Left Kandanga and drove to Zillmere just north of Brisbane and spent the day with friends sleeping outside in the bus. Friday took off for the Gold Coast via Ormeau calling to visit Grey Nomads Rob and Sally (rosa) had a great time talking about future plans and eating cake. Sally made a nutritious lunch and off I went to the Gold Coast.
Tonight I am camped at the Hinterland Regional reserve near Mudgeeraba, have camped here a couple of times after finding it in WikiCamps. Last time a ranger called round and told me he was locking the gate until 8am in the morning but that didn't worry me and he didn't visit me this time.
OOPS I have just been advised to move on but have talked my way out of it so do not recommend camping here.
Uncharacteristically I have booked into a Caravan Park for a week from Saturday. I have lots to catch up on not the least seeing the doctor for the first time in 16 months, his office phoned me last June to make the annual visit but I was at Bundoora Dam so it had to wait. I had planned to give the bus a good polish and wash down the awning but have done that over the past 2 camps.
The main thing I want to do is raise the bed by around 250ml giving me better access from the front plus more space. Also that would give me full height access from the back opening right across the bus. Have bought melamine from Bunnings and all the bits and pieces so on Sunday I will have a whole day to get stuck into it. Got to finish in one day otherwise I will be sleeping under the annex.
Contacted my previous boss Tony who invited me to visit for a barbeque tomorrow so I will drive the bus in the dark for the first time in over a year, hope the headlights are still working. Not used to driving amongst trucks on all sides but the 4 lane gateway highway afforded me that privilege, pleased I knew the way and which lane to be in.
John
Kaid said
07:22 PM Sep 26, 2014
Are we going to see you this time John ?
jules47 said
08:19 PM Sep 26, 2014
Good luck at the doctor's John - and get everything done - we are in Kalgoorlie!!!
Dougwe said
08:45 PM Sep 26, 2014
Sounds like you are enjoying life as usual John. Keep up that positive attitude mate. I have been positive after learning from you and it's all working for me as well, thanks mate. Keep safe.
yeoeleven said
09:14 PM Sep 26, 2014
Kaid wrote:
Are we going to see you this time John ?
Have no idea about when and which way I will be heading to Greens this year, if I go inland via Beaudesert I will certainly call but I may go down the coast via Ballina.
Nothing decided yet other than I want to be at Greens before the Cup weekend. John
halfpint said
09:21 PM Sep 26, 2014
You talk a lot John hahahaha
yeoeleven said
09:26 PM Sep 26, 2014
Dougwe wrote:
Sounds like you are enjoying life as usual John. Keep up that positive attitude mate. I have been positive after learning from you and it's all working for me as well, thanks mate. Keep safe.
Doug, a positive attitude will always attract positivity and the reverse is also true. I am pleased that it is working for you with the Colorado and the Chieftan.
That is how I come to be driving the Coaster after the Hi Ace even though I couldn't afford it, I expected it to happen had no idea how it could but it did. John
yeoeleven said
09:29 PM Sep 26, 2014
halfpint wrote:
You talk a lot John hahahaha
Now see what you have done Patty you have made me talk some more
CYA John
Rover said
09:56 AM Sep 27, 2014
when are you leaving the gold coast for greens john
billeeeeeee said
10:31 AM Sep 27, 2014
Rover wrote:
when are you leaving the gold coast for greens john
Howdyeeee Doctor, will we see you at Greens,,?????? Billeeeeeee
Good luck with the bed and the Doc's John, hope the stay on the Gold Coast goes well..
always on the road said
10:55 AM Sep 27, 2014
Hi John Good to hear your are safe back on the Coast.What Caravan Park are you staying at.I did send you a message last week but it must have been lost somewhere? Regards Sandy.
yeoeleven said
11:46 AM Sep 27, 2014
Rod, not sure yet probably in the 2nd week of October will let you know as it firms up, how is the house sale going?
