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[GMCnet] Removing ladder, rack and Pod [message #272434] Sat, 21 February 2015 20:16 Go to next message
glwgmc is currently offline  glwgmc   United States
Messages: 1014
Registered: June 2004
Karma: 10
Senior Member
A contrare Jonny.

When we made amore than 10,000 mile jaunt five years ago I thought it would be a good time to remove the pod to reduce drag. I never missed the pod, but it made no difference in fuel consumption that I could tell, but it sure made the coach look longer and lower. When we returned, I also removed the ladder and rails and that improved the look even more. My fall off the roof was in Mexico. I was up on a ladder to realign an errant antenna. The ladder moved away from the coach and the rounded top left nothing to grab and I landed with a thud on the sand/gravel parking area with my head just missing a concrete parking bumper. NO time to do anything or to exercise falling skills. Your head weighs about 1/7 of your body weight and you cannot move it fast enough to avoid whatever it is going to hit. I was lucky and had just a head ache and lots of topical blood. I don't even want to think what would have happened if my head had hit that concrete parking bumper!

When we purchased the Clasco it had a pod nicely painted to match the high quality base coat, clear coat silver and black finish on the coach. I left it there but almost never go up there and now never venture away from the area covered by the side rails, and only then while on my knees. I once thought I was skilled enough to wander around even on the top of our 12'+ high rolling condo without undo risk, but that fall in Mexico changed my mind big time. To each his own.....

Oh, BTW, I still think I am competent to drive two GMCs, at least my wife still thinks I am, too. Grin

Jerry
Jerry Work
The Dovetail Joint
Fine furniture designed and hand crafted in the 1907 former Masonic Temple building in historic Kerby, OR
Visitors always welcome!
glwork@mac.com
http://jerrywork.com
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Message: 14
Date: Sat, 21 Feb 2015 15:52:48 -0700
From: Johnny Bridges
To: gmclist@temp.gmcnet.org
Subject: Re: [GMCnet] Removing Ladder, Rack and Pod
Message-ID:
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8"

Rethink it??? When the day comes I'm not competent to climb the ladder and hold the rails - and that day will surely come albeit no time soon I hope -
I will not consider myself confident to drive the GMC either. At that point I';ll divest myself of it with the pod and ladder still attached. I took
a pretty good spill yesterday pulling limbs off the wires here. I know how to take a fall, years of BWDs yanking me down have taught me. Another
point to check at most of our age - my sawbones does a bone density check on me every couple of years. So far, it's normal... but osteoporosis is
silent and painless until you break something weakened by it. It's correctable if you know it exists. Have yourself checked regularly.

--johnny
--
'76 23' transmode Norris upfit
Braselton, Ga.

"Sometimes I wonder what tomorrow's gonna bring when I think about my dirty life and times" --Warren Zevon
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Jerry & Sharon Work
78 Royale
Kerby, OR
Re: [GMCnet] Removing ladder, rack and Pod [message #272444 is a reply to message #272434] Sun, 22 February 2015 08:57 Go to previous message
jhbridges is currently offline  jhbridges   United States
Messages: 8412
Registered: May 2011
Location: Braselton ga
Karma: -74
Senior Member
You have to understand - I'm acrophobic. Took two tries to get my pole certification in the '60s because you hadda go to the top of the pole:) I crawl to the pod and back to the ladder, and airmail stuff down and toss it back up ahead of me - none is breakable but I am. I'm not concerned about falling off the thing. There's no reason to crawl about outside the railings that I can see. I've a stepladder which gives access for washing and checking the solar panels, and the front clearance lights. I had Frady/Southland replace the A/C, I haven't the facilities to lift something off and put something else on. Probably cost a hundred or so more, but the lack of sweat was worth it.
As to aesthetics, I wish I had Jerry's or Kerry's grasp and appreciation for form and function. Unfortunately, I don't. Our home is furnished in Early Okie, Peachcrate Provincial, and Dog Fur. The GMC gets washed each spring when the weather breaks to remove the pine tree grot it accumulates over the fall and winter. It's an appliance to get to dog shows and gatherings of friends who also own them.
I've a great respect for any height above my shoulders - I remember a countryman to whom we offered a ride in the elevator at a tower site he was working (digging in field lines for the septic system) because he'd speculated on the view from the top. "NO, I made a deal wit Gawd" he says, "I don't git no lower than a tater nor no higher than a corn shock". Seemed like a reasonable philosophy.

--johnny


Foolish Carriage, 76 26' Eleganza(?) with beaucoup mods and add - ons. Braselton, Ga. I forgive them all, save those who hurt the dogs. They must answer to me in hell
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