Allrad-LKW-Gemeinschaft

Knowing that it would be highly unlikely that adding more welding would solve the issue, I made a try to see if it worked. Obviously, it did not… but I had to try.



In another dimension, after some considerations I decided to install a vinyl roll-up enclosure to protect the kennel from the elements and keep the actual structure as it was. The same guys that put the enclosure on the terrace of the house delivered in record time. We really liked the result… and hoped the dogs would agree.



There was an incident that caused no injuries but that could be potentially very harmful when Eduardo moved the Ford Cargo a little to help with the removal of the sediments in the trench before the irrigation pond, and Alejandro unintentionally overloaded the crane. The result: catastrophic failure of the crane. Kaputt.



As I said, fortunately nobody was injured, but the crane was useless.

Due to some difficulties at work, I could not engage at that time in any big task, so I considered doing some little things as I felt the need to go on with the project, waiting for the spares to show up somehow.

I got the leftovers of the battery tray of Spare that were still around and figured out how to make a proper cover for the batteries and keep them safe from thieves.



I knew it was some minor thing, but it would keep me busy and in touch with the project.



One day, I got the number of some guy that built campers and prepared vehicles for offroad and camping not very far from home. Maybe he could help me with the assembling of the base panel of the Box.

So, I got on Helga and rode circa 60 km in his direction for a meeting.

At some point I pulled over to get some cold drink, but she refused to start again. Then I sadly realized that I had lost the key. I had used it to open the top case and forgot to withdraw it and at some point, it fell off the lock. It happens.

So, I had to wait a couple of hours in the most boring place on earth for Gabriel to come to the rescue with the Navara. To make things worse, as I had used the cell phone a lot, I had not much battery charge left on it, so I had to spare it for emergency communications only, with no internet amusement available. Bad.



I took it as a lesson: do not rely on others to make the Box, Pairoa.

The keys were found by a known cowboy a few blocks aways from home, BTW, and he returned them the day after with a smile. Lucky me.

The very next day I went to get some materials to install the porcelanite tiles on the floor of the kennel, and I got so close to the metallic mesh that lies there since the beginning of times that I punctured the side of the front wheel. A flat. Plop.



Did not take too much to fix the flat, but it worked not too well for the mood.

And days passed, and the spring came with its warmer and windy days, and the blooming of the peach trees, both the fruit and the flower ones, took over. It was great to see, but the Merkabah remained silent, waiting in her simingly eternal quietness.




I had a lot to work on the garden and the trees and to keep at bay the wild grass on the plot.

And our independence day came, once more. We celebrated at Eduardo’s with the closest familiy. It was a great day and we had a very good time.

Unfortunately, at noon, Carmen fell from the stairs and broke both ankles in a very strange and odd accident. Fortunately, though, there was no need for surgery and a full recovery could be expected, but this changed everything we had planned as she could not stand or walk, and my holidays were ad portas.



For a few of days I was only dedicated to her and, when the pain subsided and the mayor issues were resolved and my holidays came, I went back to work on the battery cover, for a change.

As always, I used what I had at hand, and some unfortunate leftovers of the building of Eduardo’s house became the main frame for the cover.





Cutting, grinding, cleaning, stitch welding, and there was a new piece for the Merkabah… almost.



The most important problem I faced, though, was my absolute reluctance to paint. Christ, I really did not want to paint anything. I would probably assign the job to Gabriel.

We also had a windstorm, a good one, that almost blew up, again, the covers of the Merkabah, followed by a mild rain the put to the test the new roof of the kennel that, BTW, was ready with new flooring.




Ramón immediately began the flooring of the now-storeroom for the food and all the stuff related to the dogs.



As you may see, the place underneath the container was full of dog stuff, and I needed the kennel to be ready to move the dogs in it and make a little order, poor some cement on there and finish the parking.



After at least three weeks I went up the cabin of the Merkabah to start the engine to inflate the front wheel again, and to my surprise there was still 1,5 bar of pressure in the main circuit. Good.

The frame of the Merkabah then was the perfect place for drying up the dog houses that took me two afternoons to thoroughly wash before putting them orderly in the shiny new floored and roofed kennel.



They looked pretty good but only Pity the pittbull effectively slept the first night in there, and still is the the only dog that consistently sleeps inside the kennel. Well… wait until the cold season shows up.



Meanwhile, there were no good news so far about the spare for the cross piece of the front axle. It seemed that it was going to be a little more difficult to get it this time.

After a few days Ramón finished the porcelanite floor of the storeroom and he began with the rack for the food bags. He assembled a pretty strong and heavy behemoth to cope with the task, as I always keep at least six months of food for the dogs in storage.



And then, as if part of a bad joke, when I was gardening I clumsily stumbled and got an ugly sprain on my right ankle. It hurt, really hurt.



I was starting to think that something was going on here.

While living with overstretched ligaments in both ankles for 40 years now you have my deepest compassion.
I Hope you two will get Back in your feet soon.
Kind regards
Härry

Hi Pairoa, I hope You and Your wife get well soon.
It's cool and amazing at the same time that you also support Ignacio with his project.
Regards
Bernd

Thanks, Bernd and Härry.

Carmen is doing pretty well, but it seems that my injury is a little more complex than initially thought. The MRI is going to tell.

Anyway, I just purchased the XLS foam blocks from Cristobal to build the base panel, and the cross pieces may be on their way as soon as this week. Thanks, Klaus!

Ignacio is a terrific engineer. I contribute to his project mostly with: better not do that; already done, already sorry.

Cheers to you all.