Sandy, River Gardens Carrara I have posted in the Get together forum hoping for some meet ups. Never received any message perhaps you could check your mailbox and see if it was sent. John
Rover said
01:34 PM Sep 27, 2014
billeeeeeee wrote:
Rover wrote:
when are you leaving the gold coast for greens john
Howdyeeee Doctor, will we see you at Greens,,?????? Billeeeeeee
Billeeeeee if i get to drink that i will. John i wont be leaving till the end of October, If you get a haircut you may not leave till then ether.
-- Edited by Rover on Saturday 27th of September 2014 01:42:35 PM
Highwayman said
02:03 PM Sep 27, 2014
Hi Di hi Rodney smith yr avatar is it yr new disco??? No kedron yet hope yr big business of realty goes well.... See you at greens roy no underpants ....
kandagal said
03:33 PM Sep 27, 2014
Hi John. Hope the Dr finds no problems.
yeoeleven said
07:21 PM Sep 28, 2014
Thanks for the best wishes and comments.
I am stuffed having spent 11 hours first pulling out the old bed then getting the new bed around 300mil higher, the job is not finished, but I was, once I could load the bed into place and tidy up. Still got to strengthen the supports it will easily handle my weight have used the Selleys gluey nail stuff but need to add some screws, not any old second hand ones but new ones out of a packet from Bunnings. Rod was always going on about second hand screws, I suppose being a builder he looked down on the used variety.
So that was my Sunday, being in a caravan park no one came round and offered a circular saw when I was struggling to saw a straight line 1800mil long. If I had been camping there would have been plenty of offers to help, anyway the main is done now just the screwing and some cosmetic finishes to make. Seeing the doctor tomorrow and will look up a mechanic to have the linkages checked over, lately I have had a left sore shoulder and can only think of the effort changing gears. Very hard to get 1st and reverse sometimes and I am always changing gears to maintain speed on the hills and highways.
Now that I have a Caravan Park receipt I also will visit Centrelink and check out the rental assistance situation. I lived in this park for a year in 2010 to 2011 in an onsite van whilst I got the Hi Ace ready for the road and had no problems getting the rental assistance plus an electricity subsidy. So between the doctor, mechanic and Centrelink I won't be working on the bed, I will do that on a free day. John
Dougwe said
07:47 PM Sep 28, 2014
How,
Busy Busy Busy John. Take it easy mate. Sounds like you are doing a great job though. Won't hurt to have a day off.
I have been a busy bee as well getting rid of "stuff" that I don't need anymore for my new life. Busy again tomorrow and Tuesday then need to have Wednesday off.
John, at this stage I will be full time on the road next Monday I think. See you in the playground soon mate.
yeoeleven said
07:59 PM Sep 28, 2014
Dougwe wrote:
How,
Busy Busy Busy John. Take it easy mate. Sounds like you are doing a great job though. Won't hurt to have a day off.
I have been a busy bee as well getting rid of "stuff" that I don't need anymore for my new life. Busy again tomorrow and Tuesday then need to have Wednesday off.
John, at this stage I will be full time on the road next Monday I think. See you in the playground soon mate.
The plan for me is to be at Greens by the Cup Weekend so look forward to either seeing you there or on the way.
Great news that everything is working so well for you, I only booked into the park to catch up and get stuff done but towards the end of the week should be able to take it easy.
John
Dougwe said
08:06 PM Sep 28, 2014
I forgot to say John, I have only kept my cordless drill and "circular saw" and various hand tools only. You could have used my circular saw mate but I don't think my extension cord would reach that far. Yes you are right about help at Greens, help comes from everywhere.
yeoeleven said
01:07 PM Sep 30, 2014
Just a quick update, went to the DR yesterday and all the easily checked conditions are Ok. Heart and lungs fine with perfect blood pressure and had blood tests and a shoulder scan, appointment Thursday morning for the final results.
