Not-So-Speedy Dressage
From Endurance to Dressage
I love having my own trailer, but the thing is, it isn't your typical park it 'til you need it vehicle. Having a horse trailer with living quarters is a lot like having two vehicles. Just like any horse trailer, this one needs new tires now and then, its wiring looked at, and the mats removed so the interior can be scrubbed clean. Unlike your average trailer though, this one has a people compartment that always seems to need something as well. Just a few weeks ago I replaced both RV batteries (not for the first time). I've also replaced the propane tank (numerous times), and the water pump. And not too long ago, I had the bathroom door rehung. The latest repair involved the roof. Some time ago, like maybe 5 years, the latches on my wind up vent lids broke. I didn't want to get them fixed, so I zip-tied them closed. This has worked remarkably well for a number of years. Each time the zip-ties wore out, I just climbed back up there and added new ones. That was going well until last week. I climbed up to replace the broken zip ties and noticed that the vent covers were actually cracked and broken. This was a problem that a zip tie could not fix, so I whipped out a roll of duct tape. It all held together well enough for the drive down to Simi Valley for a lesson, but I knew I had to actually get them fixed right. I don't know how I made it through this winter with three cracked and broken roof vents. I called my local RV repair shop and got a quote that seemed ridiculous for the amount of work involved, $500. My husband insisted we could do the job ourselves for a lot less money. I went to YouTube and watched a how to video that really did make the job look fairly amateur friendly. I drove down to Pensingers RV Parts and Service where they sold me exactly what I needed and then gave me 10% off my purchase when I asked if they could do a little better on the pricing. My bill was $167. We dragged all of our supplies up to the roof of the trailer and started scraping off the old caulking. That was the only part of the job that was even remotely difficult. Once we had the first vent mostly free of caulking, my husband started removing the screws while I went to work scraping off the old caulking from the other two vents. Once all of the caulking was scraped away and the screws removed, we lifted the vent out of the roof. I was really worried that we might see some water damage in the wood, but the frame was in excellent shape. When the vents were removed, we finished scraping away all of the left over caulking and putty. My husband then went inside and removed the interior flange that covers up the exposed wood. While my husband was busy bringing up materials and opening boxes, I applied the putty tape to the underside of the new vent and slid it gently into place. It's great when things fit the first time. Once we got the first vent more or less clean of old caulking and got it pulled out, the other two were quite easy to do. While my husband replaced screws in the first vent, I scraped away old caulking and pulled out the other vents. With both of us working together, the job took less than the three hours the RV company was going to charge me. My husband had a tee time at one of our local golf courses so he ended up leaving once all of the vents were screwed in tightly. He helped me get the caulking gun working, but from there, I finished the job myself. While I could have technically done the job myself, I was really grateful that my husband came out to do it with me. I am a little afraid of heights so it was reassuring to have someone else up there with me. We work well together and recognize each other's strengths, so there's rarely any arguing. Now that this part of the job is done, I am going to try and get roof vent covers installed some time this summer. I've already watched the installation video and think that I might be able to tackle this job on my own. I don't like using a drill though, so I may have to get my husband back up on the roof to help me. I'll definitely owe him a lunch for that one!
I am ready for a month free of repairing or replacing stuff though, so new vent covers are going to have to wait a few months!
jenj
3/28/2016 06:32:59 am
Oooh, nice job! We need to get a seal fixed on the hatch on our truck camper... maybe it's safe to DIY this? Hmmm... 3/28/2016 09:11:45 am
We are not overly handy people - we prefer to just hire out whatever job needs to be done. Surprisingly, this was actually a simple job. YouTube is AWESOME! Labor costs are through the roof, so if you think you can do it yourself, go for it. 3/28/2016 09:15:36 am
I HATE drilling holes in my trailer. We've installed a few aftermarket things (bucket bangers, lights, and the HieTie System), but I cringed at doing it. And my trailer is aluminum and steel. I'd be so nervous about drilling into fiberglass.
Karen Bro
3/28/2016 09:57:20 am
Nicely done. YouTube is a money saver for many of us. Comments are closed.
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About the Writer and RiderI am a lifelong rider.
I began endurance riding in 1996 where I ultimately completed five, one-day 100 mile races, the 200-mile Death Valley Encounter, and numerous other 50, 65, and 75 mile races. I began showing dressage in 2010. Welcome to my dressage journey. About Speedy GSpeedy went from endurance horse to dressage horse. After helping me earn a USDF Bronze medal in the summer of 2020, he is now semi-retired. Speedy is a 2004, 15'1 hand, purebred Arabian gelding. His Arabian Horse Registry name is G Ima Starr FA.
About IzzyIzzy was started as a four-year old and then spent the next 18 months in pasture growing up. I bought him as a six-year old, and together, we are showing at the lower levels. He is a 2008, 16'3 hand warmblood gelding. His Rheinland Pfalz-saar International (RPSI) name is Imperioso.
National Rider AwardsState Rider Awards
State Horse Awards
Working Towards:
CDS Sapphire Rider Award Third Level: 63.514% Third Level: 62.105% Fourth Level: Fourth Level: 2023 Show Season
Show Rating (***) CDS/USDF/USEF (*) CDS (s) Schooling (c) Clinic (r) Ride-a-Test Clinic 2023 Show Schedule
TBD 2023 Completed … Pending 2023 Qualifying Scores
Regional Adult Amateur Competition (RAAC) Qualifying Training Level 3 Scores/2 Judges/60%: Score 1: Score 2: Score 3: Archives
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