Trailer Painting, Underway

In May, I was the beneficiary of a nice older man's goodwill when he decided to give his 1961 Aloha compact away to a good home. It hadn't been used in 15 years except by some nesting wasps. After I got her home and cleaned her up (bye-bye, wasp nests!), I decided she was due for new seals and a new coat of paint.

Not that I'd ever done any of this before--I had not--but I just figured 'what the heck, it's a free trailer and as good to learn with as any.'

Many, MANY hours later, her trim was off, windows removed, her roof was cleaned of old mobile-home coating and resealed, and all the hand-sanding was complete. I used green scrubbies and an orbital hand-sander to remove old flaking paint and to get a smooth surface.

Next, on the advice of an auto-painting buddy, the bare-metal places were treated with rattle-can automotive primer.

Since this is a spare-time project, it took until the end of July to reach this point. By then, it was too hot to paint, so the next steps had to be put on hold.

Yesterday (first weekend of October), the painting planets finally aligned! Tucked into part of the barn, now a makeshift painting booth, the Aloha got a fresh coat of automotive paint applied with a Finex paint gun. Whereas I lost count of the prep-time after the 80-hours mark, this step took less than an hour.

Now I'm letting her sit, curing, for the 72 hours recommended by Auto Painting Guy. Then her red stripe will be restored, her trim and windows will go back on and in, she'll get new tires and hubcaps, a modern propane tank, and new light covers all around. She'll be like a trailer-Cinderella, ready to go to the ball.

I have no idea how long of the rest of this is going to take. But it sure will be nice to work with a CLEAN fresh surface, instead of the one I started with.

And, I can also say, without reservation, that I now understand why quotes for professional paint jobs are as high as they are.

The Free Trailer, Transformed by Decor (Also Known as 'Shopping the House')

This is the 1961 Aloha compact that came my way, free, through a piece of good fortune. She had not been used in about 15 years, and is now undergoing the necessary rehab/maintenance to make her shine again.

But before I turned her into a shop project, I couldn't resist dolling her up a little, and making her comfy enough for a few nights' stay out in our yard. There's no better way to get to know a trailer before you get serious about the rehab.

The interim project called for an episode of Shop the House.

I found of set of trailer-sized curtains, sewn of vintage white chenille. I'd gotten these earlier from someone who wasn't using them anymore. They fit the windows perfectly. (It's amazing what curtains alone will do to create a sense of home in an old trailer, and with sliding clip rings, you make them instantly out of just about anything.)

I'd recently purchased some red and white enamelware, a small kitchen's worth, and the small red and white trailer is the perfect place for it.

The red tulips were a no-brainer--they were blooming in the garden at the time.

The tin toy sink and drainboard, from the '50s, found a perfect home on the trailer's small counter. It was down in our basement, with some other old toys.

By now, it was obvious that the trailer wanted to be red and white throughout. All these other R/W items were lurking in various closets and cubbies--even 'Life Goes to the Movies," from the '60s. The trailer needs little to make it charming and comfy, and that's good, because it isn't very big and would be cramped if overloaded with 'stuff.'

Outside: More red flowers, some small furniture, including the red and white screened cupboard, and her personality popped right out.

Then she got sassy, and demanded lights! She's just the right size for the 20-foot string.

After the fun, we're back to the dirty work, preparing to reseal and repaint. I like her in white, with a single red stripe, so I'm keeping that.

Oh, and I decided to name her Karma.