Finished the raising of the bed and wow the extra space plus full rear access, will take a while to work out the best usage but for now have put everything back where it was. Spoke to the mechanic and he said that there are no open linkages to check and they are inside the gearbox, I was going to have a service done but now thinking that I will try to get the new motor with an automatic transmission when I get down to Victoria. Might be jumping the gun but am thinking about the sore shoulder and the gear changing. John
Cruising Cruze said
03:03 PM Sep 30, 2014
Wow well done John
It didn't take you long to do it
Slow down mate other wise you will be bored by the end of the week
Cheers John
yeoeleven said
05:04 PM Sep 30, 2014
Cruising Cruze wrote:
Wow well done John
It didn't take you long to do it
Slow down mate other wise you will be bored by the end of the week
Cheers John
Hi John
By the end of the week my social life is improving, on Friday I am being picked up outside the park and taken to Dragonfly1 ( Cyril and Nola ) place for lunch and good old chin wag. Then on Saturday after I check out I am to meet June (June C) and also Beth up in Nerang so there is little chance of being bored.
The value of this great forum and posting your location gives other GNs the chance to either avoid or meet up.
CYA at Greens hopefully,
John
Dougwe said
05:44 PM Sep 30, 2014
You have done a great job there John. You should be very pleased with that job mate.
jules47 said
09:29 PM Sep 30, 2014
You are a social butterfly John! Well done with the storage area.
See you in victoria!
yeoeleven said
08:49 PM Oct 2, 2014
Jules, Looking forward to catching up at Greens. The storage has worked out well Doug.
Still at the caravan park and being busy, yesterday was a quiet day with the temperature recorded at 37 degrees in the bus around lunch time so off I went to swim in the pool then spent time walking around the park to see if there was anyone there from my last stay. All up an idle day just hanging around without fellow GNs to talk to.
Today was another matter with the DR appointment at 9.15am but all went smoothly with no problems being uncovered the Xrays of both shoulders revealed nothing unusual so have no specific problems but the shoulder is still painful when changing gears so the new motor is definitely on the agenda and with automatic transmission.
I also had a check over by a young lady doctor, apparently after 75 yo Medicare get full checks done on a yearly basis. The check was similar to the Qld Govt drivers test, anyway the results are retained on my records as a check to see how my body ages. No issues were recorded my blood pressure recorded at 130 over 65 apparently that is good. The cognitive tests are designed to see if you are able to think clearly and remember sequential objects.
Went to Robina Shopping Centre to watch a movie, well that was the idea but it didn't turn out like that. Always I look out for the height bar and never go into covered areas BUT this time I went on to the roof parking where I had previously parked the bus, I didn't look out for the bar because I was parking in the open roof area then bang and the bar hit my roof basket and rumbled all the roof. There were no parking spots available so I went round and very slowly crept out under the bar with more banging. No movie but no damage to the solar panels just some yellow paint on the metal ridges PHEW!!!!!!!!!!!!!
So had plenty of time and I bought some plastic containers from Woolies and went back to the caravan park to sort out what to do with my extra space from the bed uplift. Had a brilliant idea and decided to use the space to house the stuff that always had been on the passenger seat and also to relocate the freezer. In all the time on the road I have never had free access to the passenger seat not in the Hi Ace nor in the coaster.
.
SnowT said
11:02 PM Oct 2, 2014
Hey John great work..
A suggestion..
I noticed that you Don't have any strut's under the Bed.. maybe a few pieces of timber screwed under the bed from back to front or side to side to sop the eventual sag..
I'm planing on heading to greens for Melbourne Cup week.. If you need me to bring some stuff up just ask..
Juergen
yeoeleven said
06:23 AM Oct 3, 2014
You probably are right Juergen, I'm not much at carpentry. I intend to strengthen the join to the back of the bed with hinges. At the moment it is just butting up but as far as eventual sagging it is supported solidly front and back and sides when in the horizontal position which will be 95% of the time. We can look at it together at Greens but I think it will be all right.
Thanks for the input,
John
Dougwe said
07:24 AM Oct 3, 2014
I can't believe all your achievements since your return from Tassie John, truly amazing mate. WELL DONE.
SnowT said
12:57 PM Oct 3, 2014
I'll throw the tools and some timber in the Bus anyway..
Left Kandanga and drove to Zillmere just north of Brisbane and spent the day with friends sleeping outside in the bus. Friday took off for the Gold Coast via Ormeau calling to visit Grey Nomads Rob and Sally (rosa) had a great time talking about future plans and eating cake. Sally made a nutritious lunch and off I went to the Gold Coast.
