Looking Out From the Garage: May 2010

Ken is a friend of mine... and I don't mean in the 'FaceBook' sort of way.  I mean in the handshakes and deep conversation sort of way.  He is a great guy... and this is a great post from him. 

My answer when I saw it was...    well, you'll just have to go back to Ken's original post to see...

Image by Hugo90 via Flickr

Gotta love a cool tow rig.  After all, that is how the toys move great distances.  At least trail toys…  I know that a lot of street rod guys NEVER trailer their cars.

Currently, my tow rig is a 2000 Ford F-350.  It has a 7.3L Powerstroke Turbo Diesel…  Running empty this last week, I was getting 16.7mpg on the highway.  That isn’t too bad considering the truck weighs about 7,500 pounds.  Pulling a trailer with two Jeeps on it across the country to Moab, UT, it averages about 11.2mpg.

Diesels make great pullers.  They are VERY powerful, and get pretty good mileage considering the power.

It is also pretty comfortable… leather seats, power windows, nice sound system and all of the comforts of home.

But, that isn’t very cool… it is just a stock F-350.  But I keep having this thought creep into my head.  I love the ’snub-nose’, cab-over trucks of the 1940s.  They are ugly as pugs, but that is part of their appeal.  The bigger problem is that they are generally regular cab trucks.  With a family and friends, a crew cab is a must…

I have seen a couple of these truck cab stretched.  They still aren’t pretty… and I still like them.

When we add it all up, we get:

• 1940s COE truck
• stretched cab into a crew cab configuration
• late model diesel powertrain
• modern ‘amenities’ in the cab like power windows, gps, mp3 player/satellite radio, leather seating
• custom designed ‘hauler’ flatbed to make hauling either tag or gooseneck/fifthwheel type trailers easier and more convenient

It would be a really cool, eye-catching tow rig that would definitely garner well deserved attention, regardless of what it was pulling.

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Let me talk about my brief hiatus…

I grew up mostly without a garage.  From the time I was 11 years old until I was 25, I didn’t have a garage.  I became a car guy without a place to park one inside…  I learned to work on cars outside.  Honestly, I wasn’t a giant fan…  But, we make do.

Under the covers...

This past week I went to visit my mother.  She has been in the same house since I was 14 years old.  Still no garage.  And my truck decided to have a failure.  Specifically, the fuel injection wiring harness inside one of the valve covers failed.  It stopped sending fuel to four of the eight cylinders… and that diesel truck is too big to be a 4 banger…

So, anyway, I got to go back to my roots.  I got to pull the valve cover and replace the wiring harness in the driveway.  I even got to do it with a small tool kit.  I think the lack of some specific tools added a couple of hours to the job.  At least this time I was wearing gloves so I didn’t have to spend an hour trying to get the grunge out from under my fingernails…

Boy am I glad to be back…

RVs can be really cool.  The part that isn’t cool, though, is that they get crappy mileage.  Of course, when you consider the size and space that is rolling down the road, it isn’t that bad.  But, I think it could be WAY better.

RV tech + Railroad tech + High tech =

Class A and Class C RVs are generally pretty big and bulky, especially the ones that appeal to me.  In addition to having a nice place to lay my head, I’d also like to be able to drag a trailer with a modified Jeep on/in it.  That kind of eliminates the vast majority of Class B units…

• Class A RVs are the giant boxes that roll down the road.  They look like buses.  In fact, they can be based on a bus chassis.  These can be quite luxurious, and cost upwards of $1,000,000.  Many are ‘diesel pushers’, meaning they have diesel engines in the back, and then an auxiliary generator up front.  There is usually one bedroom in the very back.
• Class B RVs look like modified full size vans.  Camper-van would be the best description.  Although, the class is being pushed by some of the units based on chassis like the Dodge Sprinter.  They can be quite roomy… for their size.
• Class C RVs are the ones that are in between.  The chassis is usually based on a light or medium duty truck or van, and that is obvious from the cab.  They also are the ones that usually have sleeping space that extends out over the top of the cab.  The medium duty chassis are often diesel powered, and they can be quite spacious.

Both Class A and C are now often equipped with ’slide-outs’, which expand the space while the RV is parked.  Many also have outdoor entertainment systems, and even basements (below floor storage for camping gear).

Image by The Motorhome & US RV Show via Flickr

I don’t know if you’ve ever noticed, but train locomotive engines don’t actually power the train.  The train actually runs on electricity.  The diesel engine is an onboard generator for the electric motors.  It is WAY more efficient to optimize the diesel to run at a specific RPM and a specific load instead of making it flexible enough to actually drive the vehicle.  The electric motors are WAY more efficient at delivering the power to the wheels at a variety of wheel speeds.

