One of the disadvantages of owning some property out in the sticks is that you somehow tend to become the storage facility for relocating friends. On the plus side, sometimes a friend “pays” you for storing their stuff by giving you a vintage trailer. This is how I came to own my 14-foot 1975 MeToo trailer. I liked the setup as it was, with the folding dinette, bunks, folding end table and go ahead and laugh – the folding toilet! But when I decided to go full-time on the road with my 11-year-old son, I knew we were going to need to upgrade a few things.
First we pulled out the dinette, except for one bench, which was built over the fresh water tank. I hated taking out the tables, but thought I might put them in storage for awhile in case I decided to put them back in. We also pulled out the bunks, because the wood was mostly rotten.
Same with the wall behind the bunks and dinette. In the photo, you can see the outside access door, with dry-rotted 1x3s around it. Those got replaced with new 1x3s.
The next photograph shows electrical wires, which were obviously not original. These seemed to be in good shape, so we gladly left them after testing the electrical system.
Finally we got some new luana board to put on the bare walls. I did not do a very professional job of this, but at least the walls are covered again. I will either redo it, or putty and tape them when I get ready to paint. We were approaching our deadline to hit the road, so I did the best I could.
The next stage of demolition involved replacing the fridge and caulking the windows. Involved is the key word here. I’ll write about that next time. Until then, thanks for stopping by and come see what we’re up to Around The Homestead. You can also check out my new book, “The Working Parent’s Guide To Homeschooling.”
