VikkiDp said:and this video from an American band Imagine Dragons
I just saw that video this morning!!! Wow, I wasn't ready for that. Very well done though, and good on them for helping.
VikkiDp said:and this video from an American band Imagine Dragons
I just saw that video this morning!!! Wow, I wasn't ready for that. Very well done though, and good on them for helping.
VikkiDp said:It was a crazy and at the same time awesome run!!! And it was an incredible run!!!
MANY thanks to everyone who made this possible
Bill thank you for all your efforts and everything you do!!!
Of course - I'll also write a few words about this trip - I really hope to have some free time this weekend
Bill we need to hold a raffle - the stamps are waiting for their recipients
I can not wait to hear your addition to the story. I love to read about what's happening on your end while we're driving in.
I've got the tickets tallied up and will message the host of the raffle today. I can't give an estimate of when we should expect a reply (as needs to tally up his tickets as well), but we should be getting names out soon.
In reply to Hungary Bill (Forum Supporter) :
Awww, man, I just realized that the song you were singing as you drove through African jungle is the song "Thunder" by Imagine dragon!!!
They're cool guys!!!
Hungary Bill (Forum Supporter) said:Girthquake:
Still no word back from Ira with the art therapy. Regarding the sidewalk chalk: Is it packaged or loose? If it's packaged I can bring it into Ukraine for the children in Dnipro. If it's loose/bulk, it might be tougher to package and distribute.
It's all packaged in the boxes I've been sending; I see a few of the kids have them.
I've now added ~100 markers and a package of clear plastic school rulers to Ira's order; it's in total, a few thousand crayons, a few hundred colored pencils, an 18x187 in roll of paper, and now ~100 markers and 12 rulers. Do you want me to try and add more things to that package?
Also, seeing all the things I've gotten for these kids, I don't know what emotion i'm feeling lol. Resolve maybe.
Hi everyone!!! some recent news 
I bought the next part of medicines for Sergey 
He is very grateful for everyone's help, he really needs it he will be undergoing treatment for a month and then military medics will decide if he can continue to his serve in the UA army. His commander doesn't really want to let him go because he does his job very well.
"Moms and kids fund" and devices for the prenatal center reports
I'm going to place my next order for the kids in the near future. One of the babies girls has a birthday coming up - so I'll add some kind of gift to the food and diapers.
It's really great to have some money in reserve to be able to help quickly if they need it Thank you all - it's very important!!!
And Wooo-Hooo!!! I did it!!!
The final part of the Christmas trip!!!
I apologize for being so a bit late 
If i made mistakes - sorry 
All these warm words and wishes I received from the parents of the children - and they're all for you
Together we made these miracles possible!!!
VikkiDp said:All these warm words and wishes I received from the parents of the children - and they're all for you
Together we made these miracles possible!!!
Vikki, that was amazing work you did!!! Thank you so much!!!
I started work on the truck yesterday (finally) and found myself in a funk when I woke up today. It's been raining a lot, and it's supposed to rain all week. Infact, today will be the only day it DOESN'T rain and I 100% did not have the motivation to go do the work I needed to do on the truck.
Then I checked my phone and saw I had a message from VikkiDp and gave it a look. It was the video she made and I watched it while I ate my breakfast. The video really gave me what I needed to go out to the garage, so here's what I got done.
First was just supposed to be a simple tire rotation. The back tires are visibly worn down further than the fronts so I thought I'd swap them over:
The lugs were seriously corroded from the African mud and sand they'd been through. Even using my cheap-o impact gun, I needed to wait until the compressor was fully charged to have enough grunt to zap a nut off.
I eventually got it though:
Unfortunately, that lead to me solving the "Case of the disappearing brake fluid".
We kind of knew this was happening when the brake light was on before the last trip, but my denial is strong and it didn't bother me until I saw the wet backing plate:
We all know what happens next:
It's about as fun (and as loud) as it looks.
A few things at this point.
1) the rear brakes are dragging and it's noticeable. I first discovered this when the truck died at the carwash and I found I had way more difficulty than I should pushing the truck out of the bay.
