Prep For That Road Trip & Outage

I recently purchased a 1972 Dodge Travco 220, a classic motorhome, with the hefty goal of renovating it and hitting the road. This "treasure" was on its way to the junkyard when I made the bold decision to buy it. I immediately knew this was a HUGE undertaking and awaited the look on my wife's face as I pulled our new "home on wheels" into the driveway. This project is a labor of love as I have taken the time to make sure each and every area is inspected and properly brought up to date. I had to fight the urge to make quick fixes. 

  As cousin Eddie stated, "she's a beaut, Clark." Keep reading for after pics.

Outage Preparation

This motorhome overhaul reminds me of customers preparing for an outage. In order to have a successful and not drawn-out outage, work needs to be done ahead of time. Components need to be inspected and replacement parts ordered so as soon as the outage begins, work can start. I have seen customers get discouraged during an outage when they realize the parts they need aren't on hand and they have to spend time waiting (the current supply chain issue DOES NOT help). Sometimes, this forces the operation to use whatever they can get their hands on which can lead to months of inefficient performance. I work mainly with air cannons but deal with all of our products so I will touch on how all of these solutions fit into an operation's outage. 

Check out all that 1970's brown! 

The goal is to make sure all cannons are firing properly and assess what will need attention during the outage. The same as I am doing with the motorhome...checking everything before I put it on the road. I want to ensure everything is fully operational to prevent more hassle later. 

Watch the video below to see how air cannons work. 

Pre-Outage Checklist:

• Air cannon condition. Is cannon working or not? 
• Air cannon nozzle placement and condition. Material buildup present? 
• Controls and proper sequencing. Are cannons firing enough or too often?
• and blade condition. Is cleaner properly tensioned? Is the blade worn out?
•  and wear parts inspection (belt support, sealing, and alignment). What needs to be ordered and replaced during the outage?
•  condition. Is it working effectively? How are the channel mounts?

If an outage is not properly planned for, an operation risks expensive rushed shipments of needed product, an added/unwanted outage, less-than-ideal production rates, and safety hazards. If you don't have the time or manpower to properly assess the situation, we offer a to help operations realize and summarize what needs to be done. We often hear from customers that a new set of eyes helps to see things that they tend to look past because it is a common scene. 

More Than Cosmetic Changes

It would have been a lot easier to cover this mess up and move on. I was very tempted to panel over this and call it a day, but I just couldn't do it! We all know that is not the RIGHT way to do it. It would only lead to problems arising sooner than later, possibly occurring when on the road - potentially causing time delays, missed destinations, and worst of all, a serious accident/safety risk. It is better to fix things the right way and prevent having to tear out the newly refurbished area - think of all that time and money spent. And, my goal was to get safely down the road.

In case you are wondering about the details of this project, I am happy to share:

• Purchase price: $2,200
• Labor hours: HUNDREDS
• Infested wasps: HUNDREDS (you should have seen my wife covered head to toe battling the infestation)
• Truckloads of gutted material: Four
• Materials purchased: tires, stereo, indoor and outdoor lights, bathroom essentials, kitchen fundamentals, brakes, interior structure, cabinetry, flooring, walls, ceiling, new air conditioner, water pump/heater, back-up camera, furniture, sandpaper, marine self-leveling paint for the exterior, etc.
• Cost of new materials: $15,000 
• Miles per gallon: Four to six. I wanted to improve this (especially given the current gas prices). With the installation of a new fuel injection kit, it now gets 13-15 miles per gallon with the added benefit of no vapor lock and hard starting.
• Still yet to finish: the bathroom
• Current listing price: $40,000. These models are unique and limited. No, it isn't for sale!
• Future travels and memories: countless & priceless

Once I am done with the renovation, I plan to landscape an area where the motorhome can sit until ready to be driven. When not on the road, it will become a unique lawn ornament and a guest house. We are in the process of moving to Florida, and I have a hunch we will have a lot of our Midwest fam & friends visiting us!