Finally! Some progress!

So, I finally got around to working on the 1968 Aloha travel trailer this week!

I pulled up the nasty carpet, removed the dinette and the little bench, removed all the rotten plywood outside on the "deck" (you'll understand soon), and took down some of the random shelves and stuff that made no sense with the vision of what's to come.

Today, I painted all of the steel to protect it from rust, then added 2x4 decking, and added laminate flooring to the inside of the trailer.

Check out the following photos to see what's happening.

Right after I ripped out the carpet

Ripped up the carpet to reveal the linoleum

Removed the rotten plywood floor and treated the steel

This is kind of where we're going with the front "porch"

The laminate is roughed in (will add molding)

With laminate flooring in, it really shows the need for a re-vamp on the drawers and cabinets.

So, a bit of a change in gears....

   So, I'm teetering between two ideas--one, to renovate my "vintage" '68 Aloha, and the other, to build a new teardrop camping trailer from scratch.  Teardrop trailers are very popular because they are much less expensive than larger campers, you can pull them with virtually any vehicle as they are very light, and you can still sleep in relative comfort, dryness, and safety--compared to tent camping.

I recently started renting a shopspace, and I purchased a very inexpensive Harbor Freight 4'x8' utility trailer for the teardrop build.  Yesterday, I began the preliminary design stage for what I think should be a very inexpensive and rapidly-built teardrop.  Just for fun, I also downloaded a GMC Sonoma (like my own truck) to hitch the sketchup design to.  So, maybe I'll just float between the two projects. 

  I'm planning on building both trailers with the aim to sell them, and this is as much an experiment in design and entrepreneurial efforts as it is my desire to create and build. 

I welcome your feedback!

Not long till the renovation begins....

I have been itching to start fixin' up the trailer, and warmer weather taunts us with the possibilities. 

Now, what theme shall it have?  I have been inspired by some of the Sisters on the Fly member trailers, including Jess' mom's lovely "log cabin" trailer.

 

What shall I paint it?     Trees?  Mountains? Streams?  Oceans?  Deserts?  Well, it has four sides, so  why not ALL of the above?

Stay tuned.

First entry ... I bought a used, but dry and functional 1968 Aloha travel trailer.

Exterior of the 1968 Aloha travel trailer.  Made here in Oregon.  My girlfriend, Jess, and I plan to fix it up all purdy-like and possibly resell it.

 This is the interior of the trailer.  I plan on removing the carpet and installing laminate flooring (like Pergo), and replacing the cabinet facing and building new drawers.  Jess is going to help me to develop a theme for the trailer and rethink the "softer" aspects: like the seat cushions, curtains, and bedding areas.

We're going to try and add updates to this blog as we go -- including photos and possibly some video.