Preparations for the trip began the day
before, with the very careful extraction of the Dodge out of the narrow garage
opening. This time I taped some thin sheets of hard plastic along each side to
protect the paintwork since the clearance is so close. The roof bows were then
assembled and I began to fit the canvas. At present, one of the buckles is
missing from the rear canvas and I have no leather straps to hold the canvas
rolled up for better visibility. I managed to roll the front corner up, which
helps my view rearwards and tied the rope around the cab canvas strap.
When I want the canvas down and the doors
on, the front ropes interfere with the doors and can't be fastened to the
hooks in the cab. On the right side, I cut a small piece of wood from the door
jam which allowed that rope to squeeze between the bow and the door. On the
left side, I fitted a eye-bolt to an existing hole in the step for the rope.
The Dodge was filled with some fresh fuel, tyres checked and a few bits and
pieces loaded up for the following day.
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