Quite the day for a Friday. I showed up to work a half hour early and cut my lunch hour to a half hour, bailed at a quarter to 3:00 as I helped Scott last night, fair. Kurk went home early with a mild cold, but he’ll meet me at home, I give him directions. Raven’s rig is there as I pull in to the yard, Kurk is jacking up the far tire to spin and wiggle it, tight enough. His truck is in the neighbor’s yard, that’s OK. A big Chevy diesel, he backs it in as I point at the hitch. Checks it and corrected close. He pushes it to place as I lower the jack, we’re on, clamped with the extra clip in place. The electric is secured with Kurk’s adapter. The chain is too short, damn. I go digging for a bolt as they perform a light check. I find the can with difficulty, we get it secured. Meanwhile Raven is anxious to get to DMV in time by 4:00, “OK , go.”
I ride with Kurk with Raven passing ahead. The rig is working, Kurk is worried about the shutters in front at 60 mph, but they’re OK. The hook I made is holding them shut, we’re good. On the bumps in the road, it’s alright. The vardo can handle the highway, wow, too cool, but as designed. We make the trip with no problems, arriving at the DMV at 4:03 as Raven walks out of the office. We’re on time and in the inspection line. The lady comes out with clip board in hand, checks us out, no problem. Goes in and comes back with a VIN number sticker attached to the tongue. We’re done with the inspection, never checked the lights or tires. Raven goes in for paper work as we park to wait, watching a raven pecking on the curb, appropriate. She comes out in a while with the new plate. We attach it with Kurk’s screw driver, wow.
We are hereby road legal. This is a major accomplishment, not petty. Four years in the making, this rig, this vardo handled the road, a highway at 60 mph no problem. Turned some tight corners at a good speed, no problem. Hit bumps in the road at full speed, no problem. She is road worthy, registered and legal. Yea! What’s more, she’s good registered for five years. Raven said the conversations inside about “that trailer” were interestingly good.
Arriving home, Kurk backs it in excellent!. Raven awards him with a bottle of Gypsy Caravan red wine and fuel money.
Kurk and I work on his fender he brought along, bent up. We clamp it to my bench and smack it into shape with my big hammer, using a piece of big wood as an anvil in places to get it straightened out and another clamp as leverage to twist it back into shape. This is good fun, as we get it aligned enough to work quite well with a few nudges once he gets it secured. He heads for home with a couple oranges and a jar of my lemon marmalade to fight his mild cold. I’ll be fine. What a great day, Major accomplishment, we are road legal.
Raven and I watch ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ as I break off to write this. Good movie, great day. Thanks Kurk.
8shotoflove8 