Tuesday, December 25, 2012

The begining...



As all ideas start out...  It was simple... buy an older trailer fix it up and use it!  The hunt for the perfect trailer began.  We looked at the fiberglass trailers but found they were a little high for our budget and hard to find.  We looked at a variety of vintage travel trailers and what we found were trailers in various stages of remodel and with numerous issues, not to mention the price seemed to be outrageous!
Finally the "perfect" trailer is presented... a 1972 Kit Companion Travel Trailer. It appears the trailer is in great condition. It's clean, all appliance work, stored under a car port, little to no water damage and all for $900.00 and so we make the 6 hour drive to pick it up.  The couple we bought it from appeared to be very nice.  The wife had an emotional connection to the trailer as it was her grandparents trailer that they took her camping in and she did the same with her kids.  She didn't want just anyone to have the trailer so we felt blessed when they decided to sell it to us.   
 Despite the strong storm that hit that weekend the trailer made it home with no issues. It wasn't till the next day that we noticed the inevitable leaking and water damage. BUMMER! 

So that is where this story really begins...  Our family has a joke about fixing things... "over fixing things!"  I should have known better when I asked my dad if he would help us and teach us how to fix the "minor repairs" that needed to be done so we could use the trailer.  We moved the trailer from the outside to inside of the work shop and began to evaluate the damage.   We picked apart the back wall below the leaking window and left it for the day.

The next day... I come home from work and dad says "well... you want the good news or the bad news?"  Unsure of what he is referring to I say "give me the bad news first."    Dad reply's "well its fixable but you better save your money.."   In shock I ask "what did you do?"  He says... "lets go down to the shop and I'll show you..."

That is the trailer in the condition it is currently in... bare bones...  no walls, no roof...  nothing... just the metal frame!  YIKES!

Ok... lets back it up a bit... really what happen was while I was away at work for the day, dad had gone through the inside of trailer and "inspected for damage."  The result of his inspection was a desire to do a complete remodel of the trailer! 

This is where the story gets turned over to my dad...  He is an amazingly talented man and I can't wait to see the end result of this project.  I am sure this trailer will be a showcase of his craftmanship, talent and desire for perfection.

I hope you enjoy this blog and it helps you along the way to complete a trailer renovation of your own... or just call dad and ask him for his help!  (-:

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