I recently purchased a pop-up camper so now I have the freedom of exploring the backyard that is Michigan (as well as other states, I suppose) this beautiful, and hot, summer. I even had the audacity to go visit a campsite recommended by the president of Wenzel America.
I’ve also had the pleasure of visiting, with my pop-up, the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore which was the first National Lakeshore to be established back in 1966. I am purposely not posting pictures of them because the superb limestone cliffs, inland waterfalls, and sea caves are a splendor to behold in person so if you have a chance to visit them, I highly recommend it.
What surprised me about my pop-up, and the car I tow it with, is that they involve parts that I’ve worked with and will be working more and more in my career and I thought that was really cool.
The first happened as I started cranking my pop-up. Now, even though it is a 2006, I’m lucky to have a battery that electronically cranks up the top. However, it being a 2006, the last little bit must unfortunately be done manually. But, of course, right before I go insert the crank into the slot what do I see, but a lone enveloping worm gear with its worm wheel. It presented itself to me as if it was quietly but strongly doing its job, turning at probably 100:1 ratio to the worm. This brought joy to my camping experience and also a reminded that I should keep it well lubricated due to the zero backlash between the worm wheel and worm.
The second item presented itself as I’m towing my pop-up. For towing, I have a Ford Escape which was the next reasonable step up for me for a car. However, I let everyone know that I had to get the highest trim, the Titanium, because it can tow a nice 3,500 lbs. as opposed to the other trim levels which can tow 1,500 and 2,000. Just in case you’re thinking of towing with a Ford Escape.
Anyways, the Ford Escape also has what’s called EcoBoost which consists of a combination of turbocharging and direct fuel injection that improves fuel economy without sacrificing engine power. The turbocharging is done with a turbocharger, or turbo, for short, which adds extra air into the engine without making the engine bigger, which hurts fuel economy. As it works quietly (from the driver’s seat), I thought about the fun part of the turbo which is that it has blades. These blades spin at thousands of RPMs and their complex yet unique shape is what allows the air to flow into the engine while keeping them rigid and efficient.
This airfoil shape, though, makes inspection somewhat tricky. That is, unless you have a CORE from Wenzel. Its fast 5-axis movements and two cameras with zero cosine error make inspecting blades like those in my turbocharger a cinch. The best part is you can see it in action at IMTS next week in booth #135622! Now I just have to stop myself from tearing apart my engine to do just that…
Should you want to talk more about my camping trips with me, don’t hesitate to contact me at [email protected] or hit me up on Twitter @WenzelCore! Last but not least, make sure to check out our YouTube channel and visit our website www.wenzelamerica.com. Happy camping!
Proud Lake information – https://www.michigan.org/property/proud-lake-recreation-area