A128S Converted from ALINER Ranger

[ko777]

Happy Canada Day 2013!
First long weekend of this summer and we usually skip it for camping because of the traffic and crowd but we will be camping in Tobermory this coming weekend.
It was a nice sunny day yesterday and I went for a 50 km bike ride. I went to the beach and it was crowded with happy people just enjoying the place and the sun.

There was a beach volleyball tournament going on...

If you look closely you could see CN tower in the distance
These pictures where taken in Ashbridges Bay Park. The fireworks are happening here tonight!

[Pooneil]

Happy Canada Day. I'll raise a toast tonight.

I had the pleasure of visiting Toronto a few years ago and really enjoyed my stay. Even the interview from the agent at the border crossing was done pleasantly. "You drove all this way from Texas without any guns?" Asked like she was proud of me. Unlike the obvious U.S. border patrol agent's equally prying questions. What can I say, I'm a sucker for a woman in uniform.

[thehamguy1]

Happy Canada Day to all our friends north of the border, and may I say it's mighty neighborly of you all to declare my birthday a national holiday!

[ExTenter]

Consider it a gift of ours to you in honoUr of your birthday (and I thought we were doing a better job of teaching you Canadian, our neighboUr!). And so we bestow upon you honorary (see how tricky it is) Canadian status. Come north, young man.

[thehamguy1]

Thank you, Graeme. I'm honoured to be an honorary Canadian. I already speak the language almost fluently (slight accent most noticeable on "out and about") so I think I can get along there. There could be that difficulty with the RCMP escorting me out of the country one time, but what's one little misunderstanding between neighbours? You and Yukon Don will vouch for me, eh?

[ko777]

Hey Lee, you miss all the fireworks last night, I hope you had a great birthday yesterday. I recall from your thread that this time last year you where celebrating your big 70th year in Canada.

When is your next trip here?

[thehamguy1]

Hi, ko. I did miss the Canada Day fireworks but there's a make-up display here on Thursday so I'll catch them then. And it was a nice birthday, thank you. Birthdays these later years make me think of the old one-line joke: "If I'd known I was going to live so long I'd have taken better care of myself." It's only in the last four or five years that I've lost some tonnage, started eating right, going to the gym, riding my bicycle... Guys like you are now my inspiration; fit, active, adventurous.

You remember rightly that we entered Canada last year on July 1 at the start of Lee And Court's Big Adventure. We're talking about doing it again next year, so you and Graeme and Don and the A framers around Calgary (there seem to be number of Albertans with A frames of various brands) all need to schedule your vacations now for next year. Meanwhile, I'll round up the Midwesterners, and well have Tamara notify the west-coasters. Now who on the east coast? DGrissom? Everybody, plan now to take June, July and August off next year. Bring money. Meet us at the county park near Sioux City and together we'll overwhelm the border north of Minot, to be met by the Maple Leaf contingent!

Ok, so I'm still subject to fits of enthusiasm. But it WOULD be fun, and having fun is the secret of the game called Life. Oops. I wasn't supposed to give that away...

[ExTenter]

Sheer inspiration Lee. A separate thread perhaps? Prize for the best name. My entry: The 2014 Rolling Rockwood Round-up (other A-Frame types welcome, of course).

[ko777]

That will be fantastic to have a gathering with our A-Frame somewhere out there. Ok Lee your it...you lead we'll follow...

[ko777]

I did a simple mod to hook up a tarp on top of the A-Frame. This set up will be tested on my trip to Tobermory this week. The combination of the tarp and the gazebo pop up tent should be easy and fast. Here are pics to show what was done on my driveway:

Picture frame hook

Make a loop both sides to tie the tarp

Tarp tied up and place a rubber mat to protect the tarp from the tip of the A-Frame

Just imagine the gazebo under the tarp, I could tie the tarp to the gazebo for support

Tarp looks good on the tip, 12x9 tarp was use in this test, if the forecast is heavy rain on my trip, I could use a 20x15 tarp to add protection to the screen room tent

I have another way to install the tarp along the front side to put a shade over the storage box and tongue jack, I'll try this setup this weekend trip.

