Summer Update

As with most of us, I've been very busy over the past few months and have found that I'm way behind here. Since I've updated several things have happened. We finally finished the 1400, can you see me doing my happy dance? It turned out wonderful and I couldn't be happier with the result.

We took it to a rally in Southern Indiana and came home with a 1976 24.5' Fan. Good thing we had taken two trucks :) So we tucked the '72 Shasta and '72 F100 into the pole barn, cleaned the Fan, moved the camping supplies from the 1400 to the Fan and hit the lake for 10 days. We had to be able to check all the systems, right? So far everything works although the fridge did give us a scare. A friendly neighbor said that it may take up to 6 hrs for it to start working correctly, guess he was right as it did start working and continued to work just fine the rest of the trip.

We really didn't have any intention on buying another trailer. We already had the 20' Shasta waiting in the wings for her rebuild but the hubby really liked the Fan and I must admit that the idea of having a dedicated sleeping area really appealed to me. So here is our plan, the 1400 will be used for vintage trailer rallies, the Model Twenty will get a face lift verses a rebuild and will find it's home in the backyard in a permanent camp spot and the Fan will become our traveler and everyday camper.

Our plans for the Fan include removing the carpet and the 1970's paneling. New birch walls, tiled floor, curtains, cushions and polish the exterior and it should be ready to roll. We'll start on it this fall after the camping season is over.

A Very Lucky Shasta

All I can say is she is a tough old bird. I felt for sure that it would have a branch going through the roof, a broken window..some type of damage. After coming home today, being dead on my feet, I just couldn't stand it anymore. I pried open the door, crawled inside and to my amazement...no damage at all. Thankfully our pole barn did not receive any damage so our other Shasta and matching truck are still tucked away safe and sound. The only other damage we received on our home property was loosing a apple and pine tree which sits on the 2 acres behind where the pics were taken. Thanking God for our good fortune.

It's here and couldn't be happier

Our awning arrived yesterday and we are very pleased with it. Unfortunately it rained all day so we weren't able to take it outside but the sun is shining today. Hopefully my daughter will get back from the St. Louis Zoo with my camera in time for me to take a pic of the rock guard awing in place. The large awning will have to wait as there isn't room to set it up inside the pole barn. Oh well, patience is a virtue.

My new awning was shipped today and it is GORGEOUS!!!

New awnings ordered, Woohoo

Right now I'm so excited I can't hardly stand myself. The other day a member of the USA Vintage Trailer Network generously offered to pass along a deal she had received on a bulk purchase of awning poles. Who would have thought these would go for as much as $27.00 each? After a bit of research we quickly found they do so I jumped on the offer that Marti had made.

During the completion of our transaction I asked if she knew of a good source for online outdoor fabric samples. She hooked me up and I fell hook, line and sinker! Actually I was looking for design inspiration for the Shasta rebuild we are getting ready to start on. I was amazed to find a fabric that will go perfectly with our 1400. Right now we are using a canvas tarp and I've been perfectly happy with it. After discussing it with the husband I found out he's not and that in his mind it was only a temporary fix :) Could this have worked out any better? So I contacted Marti again to see what the price would be for a new awning and rock guard cover in the fabric I had found. What a deal! I can't buy the fabric retail for what she's charging me. This lady rocks and I'm adding her awning blog to my list.

The awning has all the colors in my new cushion material, white, aqua, brown and the best part is silver. You can bet that I'll be posting pics just as soon as it comes in.

End of winter update, first camping trip in 3 weeks!

Once again it's time for an update. There have been several questions about pictures of the quilts and bags I've made. The fact is I don't have any. At the time I made them I had no idea there would so much interest in them and I was rushed to get them finished. Since that time I decided to take time and make something for myself. This past week I finished a king size quilt for our bedroom. All the sewing is done but I still need to clip the seams then find a washing machine large enough to start the fraying. Once that's done I'll take some pics of it and post them. Maybe we'll have our master bedroom redo done and be able to show a completed project that my husband and I have been talking about doing for the past 4 years.

Actually I have some fantastic news. Our Shasta is almost 100% complete. The galley is finished and all the plumbing is done. After finishing the kitchen I finally confessed to the hubby that I wasn't happy with the cushion covers. Once again he surprised me saying he knew I wasn't and to find something I liked. It didn't take too many minutes for me to find some fabric I love and have it headed to my house. It being on sale for $5.00 a yard helped ease my sense of guilt and yesterday I finished the new covers. They are gorgeous. After I sewed the first set I told myself that if I ever changed them I pay for someone else to make them. Well that didn't happen and this set was much easier and I'm so much happier with the out come. New curtains are next and I'll get started on them in the next few days.

