My wife has spent the last 3 to 5 summers taping seams on the seats. She had sewn beach towels to make slip-on seat covers to help protect what was left and ensure a comfortable ride. Last summer, I decided at the very least we needed new covers. I found a local craftsman that made boat covers. I chatted with him, saw his work, and knew we had to hire him to reupholster and restore the boat to its former glory.

Initially, the upholsterer, Steve, was unsure if we were serious. He said he gets a lot of calls and spends a lot of time estimating work, only to have the shopper say. “That is way too expensive!” We knew this would not be cheap. For context, when I started to look at the price of a new boat – a comparable size and engine would cost upwards of $64,000. There is nothing intrinsically wrong with the boat. After a few conversations, Steve knew we were serious, and we started talking about materials and colors.

Our boat is named, The Howlin’ Wolf. The name comes from the name of our lake, Big Wolf Lake. When we purchased the boat, I made decals with the name and logo – inspired from a Howlin’ Wolf album cover.

Here are some photos of the Howlin’ Wolf from this past summer

The work begins

A frozen Howlin’ Wolf was delivered to Up North Canvas Company. The boat had more ice than expected. We need to have a little fiberglass work down to get the hull in better shape. They will also install a keel guard to protect the keel on the trailer, lift, and when beaching.

The main recovering and assembly are completed. Cover, flooring, and bimini are next.

The final product.

You can drive all night

Looking for answers in the pouring rain

You wanna find peace of mind

Looking for the answer

If we could find a reason, a reason to change

Looking for the answer

If you could find a reason, a reason to stay

Standing in the pouring rain

— Cage The Elephant,  “Cigarette Daydreams”

Catch a cannonball now to take me down the line

My bag is sinkin’ low and I do believe it’s time

To get back to Miss Fanny, you know she’s the only one

Who sent me here with her regards for everyone

— The Band, “The Weight”

Obituary

Austin Earle McGeheran, age 23 of Minneapolis. Born July 19, 1998; passed away unexpectedly and peacefully on July 23, 2021. Preceded in death by grandfathers, Loren Retzlaff, Thomas Geheren and Jay Bremer; uncle, Greg Retzlaff. Survived by mother, Mary McGeheran; father, Richard (Jennifer) McGeheran; sister, Helen McGeheran; grandmothers, Connie Retzlaff, Barb Geheren and Marilyn Bremer; god-parents, Tom and Dar; many aunts, uncles, cousins, an amazing group of friends and his beloved dog, Barry. Austin lit up all of our lives with his infectious personality, unforgettable smile and blue eyes, and expanded our family with his unending love. A visitation will be held at Gill Brothers Funeral Home, 5801 Lyndale Avenue South, Minneapolis from 11:00 am -12:00 pm on Saturday, July 31st with a Memorial Service following at 12:00 p.m. In lieu of flowers memorials preferred to the family. In Austin’s memory, his name will be engraved on The Tree of Remembrance at Lakewood Cemetery, Minneapolis.

It’s been 1691 days since Austin died. 4 years, 7 months, and 18 days.

A recording of the Memorial service held for Austin on Wednesday 7/31/2021 in Minneapolis, MN.

Music from service:

What You Won’t Do For Love – Performed and recorded by Austin’s friend Patrick McCarthy AKA Freaky Pat. Please follow and support.

Best of You (with Elle King) Performed by Andy Grammer and Elle King. Austin and I enjoyed Elle King’s In Isolation.

Desiderata

Go placidly amid the noise and the haste, and remember what peace there may be in silence. As far as possible, without surrender, be on good terms with all persons.

Speak your truth quietly and clearly; and listen to others, even to the dull and the ignorant; they too have their story.

Avoid loud and aggressive persons; they are vexatious to the spirit. If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain or bitter, for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.

Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans. Keep interested in your own career, however humble; it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.

Exercise caution in your business affairs, for the world is full of trickery. But let this not blind you to what virtue there is; many persons strive for high ideals, and everywhere life is full of heroism.

Be yourself. Especially do not feign affection. Neither be cynical about love; for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment, it is as perennial as the grass.

Take kindly the counsel of the years, gracefully surrendering the things of youth.

Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune. But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings. Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.

Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself. You are a child of the universe no less than the trees and the stars; you have a right to be here.

And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should. Therefore be at peace with God, whatever you conceive Him to be. And whatever your labors and aspirations, in the noisy confusion of life, keep peace in your soul. With all its sham, drudgery and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be cheerful. Strive to be happy.

By Max Ehrmann © 1927

The slide show video was lovingly made by Austin’s friends Patrick, Phillip, and Olivia.

