Not For the Squeamish: Part 2

I fear that until there is nothing left but a frame this may be a continuing series. As bad as these pictures look they just can't properly portray the conditions we are finding. I think the rule of thumb is 1) if the trailer looks good it has water damage, 2) if the trailer has water damage don't be optimistic on how much you are going to save. In light of recent events we are rebuilding from the frame up.

Everything worth doing is worth overdoing.

 The curb side tin has been pulled. Here is a good corner.

 The roof slopes from the back to the front. I shouldn't be surprised that more than a few of the 1x2s weren't actually connected.

As Jerad mentions, the pile of structure is getting larger underneath the walls. We need to get the sides templated before there is more pile than structure.

Not for the squeamish

We have finally made some honest-to-God progress on the trailer renovation.  Maybe progress isn't the right word.  Let's call this "discovery."  In case you missed John's previous posts, the trailer required some shoring since some of the wood framing had rotted out.  The first order of business was removing all loose items from the inside.  Then we started taking off exterior pieces and set the goal of removing the lower panel of skin on the back to see exactly how much rot we were dealing with.

The last picture with her skin still on.  Not too bad, right?

Here is how the entire back of the trailer is currently being supported - 2x4s and nails.  It's not pretty, but it's doing the job.  

The inside was easy.  We started on removing trim that secured the back panel.  I started getting a bad feeling when the screws were all so rusted we couldn't get them out with the drill because they'd strip out immediately.  While John was cutting screws off, I was working on the screws along the bottom edge and realized they were just spinning.  So I got down on my hands and knees and peered underneath the trailer for the first time.  I had two thoughts: 1) it's going to be easier to peel the skin off than I thought. 2) At this point, the skin might be structural.

First piece of skin is off!  And oh my...

John won the contest for who's side lost the biggest chunk of wood.  There is nothing left of the corner support.  There were no vertical supports in the back panel.  The 2x4s John installed are holding up the whole damn thing.  Did I mention the floor supports are also rotted?

The pictures don't do it justice.

This project just became much more complicated.  John left it up to the resident structural engineer (me) to come up with a light-weight solution that can be installed piece by piece since we can't take it apart without it completely coming apart.  Insulation will be interesting.  But the weight restriction is what will make things a challenge.  I'm open to suggestions.  



Half Bathroom, CHECK!

I took a couple days off this week to get the house ready for Thanksgiving. I have been working on the sink cabinet for the second bathroom. It is in and now we actually have one and half bathrooms.

 As a reminder, here is where we started in September.



Now we have a light switch, sliding doors, a floor, and a sink cabinet. There isn't a whole lot more we could have stuck in this space.

Kind of a weird angle crouched on the toilet. The backsplash got extended up to hide a bunch of valves and pipes. 

After trips to Lowes, Home Depot, and several hardware stores, this project is done!

It's A Hit

I feel like someone is watching me. 

You May Enter

The lack of posts isn't due to lack of work. Our garage is full of projects. Luckily this weekend we got a few zeroed out.

Sam and Mark spent yesterday getting the front door hung just right. The escutchon plate was a vintage find on ebay. The window kits are from Crestview. The top three windows are reeded glass and the bottom is clear for the cats to see through.

It was getting dark and the pictures weren't turning out great. More to come, but you get the picture.

 While Sam was working on the front door I have been building the cabinet for the downstairs bathroom. The sink is here and we are just waiting on the laminate.

 The garden is pretty much shut down for the year. I picked the rest of the green tomatoes and peppers. The beets and carrots are getting big in the hoop houses and will be ok for a couple more months until I get a chance to pull them.

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween!

It was a beautiful weekend here in KC.  John took his PE on Friday which meant we just relaxed the rest of the weekend.  Here's a few pictures from the festivities.

We did get a little work done - the new front door was fit up but then we had a hardware issue.  John worked on a cabinet for the trailer and slept a lot. It was a nice weekend to take it easy.

The October Garden

At this point it is getting colder and I am hoping for a few more warm months. Our garden gets limited sun and everything, especially the peppers come on late. We had a freeze scare this week so I got things covered best I could. If we get a couple more weeks without freezing there should be a good amount of production left.

Green tomatoes and late season peppers

The hoop houses were put back up this week. The carrots and beets looks good. They need at least a month so hopefully the plastic keeps it warm enough. 

