Where is Gooserider?

[seige101]

Why don't we schedule a day soon, in other words try to pick a date soon, early or mid spring would be good.

Sounds reasonable to me...

Since the stuff to do is pretty much all outside, what makes sense to me is to try for a Saturday, w/ Sunday as the rain date if Saturday is not decent weather (not sure what to do if Sunday is also bad, go for the next weekend?)

Looking at my calendar, I have stuff booked already for the last two Saturdays in March, but don't have anything for April yet... Seems like later in the month probably has better odds of decent weather. The 23rd would have Easter as a rain date, which is not good... Therefore, I'd suggest the 9th or 16th as the primary day, w/ rain dates of the 10th or 17th. The 17th is Palm Sunday, but my impression is that is not a majorly celebrated day, so it's less of an issue...

Thoughts???

Suggestions on plans as to what should be done? (I will try to get some photos over the weekend so that folks can see what the damage looks like....)

Ex-Gooserider

9th or 16th or both is good for me i will go with whatever the majority decides.
I will wait for some pics so we can all try and get a game plan going on.

 

[Gooserider]

OK, went out a little while ago, and got a bunch of pictures of the collapsed shed... Mostly I didn't have excessive problems, but I did manage to get stuck in front of the tin shed, badly enough that that Mary-Anne had to use a come-along to get me out... I do hate chairs with skinny tires and gutless electronics...

The first few photos are of the portable "tent" garage. I haven't opened it up yet, as I'm afraid I wouldn't be able to get the zippers to close again. It's pretty obvious for the most part, except that it does look from the slightly higher kitchen windows like the roof has actually collapsed to concave in at least some places. I suspect at least some of what is holding it up at this point is the contents, plus there is a cross brace running the length of the garage at about the point where it's collapsed.

I think it will be easiest to replace the entire structure, perhaps using the old cover on top of the new one in order to make a double layer...

It would seem to me that the necessary sequence of actions on it would be to remove the contents, presumably putting them on the drive or possibly in the house garage temporarily, and possibly peeling back the tent and removing the pipe structure at the same time. Once that is done, rebuild the garage, and put the stuff back in it.

Problems that may not show...
1. Some critter has dug a largish hole under one of the sidecars that had been sitting in the garage for a while... This needs to be filled in and tamped down, possibly looking at what can be done to stop future digging....

2. Currently the floor is gravel, which I've found (the hard way) that I can't reliably cross with my current powerchair, as the skinny wheels get stuck... I'd like to strengthen the floor in some way. One that I've heard of is simply to mix cement into the gravel and let it harden - this sort of "soil cement" is not great for heavy loads, but is supposed to hold up fairly well, and be OK under the sort of stuff I'd plan to put there, but would need some work to work the cement into the gravel and smooth it back out / pack it down....

3. I do have a 110V circuit run out to the building, surfacing in the corner closest to the bike in the picture. It runs a bunch of outlets, and some lights at the peak of the roof... Not a big issue, but need to remember it is there, and not get shocked, as well as not damaging it while moving stuff out...

Ex-Gooserider

 

[Gooserider]

This is the second set of photos... It shows the tin shed from three sides, plus I was able to force the door open and get a few shots of the inside. I wasn't able to get all the way around to the back side, but it appears that the walls are still relatively intact and straight, but the roof is totally fubar... The only sort of good news is that it looks like the way the roof collapsed, it mostly has sheltered the contents that were along the sides of the building...

Again, the first step will need to be to remove the contents, probably mostly to the back porch... Then do whatever repairs / reconstruction is needed... One thought would be to replace the building, the other option might be to partly replace it with a wooden structure that would be more rugged, so this won't happen again. Given that the metal walls are in pretty decent shape, it seems like it might be possible to lightly stud something up inside them, and use the metal for siding, and do a plywood and roll roof, or possibly corrugated plastic roof on top to replace the bent up metal roofing.... Don't know which would be better / cheaper...