The hubby told me today that I have 3 weeks to get the curtains done. Guess that means our first camping trip is scheduled for then. We have a vintage trailer rally coming up in May and he wants to take the trailer out, test all the plumbing, holding tank, etc. before we head out of state with it. This must also mean that he has 3 weeks to get the screen door built. Once the door is built and the new curtains are up it will be complete. We sent off our door handle for the closet/porti potty room to have it rechromed today and it should be back in 2 weeks. There have been times when I've wondered if this project would ever be finished but we are finally there. It has turned out better than either of us expected and we couldn't be happier with the out come. New pictures have been added to the photobucket album, all you have to do is click on the small pic to the left and you can see how it's turned out.

Sneak Preview of Interior

Here is my new kitchen. The section of back splash is what we were going to install but we have found a pattern that we like better. This just gives an idea of what it will look like when it's finished. I don't mind the shellac edge on the counter top but will like the aluminum extrusion better. Still need to order the faucet and plumb the sink but that won't keep us from taking it camping this coming weekend. Since this photo was taken I have loaded my cabinets and have a better idea of how I'll organize it all. It's amazing but I have empty space! This is our new table. The leg will be made tomorrow and the hinge came in a couple of days ago. Again, the extrusion will be installed later but isn't it great?
This shows the inside of the closet/porta potti room. I'll sew a curtain to cover the fridge and leave the microwave open. Both the fridge and the microwave sit on new laminate shelves.
This is the left of the closet and still needs the closet rod installed. It's a nice use of space for a half closet.
This is where the drawers are boxed in. The area below is where we will store the porta potti. It will sit on a 'scooter' and slide out into the open floor space when being used then slide out of the way when not needed. The scooter is already built and also has a laminate top on it, I'll have to take a pic of it and will post later. I'll probably cover this area with a curtain also. If you click on the picture you can see the boomerang pattern in the laminate.
I'm looking forward to doing some decorating but need to be careful that I don't over do it. I'm already thinking about changing my curtains and cushion covers and they aren't even a year old. I found some fabric in Indiana that I adore but goodness is it expensive. I can hear my husband's voice echoing in my head "discipline, remember discipline". Since my nephew's SO works at the fabric store I'll remember that till I hear that the fabric is on sale. That along with the employee discount is using discipline isn't it?

Laminate is installed!!!

Wow, does it look great. May I say that I couldn't be happier with the out come? While I'm at it I might as well say that having a counter top is almost as cool as having cabinets. At times I get so frustrated with my husband because he can be slow when doing certain things. Let me tell you, when you see the quality and detail of workmanship in our Shasta all that frustration goes away. He has done a wonderful job.

It's almost finished and there isn't many other things we'll be able to do with it for the time being. Having taken family medical leave from work, all the trips to Indiana and the additional expenses have started taking it's toll. From this point forward we'll have to prioritise our purchases and gather a few remaining items over the winter. The only additional purchase we'll make for now is the new faucet. Luckily I've found one on ebay that is in the style, size and finish that I've been looking for.

The extrusion for the outside trim on the table and counter top will have to wait. As we knew we wouldn't have it in time for our next trip I shellaced the outside edges and it actually looks ok without the trim so it will go on the it can wait list. The back splash will also have to wait and will most likely be the first thing to be ordered once our finances ease up a bit. The area where it goes is painted and has been for months so I'll just have to live with that for a bit more. The mirror will have to wait. I know the style I want and it isn't cheap so I'll just wait and ask for it as a gift. Same thing goes for the closet/bath door knob. It's ironic because I actually have one exactly like I want but it has been painted and I want a chrome finish. After all the time and money we have spent on this project I just don't see why I should 'settle' at this point. The door opens and closes fine without it so I'll just wait. The only other items I'll be waiting on is the porti potty and holding tank. I've used 5 gal. buckets for both of these before so I can do it again, not a huge deal and we'll have them for the spring season.

That's it for now. Have to get outside and help the hubby. Finishing touches are going on and curtains and cushions are going back in today. It will be back to Indiana for me tomorrow so I need to get busy.

Another Shasta Update...

The aqua boomerang laminate is so cute. Unfortunately it wasn't here in time for my husband to take it back to Illinois so it is in the back of my truck. As I've been staying in an extended stay hotel for the past several weeks and I'm a bit nervous as I can't get the locks to turn on my camper shell. While at the Depot yesterday (can I say how nice it is to have 2 Home Depots and 2 Lowes in the town I'm staying in) I picked up a few more items we'll need to finish the trailer. At home I have to drive 40 miles to the nearest HD and 60 miles to the nearest Lowes.