2) That wheel cylinder needs to be changed and those shoes are worn down as far as I'm going to let them. They're also contaminated with brake fluid. I mistakenly thought I had replaced both components before the Africa trip (spoiler alert: I didn't)
3) I mistakenly thought that the rear brakes are self adjusting themselves too tight. I can only get three clicks when I pull the e-brake handle and it's been that way for a while. This is not normal for this truck, and 7-9 clicks is more what I'm used to. It wasn't until I remembered that I had it dialed in, but had to have a tech inspection afterwards that I remembered how we got here. The tech inspector claimed my e-brake was too weak and was going to adjust. I shrugged it off, and forgot about it.
So with me mistakenly thinking I had recently replaced everything, and with me mistakenly thinking the brakes were adjusting themselves too tight, I started googling rear disc brake conversions. My requirements were
1) Needs to be an off the shelf item. I need to be able to say "give me pads for a 199x Car Y" or the brake kit isn't an option. I do not want to be married to an aftermarket supplier for an important consumable item.
2) Needs to have a parking brake provision. I can not pass tech inspection without a parking brake and a line-lock is not an option.
No off the shelf kits met that option, and eventually I came up with a self-made kit that would have had me using FB RX-7 calipers with Montero discs. I could have made a couple brackets, added a proportioning valve and a residual pressure valve and.... nah. too much work, too much headache. I'll fix this the way it already is.
So, back at it
And of course, the mandatory huskies that come with every purchase of an 80's Toyota came out to help...
So that was yesterday and like I said, I really wasn't feeling it today. Mondays are difficult enough, and I really loathe going back to the office after working outside all weekend. But being motivated as I was, I decided to start with a list:
That was about the time I discovered that I had all the spares I needed to do the brake job. Unfortunately, I wasn't really interested in dealing with the drum brakes today. I wasn't sure what I wanted to do, but told myself I should be ok as long as I start with light tasks and don't do something stupid like try to drop the transmission by myself.
So, naturally that's where I stared:
That's Mano there helping out. He's an old guy (about 14 years old or so?).
In the picture with the green tub, that's me trying to catch and save the old oil from the transmission and transfer case. This stuff was just put in before the war started and I figure it's got a few years life left in it. It's RedLine MT90, and getting the stuff out here is SUPER expensive (a couple hundred dollars, if I remember correctly).
Now that I've collected all of it, I'm having second thoughts. Bad oil killed my last transmission and I'm already here. Why not change it? Besides, this stuff has a tons of KMs on it from its driving around Ukraine and Africa (20k kms in Africa alone!).
We'll see.
One of these days I really will be too old to be dropping these transmissions and whatnot all by myself...
I got as far as the transfer case and ran out of time. I'm hoping tomorrow the weather won't be too bad and I can pull the accessories (starter, and slave cylinder) off of the transmission to get that dropped. It might require dropping the exhaust (including headers) as well, but we'll see. So far it looks like I have all the gaskets and sealant I need laying around.
If I can't get to that, then I could always work inside the garage and maybe try to get those swaybar mounts bent back the way they should be...
GIRTHQUAKE said:Hungary Bill (Forum Supporter) said:Girthquake:
Still no word back from Ira with the art therapy. Regarding the sidewalk chalk: Is it packaged or loose? If it's packaged I can bring it into Ukraine for the children in Dnipro. If it's loose/bulk, it might be tougher to package and distribute.It's all packaged in the boxes I've been sending; I see a few of the kids have them.
I've now added ~100 markers and a package of clear plastic school rulers to Ira's order; it's in total, a few thousand crayons, a few hundred colored pencils, an 18x187 in roll of paper, and now ~100 markers and 12 rulers. Do you want me to try and add more things to that package?
Also, seeing all the things I've gotten for these kids, I don't know what emotion i'm feeling lol. Resolve maybe.
That is AWESOME! Ok, yeah! If it's not too late to get that sidewalk chalk in the mix, let's add it in and send it!
I still haven't heard back from Ira, but I'm working on a contingency plan for the paper and the crayons. Short version is, I'll individually pack it and get it to our kiddos in Dnipro as art supplies.
I'm glad you got to see those photos, and thank you for collecting and sending everyting! It's good to see kids being kids (and having kid stuff) for a bit, even in times like this. I'm 100% certain we're exactly where we should be.
VikkiDp said:In reply to Hungary Bill (Forum Supporter) :
Awww, man, I just realized that the song you were singing as you drove through African jungle is the song "Thunder" by Imagine dragon!!!
They're cool guys!!!
It was!
Yeah, the Hungarlings love "Imagine Dragons". They've got me listening to them as well.
Bill,
I would happily be willing to donate some money to fix the truck.
