Post by mtpalms on Mar 20, 2016 18:35:07 GMT -8
Insanity is a funny thing. The moment I laid eyes on this trailer, common sense flew out the window, and all that was left was the feeling that I wanted it with every fiber of my being. I was lucky my first time buying a vintage trailer. It was the mid 90s and I bought a '66 Cardinal Lovebird for $1500 that had been in storage for 30 years. The PO had done a hideous paint job on its outside, but otherwise it was nearly perfect. My then husband thought it too cramped and persuaded me to sell it and we bought a small '86 Fleetwood in it's place. Blegh. Thankfully, that one didn't last long either. We finally got a 19' '73 Airstrean Safari, and I was in heaven. Sitting in it, I felt Howard Hughes sitting in the belly of my private jet.
Got to know Andy in Corona pretty well, and kept a close eye on just how far the wheel rims disappeared up in the wheel wells... Then 2005 hit us pretty hard, and both the Airstream and husband were gone, and I was trailer-less until a month ago.
As I was unhitching it, I looked at its sagging belly, and it struck me. "OMG, what have I done!?" I had the severest case of buyer's remorse for the next 2 days than what I thought was humanly possible. I couldn't even consider selling it, knowing it was a rolling deathtrap. And yet. Every time I glanced out my kitchen window, my heart softened. Perhaps there was hope for it. After all, one of the few treasures I found in it, besides an old black comb and 11¢, was this book:
Hmmmmm.
So here it is, The Goblin:
Why yes, I did take a look inside before I bought it, and this is what I found:
An interesting galley with appliances in what look to be good shape. And a little more water damage in the back:
But wait, There's more:
Yikes. I think some PO fixed the leak, but just a bit too late. And had just bought shares in Henrys.
The vent stack is above the fridge. This is what I found when I opened up the side panel just below it:
So that is the first chapter of my relationship with the Goblin. The good news is that as we have vacuumed, scraped and scrubbed, it is actually looking , well not good, but much less bad. I have a friend that lives nearby who has restored a few vintage trailers and is also a sculptor, welder and fabricator. He is willing to shore up the frame, do what ever is necessary to bring it back to structural soundness, and mostly for work in kind. And the bits he thinks we can do ourselves, he will show us how, and let us do it.
My boyfriend has done luthier work, furniture making, and carpentry, so we have grand plans to redo the inside in birch.
This brings me to another ugly fact. It has no title which I know is bad, but also no bathroom, and is less than 16' long, so I am going to try and get PTI status for it. (I live in SoCal). Once it is sound enough to tow, I will make arrangements to get it registered. The tags expired in 2000 (which means it may have fallen off the DMV's radar, right?) And one more thing, I have yet to find the VIN. I haven't resorted to a wire brush yet though.
I am unsure what make it is. I am leaning towards an early 60s Roadrunner, based on the galley layout, the cabinet latches, and frame. But obviously it is (was?) birch inside, not oak, and the exterior paint job is wrong.
If you have made it this far into the narrative, thank you. If you have any comments, they are most welcome. I am pretty sure I am here for the duration.
Got to know Andy in Corona pretty well, and kept a close eye on just how far the wheel rims disappeared up in the wheel wells... Then 2005 hit us pretty hard, and both the Airstream and husband were gone, and I was trailer-less until a month ago.
As I was unhitching it, I looked at its sagging belly, and it struck me. "OMG, what have I done!?" I had the severest case of buyer's remorse for the next 2 days than what I thought was humanly possible. I couldn't even consider selling it, knowing it was a rolling deathtrap. And yet. Every time I glanced out my kitchen window, my heart softened. Perhaps there was hope for it. After all, one of the few treasures I found in it, besides an old black comb and 11¢, was this book:
Hmmmmm.
So here it is, The Goblin:
Why yes, I did take a look inside before I bought it, and this is what I found:
An interesting galley with appliances in what look to be good shape. And a little more water damage in the back:
But wait, There's more:
Yikes. I think some PO fixed the leak, but just a bit too late. And had just bought shares in Henrys.
The vent stack is above the fridge. This is what I found when I opened up the side panel just below it:
So that is the first chapter of my relationship with the Goblin. The good news is that as we have vacuumed, scraped and scrubbed, it is actually looking , well not good, but much less bad. I have a friend that lives nearby who has restored a few vintage trailers and is also a sculptor, welder and fabricator. He is willing to shore up the frame, do what ever is necessary to bring it back to structural soundness, and mostly for work in kind. And the bits he thinks we can do ourselves, he will show us how, and let us do it.
My boyfriend has done luthier work, furniture making, and carpentry, so we have grand plans to redo the inside in birch.
This brings me to another ugly fact. It has no title which I know is bad, but also no bathroom, and is less than 16' long, so I am going to try and get PTI status for it. (I live in SoCal). Once it is sound enough to tow, I will make arrangements to get it registered. The tags expired in 2000 (which means it may have fallen off the DMV's radar, right?) And one more thing, I have yet to find the VIN. I haven't resorted to a wire brush yet though.
I am unsure what make it is. I am leaning towards an early 60s Roadrunner, based on the galley layout, the cabinet latches, and frame. But obviously it is (was?) birch inside, not oak, and the exterior paint job is wrong.
If you have made it this far into the narrative, thank you. If you have any comments, they are most welcome. I am pretty sure I am here for the duration.
I found the Goblin's tribe, and an identical twin! It is a Dalton. I guess the light was just right yesterday, because the elusive VIN number finally revealed itself, and I could just barely sorta see the words 'Dalton' above the back window. I don't know why I am so elated, but I am. I am also relieved that what I thought was sag in the front, is actually normal on this trailer:
