MsChrissi Posted May 4, 2015 Report Share Posted May 4, 2015 Red Flyer rides again! Another RT to Lakeland Florida and back. Skin added almost 2 MPG and we averaged 10.3 MPG. With todays cheaper griesel fuel that was about 50% the cost of same trip last year. Slides installed and working really well. Windows installed, insulation and interior sub-plywood 90% done. MH body exterior lower diamond plate sheathing done. Pictures here: http://www.cozygirrrl.com/redflyer/redflyer.htm Will keep on doing the exterior before much gets done in the interior. Still to do is the two foot roof extension for the EZ-up to go up there. Finish wiring and programming the elevator. The guys up at Bigfoot did a great job building us a hydraulic system for the slides. Glad we listened to them about adding a rack & pinion to sync the cylinders up. It is a fun project. We are really looking forward to doing the interior. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HERO Maker Posted May 4, 2015 Report Share Posted May 4, 2015 By the look of the pics, the rear suspension is probably bled down. Do you have zero problems with clearance on the tail? By the way, that is looking great! Good job. Rocky & Sheri Rhoades '01 Volvo 770 2016 DRV Mobile Suites, HoustonHERO Makers Ministry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack Mayer Posted May 4, 2015 Report Share Posted May 4, 2015 Looking great Chrissi..... that is going to be one slick Volvo.... Jack & Danielle Mayer #60376 Lifetime Member Living on the road since 2000PLEASE no PM's. Email me. jackdanmayer AT gmail 2016 DRV Houston 44' 5er (we still have it) 2022 New Horizons 43' 5er 2016 Itasca 27N 28' motorhome 2019 Volvo 860, D13 455/1850, 236" wb, I-Shift, battery-based APU No truck at the moment - we use one of our demo units 2016 smart Passion, piggyback on the truck -------------------------------------------------------------------------See our website for info on New Horizons 5th wheels, HDTs as tow vehicles, communications on the road, and use of solar powerwww.jackdanmayer.com Principal in RVH Lifestyles. RVH-Lifestyles.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MsChrissi Posted May 4, 2015 Author Report Share Posted May 4, 2015 Thanks Hero, Jack, Yes, we had not started it up just yet so it had not aired up. We do not have any ground clearance problems, it has a taper going up the back to deal with driveways etc. I think we've finally reached the point where we do not cringe and say "think small" as we go by weigh stations. The only thing we are hauling is our laundry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jkennell Posted May 4, 2015 Report Share Posted May 4, 2015 NIIICCCEE! I love the rear tail design...opposing slanted lights, etc. It just looks really "right". Really beautiful work on the rest of it as well. What I REALLY want to see is Red Flyer parked right beside that Diamond T HDT.... Those two rigs together would be jaw dropping! No camper at present. Way too many farm machines to maintain. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MsChrissi Posted May 4, 2015 Author Report Share Posted May 4, 2015 May be a little while Jeff, when it is all ready we will do the Hutchinson run. Does anybody have a good design for a motorcycle carrier that plugs into a tag hitch socket? Our hitch rides on air so we can drop it down a bit for loading. We were thinking if we did a run to the west we would not dolly the minivan but take a bike just as a dinghy to get around in an emergency. Please, no interest in the fussy thing that can lift an entire Harley. Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hdonlybob Posted May 4, 2015 Report Share Posted May 4, 2015 You continue to amaze me with your insight/foresight or whatever you want to call it. Absolutely awesome job and beautiful set up !! Gettin' close now.....you gotta be real exited Cheers, Bob 1989 Safari Serengeti 34'Towing a 1952 M38A1 Military Willys Past HDT owner Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big5er Posted May 4, 2015 Report Share Posted May 4, 2015 Damn!! That is SWEET. MY PEOPLE SKILLS ARE JUST FINE.~It's my tolerance to idiots that needs work.~ 2005 Volvo 780 VED12 465hp / Freedomline transmission singled mid position / Bed by Larry Herrin2018 customed Mobile Suites 40KSSB3 2014 smart Fortwo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RickS Posted May 4, 2015 Report Share Posted May 4, 2015 Great looking setup you have there! WOW! I don't know what size of bike you have but I have used this one to haul my BMW R1200GS around with me. It has a capacity of 600lbs. Rick & Carey,Excel W41GKE Wild Cargo Toyhauler Volvo 730, D13, I-shift, 500/1850Brabus Smart Car Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MsChrissi Posted May 4, 2015 Author Report Share Posted May 4, 2015 @Rick, any pics of loading or with bike strapped down. Looks like what we need to build. Right now we have a 600 dual sport which is a gutless wonder, got rid of the 1200 sportster sport, Randi just does not get the attraction to Harleys. My guess is the next thing will be some sort of 600-900-1200 widowmaker type café racer which she wanted in the first place.... ugh adrenaline junkies. I'm happy with anything I do not have to push, though the Harley was like driving a weber BBQ between your legs. @Big5er... thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RickS Posted May 5, 2015 Report Share Posted May 5, 2015 I didn't take any pictures of it loaded up. You can see the loading ramp in the picture which attaches to the end of the aluminum deck. I usually just feather the throttle and clutch and walk beside it until it is in the chock. Then just tie it down to the four i-bolts that you can see. I was using it when we left the toyhauler or taking the truck for service or short trips. Now that I have the hydraulic loader deck on the Volvo I may not use it that much unless we were taking a bike and Smart Car on the truck somewhere. Rick & Carey,Excel W41GKE Wild Cargo Toyhauler Volvo 730, D13, I-shift, 500/1850Brabus Smart Car Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