Finally, solar cells (photovoltaic cells) have gotten better by leaps and bounds.  They are by no means cheap, but prices have come down, while performance has increased.  At the same time, batter technology has also evolved dramatically.  Lithium Ion (Li) and Nickel Metal Hydride (NiMH) batteries deliver more power per pound, are more resistant to ‘memory’ and are easier to package than the old lead acid batteries (like in most cars).

Cool tech

See where I am going?  Big Class A and C RVs are already heavy.  They have lots of unused space.  They generally have onboard power generation and battery power.  They have a lot of flat roof space.

Why not build a hybrid RV?  Run a pair of smaller diesel generators in the place of the drive engine and auxiliary generator.  Add electric wheel motors to the drive axles… of course, these also provide regenerative braking (the generate electricity when you step on the brakes).  Use up some of the space underneath the RV with batteries.  Top it off with solar panels on the roof.

Would we get a 30mpg Class A that could tow my Jeep as a result?  Nope…  But maybe it could get 15mpg instead of 10mpg.  Maybe the solar panels would allow the air conditioner to run while camped without firing up the generator.

A couple of years ago I wrote about folks facing foreclosure.  I would love to say that things have really changed in the last couple of years, but I can’t…  They have actually gotten worse in many regards.  But we might be seeing the light at the end of the tunnel… but it is just a pinprick of light…recent numbers are showing that the tide of foreclosures might be easing… if only slightly… from record levels.

Image by lane.bailey via Flickr

But I am still seeing something that really bothers me.  People that are in the sights, facing foreclosure, close themselves off and refuse to admit reality until the Sheriff comes knocking on their door.  I understand why… it isn’t any fun facing a grim reality.  But the grim reality WILL be faced.  Better to face it while there is still time to alter it for the better.

Let me be VERY clear.  I do not have the training to do short sales.  I don’t do short sales as a listing agent.  I do handle foreclosures… and would be just fine as a buyer’s agent on either a short sale or foreclosure.  But, I don’t want to list your home as a short sale… and I would be just fine if your home didn’t come on the market as a short sale or foreclosure…  I would MUCH rather that you find a way to avoid losing your home.

The good news is that loan modifications and short sales ARE getting easier.  Not much, but it is a start.

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Today was ‘Wing Day’ for my Kindergartner.  It wasn’t the official graduation, but rather a class thing. 

The class, made up of half Kindergartners and half 1st Graders, is called the ‘High Flyers’.  The Kindergartners are called ‘Co-Pilots’ and the 1st Graders are ‘Pilots’…

Today, Garrett got his pilot wings in class.  He was a proud kid.  He has been doing really well, almost meeting the requirements to graduate 1st Grade… while in Kindergarten.  Not only has he been doing it, he has been enjoying it.

For the Flashback, I thought I would highlight a couple of posts about the school and his class…

• Thank you Ms. Curtis… Arcado has great teachers!
• And now for something completely different…
• Hockey Boy at Arcado Elementary
• Arcado Elementary Lunchtime Thoughts…

We’ve had a great year at Arcado, and we are looking forward to another 5 years.

My oldest son is getting ready to graduate Kindergarten.  And he has been loving it.  Much of that credit needs to go to his teacher, Ms. Curtis, at Arcado Elementary School in Lilburn, GA...

The class that he is in is a 'multi-age' class that includes Kindergartners and First Graders.  It is called a CLE class, or Continuous Learning Environment.  And for my son, it has been a marvelous experience.  Each Kindergartner is paired up with a First Grader.  They work as a team, with the First Grader mentoring the Kindergarten student.

Ms. Curtis with Jackson

Ms. Curtis has said that because half of the students were in the same class the previous year (the Kindergarten student complete First Grade in the same class), they are able to teach the new students how everything in the class works... and it really works...  It is like chaos crossed with military precision.  All of the kids know their roles, and while they might be all over the place during play time, when Ms. Curtis quietly calls them to order, they all go where they should be, and do whatever is scheduled to come next...

But the format of the CLE class is only part of it...  Ms. Curtis is just a great teacher.  She really cares for the kids, and each time we have been there, we have seen previous students rushing over to say hi to her... and we have spent a lot of time in the class.  Which brings us to another reason that we have enjoyed having Ms. Curtis as a teacher.  Garrett's younger brother has been welcomed in the class with open arms... and there are several younger siblings that have visited the class and received the same welcome.

In fact, at activities like Arcado Night at local restaurants, Jackson rushes to see Ms. Curtis.  And she is always eager to see him too.  He is looking forward to Kindergarten so that he can be in Ms. Curtis' class... just like his big brother.

Communications have been excellent as well.  And one of the things we look forward to as a family is the regular 'photo-shows' Ms. Curtis produces for the parents.  She shoots a lot of pictures in class and they are assembled in photo-shows.  Garrett loves pointing out all of his classmates and telling us everything that happened (oddly, he doesn't remember all of that 'stuff' when we try to talk about it during dinner ;^ ).  The photo-shows and newsletters help to keep us connected between our visits to the class.