While Mark was here we found and decided on the backsplash we are going to use. It is a special order item and could take up to a month to come in. That isn't such a huge deal, the only thing it will hold us up with is installing the inside corner extrusion on the counter top. We ran across a great deal on this same extrusion at HD. An employee had made an error on ordering this after they had stopped carrying sheet laminate in store. Therefore they have these 8' pieces marked down to $1.50 each. That's a $17.00 savings per piece (we bought 3). I'll still have to pay the regular price plus shipping from vintage trailer supply for the outside edge extrusion for the counter and table but it doesn't bother me nearly as much as it did.

Some bad news is that I'm having trouble locating a few needed items in the correct finish. We chose a bright chrome finish for the hardware on the cabinets and want it all to match. Finding a door knob for the closet/bath door has turned into a problem. Also finding a faucet for the sink has turned into a hassle. We need a 8" spread faucet and I've found one but it's $150.00. I'm kinda sick about this one. It isn't that I haven't found anything else that will work but it's not what I want. I want a bar sink faucet not a bathroom sink faucet. I'll do some more shopping today and see if I can find something more budget friendly. I've also located a handle for the door but it's $50.00 compared to the $12.00 one I found at HD but in the wrong finish.

Going shopping which I might add is not my favorite thing to do!

1972 Shasta 1400 Update

The news is wonderful! My cabinets are complete. In fact there are just a few finishing touches and my 1400 will be done. Some may say I'm crazy when I consider building a new table and counter tops as "a few finishing touches" but when you start with nothing but rot and filth then what's left to do is nothing.

This adventure started 13 months ago. The trailer had been gutted and used as a cook house. Grease oozed from the floor and the only redeeming qualities was that the windows and skin were in decent shape. Now I have bench seats that make into a king size bed, a closet that houses my clothes closet, porta potti, fridge and microwave (Shasta multi-tasking). Did I mention that I have cabinets? After spending 3 weeks camping in the 1400 during two trips this summer I learned to appreciate the simplicity of a cabinet. At that point all we had completed in the interior was the bench seats. I now have 6 wall cabinets, 8 drawers and 2 base cabinets not to mention the bench seat storage. The shellac is dry, hinges installed and doors hung, it's a very happy time for us right now.

Tomorrow I'm heading back to Indiana for awhile and should be sending the laminate back home with my husband. Once he gets the table and counter top built I'll come home for a day to help him install the laminate. We'll be using it on the table, counter top, the fridge and microwave shelves, the floor of the clothes closet (which is actually above a set of 5, 3 real + 2 fake drawers) and the porta potti slide (which is housed underneath the 3 real drawers and behind the 2 fake drawer fronts). At that time I'll get the measurements to sew my closet/potti room curtains that will hide the potti and fridge from view. I'm still undecided if I'll curtain off the microwave from view, will probably wait to see what it looks like first.

There will still be a few things to finish up like setting the sink and faucet, touching up the paint inside the back wall cabinet and base cabinets. We decided today that we'll trim the seams/joints of the birch paneling with birch strips but we already have those cut. Just have to shellac them in the morning and cut to fit. After all of that is complete I'll clean and polish the floor, then bring the curtains and cushions back in.

Oh my goodness, I have forgotten one very important detail! I'm still undecided about my back splash. At first I decided to use the plastic panels that replicate the tin ceiling look. Then I saw where several others took my idea and I don't want my trailer to look 'common'. So I then decided to use a aluminum 4" tile I found on the net. Luckily I ran across a pic of a trailer where this same tile was used and I didn't like it. So then I thought...what about diamond plate? After giving this some thought I don't want anyone to think it has 'hot rod' theme so now I'm back to the tin ceiling idea. I already have 1 panel that I bought a year ago and I also have a different design that we installed in my Dad's kitchen. So far the one I bought a year ago has been eliminated. It's a copper color and is too close a match to the shellac on my cabinets. I'm going to pick up one other color and compare it to the choice that's left and then I have to make a decision. As this project can be done at anytime I'll probably wait till the counter top, sink and curtains are brought back in to make a final choice. That way the only thing I'll have to blame if I'm not happy is my own judgement.

Catching Up and Running Behind....

It's been almost a month since my last post. I've finished my canning and it all turned out fine. The gardening season is almost over and my husband has been concentrating on the 1400. As I have been away from home for almost 2 weeks it has also enabled him to spend more time on it.