noteven Posted May 5, 2015 Report Share Posted May 5, 2015 We have a carrier like RickS' s z... clutch the bike up like Rick described. We added a plate to rest the side stand of the bike on while tie downs are getting sorted. Then the bike is tied upright in normal haulage position. "Are we there yet?" asked no motorcycle rider, ever. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MsChrissi Posted May 5, 2015 Author Report Share Posted May 5, 2015 I was thinking in terms of a shoe to capture the front tire and hold the bike upright as well as clamp onto the tire (big wingnuts) while strapping it down and also to help keep it upright. What is the wall thickness of the tube you put into the hitch socket? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phoenix2013 Posted May 5, 2015 Report Share Posted May 5, 2015 Depends on receiver, Class IV 2" receiver, Class V and up 2 1/2" receiver, 1 1/4'" tubes go up to 3/16" wall, 2 " tubes go up to 1/4", I wouldn't skimp on thickness.. Nice set of "retractable" stairs. Have not been to EAA Rallies in decades, but Lakeland is only two hours from my new domicile. Maybe we will connect next year, if you girls "remind me", the Old Goat's memory is not what it used to be. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MsChrissi Posted May 5, 2015 Author Report Share Posted May 5, 2015 Depends on receiver, Class IV 2" receiver, Class V and up 2 1/2" receiver, 1 1/4'" tubes go up to 3/16" wall, 2 " tubes go up to 1/4", I wouldn't skimp on thickness.. Nice set of "retractable" stairs. Have not been to EAA Rallies in decades, but Lakeland is only two hours from my new domicile. Maybe we will connect next year, if you girls "remind me", the Old Goat's memory is not what it used to be. Thanks, will go with the heaviest wall available then (hate to arrive at destination with carrier flopped over and one side of bike worn half way through) Yes, come on out to the Sun N Fun air show. Not as big and crazy as Osh but up in the workshops area we have some real grass roots aviation going on. These guys taught me how to TIG weld way back when. Randi & I volunteer as the Engines Workshop Chairmen and teach composites and engines. This year we dragged along a huge 3D printer and had an overwhelming response to it so will probably drag it along next year. Anyhow, fun stuff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phoenix2013 Posted May 5, 2015 Report Share Posted May 5, 2015 You guys did a bang up job on these. The removable railing works quite well, particularly when trying to maneuver bag of groceries or something ungainly up those stairs. The stairs used to go all the way down to the ground, when the fifth was lower to the ground, that was way too low to go over the Volvo rails and 22 inch tires, so the only solution was to flip the axles on the fifth to raise it higher, hence the need for an "extra step" hanging from the bottom. Incidentally , the last time I was in Oskosh was probably 30 years ago with the 108 Incidentally, this was the "starting point". For those who wonder where I got "inspiration" to build fifth wheel hitches, how's that for "custom fifth wheel hitch" to pull an airplane. You might get a laugh out of this, I was the President of Chapter 136 for number of years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RickS Posted May 5, 2015 Report Share Posted May 5, 2015 The above carrier has a wheel chock that once the front tire is in is stable enough to place the tie downs. It is a SMC-600 from this manufacture. I don't know if you can build one for this price. Amazon price Rick & Carey,Excel W41GKE Wild Cargo Toyhauler Volvo 730, D13, I-shift, 500/1850Brabus Smart Car Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MsChrissi Posted May 5, 2015 Author Report Share Posted May 5, 2015 The above carrier has a wheel chock that once the front tire is in is stable enough to place the tie downs. It is a SMC-600 from this manufacture. I don't know if you can build one for this price. Amazon price Agreed Rick, unless we have the scrap laying around we could not make that so cheap Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MsChrissi Posted May 5, 2015 Author Report Share Posted May 5, 2015 Henry, you would not recognize Osh, so big they have bought all the adjacent property and farms for the 40,000 campers... yes, 40K. 12-16,000 airplanes on site. Cannot see all of it in a week. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tyates007 Posted May 5, 2015 Report Share Posted May 5, 2015 That is a really cool build. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
noteven Posted May 6, 2015 Report Share Posted May 6, 2015 Our carrier looks like the one in the image with the red pickup above. It has a receiver for a trailer hitch built in. We made our side stand platform out of a light trailer hitch with a piece of flat bar welded to it that we slide into the carrier's receiver. Run the bike's front tire to the stop, shut it down in gear, side stand down on the side stand platform. Attach a strap with a bit of slack to the low side you are standing on after loading. Go to the "high side" closest to the hauling vehicle and stand the bike upright while attaching the opposite strap to the one you put on the low side - front or rear. I prefer to work at the front first. Once you have two straps on retract the side stand and finish tying the bike down. I never ever rely on a front wheel chock to hold a bike upright by itself. The types that can do this have a flip up back part that overcams when the front wheel enters the chock and they can cause unnecessary wrassling to get the bike out of the chock when you unload. I can't be bothered with mechanical apparatus contraptions to attach and tie down a bike. I use ratchet straps made for motorcycles, with soft straps through the triple tree. I always use straps with logistic snap hooks on the low end to the carrier or vehicle loops and tape the hook on the soft strap on the other end so they cannot come undone no matter what the continent's road systems throw at you. Hope this helps. "Are we there yet?" asked no motorcycle rider, ever. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MsChrissi Posted May 6, 2015 Author Report Share Posted May 6, 2015 Noteven, I like your preventive measures, sound like an experienced offshore sailor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
noteven Posted May 6, 2015 Report Share Posted May 6, 2015 Bikes don't like being hauled. Spos'd to be ridden. Hauling causes them to fall over any chance they get ... possibly even being able to defy laws of physics... "Are we there yet?" asked no motorcycle rider, ever. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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