It's no big wheel, Maizy needs tires

Although it's still about 10 days before I get to bring Miss Maizy home, the previous owner (also known as Max, my ex-husband)  is preparing her for travel.  My beloved daughter caught the moment on camera:

Yes, that's one of his best angles.  Kidding, he's really not such a bad guy.  Mostly.  Anyway - he has removed all his junk from inside and hauled her out from between my daughter's wrecked red Honda and his wrecked jet boat and tested her basic systems.  Her lights don't work. That can be addressed with some temporary lights that we string on the outside for the trip home.

The more immediate concern is tires.

Max was getting ready to go get tires for her (see.. I told you he wasn't so bad!) but I had to go and be picky.  I've seen pictures and really wanted white wall tires for her.  Thus began my tire education.  This is where this post get's boring - feel free to stop reading.

Apparently there are "ST" style tires.  ST stands for "Special Tires."  Special Tires do not come in white wall.  Special Tires are made for vehicles that get towed and are not driven.  They have a different kind of traction which allows for the slippage required by something being towed.  Plus they take more air pressure and are a more durable tire.

After visiting two tire stores and filling my head with gobs of facts about traction, air pressure and assorted acronyms, as well as pricing of the ST tires vs white wall tires, I made a decision to go with the ST tires.  But then I decided Maizy needed new wheels.  Because, well, the existing ones are really ugly.

The original plan is to save money where possible.  So I thought I would take these wheels and clean them up and powder coat them, or rattle-can them with Rustoleum.  Cha-ching!  Money saved!  Except these wheels will always look like spray painted wheels and the new wheels the tire guy showed me are so pretty.  I am sure it was a sales tactic but it worked.

If I am going to eventually get new wheels to go with my special ST tires,  it makes no sense not to get them now.  It would be totally crazy to get new tires, put them on these old wheels, just to bring Miss Maizy home, and THEN swap  out the wheels.  That would not be a good use of my budgeted dollars. (let's not really talk about that though, because I really don't have a budget.)

Since I wasn't getting my white wall tires, I thought I really wanted hub caps.  Which brings me to the next thing I learned today while getting my tire education,  apparently you can go to WalMart and pick up hubcaps to put on almost any wheel.  I also learned from the tire guy that they usually don't last long before they fall off and get lost.  I shall have to ponder the hub cap option awhile, but at least that's not a decision that needs to be made now.

While I wait to bring Miss Maizy home I have been watching YouTube videos on trailer restoration.  I now know how a trailer is assembled and how to fix rot, remove the skin, and replace cabinets and flooring.  I am getting prepared.  YouTube and I are going to get this done!