A tribute video made by Olivia and was shared on social media, many of the clips are from the weekend before his death. Olivia and Austin were born a day apart at the same hospital, it was years later when they meet, but joked we have been friends our whole life.

During Austin’s funeral and celebration of life, we had index cards out and invited those in attendance to share a memory, song, joke. We read through all these great notes and wanted to share them. We added a soundtrack of some of Austin’s top-played music from his iPhone. Playlist below.

Images from a shared Google Drive. Friends and family have populated them.

During his senior year of college. Covid-19 pandemic was in full effect, most of his roommates had gone home. Austin stayed in his apartment and did remote school and work. I found this clip he made sharing a day in his life at that time.

Another item from his senior year of college. Austin asked if he could interview for a blog project. This is that interview, audio only.

Austin McGeheran Scholarship at DeLaSalle High School

2022 Founder’s Day Ceremony

Austin’s workplace JSML Media started a scholarship in his name at DeLaSalle High School.

Here is a video of the first recipient in 2022.

2023 Founder’s Day Ceremony

2024 DeLaSalle Founder’s Day

2025 Austin McGeheran Scholarship recipient

This scholarship was made possible by the generosity of Austin’s employers at JSML Media. Friends and family continue to contribute to keep this scholarship alive. I am truly honored by the kindness of those who knew Austin and who help to honor his memory through this scholarship.

Want to Contribute to the Austin McGeheran ’16 Endowed Scholarship Fund?

If you would like to contribute to this scholarship, you can do so online at https://www.delasalle.com/giving/make-a-gift – Once here, Click Make a Donation, select One-Time or Monthly, enter your tax-deductable contribution amount, then click on the link titled “Area of greatest need” and from there you can select “Austin McGeheran ’16 Endowed Scholarship Fund“

Tribute on KFAN

A close friend’s daughter sent in a tribute for Austin on the one-year anniversary. Here is that tribute being read by Common.

January 23rd, 2023 – 18 months since Austin died.

Today is eighteen months—one and a half years—and it still hurts. Sometimes, I ask myself if this is real. Then, time and events flash through my mind, and I remember how real it is.


Forever in our hearts

18 months have passed since you were taken
Leaving behind memories that will never be shaken
Austin Earle McGeheran, your light still shines
In the hearts of those who knew you, forever entwined

Though your time on earth was brief
Your impact was far-reaching and deep
With a heart full of love and a smile that could light up a room
You touched the lives of all you knew

Though we cannot see you or hear your voice
Your memory will forever be our choice
To hold close and treasure in our hearts
As we navigate life’s ever-changing parts

Rest in peace, dear Austin Earle
You will be forever missed but never forgotten. Your legacy will forever live on through the
lives you’ve touched, who will keep your memory alive and inspire others with the
kindness and love you shared.

Some of Austin’s Social Media Pages

Barry Lird Instagram Page

AM3ats Instagram Page

Austin’s LinkedIn Page

Facebook Page

A Spotify Playlist of music he loved – shared on the memorial cards at the funeral.

A Spotify Playlist of Austin’s top 25 songs played:

Upon further inspection, I think the water was coming from a leak in the rear window. My old friend google informed me that RV windows should be resealed every so often. I also learned Butyl Tape seemed to be the best product to use as a replacement sealant. So I measured all the windows and ordered what I needed from Amazon.

A couple of helpful videos for resealing the windows:

So here are some images of the water and leak:

I ended up resealing all 5 windows. I need to let the sealant settle in and the go and trim the excess butyl sealant. I also replaced all the screws with new stainless steel screws. It was a lot of work to clean the old sealant off the frames and fiberglass siding. A scraper, elbow grease and acetone did the job.

I will update this post with some photos once I trim and clean the excess sealant.

After some quick research and talking to the previous owner, it was clear I probably needed to replace the AC gasket. I did remove the external cover and confirm that none of the drain holes were plugged. I removed several old wasp’s nests from the top unit.

After some quick research, I found several types of gaskets and based on this video, I decided to go with Steele Rubber single piece gasket.

Last night we got a lot of rain. Over the weekend I removed the carpet and padding, it was clear the AC unit has been leaking for a while. This morning the floor was very wet.

Replacing rv air conditioner gasket:

I opted not to follow this video!

Some photos of my current situation:

Steps to replace gasket.