But results are where it counts in scholastic performance.  And Garrett is excelling in class.  Despite not quite being done with Kindergarten (there are a few more days of class), he is almost at the levels required to complete First Grade in reading and math.  And he loves going to school.  He loves reading and working on his math problems.  He loves taking the tests on his reading and math studies.

To me, THAT is the measure of a teacher.  Ms. Curtis is not just providing the tools and knowledge to allow my child to learn, she is helping to instill the desire to learn (I think he gets some of it at home, too...  ;^ )

One of the things that makes me very happy... Garrett will be with Ms. Curtis next year as well.  Instead of being the 'co-Pilot', and learning from his partner, he will be a 'Pilot' and helping a new Kindergartner learn the ropes.

Arcado ranks quite well in comparison to other Gwinnett County Elementary Schools.  Gwinnett County has one of the best schools systems in the state...  Ms. Curtis is in good company.

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There are endless options to transplant modern drivetrains into older rides.  After all, it is the second oldest form of hot rodding… the first being ‘put in a BIGGER engine’.  And third in line is wringing more power out of the existing engine platform.  (just my opinion, not a provable timeline).  Somewhere in there is removing weight (stripping fenders and such was done to lower the weight and make the cars accelerate better).

It seems that retro-fever is sweeping many of the automakers.  The New Bettle, Mini Cooper, Mustang, Camaro and Challenger are all prime examples of retro-inspired design.  And while many of these designs are cool (I like several of them), retro-futuristic designs of the 1950s and 60s are still cutting edge.  The Chrysler Turbine car, Pontiac Firebird Concept, 57 Olds F-88 Concept and the Buick LeSabre concept are all prime examples.  And each of those cars was designed looking forward… or looking sideways at the aeronautics industry.

Image via Wikipedia

As a side note, the Kawasaki Vulcan Drifter is one of my favorite recent motorcycles.  Its design is VERY reminiscent of the old Indian Chiefs.

Back to the subject…  Since AMC is gone, why not resurrect the AMX?  It might have been the best looking car to come from AMC’s design studios, and was also likely the coolest.  It competed (quite well) against the Mustangs, Camaros, Cudas and Challengers of the day.

Since Chrysler bought out AMC, it would only be appropriate to run the 6.1L Hemi from the SRT-8 series cars.  Of course, a modern 5 speed automatic with overdrive would be on tap to back up the 425hp Hemi.  Fat tires and a better suspension design would be in the works, too.  The old suspensions were very bad at keeping the inside front tire from looking like something broke when they were cornering hard.

I think it would be fun… and since the AMXs have been so overlooked by the mainstream, there would be a lot of people wondering exactly what it was.

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I used to do an irregular look at some garage properties.  I would grab a few properties that were representative of the variety of 4+ car garage homes available in Gwinnett County, GA.  While pulling properties for a buyer moving in from another state, I decided it was time to take you on a tour again... 

I have seen some real variety in homes over $2million.  Even concentrating on properties with at least a 4 car garage, these are very diverse homes.  Don't get me wrong.. most are 4 or 5 car homes in amazing golf communities (like Chateau Elan, The River Club or Sugarloaf Country Club)... but then we hit one that has storage for 15 or 18 cars and multiple detached garages. 

Almost anything at this price will be very customized.  Often, VERY customized.  The properties are usually immaculate, whther they are garage focused, horse properties or just mansions, corners aren't cut.  Finding one that fits can be an incredible deal...  Of course, most can't take advantage of these deals...

Here is an example...  Over $2m, there are 14 other properties with 4+ car garages.

Because of MLS rules, I can't disclose an address or be very specific about any property without gaining written permission from the listing broker...  Thus, no pictures...

I used to do an irregular look at some garage properties.  I would grab a few properties that were representative of the variety of 4+ car garage homes available in Gwinnett County, GA.  While pulling properties for a buyer moving in from another state, I decided it was time to take you on a tour again... 

Honestly, when we are looking at properties between $1million and $2million, it is a rarity to see someplace with a shop.  They show up once in a while, but rarely.  We are getting into the territory of some pretty nice display spaces, though.  While it is still rare, there are some collectors with homes at this level... and there might be a stable full of Ferraris or high end muscle cars. 

The other thing is that most of the homes in this price range... especially in Gwinnett County... have 4+ car garages.  Most owners in this range have several cars.  And while there seem to be a lot of cool cars, there aren't that many serious car fanatics... or some of them have warehouses to keep the really cool toys.

Here is an example...  Between $1m and $2m, there are 29 other properties with 4+ car garages.

Because of MLS rules, I can't disclose an address or be very specific about any property without gaining written permission from the listing broker...  Thus, no pictures...