July 29th - August 16, 2025 Trailer Upgrade; Trip to Michigan and Indiana

My Blog Reflection

For evil to flourish, all that is needed is for good people to do nothing.

Edmund Burke

July 29, 2025:

I have a utility trailer that I use to haul the lawnmower out to the lake lot to cut the grass and for various other needs. The trailer tailgate is a ramp so it is heavy to lift up from the ground once it is down. As I have aged I have lost a lot of strength and am now having difficulty lifting the tailgate off the ground. I am not the only one with this issue because there are several tailgate lift assist kits for sale. These kits use large springs attached to cables to help with the weight of the tailgate. Here is the kit I ordered.

Upon the kit arriving I got busy installing it with the help of daughter, Alexa, who was here at the time.

I love the tailgate locks that came with this trailer. There are no pins to pull and lose. You just turn it and push it out to engage the tailgate. Once the tailgate is engaged you turn down to lock it. Here is a picture. A clever design.

The lifting kit instructions said to mount each tube one quarter inch from the end of the trailer side rail. This installation allows for the cable to be pulled down with the tailgate and not rub on the trailer rail. I really wanted to keep my original tailgate locks so I installed the lifting mechanism behind these locks. My "hope" was that I could keep the original locks and mount something on the end of the trailer rail for the cables to ride on so they did not rub on the edge of the trailer rail as you see them doing in the above  picture. 

I purchased pulleys to mount on the end of the rail hoping they would guide the cable away from the edge of the rail. No matter what I tried, this idea just would not work. Sadly I had to cut off the the old locks and move the lifting mechanism to the end of the rail as the instructions stated. Once they were installed according to the supplied directions the cables did not rub on  the trailer. 

With the lifting assist properly mounted I now had to fabricate a new locking mechanism for each side of the tailgate. After looking at some other trailer tailgate locks I settled on the following: I welded a two-inch long piece of pipe on the trailer and another two-inch long piece of pipe on the tailgate. A pin would then be inserted through those pipes locking the tailgate in the upright position.

I purchased two "Draw Hitch Pins" which are normally used on farm equipment. The pins are 1/2 inch thick by 6 inches long. 

As you can see in the picture the "Draw Hitch Pins" came with "bobby pins" to keep the pins from coming out. I hate these bobby pins because they are very difficult to get off with your bare hands. The "Draw Hitch Pins" had large holes on the end so I purchased "Lynch Pins" to replace the bobby pins. This is what lynch pins look like. The pin goes through the hole in the "Draw Hitch Pin" then the ring snaps closed to lock the "Lynch Pin" in place.

Here is a picture of both pins installed on one side of the tailgate. The arrows point to each piece of pipe welded on - one on the trailer and one on the tailgate. You can see the "Draw Hitch Pin" and the "Lynch Pin", top and bottom.

Here is a picture of the new locking mechanism installed on both sides with the cables for the tailgate assist in place.

I was concerned about losing a Draw Hitch Pin, or a Lynch Pin, when using the trailer so I purchased lightweight chain to attach each pin to the trailer.  Here is a picture with the pins in place and chained to the trailer.

Here is a picture of the Draw Hitch Pin once it is pulled. It just hangs there out of the way and readily available to be reinstalled once the tailgate is back in the upright position.

We went out to the lake to cut the grass on Thursday. The tailgate assist system and the new tailgate lock system all worked well.

 

August 9, 2025:

Today in the mail, after living in Perry County for 50 years, I received my first call for jury duty in the federal court system. I filled out the questionnaire online and will wait to see if I get called. My concern is having conflicts with my medical treatment schedule. We shall see.

August 12, 2025:

Now that all of my medical procedures were out of the way for a week or so, we headed to Michigan for a long talked about visit with friends there. When spending the winters in Roberts RV Park in Florida for several years we met three sisters and their husbands from Michigan and became great friends. No one is RVing there anymore and we wanted to get together.

In the evening we stopped overnight at a Super8. The hotel was fine but this is a picture of their "breakfast bar". I was the only one in there. There wasn't a single hot item other than the coffee. You could have cold cereal, yogurt, day old bread for toast, or a half rotten banana. What a joke.

August 13, 2025:

Upon our arrival at Chris and Marj's place in early afternoon, we were warmly greeted by Chris and Marge, Jean and David, and George and Janet. It was so great seeing all of them. Here is a selfie that Jean took out on the patio.

It was a very emotional meeting for Chris and I since we are both dealing with progressing cancer issues and don't know if we will have the opportunity to visit again. 

Chris and Marj provided a wonderful meal for everyone and we shared pictures of our times together at Roberts RV Park over the years. We were lucky to have had several years of great times with these great people. I wish:  A: We had met forty years ago; and B: That we lived closer to each other for visits. 

Chris took us for a tour of the apartment complex on this golf cart. It is a very nice and large complex with several streets and is still in the making.

Their apartment is perfect for them with an open concept, no steps, a two car garage, two bedrooms, and a nice rear patio. Selling their home of 45 years and moving here has proven to be a great decision for them.

August 14, 2005:

We took Chris and Marj to breakfast the next morning and, after another great visit over breakfast, we then headed to Fort Wayne, Indiana. 

In Fort Wayne we visited Jim and Marilyn in their new apartment. They recently sold their home and moved into a a nice two-bedroom apartment in a large complex for seniors. 

We had a nice visit with them and then retreated to the room they rented for us in the complex which is available for visitors. It was a nice room and I was ready for a good night's sleep.

August 15, 2025: 

Friday morning we got up, had a huge breakfast at a restaurant Jim picked out, and headed home. Here is a picture of Marilyn and Jim as we were leaving the restaurant to head back to Perryville. It is always good to see them.

We arrived in Perryville at 4:30 p.m. and it was 96 degrees, a little hotter than in Michigan and Indiana. I couldn't believe the amount of bugs on the car in 1,400 miles even though we had never driven at night. I'll need to get busy and clean them off soon. Maybe.

We had been looking forward to this trip for a long time and it did not disappoint. A visit on Monday with the oncologist will give us an idea of time we may have for other short trips, or even a hope down to our place in Florida.