1. Disconnect power, including breaker.
2. Remove inside cover.
3. Take note of the tightness of the 4 bolts that hold the unit in place. They look awfully tight, but I want to be aware of how tight they are now.
4. Loosen 4 bolts.
5. Mark and disconnect the wires.
6. Push the AC unit up and slide to the side, so I can go up on the ladder and bring the unit down to the ground.
7. Inspect the roof for holes or cracks – part of a bigger project to fix and repair small holes in the roof.
8. Mark and remove the old gasket. Clean the surface.
9. Install a new gasket.
10. Reinstall AC Unit.

Weeks later, after a bunch of rain, I am happy to report no more leaking from the AC unit! If I had to do this again, I would get another person to help. The unit is heavy and awkward to safely move off the roof solo.

I had to watch some YouTube videos to figure out how to open them and set up the canopy. It was pretty clear that it had not been used for some time. The canopy itself was pretty dirty and a lot of mildew.

I had to cleaned the handles, which push a holding pin out into the rail. The pin was not coming out, but after cleaning with WD-40 and working them open and closed, the handles and pins started work well.

There are support rails, that have a knob with a bolt, that should loosen to extend the rails into place and then tighten to hold the rails and provide support. The knobs were completely seized and would not turn. In fact, one bolt snapped when I try to turn with pliers. I found these replacement knobs. I found a video on YouTube that shows how to install the new knobs.

Once I had a functioning canopy, I wanted to clean it. I did some research and ended up getting some LA Amazing Cleaner (yellow). I picked up a mop that also had a scrub brush. I applied the cleaner on top and bottom of the canopy and then closed the canopy for about 15 minutes. I think processed to scrub and scrub the canopy. After rinsing with water, I repeated the cleaning process. It’s not perfect, but is it remarkably cleaner.

Finally I wanted to protect the cleaned canopy. I researched puchasing a cover, but they were really expensive. I came upon this video:

A quick trip to Home Depot for plastic drainage pipe, I cut to size, cut a slit, and sanded the edges smooth. It was a little tricky to open the pipe and get it on, but it makes an excellent tight cover.

My wife ordered a roll of repair tape. We will remove the tape that is falling off and put on the new tape. Update to come.

Overall, I am pleased with canopy and the work we did to get it functioning.

In general, it was in decent shape, but needs a little TLC. I thought I would try to document our work on this project here.

I have a long ongoing list of items I want to work on.

I joined https://www.fiberglassrv.com/ – it has a tone of great resources and information.

Door Seal

Previously had some leaking. A newer gasket has been placed, but it is not correct or high quality. I found some really nice replacement gasket.
SteeleRubberProducts – ORDERED 2/27/20

Tires, wheels, brakes

Currently the trailer has 4 mismatched older tires. I don’t know what is the right thing. I do not think cheap tires are a good idea. I am not sure if radial or biased tires are better for this trailer. I reached out to the folks at etrailer and the reccomended these:
https://www.etrailer.com/Trailer-Tires-and-Wheels/Kenda/AM30540.html – I don’t plan on it moving in until spring, so I will continue to research, but these look good.

Hub buddy – I would like to pull the wheels apart, clean and regrease. I would also add some hub buddies.

Brakes – not currently used. Do I need them? Can I repair, fix or test current? I will need to inspect and research more.

Battery
battery charger – I should get a trickle charger for the winter. I also need to test the condition of the battery.

Floor

Currently carpeted and there is a soft spot by the door, from the previously mentioned leaking. We are looking at replacing carpet with:

https://www.amazon.com/Achim-Home-Furnishings-VFP2-0SS40-Adhesive/dp/B008E4867S/?tag=rvwebnetwork-20

Canopy

Clean – Awesome Cleaner Dollar General – yellow
Magic Eraser mop
sprayer with hot water

Make cover
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Advanced-Drainage-Systems-4-in-x-10-ft-Triplewall-Pipe-Solid-4550010/100135310https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y3nBKdSvtIg

Pin handle $24https://www.amazon.com/Carefree-901015-Travel-Awning-Replacement/dp/B000NJ14B2/ref=psdc_155273011_t3_B000NJ39CY – note I cleaned the current ones and they seem to be working.

Tension knobs – Ordered and installed – amazon. These work great.

Windows
https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2035542
Need to 3D print new Weeps
If I have to reseal – Butyl Rubber

AC Unit
AC works, needs to be cleaned.
Started leaking inside.
Duo-therm 55908-041
new gasket?
https://www.steelerubber.com/roof-mounted-ac-heat-pump-gasket-kit-70-3905-207 confirm 14 x 14 – ORDERED 8.27.20

Hitch – ordered, received – adjustable, should make a huge difference on how this tows.
https://www.etrailer.com/Trailer-Hitch-Ball-Mount/Convert-A-Ball/TK5007.html and https://www.etrailer.com/Trailer-Hitch-Ball/Convert-A-Ball/105LB.html

Leveller Jacks – Ordered. I need to look for a decent bottle jack. The current one leaks oil and slips. This will be helpful for leveling the rear right driver’s side where the drains are located.

