03-05-12 Finished Insulation!

There will be a slight pause in our story to tell you about today's adventure.  Suffice it to say, I have a new trailer, and this one was gutted to the studs.  I have been sitting in it for a week now, terrified to start, because I had no idea where to start.

I had a friend, Ron, come over.  He used to own a lumber yard and is a wood worker guy.  He and his wife stopped by yesterday.  He had a lot of good ideas.  Mostly on how to restore the trailer.  As he was speaking about stuff I know nothing about, I realized that I don't want to "restore" this old thing.  I don't need it to have its former glory.  I don't think I will keep it for more than 5 years.  I just want something functional and cute.

So I realized that I just have to be brave.  And start.

So I did.

And in one day, finished all the insulating.

The guy I bought this from had packed the trailer with all the materials I would need (almost) to finish the thing.  So I just used up the insulation boards that he had.  Then went to the store for some more when I ran out.  His was about a little more than a quarter inch thick, and I bought more that was 3/4 inch thick.  Worked even better!  The hard part is the curves.  The ceiling is already done.  I am left with fixing the side walls.  Which are straight, but the edge that touches the ceiling is curved.  See the pictures for what I mean.

So I had to figure out how to cut the curves.  I ended up just going outside the trailer and holding the board up, then eyeballing the curve with a sharpy.  Then cut it out.  Turns out I am REALLY good at that.  Yipee!

Next is going to be using duct tape to hold all the insulation boards between the studs.

And then the really hard part.  Insulation is easy, it is foam, so you can bend it.  The wall material is not going to bend that way.  I have tons of fiberboard called Masonite.  I will HAVE to make a template out of paper and then put that against the board and use a jig saw.

No way around that.  And I am scared.  I am not sure what of, maybe expending energy that doesn't accomplish what I want.  Energy is a precious commodity these days.....

Here are some pics:

This is the little 1957 Aljo.

Today's projects included:

1. Removing the stripped screw that I mangled putting in an L bracket to hold the wall to the bench seat as someone had removed all the hardware holding the wall to, well, anything.  And when you opened the door, the whole wall moved.

2.  Removing and replacing the screws that hold on the outside latch assembly.  Someone had put in screws that were too long, and would poke out of the wall once the wall was finished.  Stupid.  Luckily found some in my collection of odd screws and nails that I save from EVERYTHING.

3.  Here is what the walls originally looked like:

That is bare aluminum skin under the brown paper.  The paper is from 1957 and crumbly.

Here are the walls insulated!  I am not sure whether the silver side is supposed to out or in, and I wasn't consistent.  Don't care.  Will be covered up with walls soon, no one will know.  See the horrid curves?

4. Put in all the insulation.

5.  Bought a new toolbox and new hammer.  Cannot find old hammer.

6. Pulled out old rusty nails from studs that were no longer holding anything up.

7.  Attached the handle to the vent on roof with new screw.  Don't know why that wasn't done.

8.  Added strips of flexible wood to the corner to replace some rotted wood.  But again, only need it to last 5 years, it will be under a tarp for the rainy season, and only camped in for good weather.....

9.  Sat in it and dreamed of exciting camping trips.

10.  Bought a new camping chair.  A director's chair that folds.  The other folding chairs I have give you black and blue marks on your thighs after a weekend of sitting in them shivering in front of the fire.  Yay!  New chair!

Here are some more pics:

It's gonna be GREAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!