The weather forcast in Tobermory during my stay there this week is not good on the last day. I'm going to use my tarp mod setup in good use and hopefully keep my screen room tent as dry as possible.

One more day before camping

[ko777]

My camping at Tobermory was great, weather was fantastic too, it only rain the last night. Here is the link of the campground http://www.pc.gc.ca/pn-np/on/bruce/a...2/activ2a.aspx

I learn so much from this trip like driving 3.5 hours straight is not easy, this was a test for my East Coast trip, I have to do this drive at least 3x on the same day to get to each site. Setting up is so much easier for me now. The tongue jack mod worked great, the drill did the job. The Bal leveler raising it with an impact drill worked great but noisy. The magic mesh was nice too, leaving the door open to get that extra breeze, plus bugs kept out. I use the Champion 2K generator and no one complain about the noise. Here are some pic of my setup:


My friend's kids enjoying my hammock

Control the fumes of the generator

Locked around the tree

I

[ko777]

I'm back from my East Coast trip. I'm happy to say that both my TT and TV survived the trip, I traveled close to 6000 km and my driving endurance is so much better now that my TV needs gas before I need a break from driving, lol.

My A128S performance was awesome, I was able to reach speed over 125 kph towing it with no sway problems and without using WDH. The TT tongue weight was close to 400 lbs, my TV has limit of 350 lbs, no problems from it.

I had a problem with my old bike rack, I got a new one and it works perfectly with the TT.


It can carry up to 4 bikes and it has the option to turn the carrier away from the TV, neat. When I use it with my TV, I could tilt the pole away from the rear door, awesome.

After 23 days camping along the East Coast, I still look forward to camping again this long weekend at Inverhuron Provincial Park.

Happy Camping!

[thehamguy1]

Are you going to apply for a passport now?

[brettmargo]

What kind of bike rack is that? That's the set up I want.

[NWishome]

When we bought ours the dealer had a local welding shop put a reinforced hitch receiver on the back frane which has been very easy to use with our usual bike rack. The one in your photo looks interesting but looks like you'd have to be pretty strong to lift the bikes way up on the rack- also, do you have to remove the propane tanks to get the bikes off and on? I don't see the propane tanks.

[ko777]

I'm surprise your dealer allowed to put a receiver on the rear of your Aframe. FR told me that will void the warranty of the frame.

My TV has a limit of 350 lbs tongue limit, that's why I take the propane tanks inside the trailer at the back. With my setup my TT tongue weight is close to 400 lbs already.

Lol, I have to be strong to lift my heavy 55 lbs bike. Since I could tilt the bike rack pole lower a bit, I have no problem putting the bike on the rack.

[ko777]

Originally Posted by brettmargo

What kind of bike rack is that? That's the set up I want.

It is a Class III receiver and you could use any bike rack that fits in the receiver. SR 3000
http://www.support-rack.com/wsf/produits/
Bike carrier:
http://www.princessauto.com/mobile/p...ductID=8375438
Bike carrier extension: http://www.princessauto.com/mobile/p...ductID=8375479

[ko777]

Originally Posted by thehamguy1

Are you going to apply for a passport now?

Thanks for reminding me...I already forgot...
Maybe next week I'll go for the new passport good for 10 years.

[NWishome]

Its main support is not the bumper but has bars in a V shape welded back to something sturdy under there by the welding place. I had read that the bumpers were not sturdy enough for a bike rack by themselves so I guess the reinforcement was to take care of that issue. Seems to be holding up well but not sure about the warranty issue. I am not strong enough to lift something high like that (used to have a roof rack on the TV) but yours looks quite sturdy.

[ko777]

Yes the SR 3000 rack is strong enough to support up to 300 lbs.

Please post pictures of your rear receiver, I'm interested in putting extra cargo cage there: http://www.discountramps.com/folding-basket.htm