Tuesday, September 19, 2006

Trailer Stuff

It's kind of interesting. There are many thousands of trailers in New Orleans and no one apparently sees that as a business opportunity.

There is stuff that people in trailers need. Most of it is readily available but a some things are special. For example some one stole removed the battery from our trailer. The FEMA Contractor responded fairly quickly. In the process the main 12 volt fuses blew. They are 40A automotive type fuses but they are also higher amperage than most automotive stores carry. The FEMA maintenance guy didn't have any, I went to three auto parts stores to find them.

The little 12 volt "acorn" light bulbs are more difficult to find. These are specific parts necessary for a trailer and only really used in trailers, as far as I can tell.

I've noticed that there are a lot of non-FEMA trailers set up around town. They are easy to spot because they are often old, they aren't white, aren't installed FEMA style or don't fit the profile. These people don't have anyone to call for service. They also need to be anchored to the ground with auger anchors and and metal straps, I had to go to an RV dealer to get the ones I needed.

There is a much larger range of' 'dual use' products, things which are helpful utilizing the limited space available in the trailer.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

You can pretty easily find those bulbs in the outdoor lighting section of Lowes and Home Depot. Take one with you, however, as there are about a zillion kinds to choose from and you have to match the base exactly

Tim said...

I agree--why don't the local drug stores and groceries carry these basic items? I went looking for 1156 bulbs last week and couldn't find them! Sure I know, go to an auto parts store, but those aren't so prevalent right now. Seems to me a good business person would scoop up this idea and run with it!

Peace,

Tim