boholady
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Post by boholady on Mar 21, 2016 15:47:01 GMT -8
It's been scary and exciting at the same time. I honestly had no idea what we were getting ourselves into. I knew it was a mess but I had no idea how much of a mess was below the surface. Everyone kept saying to lift the skin to make sure it was safe. When we did it was a nightmare. The wood on the floor was so soft that you could punch holes though it. Someone had basically put a bandaid on the back. It was all small puzzled pieces of wood. The beam across the bottom was useless. I'm surprised we even made the 4 hour drive home without an accident. I was so upset to see how bad it was. Then winter came and all progress was halted for a while. Now we seem to be making leaps in progress. I'm so excited! The lesson learned is, never give up. We have learned so much and I'm sure we will never stop learning.
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boholady
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Post by boholady on Mar 21, 2016 15:37:17 GMT -8
[The floor] Before: This was the floor next to the back wall (I forgot how bad it was until I saw this photo!). It was replaced with new wood before new flooring was put down. Progress (Here you can see what wood was replaced on the floor. We pulled up all the old tile.): More progress (we're night owls so a lot of my photos are at night, haha): This is about where we are right now (floors done, benches rebuilt): [The sides] Here is one side. We didn't have to go very far back before getting to solid wood. I'm sure one day we'll go ahead and rebuild both completely but this was our very first time and the goal was to make her safe and sturdy.
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boholady
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Post by boholady on Mar 21, 2016 15:24:43 GMT -8
[The back] Before: Before (the sides were destroyed): After (so far):
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boholady
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Post by boholady on Mar 21, 2016 13:30:44 GMT -8
I haven't been on the forum in so long! When we finally caved and took the back off of our 1962 Trotwood I thought for sure we would never see her together again. We put the wood on the back a few days ago. We finally have to use the door again instead of going through the back. Haha! We redid the whole back end, some of the floor, and went into the sides until we got to solid wood. Right now we're finishing up the rest of the wood so we can put the skin back on. I began painting the inside before we ever took off the back. So I'm finishing that too. All the old flooring came up and was replaced. The benches inside were rebuilt as well. There's a lot left to be done but I can see the light at the end of the tunnel!
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boholady
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Post by boholady on Oct 24, 2015 9:18:52 GMT -8
After lifting the skin on our Trotwood we took measurements and pictures. Last night, we removed the wood from the back. I noticed that someone has lifted it before and basically put bandaids on the issues. Really bad bandaids. You learn as you go with this hobby. Something I learned is that you can't possibly know the work ahead until you lift the skin. You can be lied to and never know it if you don't know what you're looking for. The water damage and rotten wood is a bummer sure, but we knew that going in. What we didn't know was that someone had put little blocks in place of wood that had already disintegrated. Without even nailing them in. They were just there. Amongst the rotten wood and random panels covering other rotten wood. The base wood that should be attached to the floor, is only still on because it's anchored with a giant screw. ONE screw! Now I'm all attached to the trailer and tbh it really upsets me that someone took such little care of it. We have no idea what we are doing but we plan to give it a good shot. It's a bummer bc someone could have fixed the problems and it wouldn't be in half as bad of shape as its in now. We have it covered under a tent. It's a shocking sight without a back wall. Looks so roomy. Lol! I'm trying to stay as positive as I can but it feels like it'll never be done.
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boholady
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Post by boholady on Oct 19, 2015 8:06:01 GMT -8
We won't be doing a full resto. We'll start back here. We have to lift the sides to replace that wood though. So I guess we'll look at them too. I'm really nervous about putting the drip rail back on and sealing properly. I'm also worried about getting the caulk off of there bc its a mess. Also, the red side paneling was strange so I'm concerned about getting that back on right too. But....one thing at a time. Replace the wood first, then deal with getting it back on. We aren't going to remove the paneling inside. We will replace the panel seen in the pic though. Although I think we should just remove the paneling inside if we're replacing the board anyways, but hubby has his own ideas. Changing his mind is difficult. Lol! I'm surprised I got him to lift the back and that he's taking the damage so well. Our goal is to get it sturdy and safe. I will continue painting inside but will be happy knowing the wood has been replaced behind the panels. New insulation will also go in there. And yes, I would definitely suggest to anyone with an older trailer, to at least lift the back to see what's going on. Safety for you and others is important and although it's a scary chore, it can be done, and has been by others many many times before. One step at a time.
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boholady
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Post by boholady on Oct 18, 2015 16:37:53 GMT -8
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Post by boholady on Oct 18, 2015 16:35:52 GMT -8
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Post by boholady on Oct 18, 2015 16:28:07 GMT -8
Today we lifted the skin off the back of our Trotwood. It isn't pretty. We are going to replace all the rotten wood in the back. It's overwhelming. Glad we did it though. Better to know than to find out later driving down the road.
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boholady
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Jalousie
Oct 15, 2015 16:45:25 GMT -8
via mobile
Post by boholady on Oct 15, 2015 16:45:25 GMT -8
Somehow I managed to break one of the jalousie windows. Can I take it to any glass shop to have another made? Also, how much will that cost on average? So mad at myself for doing that. Such a clumsy move.
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boholady
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Post by boholady on Oct 11, 2015 9:25:26 GMT -8
This is the closet progress. Sanding was a pain but it had to be done. There was no way I was going to paint over that.
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boholady
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Post by boholady on Oct 11, 2015 8:50:41 GMT -8
We've had Bessie Mae in the driveway for a week as of tomorrow. She was a gift from my parents for me and my husband's vow renewal. The first trip to check out the 1962 Trotwood (now named Bessie Mae after my husband's great grandmother who would have loved it dearly), I had stars in my eyes and missed many things. On the second trip we were supposed to pick up and be on our way. This trip we inspected a little better. We found many things we had missed. Along with quite a few signs that the owner wasn't being totally honest with us. We offered less, and although angry, the owner agreed. Since then, I have sanded down the closet and under the sink and I have started painting with a mold killing primer. We took the oven out and the fridge (the fridge was crazy difficult!). My husband also fixed the water. We now have running water (with no leaks) which was a huge accomplishment. In a few years we plan to do a complete rebuild. No doubt there is rotten wood and has been water damage. We have her covered with a tarp to prevent any further damage. We plan to replace the jrails and window sealant. I know it's frowned upon to paint but we are painting and will be doing some little changes inside. She won't be perfect for a few years but we're enjoying how she is for the time being. Just wanted to share our story and progress so far. Absolutely loving this journey.
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boholady
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Post by boholady on Oct 9, 2015 17:51:04 GMT -8
I noticed that the caulking or sealant on the windows is very old. How do I remove it to replace? What is the best way to replace it?
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boholady
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Post by boholady on Oct 6, 2015 17:52:44 GMT -8
Awesome. That makes my day.
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boholady
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Post by boholady on Oct 6, 2015 17:51:12 GMT -8
Pretty overwhelmed at this point. She made it home safely though so that's something.
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