Cover
https://www.etrailer.com/RV-Covers/Adco/290-74838.html

Bubble window replacement
https://www.ganderoutdoors.com/rv-skylight-sl1864s—smoke-87035.html?gclid=Cj0KCQjw1qL6BRCmARIsADV9JtY7ryo9RhauC1MtMRVpK56nqo_OReVu6gZ6um5-uMtTbOCC99mLj_EaAv_gEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

You will notice that by regularly practicing this micro-meditation you will become more aware and more calm. By practicing this regularly you will train yourself to be more and more mindful, and increasingly calm and focused. You can create reminders for yourself to practice these meditations two-to-four times a day; every hour or so; or before you go to a meeting — whatever is feasible. You can also use them on an ad-hoc basis to prepare for a meeting or a presentation, when you are stressed, or when multi-tasking is eroding your concentration.  Micro-meditations can put you back on track, an help you develop your mindfulness muscle.

via Mindfulness for People Who Are Too Busy to Meditate – Harvard Business Review.

It’s a little facile, maybe, and certainly hard to implement, but I’d say, as a goal in life, you could do worse than: Try to be kinder.

I am sitting up at the lake on my last day of our annual week long vacation.  I am feeling a little melancholy.  It’s hard enough to relax and get in vacation mode, then once you do, you have to get back to reality…  I look across the lake and the fog is rolling out, I figure I should take a picture.  So I step outside, trying not to get the dogs all worked up, and as I raise my phone to take a photo, suddenly an eagle that has been hanging out in the tree in front of our place swoops down and in front of me.  As I probably did to him (or her), he startled me.  It was wonderful.  Peaceful.

I quietly returned to the cabin and sipped my coffee.  I scanned Facebook and saw a post – that two my friends had shared.  I read it.  It startled me.  It was wonderful.  That empty scary feeling of having to return to the reality of life after vacation, suddenly was filled.  Saunder’s speech inspired me.  I guess I fall into the category of being older, but there is still plenty of room for me to be kinder.  I had recently made a career move.  I don’t regret the move at all, but his speech somehow made me feel like I had made the move for the right reasons.

Do those things that incline you toward the big questions, and avoid the things that would reduce you and make you trivial.

So maybe instead of today being the last day of my vacation, it is the first day of conscientiously trying to be kinder.

You can read the entire piece The New York Times did about Saunder’s Advice to Graduates here.

Life deals you all sorts of cards, this article is great reminder to keep it all in perspective.  Take a couple minutes and read the entire piece.  I grabbed Mike’s list of what he’s learned after dealing with cancer for 4.5 year and having it hanging on my wall at work:

1. We’re all temporary. We have to enjoy people and allow them to enjoy us, before it’s too late.

2. One question should determine any given day’s activities: On my deathbed, will I be happy I spent time doing this?

3. Work-life balance is a false choice. It’s all life. If you suffer at your job, get a new job. If you can’t, get a new attitude. And if your principal complaint is the people you live or work with, see number one.

via Here’s to Longer Goodbyes | Mike Lescarbeau.

At first I was leary of the is article because of all the hype around Kanye – but it has very little to do with him.  Well worth the read.  This gives you some insight on Rick Rubin and his process (if you want to call it that.)

Favorite quotes:

People are willing to get short-term gains at the risk of long-term choices.

…art is not a quarterly business.

My first credit was “Reduced by Rick Rubin.”

Favorite story:

What do you remember most vividly about working with Cash?

On our first album, there was a song he wrote, I can’t remember which one it was, but I listened to it and said, “Do you think you could take some of the ‘I’s and ‘me’s out of it?” And he thought about it and he was like, “Yeah, I think I can do that.” And he did. So 10 years later, I’m visiting him in Nashville. He’s in a wheelchair. He’s blind, pretty much. It felt so awkward. So I said, “What have you been working on lately?” And he said, “I’ve been working on using ‘I’ and ‘me’ less.” And I said, “Really?” And he said, “Yeah. Remember? You gave me that comment on the song? That’s what I’ve been working on.” Incredible. He didn’t mean it in the context of songs. He meant it in the context of life.

Good read the article.

via Rick Rubin on Crashing Kanye’s Album in 15 Days – Newsweek and The Daily Beast.