This is our newly acquired travel trailer which will add comfort and warmth to my "Boondocks" experience in the coming months, and add to the future guest accommodations at the ranch.
_____________________________________________________________________________________When we first got the trailer there was a lingering odor of cat urine. The carpet had to be torn out completely to begin the remediation. After all the carpet was out, I gave the bare sub-floor two very heavy coats of white polymeric roof sealer. We decided to replace the carpet with a medium quality laminate.
___________________________________________________________________________________I completely removed and rebuilt the support frame for the couch, raising it two inches to improve the storage space under and to better fit my seating height requirements.
_____________________________________________________________________________________I closed off the outside hatch, (it's the open one in the second picture above), and insulated the wall with 1 inch of foil-faced foam board. Then I coated the area with a polymeric vapor barrier and carpeted it. Afterwards I wainscoted the wall next to where I will sleep for a little more warmth.
_____________________________________________________________________________________Here the floor is almost all installed and awaiting the newly stained trim.
_____________________________________________________________________________________The couch/bed back in place ready for use. The empty box under the left end is typical of the boxes that will be used for storage. It's the same size as a Xerox box.
_________________________________________________________________________________My wife has been encouraging, and ever so patient throughout this entire mess. She has a very good eye for living space, and I have been grateful for her help and impressed with her suggestions.
_____________________________________________________________________________________This is a pretty good shot of the fabric we found to reupholster the dinette and couch cushions.
_____________________________________________________________________________________In this view the slide is all the way out. We were able to get the trim on the slide and the floor to compliment each other very well. With the carpet removed the slide glides silently in and out. It used to groan and hesitate.
_____________________________________________________________________________________This is the alcove at the rear door. I guess two doors are nice to have, but that 4 square feet might have been added to some more functional space.
_____________________________________________________________________________________The rear door alcove is a natural hanging locker so I added a clothes rod stained to match the "decor.
_____________________________________________________________________________________I used a combination of 1/2 inch quarter-round and 1 1/2 inch door casing for the trim. It seemed to blend the floor and the cabinets well.
_____________________________________________________________________________________After the stain mixture had been tested for color, I wiped down all the cabinet and drawer fronts with it. It covered the wear and oxidation of accumulated years of use and made a nice fresh patina.
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And this is the 2001 Dodge 3500, 4WD 5 speed diesel we bought to pull it with.
Sharon was having difficulty getting in the truck, so I installed these steps on both sides to make it easier. Turns out they make it much better for me too. In the picture they look a little too far forward, but they are exactly where they need to be. They are 20 inches wide and centered at the front of the seat.
_____________________________________________________________________________________SCHEDULE CHANGE:
My plan now is to pull the trailer out to the ranch about the third week in March. I know I am a glutton for punishment and the weather might not be ideal (windchill), but I am anxious to see my friends and check on things, especially the fence. Hopefully there will be enough mild days to allow some progress to be made.
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