Heading to Kingston, New York

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mcgovern61

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Location
Kingsport, Tennessee
My Bike Models
Former '82 GL1100 "The Slug"
My employment situation settled down, but not in enough time to make the Carlyle meet last week. :fiddle:

I have 4 days available to take a much shorter trip. I had planned on going to Carlyle, then Port Clinton, Ohio and end at Kingston, NY before heading back home, but it looks like it is only going to be Kingston. I leave next Tuesday through Friday and will be staying at a KOA campground in Saugerties, NY which is a bout 30 minutes above Kingston. Looks like a nice site.

https://koa.com/campgrounds/saugerties/

I will kinda wander my way up there rather than taking big slabs as I want the ride to last for a while (and Kingston is only under 4 hours by highway). I am looking forward to setting up and using my new tent that I got almost 1 1/2 YEARS AGO. There has been a lot of upheaval around here for the last 2 years so this is my first chance to get out and camp.

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Kingston is the destination for two reasons; one, the Hudson Valley is real nice riding, two, I am going to survey the old PT Boat I used to work and live on. Depending on condition, I would like to acquire it and restore it for rides for the public. She has been out of the water for almost 12 years which is never good for a wooden boat, but that double planked mahogany has already been replaced and refastened between '83 and '86 (I helped replace some of it back in the day).

It is an ambitious restore project. It might be a tad bit more than I spent on the '81 1100 Standard. :hihihi:

But it is also one of the 3 remaining 80' Elco PT Boats left in the world. (Not too many 1941 vintage stuff running around postwar).

Here are a few pics of the boat from back in WWII as PT-486, a training PT stationed in Melville, RI through when I worked on her as sightseeing boat to her condition today.

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Sister vessel at speed:

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When the Navy was doing a top secret experiment with her in 1944 (no longer top secret):

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When I worked on her in '79 through '83 (That is me standing on the port side railing at the little gate with the blue jacket on).
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One of the main engines while in passenger service (DD 12V71's twin screw..I know...I know....no Packards).

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Me first year on the job 2 days out of high school (1979):

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My quarters 1st summer:

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Quarters upgraded the next year:

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First attempt by an owner to convert back to PT passenger ride:

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As she sits today:

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[url=https://classicgoldwings.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=192239#p192239:96fkxqq4 said:
slabghost » 25 minutes ago[/url]":96fkxqq4]
Ambitious undertaking for sure.
That's for sure, but it sounds like you'd really enjoy it.

I hope there aren't all those houses around where you'll be camping :hihihi:
 
Kingston is my home town. I'm off Tuesday and Wednesday, though not so much in the evenings. Where about will you be those days?
 
[url=https://classicgoldwings.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=192293#p192293:2m2o8r2d said:
wreckster » Sun Jun 25, 2017 10:22 am[/url]":2m2o8r2d]
Kingston is my home town. I'm off Tuesday and Wednesday, though not so much in the evenings. Where about will you be those days?
I am heading out Tuesday morning and will be at the KOA campground in Saugerties off 112 in the late afternoon. I will be at the campground on and off as I work out details of when I can go survey the boat. It is anticipated to survey the boat Thursday or Friday right there on Rondout Creek (up on land) I believe right next to the Steelhouse Restaurant.

Maybe we could get together at some point on Wednesday.
 
I made it to The KOA campground late Tuesday evening (9PM). I was significantly delayed getting outta Dodge. I hooked up the trailer, loaded up and had everything ready to go and preformed my safety check for lights horn and air in the tires and discovered the right side tail light and turn signal on the trailer wasn't working.

I remembered that I hit the light on my fence gate post as I was backing the trailer out of the yard. It bent the little angle iron that the light was mounted to, but I had already pulled it back. I figured I must have busted the lamp. Opened up the fixture and the lamp looked OK. But, it was real loose. I tried to tighten it up, but no dice. Finally get it tight and restart the bike to check. POP. Well, there goes that bulb. Figured the filaments must have cracked.

