Merry Christmas to me

I told myself not to look on Craig's List because I didn't need anything else, but I was looking for something to do. My mistake. I found a lonely 1966 Aristocrat Low Liner looking for a new home. And we gave her one.  Lucky for us, the Fireball is at the shop getting some things done, so we had a little space for the new one.  She is a hunting trailer now, but will get a new look and make someone happy I pray, as she's not made for Lowry's, being short. And there isn't much for James to do on this one, no leaks or walls to replace. I am learning.  So as the weather warms, I will have plenty to do and I will be sewing new seat covers this winter for a few trailers. But only after Christmas is over and family gone.  Then I will get to work....promise.

Our Fireball is finally home, and needs a name.

The day Hoppy left, we went out with tools in hand to pick up the Fireball and bring her home. When we bought her, the lights didn't work, so James was going to try and get them fixed up. Here is how it went. He plugged it into the car and noticed the engine changed pitch, so he unplugged it. They poked around and then tried again, this time there was a smell of..eek..burning wires? So it was unplugged again. Then came the smoke, whiffing out from a seam in the front. Wow, how does one put out a fire inside a trailer wall. Answer? You start taking it apart. Lucky for us, it was in the front where the 2 walls join together and there was a little piece they took off. Seems it shorted out a wire and the smoke went up the wall and out the seem, so no damage, other than a melted wire. I had visions of her going up in flames along with the shop and chicken coop of our friends where she was being kept. We towed her home without lights, so that will be first on the list of fixes. She is cleaned out now, along with the large bird nest on top of the frig. Got in thru the vent I guess. Found 3 former birds mixed in with the 13 gallon trash bag of grass, poor things. Second thing on the list is wire over the vent to prevent that from happening again. But the frig works and the owner thought it didn't anymore. Could it have to do with the grass in everything? So, I will have time to think about colors and a name. So far, Birdie or Sparky seems to fit. James has been calling her Goldie, as she is gold and white outside. I'm excited to work on her, but it's been kinda cold out there. So third thing on the fix-it list, the heater.

Bye my Lil Hoppy.

Well, after many attempts for sell Hoppy, he was bought by a couple about 3 hours away in Idaho. A fellow Glamper, Heather, told her friend about him. But then I got a call from Joe in Calif the day before the other couple came to see him, and he was interested and was waiting to hear if they would take him. Then I got a message from another fellow Glamper, Kathy, in the Bay area asking where I was, as she had a trailer for sale also and someone from MI was interested, but it was too far away and she thought maybe if I was closer, he could look at Hoppy. I then told Joe about Kathy's trailer. So, to make a long story kinda short, the Idaho couple bought Hoppy and Joe bought Kathy's. Now that is networking! Hoppy is going to get a makeover into a cabin theme and I'll wait to see pictures from Sylvia, his new owner. I wonder if he will get a name change? We will miss you Hoppy, but you are in a loving home and in good hands.

Hangin with my Peeps

Well, it's been a few weeks and the weather is changing. It won't be long until we need to cover everything up for the season. I have been trying to sell Hoppy so I can bring home the Fireball. We did visit her last Saturday and she is dry but needs some ceiling work. I was hoping to get a little more done on Valerie before it snows, her seat is covered and the inside walls are done now, just needs some paint. I picked up the Jelouise windows, but still need 2 side windows made. But here are

some Peeps I made for the neighborhood kids, so Happy Halloween everyone.

Valerie the Loafer

The work on the Lil Loafer, Valerie, is coming along. King James worked and figured out how to replace the dry rot and inside wall. Now we move to the other side. In the meantime, I have taken off the front wood and had to remove the bed frame. I also am working on the door, polished it and am painting it with brown chalkboard paint on the inside. I bought a buffer and tried it out. Lesson one..don't get it close to any rough edges. I totally ripped off the "bonnet" getting it caught on a screw hole, oops. Lesson over until I buy a new bonnet. I hope there aren't anymore costly lessons. I am also working on the windows, polishing them and getting the silicone off. Then they go to the glass house for new glass pieces...I hope. Cleaned up the tongue and primed that. Will work on the wheels next. And King James brought in the seat for me to start working on. The cats seem to really like it. They were thinking, "why hasn't anyone done this before, put a huge cushion on the floor for us" Cats are such finicky subjects. I can't wait until it's time to put her all together.

How many trailers do you have?

That is the question I get, from my friends to the mailman. "How many trailers do you have?" And the answer is 4...right now. That makes me the queen, at least in the eyes of my fiends and family that only own one. But how could you have just one anyway, they are so cute. I thought I should list them all here and introduce them to you. My newest subject is a Fireball, which James calls Goldie. She is going to replace Hoppy when he leaves for another kingdom. She has the blue appliances I was looking for, although pink ones where the first choice, couldn't find them. Goldie is in the best shape of them all too, but then, we don't have here home yet to really check her out. Then there is Valerie, the Lil Loafer. We found her in the corner of the RV salvage yard while looking for a window for the Go-Lite. So I came home with a window and bought a trailer. Then there is the Shasta, no name yet. I thought I was getting a good deal being a 64 Shasta, but she's so much work. We found out when they say it needs a little TLC, it means tires, lights and ceiling. And just because they used it for camping this year doesn't mean it's clean either. I'm learning! And then there was the Go-Lite. It stayed with us for a week cuz I found the Shasta the same day as the Go-lite. The man dropped the price to $175. That was like on clearance, how could I pass on that one? But I sold it, lucky for me, to a man that needed it for storage. Perfect. Then there is Hop-a-long and his story is here. So there they are, all the subjects I rule over. But I'm a loving Queen, and spend as much time as I can with them until they can move to a different kingdom.

