Thursday, October 9, 2014

The Lovers, the Streamers, and Me

Hey guys!  So to take a break from the technical, I wanted to show you my pretty floors! Well, eventually they'll be covered up too, but I love this color. It's definitely going to make another appearance in the near future.
Martha Stewart paint - 'Living Palmetto'
Basically what I have now is a blank slate, which is awesome and intimidating. I liked most of the original floorplan of the trailer since it was pretty functional, so I'm going to go with a lot of the basic layout in the kitchen and bedroom area. But there are a million little details that make it a puzzle rebuilding everything. Cramming a house worth of living space into an efficient and aesthetically pleasing 28' ain't easy! Now the fun part, a little trailer design inspiration:
Lots of ideas.
Future color palette.
I love bright colors, warm wood, clean lines, thoughtful design, and everything handmade. The trailer is coming together, but sometimes in unexpected ways. When I first got in Trouble I thought "Great! A coat of paint and we'll be ready to rock and roll!" (Hold your laughs please.) Now with these sleek new aluminum walls, there is no way paint is going to cover them up. The cabinets and bulkheads will have paint, however.  

Another thing to consider aside from colors and layout is function. Many Streamers just do weekend trips with the whole family bunking in their trailer. Others are "fulltimers" and use it as a way to travel while remotely working or after retirement. Some want to stay entirely off grid and mount solar power or bring generators to be able to "boondock" or camp without any hookups for extended periods of time out in the boonies. All are great options for different needs.

My goal with Trouble is to have a very adaptable but very livable trailer. For example, compromises have to be made as far as sleeping arrangements. I don't need to sleep six with double bunks and a sofa that turns into a bed, but I do need storage space and a comfortable bed that doesn't need to be pulled out or converted each night and morning. (Is that me being lazy?) Some consider a wet bath (where the sink and toilet are in the shower space as one unit) a great idea to save space, but I'd really rather have the luxury of a separate shower. While it is important to think of resale value, customizing it to fit your needs is part of the fun of remodeling a vintage trailer- and the only way to justify the bother!

When living in a trailer, you are dealing with very limited resources. Well, we all are since we live on a finite planet, but I digress. To illustrate: there might not be access to shore power, batteries have a limit of power storage, the LP tanks can run out of propane, the sun may not shine on your solar panels, and generators need gas to run. For this reason, it's a good idea to double up on options. A heat pump or a plug-in heater is a great option if you have shore power (110v or 220v) but if you're running on battery and propane, a furnace is the way to go. Fridges come in combinations of 1 to 3 power sources: 12v, 110v, and propane. (Remember propane needs to be vented though!) Things like the lights and the vents traditionally run on 12v. The 110v electrical outlets like the ones in traditional houses will work if the trailer is plugged into shore power, a generator is running, or you have an inverter. Now I put in a converter (110v to 12v to charge the batteries) not an inverter (12v to 110v) which is much more expensive. What this means in everyday life is that without hookups I could use my propane stove, but not my toaster oven, blender, or crock pot. It's all about having options and planning ahead.

The key to making these decisions and compromises is research and being realistic about what your plans are for the trailer. Would you like a camping trailer or a fulltiming trailer? Completely original or with modern updates? Would you be traveling far off the beaten path or where there will be trailer hookups? Answering questions like these will make finding the solution easier.

Oh no, I just realized I've hijacked my own "fun" post with more technical stuff... hmm... Until next time guys. Keep on keepin' on!

Wednesday, October 1, 2014

They're Fantastic!

Hi everyone! This past week I gathered up enough courage to climb up on Trouble's roof to knock out some leaks and replace three vents. It's intimidating because in addition to being a round metallic surface, you can't put your weight just anywhere. Lines of rivets like cross sections show where there is a support rib underneath that can hold your weight. The rest of the roof is only a thin skin of sheet metal that can be easily dented. A way to get around this is placing a wooden board on the ribs to create a workspace.
Smiling but petrified!
The old vents left something to be desired. They leaked and all three were different. One opened to the front, one opened straight up, and the last opened to the back and was the only one that had a fan. Upon further inspection on the roof I could see why they were leaking- caulking on top of leaks is not a solution! No worries, I ordered three Fantastic Fans for the upgrade!
Kitchen vent from the inside.
Exterior getting rid of old gunk.
Peekaboo!
Drilling out the rivets after the gunk removal.
Old vent frame on its way out.
Front vent plus leaky TV antenna opening.
Multiple lines of caulking defense.
New caulked and riveted support for new vent.
Nice new vent installed!
Cool blue tint inside when they're closed.
Next step will be getting them hooked up. I'm very pleased with how they're built and how they look from the exterior and interior. These let in a lot of light and I'm happy to get rid of more leaks! Until next time- happy travels!