Possible issues
1. The plywood that I used for the platform decking is exterior grade, but I don't know how it will handle the snow that has gotten piled on it since the roof ruptured, plus rain etc.

2. The shelves along the right wall, are built as one unit, moving them may be a challenge, or require disassembly before moving. There is also stuff on the top shelf that can't be seen because the roof has collapsed around it.

3. Right now, I can't get into the shed as I can't get past the edge of the platform. I would hope that part of any rebuild will include making it possible for me to get into the shed. (shouldn't be terribly hard, the platform isn't up that much, and it is slightly downhill from the house to where the platform sits...

I do have SOME wood available of various sorts of PT left over from building my ramp to the house, but we will likely need more. It would be nice to get a shopping list developed so that I can be sure we have what's needed on hand before the day...

Just as a FWIW, I do have two air compressors that can be used to drive air tools, and lots of extension cords for AC tools. I also have a pretty good collection of hand and power tools of various sorts, If you feel that there is a specific tool that might be needed, ask and I can tell you if I have it....

Ex-Gooserider

 

[Danno77]

don't you have snow chains for that sucker yet?

 

[Gooserider]

Needed more like MUD chains... Actually the problem is the skinny tires that sink into everything, not to mention gutless motors, a grossly under-powered controller, and less than ideal batteries... I've been reading and participating a lot on a UK site called Wheelchair Driver The owner is of the opinion that for various reasons, many of the related to the "safety nazis" the mobility industry does a very poor job of serving those of us that are only moderately disabled.... Essentially what we are told is our only choice is "granny's perambulator" - chairs that are to long, to wide, and poorly programmed so that it feels like your steering with rubber bands, plus have minimal suspensions that actually INCREASE your level of pain at best, and can actually cause further injury... He has done some serious re-engineering and modifications on his chairs to create a chair that is smaller, more agile, and more comfortable while having all-terrain capability, and generally being more "able" than anything the industry offers,

I'm trying to get my hands on a Sunrise / Quickie F55, which is the UK only chair that he used as a starting point for making the mods. I'm currently of the opinion that the Burgerman MK2 chair is about what I want to build as a first attempt, and then possibly move on in a couple years to trying to build one of his (still under construction) MK3 chairs using a US model chair as a starting point. I don't know for sure, but it seems possible to me that if the chair is as good as claimed, I might even be able to start burning again, at least part time....

Gooserider

 

[DonNH]

I think it will be easiest to replace the entire structure, perhaps using the old cover on top of the new one in order to make a double layer...

I've got a similar shelter which collapsed under snow load - the "rafters" actually snapped.

I didn't need a to have the shelter open down the middle, so I built a rough "wall" support down the center.

I got some PVC pipe & couplers the right size, then cut & bent (using heat gun) the pipe to the correct length & shape.
Replaced the broken frame members with the PVC, then built the crude support down the center.
On one side I built a rack to hold several kayaks, the other side is open for general storage.
It's held up fine for over 6 years now like that.

I do try to get out after snowstorms & rake the snow off.

Given that you aren't likely to keep the roof clean, I would definitely think a center support would be a good idea.
Long term, I'd suggest replacing both structures with something more substantial, so that snow loads aren't a concern.
Of course then you get into both the financial issues and having to deal with building codes & taxes.

Don

 

[Gooserider]

I think it will be easiest to replace the entire structure, perhaps using the old cover on top of the new one in order to make a double layer...

I've got a similar shelter which collapsed under snow load - the "rafters" actually snapped.

I didn't need a to have the shelter open down the middle, so I built a rough "wall" support down the center.

I got some PVC pipe & couplers the right size, then cut & bent (using heat gun) the pipe to the correct length & shape.
Replaced the broken frame members with the PVC, then built the crude support down the center.
On one side I built a rack to hold several kayaks, the other side is open for general storage.
It's held up fine for over 6 years now like that.

I do try to get out after snowstorms & rake the snow off.