After pictures of Hop-a-Long

cabinets stripped and refinished, new seat covers and curtains, paint inside and out and now everything works.

My guy Hop-a-Long. A 1965 Aloha

I found this trailer while sick in bed, got up and dressed to go see it. I hope I didn't make the man sick that I bought it from, but then, he did say everything worked and it didn't. So maybe he should have gotten sick as my revenge. We ended up doing so much work on it and now it's all done and ready to enjoy. One more farewell trip and then he goes up for sale to make room for the Fireball.

It's coming along...slowly.

We had a nice 3 day weekend. And in there, we also got some things done on both trailers. Problem is we found more work in the Loafer, which we named Valerie. She has some dry rot in the front corner from the window. So James got the wall back on the Shasta. Here are before and after pictures of the same corner. We will put her to the side and focus now on Valerie. I choose the counter top and curtain material for her and will be painting inside. I would love to keep the birch wood, but it just wasn't in good condition and we are having to replace both back sides. So she will be painted. I hope everyone likes the decorating choice. It's hard to choose for the purpose for selling. .

New trailer! It's a girl.

Yes, I just bought another trailer. It's a 1968 Fireball, 19'. This one was meant to be mine. The girl we bought it from even said that after she posted it, that she didn't return calls. I kept thinking about it after I saw it at the first part of Aug. So I did a Craig's List search and it was still listed. I paid less than 1/2 of the original asking price after it's been listed 3 weeks. And so far, it's been the cleanest one I've looked at. It didn't sell cause it was mine. So..bittersweet, cuz I will be selling Hop-a-long. But I did fix him up to sell, so after a camping trip in 2 weeks, he goes up for adoption. So I need to get busy and finish a trailer to make room here for the Fireball. Oh, Maybe I had a soft spot for it because when we move up here, we lived in a Fireball 5th wheel. Now to choose a name for her.

My partner in crime.

Well, it was suppose to be my project, but this Shasta was in bad shape and James had to step in. Out went the benches which exposed all the damage. Then off went the walls, which exposed even MORE damage! Now I know where the phrase "Ignorance is bliss" came from, someone repairing trailers. So, like my hero, he stepped in and repaired the side walls. Next is the front wall, then we move to the back wall. James, you're the best! Will we ever get our money back on this one? I just don't know.

1960 Lil Loafer

Funny story.  We heard about this trailer salvage yard in Marsing, so we headed out to look for parts, and there in the back corner was this sweet tiny aluminum 9' trailer..full of wasps I might add. Anyway, to make a long story short, I bought 2 small windows, 3 window cranks and a 1960 Lil Loafer trailer that day.  It was pretty bad inside, but I am working on it while James works on the Shasta.  There is lots of work to do, but this kind I can handle on my own. Here are the before pictures. I hear it's called a Zombie trailer cuz we have to bring it back from the dead. Trailer humor I guess. But what a cute trailer this will be.

1964 Shasta

I know, I'm not keeping up with this, cuz I'm busy working on trailers and it's summer, so others things like yard work are on the list of "to do" projects. Plus our grand daughters 2nd birthday, couldn't miss that.  But, back to work. We are tearing into the Shasta big time. There was dry rot inside the wall, so James is fixing it. We ordered the birch paneling from a cabinet maker, so he can replace it and it should look nice. Trying to find supplies is sometimes hard, like the door handle for it. I don't think we are going to get one, so we need something else that will work. James has a lot to do before I can do my fun part.

I am the Queen....

I never wanted to be the queen. I always noticed that either she was old, the evil one, or everyone was yelling, "Off with her head!" And I'm more of a "do it yourself" kinda girl anyway. What fun is it if you can't get in the kitchen and cook up a storm? Although, having someone clean the storm might have it's advantages.  So how did I become Queen then? It started when I found 2 vintage trailers in the same day...and bought them both. I already had one, almost.. like just this close (holding fingers so close together) done.  So I was ready for another project.  I text my daughter, telling her the wonderful news, and got a reply of "Hey, Queen of her own trailer park.." and that was it.  I am the Queen.  I just wonder what the neighbors think? No I don't, I probably know already! So the fun begins, and the journey starts, not on the road yet, but in the driveway. And lucky for me, my hubby of 36 years helps me out with the stuff I can't do. All the important stuff like brakes, dry rot (although I am learning) electric, you get the picture.  And he even blessed me with this sign! He is the one that treats me like a queen, a queen indeed....of her own trailer park.