It's been a while, but thanks for your continued interest. We've let the work take us away—and luckily we've taken many photographs and have ample stories to share.
So let's get started where we left off—with a virtually stranded trailer, tongueless and stationary.
Stripped belly, Fiberglass Insulation completely removed—The original floorboard is in exceptionally good shape.
We added studs all around for extra sturdiness
1.5" foam insulation to replace the fiberglass—This will keep it warm at night
The front 3rd or so ready for the skin
New Aluminum paneling to keep water out—This will keep it dry for years to come.
Time to install the new tongue with the help of our amigo Victor.
We decided to salvage the original coupler
Hit with the grinding wheel and ready to be installed on the new 2x3 rectangular steel frame
We've used 2x6 planks of wood to keep the steel in place
View of the new tongue from underneath the trailer, adds much strength to the front end
Victor adding the finishing touches to the front end—We designed it to keep an original look
I've removed all of the original under-paneling and insulation (it was a filthy job) and now I'm at the very back of the trailer where the aluminum folds under.
Do I leave it how it is or open to inspect? If I don't open I will regret it down the road..
This is what pours out
The view under this panel--notice the rotten wood
Now fully open--more wood
The back 3rd of the trailer, or about 30 square feet of floor was removed because it simply wasn't as sturdy as we'd be happy with.
Nice foliage at the Tucson Botanical Gardens
Phew, a breath of fresh air, back to tearing out the bah--Jesus out of this thing.
Elongating the studs
Cutting screws
Looks good
Leveling the floor off before screwing everything together
Voila! A new floor, rear storage compartment, and one hell of a sturdier sleeping area.
Here you can see the floor installed, and now we start thinking about the oddities of this cabinet
It has what is called a "P" pipe for the sink, the Upward PVC leads to a vent on the exterior, the bottom a drain. The sink does not need to be vented since there is no holding tank.
Way more plumbing than is needed!
Fitting the stove that a gracious person donated!
Thinking about removal
Shazam!
These things are expensive! We found a 30-gallon water tank on Craigslist for $35--Score
Leveling the cabinet before reinforcing it—The entire thing was put together with staples for ease and cost-effectiveness. These weren't bound to hold up for our rugged adventures ;)
Measuring how much steel we'll need for the new countertop.
This old piece of wood needs replacing, too. It's undergone some water damage and is pretty flimsy. We've gone with a new piece of 1/2" Birch hardwood.
In line for a cut
Buzzz
Follow the line and you'll be fine
Cut out the pieces with a Jigsaw and everything fit
We used contact cement to bond the metal to the wood, and to apply pressure we found the heaviest object we could.
I wasn't too...something...after moving all of those heavy objects
A dremel with a grinding wheel did the trick
The Contact Cement is smoking
Faucet now installed—We decided on the hand pump rocket faucet so we can conserve water and not concern about needing electricity to run a pump
This cabinet has not been painted in over 60 years—time for a new coat?
The color, a soft white lavender, compared to Pepe.
Maddie's been waiting for this job—she asks just about everyday—when can we paint!!?
Cleaning the Brake Hub and Ball Bearings, we found the inner seal was on backward!
All cleaned up and ready for the road
Gem show fun
