Seems I have a mess to clean up..

Now that the Chest of Drawers is finished up...this might take awhile....

19 hours ago, 4DThinker said:

I take that back.   The dash cam I ordered magically appeared on my porch this morning. Never figured I need one, but a few months back I was a witness to a car crash.  The car in front of me was t-boned by a car darting across busy traffic hoping that the path was clear on the opposite lane.   It wasn't.  I stopped/pulled over to make sure everyone was OK and wait for 911 to arrive. Both parties agreed on who was at fault though, and no one appeared to be seriously hurt.  Dash cam video wouldn't be needed then if I'd had it. 

4D 

 

Dash cam is a good thing   I put one in the Kia just before our trip to Ohio for Thanksgiving. 

 

Yesterday on a trip to town I stopped at a red light right behind a newish Colorado, black.  Right beside it in the other lane was a white Colorado.  Those are big trucks now!

4 minutes ago, Cal said:

Yesterday on a trip to town I stopped at a red light right behind a newish Colorado, black.  Right beside it in the other lane was a white Colorado.  Those are big trucks now!

Yep.  At least dimensions (length/width/height) are available online. Otherwise I would have ended up with a truck too big to fit in my garage.  "Mid size" is how big full sized trucks used to be.  I'm looking for a step I can bolt onto the driver's size to make it just a little easier to get in and out.   

4D 

12 minutes ago, 4DThinker said:

I'm looking for a step I can bolt onto the driver's size to make it just a little easier to get in and out.   

 

I got a set of these for my Nissan.  They work well, was easy to install and still look good after three years.

https://realtruck.com/p/ionic-5-black-curved-nerf-bars/

 

 

14 minutes ago, Cal said:

 

I got a set of these for my Nissan.  They work well, was easy to install and still look good after three years.

https://realtruck.com/p/ionic-5-black-curved-nerf-bars/

 

 

Thanks for that link.   I just ordered a set from them. 

3 hours ago, Cal said:

Dash cam is a good thing   I put one in the Kia just before our trip to Ohio for Thanksgiving. 

Good to have you back Cal. Hope you had a good trip and Thanksgiving wasn't too sad for those "buckeyes."

7 hours ago, Cal said:

 

I got a set of these for my Nissan.  They work well, was easy to install and still look good after three years.

https://realtruck.com/p/ionic-5-black-curved-nerf-bars/

 

 

I have that in chrome. I really like chrome. Also added chrome wheel well guards

Had the hitch bracket installed today.  Glad I let the Chevy dealer service center take care of it.  Took them 3 hours.   Paid them, walked out to take the truck home, and found the backup camera wasn't working, and the screen said "service backup camera".  Apparently they forgot to plug it back in when they re-assembled the bumper.  So back to the dealer tomorrow morning.

Cargo straps should have arrived today, but tracking shows they've taken a detour from Kansas to Illinois and back for some reason.  Good old USPO up to no good it seems. 

4D

On 11/30/2023 at 6:27 AM, Cal said:

 

I got a set of these for my Nissan.  They work well, was easy to install and still look good after three years.

Tracking mine it appears they got stopped for an unreadable bar code before they left Utah.  Took them another day to get it replaced. Is it just me, or is the whole shipping/mailing industry tripping up more than usual lately?  In the good old days tracking was something you needed dogs or a boy scout to do. We never new the path an order took, but simply were patient and delighted when it did eventually show up. I'm glad I still have a patience gene. A bit easier to exercise when retired. 

4D

Got the backup camera fixed this morning.  Took the tech who installed the hitch ≈3 minutes to slide under the bumper and find the disconnected cable to plug together.   Service center crew were polite, helpful, and apologetic.

 

I find myself distracted by the bland steel wheels the truck came with.  Mind you this only occurs as I walk into the garage to get into the truck.  Once in it I have no idea what it looks like to other people.  In the good old days there were hub caps to hide the less attractive steel wheel beneath.  If I could find a cheap but good looking hub cap that would  snap onto my wheels I'd consider that.  A google search of possibilities distracts me with matte black rhino wheels at $278 each though. Might have to dig into my retirement savings for that option.  I only notice the front driver side wheel when the truck is parked in my garage so maybe just one... 

4D

46 minutes ago, 4DThinker said:

 I only notice the front driver side wheel when the truck is parked in my garage so maybe just one... 

