Mini-Meets/Get-Togethers

[GMCDAC]

Originally Posted by Ed Snyder

Those of you who attended the Wichita mini-meet in June probably remember my brother Pete. He's the one who reserved the park for us and provided the barbecue grille. He lives near the park which is just west of the Wichita Airport. Pete works as an electronics technician for Flight Safety in a building about a quarter mile north of the airport, about halfway between the terminal and US-54. His job is to help maintain the flight simulators.

Yesterday a plane taking off crashed into the roof of Pete's building, killing four people -- the pilot and three people inside the building. Thankfully, Pete was not injured. You can read about it here:

http://www.kansas.com/news/business/...le3483455.html

Hi Ed, although we have never met, when Foley and Clarke visited us last summer after your mini-meet, they spoke very highly of you and Pete and of course your Dad! I am thankful this tragedy didn't directly involve your family as far as fatalities but other families are suffering so it's still a sad accident. There was a few short news stories on the radio station I listen to, but it never had any meaning until I read this.

Will he be out of work for awhile due to the damage?

DAC

[RustyNut]

Glad to here your brother was spared, and like all I am glad there weren't more lives lost and sympathies to those who did lose loved ones.

Rusty

[Ed Snyder]

Originally Posted by RustyNut

Glad to here your brother was spared, and like all I am glad there weren't more lives lost and sympathies to those who did lose loved ones.

Rusty

I finally got a short response from my brother Pete today. He's been busy with family issues, and promised a longer response later. He did, however, forward an updated link to articles about the accident in the local paper: http://www.kansas.com/news/local/article3468723.html Note that there are links to additional articles along the left side of the page. If you try to look at too many of them, though, it will ask you to spend 99 cents for a 30 day trial subscription. I did that and was able to read all of them.

One of my sisters gave me a little more info. One of the fatalities was the wife of a former co-worker of hers from when she worked at Boeing in Wichita. The lady was a Ukraine native working as a translator for a Russian pilot inside one of the flight simulators. Three of the four fatalities were inside that simulator. The fourth was the pilot who crashed the plane into the roof. My sister said part of the landing gear landed on Pete's car in the parking lot. She also said Pete has been working in a nearby Flight Safety facility.

[Clarke]

Okay... So the other day I get a PM from RustyNut, telling me he found something for my camper and he was going to mail it to me.

Later at the post office, we have a card in our box from the post office stating we have a package that is "Too large" and we must pick up from the window... (our box is about 5" square) I remember thinking, it must not be a keychain then.

Another trip back to the post office during window hours and gave them the notification card... The guys returns with this huge (flat) package, that must be about 3' square. Package marked "Please DO NOT BEND". Wow! This package is so big I don't know if it'll fit in my JEEP without bending.

Hummm... maybe it's a piece of vintage camper siding??? Like a kid at Christmas, I couldn't wait until I got home, so I took one of my keys and opened one edge of the package while at the post office... Looking inside, I see a T-shirt with a piece of tin inside of it... I pulled the tin out and was surprised to see, the beer bottle label I copied my camper stripes from. RustyNut The tin is over 2' dia and Dave had to use a 2XL shirt to cover it.

See, I told you guys I couldn't take credit for the paint stripe design. To give you a little more background on the paint stripe... Every winter I get one of Kansas City Boulevard's mixed 12 pk. Several winters ago after working a long day on the GMC, I rewarded myself with a cold beer. While sitting out in the garage sipping my beer, staring at the truck, still day dreaming about getting a vintage camper someday... I glanced at the label on the beer bottle that I was holding in my hand, not knowing what it was (being a mixed pk), and I fell in love with the camper design. That is when I decided I would use that stripe design, except color match my truck. After I finished that beer, I carefully placed the bottle on the shelf as a reminder.

Thank you Dave!!! That was very thoughtful of you. What's ironic... A while back, I searched trying to find something similar and I never found anything on the web, except a belt buckle (and I don't wear belts). Great find!

[Clarke]

We recently completed the inside of the camper and we've had it out on a couple of short trips. So far so good, but still fussing with one small water leak at the 12V pump/fresh water connection. I've tried a number of things and it's getting better, but still there. I'll keep messing with it until I get it.

Attached are pictures I took the other day for the new insurance guy. I tell you what, I've never had so much trouble finding insurance for something as I have this camper. If you guys run into the same thing, let me know and I'll share what I learned.

[RustyNut]

Glad you got it & you are very welcome!!!!

I found the sign one day when I pulled up to the liquor store I normally stop by on my way home from work for my daily 6 pack. When I pulled up to the store, there it was in the window directly in front of me. When I saw it I immediately thought of you talking about the inspiration for the paint scheme at the Mini-Meet. I knew it had to be the same beer as the bottle label you mentioned.

I spoke with the gal that owns the liquor store and asked to try and get one from her distributor and told her why I wanted one. Weeks went by and it was never mentioned again. Then one day I came in and she pulled it out from behind the counter.

Take Care & Enjoy!!!!

Rusty

[FetchMeAPepsi]

Clark that is a FINE looking camper there! It's so cool that you were able to tie it together off of a bottle design too. Great work!

For Insurance, I don't know about campers but our truck insurance is with State Farm as an Antique, so lower rates but full coverage. I don't know if that helps or not, but maybe they can work something up for you.

[Clarke]

Thanks Fetch. I'll keep them in mind, as they are one of the few I haven't checked with yet.

[GMCDAC]

Originally Posted by Clarke

Okay... So the other day I get a PM from RustyNut, telling me he found something for my camper and he was going to mail it to me.

Later at the post office, we have a card in our box from the post office stating we have a package that is "Too large" and we must pick up from the window... (our box is about 5" square) I remember thinking, it must not be a keychain then.

Another trip back to the post office during window hours and gave them the notification card... The guys returns with this huge (flat) package, that must be about 3' square. Package marked "Please DO NOT BEND". Wow! This package is so big I don't know if it'll fit in my JEEP without bending.

Hummm... maybe it's a piece of vintage camper siding??? Like a kid at Christmas, I couldn't wait until I got home, so I took one of my keys and opened one edge of the package while at the post office... Looking inside, I see a T-shirt with a piece of tin inside of it... I pulled the tin out and was surprised to see, the beer bottle label I copied my camper stripes from. RustyNut The tin is over 2' dia and Dave had to use a 2XL shirt to cover it.

See, I told you guys I couldn't take credit for the paint stripe design. To give you a little more background on the paint stripe... Every winter I get one of Kansas City Boulevard's mixed 12 pk. Several winters ago after working a long day on the GMC, I rewarded myself with a cold beer. While sitting out in the garage sipping my beer, staring at the truck, still day dreaming about getting a vintage camper someday... I glanced at the label on the beer bottle that I was holding in my hand, not knowing what it was (being a mixed pk), and I fell in love with the camper design. That is when I decided I would use that stripe design, except color match my truck. After I finished that beer, I carefully placed the bottle on the shelf as a reminder.

Thank you Dave!!! That was very thoughtful of you. What's ironic... A while back, I searched trying to find something similar and I never found anything on the web, except a belt buckle (and I don't wear belts). Great find!

Hi David, very cool to see that logo from the bottle you got your idea from! What a gift. Camper looks great too, thanks for the story and pics!

DAC

[Clarke]

Originally Posted by GMCDAC

Hi David, very cool to see that logo from the bottle you got your idea from! What a gift. Camper looks great too, thanks for the story and pics!

DAC

Thanks Doug! I look forward to seeing you guys getting your camper set up and hearing some stories.


Dave