making progress

the motorcycle carrier is fully assembled. the assembly instructions are very good, and it was no problem for me to put it together. one screw broke in the process, though, and i had to replace it. and it turned out that, contrary to the salesperson's opinion, the platform that is supposed to lift the bike is about 5 inches too high in the lowest position. so i have the option of getting a drop adapter, or lowering the receiver itself. i'm leaning toward lowering the receiver because that solution will be sturdier. it's been quite some work trying to find a place that will do this, but i have a lead that i'm going to follow after labor day.

the first long shelf went up in the van today. this shelf will mainly be used to hold my 5 foot 88-key digital piano. the shelf is mounted low enough to add another shelf over it, but high enough to actually sit and play the piano while it's sitting on the shelf. that means i can practice anytime i want. i will have lots of storage under the shelf, and the top shelf will be built specifically to hold boxes of stuff. i mounted the lower shelf to the wall ribs using self drilling screws, but i was worried about the sturdiness of the shelf, and ended up putting a vertical board under one end. i will add another support near the middle of the shelf. then it will surely be solid enough to sit on. the top shelf i'm still not completely certain about how to support. i'll figure it out.

and for the first time, my dream of having a tv hanging over my bed is a reality. using velcro, i have been able to attach my iphone over the pillow at a perfect viewing distance. cool!

also using velcro, i've mounted insulating curtains. these serve several purposes. for one, they keep the inside private, and keeps light from getting out. they should also help keep the inside temperature more comfortable, and finally make the whole place seem a little more like a home.