Camper Creep

Is that me or the camper?

It was meant to express that the camper repairs are creeping to a conclusion.

It's an annual event (cycle).

Me against time and seized fasteners to complete repairs by the holiday season.

The season officially starts at Easter - so I lost this year.

Thing is I lose every year 'coz I never get the job done how I want it.

It's not that I try for perfection - I gave up that route to madness years ago.

I do however want a job done that makes it better than it was.  

It shouldn't just be remedial, there's an opportunity to make it better than volkswagen made it.

Sounds like hubris, probably is but VW had one budget to work to and I've got mine.

Meaning I can apply more paint, use better grade components and ensure better tolerances.

• I'm crafting an individual vehicle so that Sandy and I have the best camper ever.  
  
• They're churning out millions to pay shareholder dividends
  

So it creeps on.

Just completed off side front (OSF) suspension rebuild and started the NSF to match.

Weird thing is it's a game of two halves.

OSF 

every bleedin' fastener that could be was welded with rust into it's mate or a casting.  I'm guessing but about 15 hours labour to strip it down.  One of the bolts that holds the steering knuckle/ radius arm and bottom control arm together took 6 hours to extract.  I had to drill out stupid stuff like split pins holding cotter nuts on.  

Everything was a fight.

Dumb thing is I will win and I know it so that makes it seem even more a waste of time.

Why can't the stubborn metal stuff give up early and save us all a lot of effort.  Hang on I'm the only animate thing in this relationship - aren't I?

NSF

3 hours max to dismantle every thing.

• Why is that?
  
• Why did the OSF wishbone bushes decay and fail but not the NSF ?
  
• Why has the OSF foot well rotted out but not the other? 
  

Strikes me it could have been sat unmoving for years at some point.

So the NSF needs all bushes replacing, loads of paint and reassembly.

Taking of paint I on with Hammerite Metal paint.

Could be what was Smoothrite?

Goes on alright , sticks to bare metal etc etc, dries and recoats brilliant.

But it's a bit brittle when cured.  Old fashioned enamel always seemed a bit soft so it took knocks well.

Perhaps I'm just reminiscing, caught by nostalgia.

The ideal paint should stay slightly toffee like.

I'm going to formulate a new paint based on Werthers Originals.

Won't chip and you can seduce little boys with it.

Come here and sniff me radius arm!