas

[NewbeeMC9]

My bed is across the back,  I just put my pillow on the high side. 

[JohnEd]

Dallas,

I had and still have the first S&S I ever bought.  1973 Winnie Custom 29.5 foot.  And I am bringing her back for use this summer.  Got those 14 year old "like new" 19.5 tires off of her.  I couldn't wear those things out and they were Lee's for criminy sake.  I can't find or stop the leak on the front right side and I have looked....trust me.  My bud says that IT MIGHT BE KLEAKING IN THE REAR AND RUNNING TO THE FRONT UNDER THE ROOF i INSTALLED "OVER" THE ORIGINAL ONE.  Cap lock%$^^%#$#@*&^.

Now understand that in 73 they made a seriously good coach.   I have at least twice as many staples holding my roof down as you have on that 84 wonder Winnie.

6 to 8.8(once) and usually 7 MPG.  Runs STRONG and sounds it with the Thorley headers and straight thru truck muffler that is 6 feet long.  She has been a good girl and I respect her but she needs to retire in a year or so.   Like you said....can't fault that drive train.  I had better luck than you as the PO developed cancer and lived in her but didn't move her after installing a new engine from Dodge along with a new TX and $1K of all new brake stuff.  I took the trip around the country he had planned to take.  I gutted her shortly after getting her home in 90 and she needs re gutted.  I need a wood shop!

I painted her in 93 using the cheapest NASON single stage I could find in Wimbledon Beige.  I painted her outside a friends barn in his dirt driveway.  Added accent stripes and trim paint in two more paint sessions but they are Imron.  If we make it to the Caverns you look at her and tell me she LOOKS like she was painted in the dirt.  I am still bragging on that paint job because I only had less than $200 into it but I bought a masking machine and a spray gun and still have both
Fond memories and thanks for bringing that up.

[skipn]

It all starts out with good intentions........

Along about 1989 my daughter was doing showmanship with her pony. It was about 95 degrees
and like her mother down she went passed out from the heat. A family afflection that forever more
will require me to live on the north side. To alleviate the situation we bought a class C w/ 460, c4.
It became very evident that I would have to replace the torque convertor every two years and
the tranny every 4. We have been in just about every small town in Montana as each girl took
her hand at rodeo. I have slept on side hills to waking up at 2:00 am because the grounds were in the
middle of a flood. The kids still wouldn't have traded it for anything. So the bus afflication came to me
when my oldest was pregnant with our first grand daughter. Still have the class C but it was time to upgrade.
For this I now have a shell that will be our castle "in our own minds" but it will pull 10K a whole lot
better than my class C.   (yes I know I already have a replacement engine I just have to save up 
for a better tranny)

   Life goes on (hopefully a little grander)
Skip

[Nick Badame Refrig/ACC]

Hi Dallas,

I'll bet a gyro of some sort might keep you from leaning.  I mean on YOU, not the bus..

Nick-

[cody]

After all the questions have been asked and carefully thought over and discussed by the best minds available, it all boils down to simple terms and what my grandfather said was the secret to life, "sleep uphill and pee downhill".

[JohnEd]

Cody,

I think I heard of hiom.  Was your Grand Daddy named Plato or Soc something?

Good words and they should lead to perspective.

John