Given that you aren't likely to keep the roof clean, I would definitely think a center support would be a good idea.
Long term, I'd suggest replacing both structures with something more substantial, so that snow loads aren't a concern.
Of course then you get into both the financial issues and having to deal with building codes & taxes.

Don

I kind of need the center open on both buildings as I store a variety of things in them and need the full width at times...

What I actually think MAY have caused the tent garage to collapse was an overly helpful neighbor. He was one of the folks that has done a wonderful job of keeping our driveway and W/C ramp clear and passable all winter, and I was returning the favor to the extent I could by letting him borrow my snow blower. We'd had several storms and gotten quite a large build up on the roof, plus the side walls to the point where I couldn't see any green wall between the snow bank on the side and the layer on the roof... The only problem was that the front zippers were getting difficult to fasten because of the extra tension on the fabric... Our neighbor decided to try and clear off what he could, and used a rake to get the first six feet or so of roof pretty clean, but leaving about a two-three foot wide pile along the peak on each side. He really put a lot of effort into it, I'm not sure I would have even tried as much before I was injured.... BUT My suspicion is that if he hadn't cleared the snow, the load would have been evenly distributed, and everything would have held up fine, like it had up to that point. However, because he left that pile at the peak, the load wasn't distributed well, and this caused the collapse, which happened within a day or two after his efforts. Can't really say anything much though, as he really was trying to help, and he and his family have gone way above and beyond to help us out over the past year....

The tin shed I'm less sure about, other than the fact that it is under a big tree... It seems possible that a big blob of snow falling off a branch might have hit hard enough to have started the roof buckling when added to the heavy load that was already on the roof... Some ways it isn't a great place to have the shed, but it does have the advantage of being inconspicuous - what the tax man doesn't see, he can't (over)charge you for....

Some ways what would really be nice is to get one of those smallish container freight carriers, as those will stand up to just about anything, but it's hard to figure where we could put it, or what the town gov't types would say if they saw it...

Ex-Gooserider

 

[Gooserider]

Thought I should post an update - doing reasonably well on the physical side, all things considered. Not a lot of progress on the collapsed buildings, as things still seem a bit iffy in terms of getting back to them in the chair... I have talked to the neighbors a little about trying to get another work day with their church group, and they said that it wasn't going to be possible until May or June as they have another project they are working on.

Currently I have a bit of a different challenge... I've been looking a lot into wheelchair tech and other mobility options as I'm not really happy with my current equipment. One of the sites I've been spending a lot of time on is a UK based site called "WheelchairDriver.com" The site's owner has a lengthy background in performance engineering on various sorts of motor vehicles, among other things. He has expressed a lot of disgust with the current state of mobility tech, largely because the mobility industry tends to be overly concerned about making their products 100% "safe" (which in some ways decreases safety!) and that they are more interested in keeping insurance companies and the like happy than they are in really doing a good job of serving the needs of the handicapped....

His solution to this has been to take an existing chair model, and thoroughly rebuild it so that it is more compact, better handling, more comfortable and capable on rough ground, and so on... He used a UK model chair, but there is a US model that is pretty similar. I just won an E-bay auction for one of these, and plan to try building my own version of one of these "Burgerman Special" model chairs... Trouble is, it seems to be really expensive to get the chair shipped to me, because the seller is located in a place that's kind of in the middle of nowhere, and doesn't have a way to get it to a trucking company. Does anybody live near "Moon, VA, 23119"?

Gooserider

 

[nola mike]

I'm about an hour away...

 

[begreen]

Mike, if you can help, I'm willing to chip in for the gas.

 

[Gooserider]

That would be really great, I'd also be happy to help on gas... I started another thread last night asking if anybody lived near Moon. Just got through with a post in it giving some of the specs on the chair and a few photos...

Actually it looks like Richmond would be pretty good in terms of freight terminals as well, Googlemaps shows a bunch of them in the area...

 

[BrotherBart]

Amtrak runs through Richmond and on up to Boston. They have a freight service called Amtrak Express that even handles bicycles and they sell the boxes for them at the terminal.

Check it out on the Amtrak site.