The tomatoes are continuing to grow.

Trailer Inspiration

As I am sitting looking at our crooked trailer, it's time for some inspiration. 1960 to 1962 there were around 200 Holiday House travel trailers produced. Currently there are less than 20 remaining. This is one that got a frame off restoration and has a pretty awesome interior. Enjoy.

Goshen We Have a Problem

With the weather getting colder I'm motivated to get the trailer running so I can get  back into the garage. This week I picked up a temporary light kit and pulled the trailer to get inspected at the highway department. Good news, we passed. It seemed to pull straight and without a problem with the element.

After I got back from the inspection it seemed like the trailer was leaning more than usual. It always had a list towards the right rear due to some rotted wood. However, this seemed to be getting worse.

Upon closer inspection it indeed was looking at little more crunched than previous.

Turns out that the wood I thought was in bad shape, actually wasn't even connected to the frame. So the right rear corner was sitting on the rear bumper. Since a good deal of the structural members are gone and the aluminum isn't very strong, it was crushing at every bump. 

Since I don't want to loose the skin or break a window, this needs to get shored up before I haul it to storage. Well, the temporary solution was jacking up the entire cabin. 

Eight inches of lift later we are back to level. I will have to put in some more secure temporary supports to get it across town to storage. 

Bikes, Trailers, and Doors

We have been slowly plugging along on the on-going projects. The weather in Kansas City has been perfect the last month or so and we have been trying to enjoy it. So here goes.

I pulled the trailer wheels, repacked the bearings, cleaned up and painted the wheels, and got new tires. I should be road-worthy enough to get the title and move to its winter home.

Meanwhile, Sam has been working on our new front door. It was a little hassle getting a plain door to modify. We got a couple kits from Crestview Doors. The top three windows have reeded glass. The long bottom window is a clear viewing window for Portland. 

The other notable news this week was that Sam took on a construction zone with her bike and lost. We ended up in the ER last Thursday getting her checked out. Everything is fine and she is moving better after a few days.

Quick Bathroom Update

 I have been plugging along on the downstairs bathroom and the doors are finished. There is still a little trim painting, but it is mostly finished. It is starting to look more like a real bathroom.

Doors closed.

 We have made some big progress this month. Electrical installed, hole in floor filled, tile installed and grouted, doors fit, finished, and hung.



Doors stored out of the way.

Starting point



A Real Classy Trailer Post

In preparation for moving the trailer to its winter home, I am working on getting it movable. This weekend I put it on jackstands in the driveway and pulled the wheels and hubs to repack the bearings. Surprise, the world's smallest trailer has a giant set of trailer brakes. They have never been used and look in great shape.

 The wheels are a little worse for wear, or not wear. They are pretty rotted on one side from just sitting in one place too long. We thought briefly about replacing them with something more modern until I found out that I can't get replacements. The bearings should be repacked and wheels refinished with new tires this week.

The second bathroom project is moving along but without any interesting pictures. The doors should be finished and in place this week too.

A Momentous Day

Yesterday was a momentous day. We got our first tomato of the season. It has been a pathetic season for the garden. Since the weather turned a little cooler it seems the squirrels have focused on burying nuts and leaving the garden alone. There are loads of green tomatoes on the vines so hopefully we get a few.

Random Weekend Happenings

So last weekend I harvested worm castings and used some to fill up the soil in the citrus orchard. All of a sudden this week random plants have been sprouting from the orchard. It's pretty funny, they look like tomatoes and peppers. I am going to let them go at least until the first real leaves show up to figure it out.

The second bathroom is grouted and the doors have been sanded and are in the middle of finishing. They will end up being walnut to match the table.
The trailer got a new jack in front. It works with the original caster and lets me roll it around pretty easy.

Roe Circle Country Club Concert Series Part 1

Last Friday night was the inaugural concert for the Roe Circle Country Club concert series. David Oakleaf with Tentill Blue came in from Nashville. We managed to get the block party permit and only got the cops called a couple times.

The weather was great and not too cool. We had between 50 and 70 people come out, which was pretty good since there were lots of other things going on that night.
Mark has not moved in yet, but he is painting.

Yes, a car trailer was out stage.

The dude by streetlight. The night before was worked on covering the new streetlight. Only part got covered. The LEDs are way too bright and this week has commenced the complaints.