RE: [ihc] new travelall

["Ed Sohm" <idaemes@xxxxxxxxxx>]

I'll take the questions one by one.


Ed:

I end up with a few questions when I see these kinds of comments:

1) Where do you keep all of those vehicles and not have some neighbor or
regulatory body after you?

I live on 8 acres in rural Iowa.  Most of them are actually hidden out
of sight from the road by my farm buildings and the windbreak.  At any
given time there are between 5-7 inside the shop.  Closest neighbor is
1/4 mile away.  County supervisors are so conservative that any program
that doesn't pay for itself doesn't happen.  No codes above the state
codes they have to enforce.  No code enforcement position.  Did I
mention I work for the county and one of my responsibilities is nuisance
abatement. It better have actual rabid skunks living in it to be a
public health nuisance in my book.  The supervisors like my take on
"nuisance".  Live and let live as Jim G. puts it.     



2) Do you insure the operational ones to drive?  If so, how can you
afford
that?

Insurance is about $150 per year on each of the IHs.  License on pickups
is $35 in Iowa (farm country).  Old SUVs are $65 each.  Only 3 IHs are
licensed and insured right now.  


3) How do you deal with your extended family that can't understand why
you'd
have all those vehicles and constantly has to comment/harass you about
it?

My family is one of those who doesn't talk for weeks but you can always
call when you need help with a nasty job and they always show up.  Low
maint. and not judgmental.  My in-laws don't get my obsession (the first
step to recovery is admitting), but sure like the fact that I keep their
vehicles running.  I'm slow, but I do good work and am free as long as I
get to borrow their stuff (skidsteer, tractor, welder...) when I need
it. It is always returned in better shape than it left in.  They have
even collaborated with me to acquire more IHs.  I believe I have finally
convinced my wife that IHs are a much better (and cheaper)addiction than
alcohol, drugs, or fast women.  She knows where I am at and what I am
doing and it isn't harmful.

4) How do you balance find the time (and probably money too, since they
seem
to be inversely correlated) to fool with those on top of work, household
repairs/needs, family life?

I won't kid you, acreage life isn't for everyone.  I scramble a lot
trying to get everything done. I'm fairly efficient at housework, I do
all the laundry (well, 90% anyway).  When I fix something in the house,
I do it right so it is done for a long time.  It is an investment in my
future free time.  The kids play in the shop with me a lot, allows my
wife time to handle her chores. My wife says I "putz" around.  I counter
that she works too fast and gets hot and has to stop.  Rabbit and the
hare I guess.  I get more done than her.   We both make decent money
considering the cost of living in rural IA. I paid $70K for my place and
it would be $300K around Des Moines. Probably triple that in your neck
of the woods. The key is to not be in a hurry though.  I'm halfway
through a re-wire of the house.  I do a circuit at a time, as I have
time.  My time table for the IHs is in years, not weeks or months. I
have two to the "reliable runner" stage, but we don't have to  rely on
them.  We each have work vehicles so the IHs can sit and wait for
repairs if they need to.  We both are on our local ambulance service,
which actually benefits the IHs because we have to stay home if we are
on call.  I can't get all greasy when on call, but I'm not out drinking
or visiting friends in Kansas City either.  

I sure don't have it perfected.  My IHs aren't show worthy, but I have
fun with them. <shrug>

Ed  

If I could figure out the answers to those questions, then I too could
have
a gaggle of running & parts vehicles to play with. :-)

Tom H., '76 Traveler