I'm in Tacoma and I'm just getting rolling on my KF 5 project. You're welcome to come take a look at it, and I wouldn't mind seeing this project of yours. I've already been purging some extra parts (duplicates that have been replaced by KF 7 pieces).

I'm going to guess that your current cabane gear was the factory standard bungee gear from that time period. The single piece Grove was considered an upgrade at the time and now we've come full circle - though the shocks are an order of magnitude better than bungee cord. I could be wrong on all of that, but I have slept in a Holiday Inn Express recently.

I'm having no problems getting parts/support from the McBeans. In fact everything I've gotten from them has been an upgrade. Better design, better made, easier to build.