Tonight I am camped at the Hinterland Regional reserve near Mudgeeraba, have camped here a couple of times after finding it in WikiCamps. Last time a ranger called round and told me he was locking the gate until 8am in the morning but that didn't worry me and he didn't visit me this time.
http://yeoeleven.blogspot.com.au/2013/05/gold-coast-at-last.htm
OOPS I have just been advised to move on but have talked my way out of it so do not recommend camping here.
Uncharacteristically I have booked into a Caravan Park for a week from Saturday. I have lots to catch up on not the least seeing the doctor for the first time in 16 months, his office phoned me last June to make the annual visit but I was at Bundoora Dam so it had to wait. I had planned to give the bus a good polish and wash down the awning but have done that over the past 2 camps.
The main thing I want to do is raise the bed by around 250ml giving me better access from the front plus more space. Also that would give me full height access from the back opening right across the bus. Have bought melamine from Bunnings and all the bits and pieces so on Sunday I will have a whole day to get stuck into it. Got to finish in one day otherwise I will be sleeping under the annex.
Contacted my previous boss Tony who invited me to visit for a barbeque tomorrow so I will drive the bus in the dark for the first time in over a year, hope the headlights are still working. Not used to driving amongst trucks on all sides but the 4 lane gateway highway afforded me that privilege, pleased I knew the way and which lane to be in.
John
Have no idea about when and which way I will be heading to Greens this year, if I go inland via Beaudesert I will certainly call but I may go down the coast via Ballina.
Nothing decided yet other than I want to be at Greens before the Cup weekend. John
You talk a lot John hahahaha
Doug, a positive attitude will always attract positivity and the reverse is also true. I am pleased that it is working for you with the Colorado and the Chieftan.
That is how I come to be driving the Coaster after the Hi Ace even though I couldn't afford it, I expected it to happen had no idea how it could but it did. John
Now see what you have done Patty you have made me talk some more
CYA John
Howdyeeee Doctor, will we see you at Greens,,?????? Billeeeeeee
Good luck with the bed and the Doc's John, hope the stay on the Gold Coast goes well..
Hi John Good to hear your are safe back on the Coast.What Caravan Park are you staying at.I did send you a message last week but it must have been lost somewhere? Regards Sandy.
Rod, not sure yet probably in the 2nd week of October will let you know as it firms up, how is the house sale going?
Sandy, River Gardens Carrara I have posted in the Get together forum hoping for some meet ups. Never received any message perhaps you could check your mailbox and see if it was sent. John
-- Edited by Rover on Saturday 27th of September 2014 01:42:35 PM
Hi Di hi Rodney smith yr avatar is it yr new disco??? No kedron yet hope yr big business of realty goes well.... See you at greens roy no underpants ....
Thanks for the best wishes and comments.
I am stuffed having spent 11 hours first pulling out the old bed then getting the new bed around 300mil higher, the job is not finished, but I was, once I could load the bed into place and tidy up. Still got to strengthen the supports it will easily handle my weight have used the Selleys gluey nail stuff but need to add some screws, not any old second hand ones but new ones out of a packet from Bunnings. Rod was always going on about second hand screws, I suppose being a builder he looked down on the used variety.
So that was my Sunday, being in a caravan park no one came round and offered a circular saw when I was struggling to saw a straight line 1800mil long. If I had been camping there would have been plenty of offers to help, anyway the main is done now just the screwing and some cosmetic finishes to make. Seeing the doctor tomorrow and will look up a mechanic to have the linkages checked over, lately I have had a left sore shoulder and can only think of the effort changing gears. Very hard to get 1st and reverse sometimes and I am always changing gears to maintain speed on the hills and highways.
Now that I have a Caravan Park receipt I also will visit Centrelink and check out the rental assistance situation. I lived in this park for a year in 2010 to 2011 in an onsite van whilst I got the Hi Ace ready for the road and had no problems getting the rental assistance plus an electricity subsidy. So between the doctor, mechanic and Centrelink I won't be working on the bed, I will do that on a free day. John
Busy Busy Busy John. Take it easy mate. Sounds like you are doing a great job though. Won't hurt to have a day off.
