One Item for BM a Day (2010-2012)

[illy dilly]

What sort of SUV do you have? What size trailer?
So you pack the SUV and trailer full of stuff, then put passengers in the car?

[Bling]

OMG, a quart of oil every 100 miles? That's going to start to run more than gasoline! We're coming from the Midwest, driving a 10-year old Yukon and towing our Gypsy wagon (home-made RV, no hookups), which will store costumes, water, food coolers, shade, & bikes inside. The Yukon is semi-well-behaved. I'm sweating bullets about the transmission, but it does have a cooler, thank goodness. And we got AAA's RV service. Still, all prayers welcome.

[illy dilly]

Best of luck! Feel free to call if anything goes wrong along the way, we probably wont be far behind or far in front.
Our Bertha is a 1990 Suburban.
What part of the Mid-west?

[Bling]

WI. We would have gotten a Suburban if we thought it would fit in the garage!

[EmilyD]

This is becoming one of my favorite threads also!

Ok, so my first thought "Wow Costco has coupons for vodka"
Second thought "Hey, Costco sells vodka?"

Sometimes living in Oregon can suck.

There's a Costco in Reno!!! ;-)

2200 Harvard Way, Reno, NV 89502

[EmilyD]

I forgot to mention today's item...OUR FOLDING BIKES!!! They're great! Full size cruisers that fold up so we can store them in our popup trailer or inside the minivan. It was the best solution for our complicated situation. Thank you Camping World. Now I just hope the suckers stay welded together on the Playa.

http://www.campingworld.com/shopping/it ... bike/37700[/img]

If they break bring them to me on playa. I'll fix them and paint over the welding with whatever can of spray paint I have lying around.

I'll be within a 3 block radius of 8:45 and E most likely. Possibly even registered in the database at playa info.

THANKS SO MUCH motskyroonmatick! That gives me great comfort to know!!!

[AntiM]

What sort of SUV do you have? What size trailer?
So you pack the SUV and trailer full of stuff, then put passengers in the car?

Chevy Trailblazer. Seats five, and we've done it that way. Cozy! Has a topper which holds the bedding and bulky costume items such as jackets. The trailer is an open utility trailer, about ten feet, it has slat sides and we pile it high, then tie and tarp the snot out of it, and hang the trikes and garden cart off the front and back. Both the SUV and trailer purchased with Burning Man in mind! Our commuter is something else entirely. The second vehicle will be a Toyota Scion XB. The vehicles hold all the light stuff,hats, hydration packs, camera bags, personal items, and the clean "go home" packs for the trip home. Sometimes it holds skeletons in the seats. We rarely take two vehicles, but it will give us more elbow room for our personal gear. Two in the Trailblazer, three in the Scion if the plan and gas prices hold.

[motskyroonmatick]

THANKS SO MUCH motskyroonmatick! That gives me great comfort to know!!!

[jella]

week 6 into the moho remo hehe...replaced all the circa 1986 boom chicca bow wow drawer pulls and finished putting up the upholstered valances and day night blinds from an awesome trailer salvage on CL , god I love a good deal !

[gypsy68]

EmilyD - If I were going through Reno, it would be one of my stops. I am coming from the NW, so I go through Cederville. I just need to start hitting the liquor stores over the next few months.

[illy dilly]

Yeah the burban is huge, doesn't fit in any residential garage I know (too tall n' too long).

I need a trailer, considered using one of them 200 dollar harbor freight jobs, that comes just a frame. Captain Goddammit made a good point that they aren't rated for 20 hours of 70mph.


So now I'm trying to find a luggage holder to go on the roof and one of those cargo carriers that fits into the hitch on the back, to add a little bit of storage.

And I just found this one down the street from my house!

[Bling]

We have a hitch carrier. Rubbermaid makes HUGE red plastic bins, and 2 of them across just fit. Milk crates might work, too. We use LOTS of tie-downs and a tarp over the whole thing to keep everything in place. Works great.

BUT...the car exhaust will MELT the plastic and heat up the bin contents. So, you need to keep that in mind and figure out a way to deflect all that heat. We've made a nice thick pad of several layers of aluminum foil to put over the hitch carrier and under the bin, and that helps. Just important to know. I wouldn't recommend wooden bins for that reason--you just might set 'em on fire.

As far as the cheap trailer, would replacing the tires with highway-friendly models do the trick? Of course, you can't use both a trailer and a hitch carrier. One or the other.

[illy dilly]

No I agree both wouldn't work, but a trailer can take a whole lot more than a hitch carrier.
I'm not sure about replacing just the tires, there is also the rating of the bearings and the axle. I also don't know a whole lot about all that so don't quote me.
Last year we had some decorated bikes between our buddies trailer and the back of the burban, all fuzzy fabric by the tail pipe got melted right off, and the rest had black tarrish stuff on it!

[Bling]

The axel and bearings are about how much weight a trailer can hold, not whether it's highway-ready. As far as I know, the only highway factor is the rating of the tires, but maybe someone else will jump in on this.

Also, it's important to think about how you'd keep stuff ON an open trailer, and what would happen if it rains all the way there. Open trailers are a pain in the ass, IMHO. The tie-down time can run into a couple of hours, and even then you might end up having to stop because something is flapping, something is falling off, the tarp (they're mostly cheap crap, even if they'e expensive) is shredding in the 70 mph breeze, etc. Our lives got SOOOO much easier when we sprung for a closed trailer... You might be able to borrow or rent one.

[LostinReno]

I really love this thread too, and lately I've been thinking about BM almost hourly! I found a cool pair of black/hot pink high tops at Ross for $5 and a matching hot pink and black sequined tank top (sequins are sewn so it won't be moopy, yay!)