First of all, we almost lost my Dad. He became very ill and started to give up but rallied and is now on a upward trend. We transferred him to Evansville, Indiana. This is where his lung doctor is located and it seems to have renewed his spirit. He talks about what he's going to do once he gets better and returns home. I'm praying that he's able to do all these things. The biggest lesson I have learned through this is that I need to take things day by day as they change about that often.

As I said earlier, my husband has been able to concentrate on the Shasta as I've been staying in Indiana. The cabinetry is almost finished and I can't wait to see it. When I left home the last time all the framing was finished and one set of drawers were built but the faces weren't on them. Now both sets are finished and the cabinet doors are built. If all is well at the hospital this morning I should be returning home for a couple of days and will be able to see what he has finished.

As much as I appreciate the opportunity to be able to spend time with my Dad and help my step mom, I miss my husband. I miss him, my home and my dogs. Even though I know that he is taking good care of them it just isn't the same. I'm their leader and I know it distresses them when I leave. Of course I've humanized them, they are my babies and I miss their affection.

Hanging in there and hopefully going home for a day or two.

Highs and Lows

Well, I guessed right. This past month has been hectic, not much work has been done on the campers. The month has been filled with highs and lows. The high is that my son's wedding went off without any problems. It was a beautiful event and the reception was very nice and a lot of fun.

The low side is that my father is back in the hospital and has now been there for 15 days. It was very difficult and stressful at first because he wasn't doing well at all and I didn't know if I would be able to make the trip to Chicago for the wedding. After being in there for 3 days he started showing improvement and we decided to go ahead and make the trip. He had a relapse over this past weekend but is now eating again and seems to be improving. Unfortunately during a conversation with one of his therapist this morning it led him to believe that he would be released tomorrow. After conferring with his doctor we found out that this information was incorrect and he would be in there for at least a couple more days if not another week. Dad is not going to take this well and tomorrow will not be a good day for any of us.

On the up side, Mark has been able to put in a few hours work on our 1400. We were not able to locate the correct window to replace where the previous owner had cut the window frame to install a window unit so we located two windows to replace the large one that was damaged. Come to find out we had a leak in the area between the two replacement windows and damaged some of the new birch we had installed. The leak was found, repaired and new birch installed. The best part is that I now have three new cabinets. One large one in the back of the trailer and two smaller ones on the side. As I spent three weeks inside this trailer earlier in the summer without any storage this improvement is huge. He doesn't have the doors built yet and I think he is going to start on the bathroom wall first. This is fine with me as I just want it finished. We have a huge camping weekend planned for Columbus Day with all the kids, their families and my sister and her family planning on joining us. As long as my Dad continues to improve and I can keep Mark out of the garden then I should have a completed trailer for this trip.

Here's a few shots of the wedding, the garden (my husbands second love) and my new cabinets.

Shasta Twenty Update

Unfortunately we haven't had the time to actually work on either of our Shasta's this past month. August isn't looking any better as we have the wedding this month. We returned from our last camping trip the first week of July and Mark just got the Twenty parked back behind the garage and the 1400 back into the pole barn.

I'm back on the schedule at work but that hasn't stopped me from doing a bit of on-line shopping :) On the way to my house is a set of 42" wings for the Twenty. They will have to be rebuilt but what doesn't on these trailers. Cannot tell you how excited I am about this. It is very obvious where the wings once were and it looks naked without them. The paint is very bright and shiny where they use to be and it just makes me happy all over to know that I have wings to put back on her.

Also on the way is two replacement globes for the light over the sink and the ceiling light in the bathroom. Both lens covers for the 12v lights in the main cabin have cracks in them. Honestly, it isn't really noticeable unless you look closely but it bothers me. So...I've found one and will keep looking for the other one. There are also some sconces I'm keeping my eye on.

It's very difficult for me not to get too wrapped up in this project. We won't start working on her till next year and I want to start shopping for fabric. This is a mistake I made on my 1400 and won't do that again. I won't commit to an interior fabric scheme till new paint is on the trailer. Realistically this may not be for another two years. When we decided to buy this trailer it was with the plan to make it a 2 or 3 year project. There is hail damage on one side of the trailer so we will be replacing all the side skin.

