I’m getting my roof replaced! Not the truck’s roof, not the travel trailer’s roof, and no not even for the trailer’s covered storage unit.
I’m getting a new roof on my fourplex where I live. The old composite shingles will be removed and new composite shingles installed. That’s a nice thing, but I do wish they had given me a bit more notice. I woke up this past Saturday morning to find a notice stuck on my screen door that the work would commence first thing Tuesday morning. Yikes!
So here’s the picture … the roofers are coming and there I am with the trailer parked right outside my kitchen window, right smack dab in the way of the roofers and right in line to get filthy dirty and possibly damaged. Bad timing.
I mentioned in the last post that I found an issue with the trailer’s tires. They aren’t all the same! The trailer has 5 tires … four tires on the two axles, and one spare tire mounted on the back bumper. Five tires that should all be exactly the same, and yet in reality my trailer has two completely different specs of tires. Different brands are ok, but the specs of the tires on the axles need to match each other and match the specs of the spare tire. Well, they don’t. There are different load ranges, different psi settings, different ply, etc. It’s illegal to tow the trailer unless both tires on one axle are the same, and unless the trailer has a spare that matches the other tires. Well, this trailer didn’t!
But there I am needing to move the trailer away from the building/house, and where the heck do I put it? I don’t want to park it on the street. It’s just too shiny and new and tempting. The ETI company owner won’t be down from Canada until this next coming Saturday with the two new tires that do match, so while the roofers are here, I have to find a place for the trailer for several days.
I fretted and stewed a bit but ended up towing the trailer to her storage unit. I figured I would risk “John Law” finding out about me. 🙂 He didn’t, and the trailer is now in the storage unit and perfectly happy there.
I took the photo above to show how much overhang there is of the shed roof compared to the length of the Escape trailer (closest trailer to you in the photo). The trailer might get a splash or two of rain when there’s a strong northerly blowing, but otherwise she’s very nicely protected.
And here’s a photo (below) that I copied off the internet that shows how someone else protects their electric tongue jack from rain. Pretty snazzy, eh?
But, back to my roof at home … the old shingles will come off tomorrow (Tuesday), then the roofers take July 4 off, then they install the new shingles on Thursday. On Friday, I’ll go get the trailer and bring her back to my home for the weekend so I can continue my work on the trailer and so the ETI fellow can install the new tires on Saturday.
Speaking of “my work on the trailer”, I’m currently planning the installation of a remote solar suitcase unit (a Renogy 100W) that will wire in directly with the ETI-installed 160W roof solar unit. I’ll be able to move the suitcase unit around outside on the ground in order to capture energy from the sun without needing to move the trailer out from under the shade of trees. Having owned boats for many years, I already know I don’t use much amperage, but this 100W solar suitcase will be a perfect complement to the 160W unit that’s permanently installed on the trailer’s roof, and will ensure that my batteries stay topped up.
What with the roof work on my home, and the solar panel upgrade, things are looking up! 🙂
I think you made a wise decision to put the Escape in a safe place. Reroofing is dirty business.
I don’t know much about roofing work, but you sure do Ginger. They did take the shingles off today and it certainly was dirty business, just like you said.
Before you bring your truck or trailer back to their spots, carefully check for roofing nails left on the ground. Roofers are notorious for dropping nails and should use a large magnet to pick them up. Bummer about the tires. You would think their quality control would not permit that to happen. I hope they are coming to you to replace them.
Thank you Gene! I never would have thought of the nails. At the end of today’s roof work, they did run a long wheeled magnet thing all around the building, and I assume they will do that again after they install the new roofing on Thursday, but still I will sweep and hose off the area VERY well before I bring the trailer back, thank you!
I was surprised about the mis-matched tires too, but I know that things do fall between the cracks in life every now and then. Yes, it’s one of the owners of ETI who is driving down from Canada and will install the two new tires on the trailer while it’s parked right outside my kitchen window! Excellent service.
Nice storage unit for the Towhee. At least you had some notice and they just didn’t show up shoveling roofing all over that beautiful trailer I would just die. Have a nice 4th.!
I love that storage unit, Jo. There is a locked, coded gate and 24×7 security guard and 24×7 cameras … and it’s the least expensive roofed storage unit around. How can you beat that?
I suspect THEY are happy they didn’t show up and start shoveling roof material onto my trailer. Every one of those roof guys would have been in the hospital!
Happy 4th to you too. 🙂 And to everyone.
>I fretted and stewed a bit but ended up towing the trailer to her storage unit. I figured I would risk “John Law” finding out about me.
I must be missing something here… why would putting your trailer in its storage unit get you in trouble?
Hi Jennifer. Nothing wrong with putting the trailer in storage. The problem was that it’s illegal to tow the trailer unless it has matching tires from side to side on any given axle, which it didn’t … it had mis-matched tires on the axles and a spare that didn’t match as well. Towing the trailer anywhere could have resulted in my getting a hefty ticket or having the trailer impounded.