This is becoming one of my favorite threads also!

Ok, so my first thought "Wow Costco has coupons for vodka"
Second thought "Hey, Costco sells vodka?"

Sometimes living in Oregon can suck.

There's a Costco in Reno!!!

2200 Harvard Way, Reno, NV 89502

Hey! We've hit the big time, there is one in Sparks now too!
Getting in and out of the Sparks one would be much easier if towing anything...just sayin'

4810 Galleria Parkway
Sparks, NV 89436-9605
(775) 356-4409

[Elliot]

About trailers.... Here in Lake County (surrounding a big lake, yes), we are awash in derelict boat trailers. I've picked up a couple of them for free, and a local boat dealer has 15 or 20 for sale from $100 to $300. Replace the tires, overhaul the bearings, and build your own floor -- maybe install a cargo box from an old U-Haul truck or something.

Oh, and you will probably need to dispose of the boat!.

I find that a 2-foot-high railing around the trailer makes a huge difference in securing the load.

70 MPH with a trailer? Sounds scary. Pulling a trailer is always dangerous. Going 70 is a lot more dangerous -- and more expensive too.

Thick stiff tarps like truckers use will flap a lot less in the wind, and last a lot longer.
Please do not use the cheap blue tarps. They tear to shreds just going around the block, and in the process they generate very ugly moop.

And finally; much better to use a trailer than to stack Stuff on the roof.

I.M.H.O.

[stray0176]

I've been reading this thread for a while so I figured I'd start posting..

Today its work on some jewelery, finish sewing a skirt, email a bunch of people, and calling my mom to see if her car has a hitch.

Oh and listening to everyone post about costco is funny because I work at Costco and I get to see a bunch of burners coming in a week or so before the burn and thats pretty cool..

[Bling]

Since it's too rainy & horrible to take a walk here tonight, I'll probably bling another skirt and sew on the El-Wire that came in the mail today. It's the wrong color for my jacket, but the right color for my sweetie's, so I guess he gets it.

[motskyroonmatick]

The axel and bearings are about how much weight a trailer can hold, not whether it's highway-ready. As far as I know, the only highway factor is the rating of the tires, but maybe someone else will jump in on this.

Using taller tires is better for the bearings because they will not rotate as fast. Slower rotation = less heat build up in the bearings and tires which leads to bearing and tire failure. Be sure to run any trailer tire at the maximum inflation pressure to prevent heat build up and tire failure.

The investment in a bigger/more sturdy trailer with tall tires may be more cost effective than having a break down and needing repair or remote location tire service. Inspect newly manufactured trailers frequently for loose bolts and failing welds. Spot welds on pre-made fenders frequently come apart and for me that took out a tire. Always carry at least one spare for each bolt pattern that is present on the vehicle/trailer.

[AntiM]

I agree, our open trailer does take some time to secure. We use custom tarps made from billboard vinyl and even those shred. MyLarry can pick up old flatbed tarps, so we may go that route. A closed trailer would be nice, but the open trailer has become an integral part of my Home for Wayward Art.







The Home is strapped to the trailer, and I store the art bins in the trailer itself. I can hang art from the top if I need to, something which would be problematic with a closed trailer.

Oh, and we never go 70 mph with the trailer. Larry keeps it between 55 and 65. He's the professional driver, so I trust his judgement.

[Bling]

YMMV. That tarp does look quite a bit sturdier than those awful blue ones!

Best advice I ever read about trailers: it's not so much about what your vehicle can tow--what's important is how much weight you can STOP if you need to.

[theCryptofishist]

After ten years, we could go with short notice.

Ah, we could change burningman into the gumball rally.

[theCryptofishist]

You fit everything in two totes?! We're having a hard time confining it to our "staging" room in the basement!

Wwow. I hope your basement hooks up like a trailer.

[Bling]

The cubic footage isn't all that bad--maybe 12 or so at this point--it's the coralling that's tricky, especially when we go to regional burner events and things migrate out of the basement. My big fear is we get there and forget the costumes because they didn't make it back down into the staging room. Or, we have no lighty objects. Yikes!!

Of course, my obsessive lists should help.

[gypsy68]

I just bought an old schwinn bike. $40, off of craigslist! Now to figure out how I want to light the thing!

[illy dilly]

Hum, we went as fast as we could, At least on the flat parts through Wyoming, West Utah, and Nevada. I'm no Speed Racer but, figuring I can only go 40-45 mph hour up hill and down hill I have to make up time in the flat land.
Old boat trailer? Not a bad idea.
I'd much rather not strap anything to the roof. Bertha is too damn tall already.

The hammock we looked at yesterday ended up having a huge frame, way bigger than I planned on. Gonna have to start hitting the CL again

[lucky420]

Bling, how many feet of el wire do you use to decorate a jacket. I have never used it before and am not overly crafty. I am not sure how far it goes or how much of it to order

[illy dilly]

Bling, how many feet of el wire do you use to decorate a jacket. I have never used it before and am not overly crafty. I am not sure how far it goes or how much of it to order

This is a very good question!

[theCryptofishist]

There is such a thing as a measuring tape, which is not the same as a tape measure. You can measure arms, back, etc., and figure out how long to make it. You can use that devise, or just a piece of string which can be cut or knotted when you come to the end of that part of the design.

If this is confusing, let me know and I'll come up with something more conveluted.

[Bling]

A cloth measuring tape would be a great start. I bought 6-foot lengths with batteries attached from bewild.com, for $13 each, and then just made up designs. The stretchy clear cord that you can use to make beaded bracelets out of Swarovski crystals works great, or you could probably use fishing line if you had it. You don't want to cover up the El-wire or make it bend too sharply.