We still have a lot of unanswered questions in regard to our Twenty. We are looking at this trailer as long term. It needs to be designed where it will be an easy set up at a local campground but also be capable to boondock for up to a month at a time. If we can't take it to the ranch in Colorado for as long as we want without electricity then it isn't worth investing a bunch of money in. So...we'll be researching generators, batteries, gas and solar panels. How we'll be able to incorporate these items into our vintage trailer and not be able to see that it's been modified is an issue for us. It isn't that I'm a purist and have to keep it completely original but I would like it to appear as original as possible.

Shasta Twenty

Here's a picture of our 'newest' Shasta. She'll be going in for rebuild either this fall or next spring.

Getting Ready to go Camping

No weeding for me today. Today will be spent cleaning house and reloading the Shasta. One week after returning home from an 8 day trip and we'll be heading out for 4 more days. This time we'll be sticking closer to home and going to Dolan Lake. It's a small state lake about 30 miles from home. It's always very quiet as most people forget it's there or don't realize it is in the first place.

I really, really want to camp on the water. I wouldn't want to camp this close to the lake in a tent as the lake has LOTS of water snakes but I'll feel safe sleeping in the trailer and the dogs will sound the alarm if a snake gets too close for my comfort.

We may be taking both Shastas on this trip but that is not yet decided. Here's the problem, my youngest daughter and her family want to camp with us this weekend. The husband has already told her that they could use the Shasta Twenty once this year before we start the rebuild on her. Daughter has asked me if they could use it this weekend and I told her not to get her hopes up. The hubby has already told me that they aren't using it this weekend. Why? Who knows? What I do know is that I'll most likely get stuck in the middle and I've told her I don't want to be there. So, we'll see. I don't see what the problem would be and I think it would be kinda cool to see the old gal in her element before we tear her to pieces. Since I'm totally ate up about taking pics and documenting the trailers anyway I think it would be a great photo op. More on this subject later.

These pics were taken on our vacation and at the mini rally that wasn't.

Why two Shastas?

Well, like most Shasta enthusiasts I want a canned ham. Since our 1400 is a seventies model it is considered ‘toaster’ shaped and is not a canned ham. It’s true that when we first looked for a Shasta we waited till we found a 72 model to match our truck. Unfortunately it didn’t quite satisfy my Shasta yearning. After working along side my husband inside our 1400 we realized that even for the two of us it’s a bit tight inside. Why couldn’t I be satisfied? It’s small enough to tow with just about any vehicle and doesn’t affect the gas mileage too bad. But..it didn’t have birch interior and still left me wanting. Don’t get me wrong, I do love my trailer. Even though the 70’s trailer didn’t come out with birch walls my trailer now has them. In the late 60’s Shasta went from birch walls to paneling, not my favorite. I didn’t have to worry about keeping it original because even the original paneling was long gone from my trailer when we got her. Anyway, I kept my eyes open and found a 1964 Shasta Twenty. Even though it is larger it does have the canned ham shape. This is a fairly rare trailer and difficult to find info on. At this time I still have not found another owner who has one of these. Walking into this trailer compared to my 1400 is as different as night and day. The first thing you notice is how much space is inside. There is a ton of storage and the birch interior is intact. The down side of this trailer is the outer skin. It appears to have been damaged by hail and eventually we will replace it. This is next year’s project and one that will be spread over a few years. We want to restore it to original condition with a few modifications for safety. The up side of this trailer is that I got a great deal on it. We paid less for the Twenty than the 1400 and it was only two hours away.

Why The Fin and Feather Inn?

Let's just say that the name was fitting when we first purchased the trailer. Our baby was a ebay find and about 3 hours north of us. The person we bought her from used it as a fry house for his church. From the amount of grease that ran from the floor when the door was open, it was obvious that it had housed many fish and chicken feeds. An industrial exhaust fan had been installed near the rear of the trailer and nothing remained of the original trailer except a fairly good exterior skin and lots of cooking grease and a very strong oder. The condition of the outside is what sealed her fate. We knew that we could fix anything that had taken place on the inside as long as the outside was in good condition.

Why a Shasta?

My father bought a Shasta in the mid 70's and kept it a long time. That old trailer went from Kansas City, Salt Lake City, Wyoming, New Mexico and then to Illinois with my family as my Dad never stayed in one place for long. Heck, it even served as my bedroom when I was a senior in high school in Wyoming (bad decision on my Dad's part). After joining my family in Illinois it's where I conceived my first child. So, Shasta's have been a long standing part of my family and when I decided to start looking for vintage it had to be a Shasta. My husband already had a 1972 F100 truck that he had restored. It was just an old farm truck that Mark's grandfather had but it was Mark's first vehicle. After lot's of love it turn out to be a very cool truck. So the search began for a 1972 Shasta travel trailer.