Sorry it's been so long since we have sent anything. I missed a few pages here and there. What's the best way to order from the Amazon links, just buy the items on our own accounts and send to your address?
Ok, here's our weekly update and I've made a lot of changes. I think this is easily the second most ambitious we've been with one of these trips. The most ambitious was easily our Christmas run, but we had the holiday season on our side for that one. This time we're going at it with nothing but our own sweat and blood. Here goes:
Ok, first up is the title: Going beyond sending donations, our sister site has hosted raffles and other such things that have been supporting these runs. I thought it was time we got them on the page as well.
Next up is our "Lead/POC" (point of contact). Different people have taken the lead on different projects and I wanted to make sure they were on here as well. Like I said, this is a darn ambitious run we're trying to organize here so I wanted to try to stay as organized as possible as we went through the planning stages.
Nothing has changed to Kisgorbo. Their last transfer was on the first of the month, and we're still collecting donations for the shelter.
Mother's and Baby Fund was just updated by VikkiDp. Our last donation was $1950 back in February, and aside from a little bit of left-over change now and again, we haven't been able to add much to it.
GoFundMe is not yet started, but when it IS it will attempt to fund those lights we need for the hospital. Normal GoFundMe's bring in about $3000, and this one will need at least $5876 if we're going to purchase every light the prenatal center needs. Honestly, I'll be happy if we can run our normal $3000, but still.
School and Art Supplies: Girthquake has quite a package put together regarding art supplies and it sounds like that's about to start shipping across the pond. 84FSP has a work trip scheduled in June, so that might be the next box to fill (if we're able). #2 pencils, erasers, pencil sharpeners, pens, highlighters, colored markers (thin), colored pencils, and the like are what we're after for that one.
Baby stuff: I plan to task Miroslav (our second vehicle's driver) with this one. I have no idea what his resources are, but maybe we'll get lucky.
Hospitallers Battalion: our sister forum responded VERY WELL to funding the hospitallers on my second run to Lviv. I plan on putting them to task again. Now, if we order everything on the list that was sent to us, we're looking at $8285... That's about $7000 more than we normally pull in from that forum, so if you know someone who's interested then please let them know. Here are the links for the items we need:
https://www.narescue.com/hyfin-vent-chest-seal-twin-pack.html
https://www.narescue.com/kit-needle-decompression-ars-10-ga-x-3-25.html
There are other vendors you can purchase from, but "North American Rescue" brand was specifically requested and I'm hesitant to deviate. Also of note are the chest vents. These need to be ordered as pairs ("one is none" on this one). When purchasing, you might notice a note that says "Requires Medical Device Authorization to Purchase". Just check the box. Mrs. Hungary is a licensed medical professional and the Hospitallers are trained medical professionals as well (if proof is needed, we can scan it and send it to you). We're good.
Stuffie delivery: Always needed, and always appreciated. "Big enough to hug, soft enough to cry into" is the general criteria. These can be sent, or I can purchase them locally. We'll make sure they either go to our kids in Dnipro, or to new mothers at the prenatal center.
Woof, that's a lot. Like I said, "ambitious". A lot of these items are very expensive for the amount of cargo space they fill up. If we're going to try to fill two vehicles, then we 100% have our work cut out for us but I think we can do it. No matter what you choose to purchase, we can add it in to any box. Don't feel like you need to focus on X when your interest is in Y because it's all going in the same truck. Tell all your friends, and hit me up if you need full resolution photos, video links, etc. If it's been posted then feel free to share it as if it was yours (because it is!).
Cheers guys!
tuna55 said:Bill,
I would happily be willing to donate some money to fix the truck.
Sorry it's been so long since we have sent anything. I missed a few pages here and there. What's the best way to order from the Amazon links, just buy the items on our own accounts and send to your address?
Thanks man, but don't worry about the truck. She'll be ok, and it's looking like my parts hoarding has us covered this time.
For the amazon links, please disregard. The shopping list was looked at and would overwhelm our package forwarder.
If you're looking to purchase something now, we need these two items:
200ea: https://www.narescue.com/kit-needle-decompression-ars-10-ga-x-3-25.html
300 pairs: https://www.narescue.com/hyfin-vent-chest-seal-twin-pack.html
84FSP and Girthquake both have boxes they are preparing and might be able to toss them in. If not, send me a PM and I can get you the address of our package forwarder to send them to
Hungary Bill (Forum Supporter) said:WonkoTheSane said:Hey Bill,
I missed the last fundraiser, but what's the best method of getting in on the next? I'm assuming Putin won't suddenly see the error of his ways before then and now, unfortunately.