Got another bulb and put it in. Still fitting kinda funny. Start the bike again and no lights!!!! :cheeky: :head bang:

Go back and check the fuse on the trailer wire converter (5 wire to 4 wire). Fuse is OK??? :shock:

Check the voltage at the plug coming out of the bike. One pin is pushing way too much voltage and the right side turn signal will not work at that pin (The bikes turn signals are working fine including the new to me turn signal buzzer.) Check the plug at thye trailer back to the lights and something really went out of whack!! The right light unit is shot. Somehow when it bumped the post, it bent the bars inside that are for the foundation bolts and hold the two copper strips/springs to hold the lamp. CRAP!! :head bang: :crying:
 
Lucky me, I just so happen to have a complete LED conversion kit for the trailer from Harbor Freight (Recalled for the lights not meeting standards). Pop a new fixture on and test. Still no power. For the sake of time, something took a serious dump in the wiring harness and I could not get continuity to all of the wires on the trailer while disconnected. Looks like I am rewire this whole light kit in ASAP!! :cheeky: :shock: :oops:

Get all of the wiring done, test with a meter and all connections are good. Reconnect to the bike, still no power. It looks like the 5-4 converter fried. Sad mistake on my part. The unit has a fuse at the battery, but there was no fuse between the trailer harness and the converter. When the light shorted, it must have fried the unit. I scramble out a local RV dealership hoping and praying they have a unit available. (It is an old style unit that takes individual turn signals and separate brake light wires and runs then to a flat 4 wire standard trailer connection.) It was an electronic unit with a built in circuit breaker, but I guess it didn't work as designed.

After 40 minutes of driving, the RV dealer has one VERY OLD (NOS) unit remaining. It does not take power from the battery. It uses the bikes wires for power. Good thing I switched the lights to LED. Pull the seat, pull the wires, pullo the covereter and wire the new one in ASAP. Test with a meter and it works!! :yahoo:

Connect the trailer, start the bike and everything works!! :party:

Now to clean up the wiring mess laying in the driveway. Load the trailer back up. It is now 5 PM and I intended to get out the door at 9 AM. Called the campground and they said If I get there before 9 PM I will be fine. After 10 PM, no entrance or setup allowed (quiet time at the KOA). I look at my route and I can make it if I go direct and do not take the scenic route that I planned and make it a slab run at 75 MPH.
 
I kiss my Wife goodbye (again) and hit the road. All high speed highways.However, that new MRA windshield extender really makes a HUGE difference. I still get plenty of air around the windshield and up from underneath, but no buffeting at my head at all. Man, what a pleasure! I road most of the trip with my face shield up except when passing trucks or busses. It was really nice.

I know I have made fun of the, "Slug". But she must of been listening to all of that praise we were giving the '81 Standard. I have not loaded the trailer this heavy yet, but there was not a square inch not accounted for. All that extra weight still towed perfectly straight. There was enough tongue weight that the shocks had a decent load on them. The "Slug" seemed to like the challenge. She pulled smooth and never stumbled. Out on the highway, she pulled and road like a Queen! Smoothest ride yet on this old girl. Very comfortable! It still takes at least 1 1/2 hours at 75 MPH for these engines to really show their smoothness. Get her on the highway, and that carbon just need to get blown out! :yes:
 
Glad you got underway and arrived safely.

If you fry the bike's wiring again, go to the nearest u-haul and pick a new one rather than a old new stock model. I use their part number 14486. It doesn't need the power from the battery either and will cost less than $20.
 
Glad you finally made it Gerry. Sounds like you had a great trip apart from the delayed start. :doh:
 
The pictures of the PT boat are great. I guess I didn't realize how long they were. If you end up restoring the boat I would love to see the updates, especially the lift out of that yard onto a trailer.

I had an old bass boat a few years ago that my son-in-law was going to sink. I got it instead and stripper her down and got it nice enough to tote the grandkids around with a trolling motor. Cammo treatment to boot. After I was done the son-in-law said that he wished he had thought of what I had done because it would have made a good duck blind. But that is nothing compared to your project.
 
I am back home. It was a great trip and the bike and trailer handled fantastic! No issues to report EXCEPT the high temps and humidity on the trip home was awful. 95+ degrees and 80 some percent humidity. I felt like a wet rag. Around Orange New Jersey on the Garden State Parkway, I ended up in 10 miles of stop and go traffic. Man it got hot. Good thing I had plenty of water. The fan worked perfectly and no overheating (except for me).

Here are some quick pics of the KOA site:

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Took a trip to Saugerties Lighthouse. Boy, If I had know it was a 1/2 mile trek in the marsh to get there I may have done something else! :shock: :hihihi:

I have passed this lighthouse many times by ship, but never up to it by land so this was a great opportunity. I have quite a few pics of the hike out to the lighthouses crossing at least 5 pedestrian bridges and long pathways, but here are a few pics to get the idea.

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