Build a short curb wall to hide it. Cheaper than the wheel

20 minutes ago, Grandpadave52 said:

Build a short curb wall to hide it. Cheaper than the wheel

Wouldn't be a short wall as the tires are 30" with the 17" wheel centered, and my view from the door into the garage is 2 steps up, plus my 6'1" height looking downward.   Any wall that blocked the tire would also block my path to the truck.  I could hang a curtain of sorts...   Or just black out the windows and shut off the breaker to the garage lights to keep it in the dark.   I'm a woodworker though and have a CNC, so maybe I can make a wood facsimile of an aluminum wheel to stick to the steel wheel.  Dress it up a bit with some nice cherry.     Or maybe just some flat black paint....

4D  

6 hours ago, 4DThinker said:

 

 wheel beneath.  If I could find a cheap but good looking hub cap that would  snap onto my wheels I'd consider that.  A google search of possibilities distracts me with matte black rhino wheels at $278 each though. Might have to dig into my retirement savings for that option.  I only notice the front driver side wheel when the truck is parked in my garage so maybe just one... 

4D

Look at junk yards and it seems when I lived in Lees Summit there was a hub cap place (used ) in KC,K

Had a idea flash this morning.  As there are vinyl wraps for cars and truck, surely there must be vinyl wrap for ugly steel wheels out there.  An image that from a distance might fool the eye into believing the wheels are fancy CNC carved magnesium or some such.    

 

Or chrome dome hubcaps that reflect whatever is outside of them.  Maybe something designed for efficiency through the air.   Hubs that would improve my mileage by a few percent. Like the caps Tesla puts on model 3 wheels.

 

Like the CyberTruck, maybe a wedge topper that would slope down from the cab to the tailgate. Made from clear vinyl so you could see through it.  For streamlining.  Would fold up to get out of the way or remove easily when the bed was needed for hauling big things.  

4D

Edited December 2, 20232 yr by 4DThinker

Actually found a Fast Back wedge topper being made by a Michigan company.   Doesn't look like they make them for any truck but the F150 though. 

https://www.mivehiclesolutions.com/products/aero-x-f-150

Now my mind envisions a topper that is normally a boxy rectangle, but tucks down/hinges into the bed to make a wedge shape for when you're running down the highway. Replace the rear view mirror with a video screen so you still have a good view behind you. For those who like to look back over their shoulder just replace the rear window with a video screen that shows what you would have seen if there wasn't a wedge topper blocking your view. I know that if they can use cameras to simulate a top down look to show everything around your vehicle that it would be trivial to distort a camera's view to simulate looking out the back window.   

Side step rails arrived stealthily yesterday afternoon.  Big box left on my porch.  Never heard a peep or I would have noticed they had arrived.  Woke up this morning and checked the tracking as I expected them today, and discovered they were already delivered.  

 

In any case I contemplated having the local chevy dealership install them, but the little devil on my left shoulder dared me to install them myself.  Been a couple decades since I crawled under a vehicle and wasn't sure if I laid down on the concrete garage floor that I might have to spend the night there.  Apparently since I'm typing this I survived after installing the driver side step.  Lesson to remember again is:  Don't tighten any bolts until all parts are loosely assembled.

 

Once installed I found that for myself I don't need it to get into the truck, but it does make it easier to get out.  Don't really see any reason to install the other side, but since I have it I'll have to back the truck out, turn it around, and back it in.   Easy access and clear floor area is only on one side. 

 

Last accessory I ordered will show up tomorrow.  A new pair of sunglasses.  Previous sun shades have bit the dust (I sat on them). They did serve me well for the 13 years I owned and drove my previous vehicle. New vehicle in my garage deserves a driver not impeded/distracted by glaring sunlight.   

4D

38 minutes ago, 4DThinker said:

wasn't sure if I laid down on the concrete garage floor that I might have to spend the night there

Note to self: make certain you determine how to get up BEFORE you get down on the floor.

15 minutes ago, lew said:

Note to self: make certain you determine how to get up BEFORE you get down on the floor.

Only sure way is to lay down on the floor first, then try to get up.  I did spend at least 30 seconds trying to remember how I used to get up off the floor though.  Lesson remembered:  At least try.  Just try.

20 minutes ago, lew said:

Note to self: make certain you determine how to get up BEFORE you get down on the floor.

 

1 minute ago, 4DThinker said:

Only sure way is to lay down on the floor first, then try to get up.  I did spend at least 30 seconds trying to remember how I used to get up off the floor though.  Lesson remembered:  At least try.  Just try.

Yep & yep...since the back surgery a little more challenging...as long as I can roll over to get on my hands and knees, I'm OK...helps to have something to grab hold of though or push off from.

I'm done making Beer cases and ended up selling my local brewer 40 of them.

(That's the Brewer, not me)

 

Last Sunday I cashed in my earnings

And now I have 4 Xmas gifts for the beer drinkers in my family. 
These are the Hardwood version and all are made from Pallet Wood