Zan's Can no longer....

Hope the title doesn't give the reader the wrong idea.....the Can is still in my driveway undergoing repairs and remodeling as she has for the past several months!!! Been doing a few odds and ends in my sewing/craft room riding out a wicked heat wave here in the Midwest. The roof repair strategy is in place and awaiting humane working conditions so I am doing a few comfort and decor projects while I wait.

Remember how I removed the heater and planned to use the vent access for my electrical access? To avoid having to drill into that beautiful diamond plate front panel? Well the access cover is cut, drilled, painted, and insulated awaiting the arrival of an electrician nephew who will rewire for this power supply ignorant owner!

More of this in the future when I cover the exterior modifications done on Zan's can.

Made a few carry sacks out of the left over cushion fabric to make carrying and containing marshmallow roasting sticks, pudgie pie makers, and tarp poles.

Am in the process of finishing some cute tarp pole weight/supports too! One thing discovered on the Memorial Day roll out was it took ALL FOUR of us to hold poles while guide wires were staked. Since it is my plan to go on solo or near solo camping trips in the future I needed a solution to that dilemma and thanks to Pinterest I combined a few ideas and will do a post from start to finish covering this project.

What the title of the post alludes to is I have finally heard from the cosmos regarding the "real name" of Zan's Can. Zan's Can the nickname is now a thing of this blog and the past.

This week I stumbled upon this definition of the name Alma. Let's just say it didn't just speak to me!?!? I had already saved this definition earlier...

I am pretty sure the cosmos heard my "BINGO!!!" So now I will be making a name plate and spare tire cover to make it official....

....and the cosmos have made me happy, sigh.

Skipping right along....in reverse!!

I apologize for having gone silent on here for the past few weeks!! Between the hot weather and schedules, I had precious little time to go hands on Zan's Can of late. Seeing a steady stream of happy camping pictures from the holiday weekend coupled with gorgeous weather got me right back on track.

Look at that beautiful piece of diamond plate all shaped and ready to mount on the front end of Zan's Can!!!

Before mounting the front panel we had to finalize what we were doing about the electric inbox and propane gas hook up. I am loathe to drill openings in that pretty piece of metal so we wanted to have our plan set so no unnecessary holes need be made in the front panel.

Mr. Creature Comforts has been such a help to me in this little flight of fancy I am on with remodeling this pop up!! He was not keen on my plan for today but he used his skills and accommodated my ideas. In the forty or so years of its existence the gas heater in the Can was RARELY used. I do not plan to be camping in weather requiring a heater and if needed will just use a small electric heater. That space under the sink is coveted given how little storage space exists currently and is much more valuable to me than a heater. 

The heater is now scrap metal!!!

The heater's vent is now our new gas and electrical portal! We plan to put a door in this metal frame for ease of access and the space under the sink is mine to use as needed.....like a dorm fridge, maybe?

Steaming right along and ready to mount the front panel and remount the roof latches tomorrow. Except I don't have that kind of luck! When we pulled the tarps off to open the Can up today we noticed a sizeable BULGE in the roof!! Now I knew there were soft spots here and there on the roof but it was intact and something I felt could be addressed in future repair sessions......until we saw the crack/tear in the middle of the bulge, sigh.

There is no Luck O' the Irish in this family...ever!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! With all the black mold I saw there it is no wonder that Shutterfly was so sick on our inaugural camping trip. So I am skipping furiously back to YouTube to study up on DIY roof repairs!!! One step forward....three steps back...looking seriously like our tentative Starved Rock camping trip in two weeks can now be considered unlikely, dang.

So I leave you today with a picture of a small little corner of my sister's beautiful garden. Her hard work is my beacon assuring me that with hard work the Can will also look gorgeous someday. The sun has set on another beautiful day and tomorrow promises a fresh day to get back to work on the Can.