As always, you're a good person!
Unfortunately I think you're correct, and thank you for helping.
The paypal is always open (will grow and the number 3 (all in one block) at the mail that starts with a G dot com). In fact, if you wanted to send a UV lamp to the hospital I bet Vikki and I could make that happen. Just attach a note, and we'll take care of the rest. Big lamps are $153USD and they need 5ea (we've donated 4ea at this point). Small lamps are $112usd ea, and they need 47ea. This will be the main focus of our next GoFundMe, set to open near June 1st.
Alternatively, both Girthquake and 84FSP are collecting donations and have ways of shipping them across the pond for us. School supplies, art supplies, and stuffed animals I think are their biggest hit list. The prenatal center could also use baby clothes (Newborn and a couple sizes up). It might be worth contacting them directly if you wanted to contribute to that effort.
The Hospitallers are in need of the following two items:
300 pairs: https://www.narescue.com/hyfin-vent-chest-seal-twin-pack.html
200ea: https://www.narescue.com/ars-for-needle-decompression-3-25.html
I can order both locally, but their cost triples when purchased from the local market.
If I were to assign priority at this point in time, I would put the prenatal center's needs and the school supply/stufie collection first.Our next run isn't until August, but we're starting early in an effort to fill a second vehicle for this trip.
I (hope) I bought a big and small lamp. I screwed up the conversion in my head for the first payment, so I added a smaller second payment. Please let me know if it doesn't cover that.
In reply to WonkoTheSane :
Got it, thank you!!
The conversion looks perfect! I've started the transfer process and should have it headed to VikkiDp first thing tomorrow.
In reply to Hungary Bill (Forum Supporter) :
Excellent!
Girthquake:
We have contact with Ira. She's super busy right now as summer is coming up and reports that she can 1000% use those supplies as they will be in great demand over the summer break. We have permission to go "full send" with anything you can get (including ridiculous amounts of sidewalk chalk )
Hungary Bill (Forum Supporter) said:tuna55 said:Bill,
I would happily be willing to donate some money to fix the truck.
Sorry it's been so long since we have sent anything. I missed a few pages here and there. What's the best way to order from the Amazon links, just buy the items on our own accounts and send to your address?
Thanks man, but don't worry about the truck. She'll be ok, and it's looking like my parts hoarding has us covered this time.
For the amazon links, please disregard. The shopping list was looked at and would overwhelm our package forwarder.
If you're looking to purchase something now, we need these two items:200ea: https://www.narescue.com/kit-needle-decompression-ars-10-ga-x-3-25.html
300 pairs: https://www.narescue.com/hyfin-vent-chest-seal-twin-pack.html
84FSP and Girthquake both have boxes they are preparing and might be able to toss them in. If not, send me a PM and I can get you the address of our package forwarder to send them to
84FSP and Girthquake, let me know if you're making a purchase, and I'll help out with 10x of the chest seal twin packs
tuna55 said:84FSP and Girthquake, let me know if you're making a purchase, and I'll help out with 10x of the chest seal twin packs
I was focusing on the smaller things, but I was gonna talk to my hospital to see what I could get for donations from them too; Vikki, Bill- do they NEED to be that specific brand? Because one of the perks of working at a smaller hospital, is that I might be able to talk to material supply directly and order things directly through them, as questionably legal as that sounds 
Also Bill: Since I'm already sending things to you, I can also include Redline MT-90 in some of them. It's already ~$100 for each package sent, I can find the space for a few pints of the stuff.
Hungary Bill (Forum Supporter) said:
Girthquake:
We have contact with Ira. She's super busy right now as summer is coming up and reports that she can 1000% use those supplies as they will be in great demand over the summer break. We have permission to go "full send" with anything you can get (including ridiculous amounts of sidewalk chalk
ORDERS RECEIVED; FLOODGATES OPENING.
Hungary Bill (Forum Supporter) said:
Girthquake:
We have contact with Ira. She's super busy right now as summer is coming up and reports that she can 1000% use those supplies as they will be in great demand over the summer break. We have permission to go "full send" with anything you can get (including ridiculous amounts of sidewalk chalkORDERS RECEIVED; FLOODGATES OPENING.
YASS!!!!
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