I have been a busy bee as well getting rid of "stuff" that I don't need anymore for my new life. Busy again tomorrow and Tuesday then need to have Wednesday off.
John, at this stage I will be full time on the road next Monday I think. See you in the playground soon mate.
The plan for me is to be at Greens by the Cup Weekend so look forward to either seeing you there or on the way.
Great news that everything is working so well for you, I only booked into the park to catch up and get stuff done but towards the end of the week should be able to take it easy.
John
Just a quick update, went to the DR yesterday and all the easily checked conditions are Ok. Heart and lungs fine with perfect blood pressure and had blood tests and a shoulder scan, appointment Thursday morning for the final results.
Finished the raising of the bed and wow the extra space plus full rear access, will take a while to work out the best usage but for now have put everything back where it was. Spoke to the mechanic and he said that there are no open linkages to check and they are inside the gearbox, I was going to have a service done but now thinking that I will try to get the new motor with an automatic transmission when I get down to Victoria. Might be jumping the gun but am thinking about the sore shoulder and the gear changing. John
Wow well done John
It didn't take you long to do it
Slow down mate other wise you will be bored by the end of the week
Cheers John
Hi John
By the end of the week my social life is improving, on Friday I am being picked up outside the park and taken to Dragonfly1 ( Cyril and Nola ) place for lunch and good old chin wag. Then on Saturday after I check out I am to meet June (June C) and also Beth up in Nerang so there is little chance of being bored.
The value of this great forum and posting your location gives other GNs the chance to either avoid or meet up.
CYA at Greens hopefully,
John
See you in victoria!
Jules, Looking forward to catching up at Greens. The storage has worked out well Doug.
Still at the caravan park and being busy, yesterday was a quiet day with the temperature recorded at 37 degrees in the bus around lunch time so off I went to swim in the pool then spent time walking around the park to see if there was anyone there from my last stay. All up an idle day just hanging around without fellow GNs to talk to.
Today was another matter with the DR appointment at 9.15am but all went smoothly with no problems being uncovered the Xrays of both shoulders revealed nothing unusual so have no specific problems but the shoulder is still painful when changing gears so the new motor is definitely on the agenda and with automatic transmission.
I also had a check over by a young lady doctor, apparently after 75 yo Medicare get full checks done on a yearly basis. The check was similar to the Qld Govt drivers test, anyway the results are retained on my records as a check to see how my body ages. No issues were recorded my blood pressure recorded at 130 over 65 apparently that is good. The cognitive tests are designed to see if you are able to think clearly and remember sequential objects.
Went to Robina Shopping Centre to watch a movie, well that was the idea but it didn't turn out like that. Always I look out for the height bar and never go into covered areas BUT this time I went on to the roof parking where I had previously parked the bus, I didn't look out for the bar because I was parking in the open roof area then bang and the bar hit my roof basket and rumbled all the roof. There were no parking spots available so I went round and very slowly crept out under the bar with more banging. No movie but no damage to the solar panels just some yellow paint on the metal ridges PHEW!!!!!!!!!!!!!
So had plenty of time and I bought some plastic containers from Woolies and went back to the caravan park to sort out what to do with my extra space from the bed uplift. Had a brilliant idea and decided to use the space to house the stuff that always had been on the passenger seat and also to relocate the freezer. In all the time on the road I have never had free access to the passenger seat not in the Hi Ace nor in the coaster.
.
A suggestion..
I noticed that you Don't have any strut's under the Bed.. maybe a few pieces of timber screwed under the bed from back to front or side to side to sop the eventual sag..
I'm planing on heading to greens for Melbourne Cup week.. If you need me to bring some stuff up just ask..
Juergen
You probably are right Juergen, I'm not much at carpentry. I intend to strengthen the join to the back of the bed with hinges. At the moment it is just butting up but as far as eventual sagging it is supported solidly front and back and sides when in the horizontal position which will be 95% of the time. We can look at it together at Greens but I think it will be all right.
Thanks for the input,
John
Juergen