 

[Willman]

Greyhound or similar bus companies carry freight from terminal to terminal. Usually decent prices on oversized stuff. Problem is freight has to delivered and picked up at bus station.

Will

 

[nola mike]

And actually, my mom splits time between Fl and Medford--will be heading through this way in may sometime. Don't know how much of a hurry you're in, or if she'd have room in her car (don't know how big this is). PM me and we'll work out the details. BTW, Moon is awesome. They have a great secluded beach there right on the bay. I wouldn't mind heading out there on a nice day and bringing the kayak and fishing rod...

 

[Gooserider]

And actually, my mom splits time between Fl and Medford--will be heading through this way in may sometime. Don't know how much of a hurry you're in, or if she'd have room in her car (don't know how big this is). PM me and we'll work out the details. BTW, Moon is awesome. They have a great secluded beach there right on the bay. I wouldn't mind heading out there on a nice day and bringing the kayak and fishing rod...

Not in a frantic rush, as I'll be working on it in the garage, and can't do all that much until it warms up a bit more... However I don't think the chair would fit in a car - I have a second thread going where I asked if anyone lived near Moon, and I have the specs there. In short, I wouldn't try to get it into anything smaller than a minivan or a compact pickup... Don't have exact dimensions, but it is probably around 26" wide, and 40" front-back. If the seat back is folded down, and the armrests removed height would probably be about 24-30" Weight is probably around 250-300 lbs.

Gooserider

 

[nola mike]

yeah, probably a bit much for the altima...

 

[seige101]

Just wondering about the work day as that is coming up soon. Who all is going and when?

 

[webbie]

Does anybody live near "Moon, VA, 23119"?

Gooserider

I can chip in some gas money! Or shipping money!
The internet site, uship, is great for shipping large items as they sit.....private guys do it. I have shipped a lot of stuff with them...pretty cheap!

Try it out if possible.

 

[Dune]

I will certainly try to attend, but I have different work obligations than last year. When are we talking about?

 

[Gooserider]

The work day is not nailed down as to the date. I'm trying to coordinate with the local church group that helped me with the ramp and a few other things. Their crew is busy on another project that won't be done until some time in May... I'm hoping for some time in late May or early June, but not sure...

As to the shipping thing, I had a second thread going on that, which got moved to DIY - summary was that the human chain didn't seem to be working out, so I went with a bid from uShip with the auction fee, was $369.00. We've gotten several donations via PayPal already, and several others are promised to be on the way via snail mail... I think the total will be enough to cover most if not all the shipping costs...

Gooserider

 

[tfdchief]

We’ve gotten several donations via PayPal already, and several others are promised to be on the way via snail mail… I think the total will be enough to cover most if not all the shipping costs…

Gooserider

Keep us posted on covering the shipping. For those of us who did send, I think we all want to know if it worked out for you, since we all kind of committed you to that. Anyway, I do.

 

[Gooserider]

Just as a quick update, I just asked Mary-Anne how we were doing on the donations - she says that we've gotten $450.00 so far in the PayPal account. We also got one check in todays mail, bringing the total up to $470... This more than covers the shipping, and will hopefully make a good dent in the costs for modifying it...

Gooserider

 

[tfdchief]

Just as a quick update, I just asked Mary-Anne how we were doing on the donations - she says that we've gotten $450.00 so far in the PayPal account. We also got one check in todays mail, bringing the total up to $470... This more than covers the shipping, and will hopefully make a good dent in the costs for modifying it...

Gooserider

Glad to hear that. Is it here yet?

 

[Gooserider]

No, it isn't here yet, and the waiting is kind of hard to take.

However, I wasn't real sure about what to put for the shipping schedule, so I put down a pretty wide range for the dates when I was putting up the shipment on the uShip website - I specified pickup after 4/1/2011, and delivery before 5/6/2011, which may have been overly generous , but now means I can't really start sweating about it for another few weeks...

Gooserider

 

[begreen]

Can they provide you tracking info?