Trailer Painting: Transformation in Progress

Just thought I'd share a few shots of my 1961 Aloha compact as she's been getting her DIY facelift by me and my helper Randy.

Here's the rear of the trailer on the day I got it home. Note the heavy caulking around the window and down the J-rail trim. Cleaning off the moss and lichen growth was nothing compared to getting rid of all that caulking. I probably spent 8 hours just on getting the trim rail clean enough to unscrew it from the trailer, and another 12 cleaning all the trim down to bare metal.

This is the point at which the trailer was stripped of all trim, lights, and windows, and was ready for minor repairs and sanding. We'd already cleaned the roof and resealed its seams and around the vent. Randy worked some magic with Bondo, filling in small cosmetic dents like the one to the left of the door. Then we got to know every square inch of the trailer, making her surface as smooth as we could get it via sanding with green scrubbies and an orbital hand power sander.

Then she had to go gray-ugly for a while, with primer applied where needed (some of the old but original paint stuck on well enough to serve as a primed surface).

This is her status now, with a fresh coat of white automotive paint to match my white Ford truck. Once the paint is fully cured, we'll restore her red stripe. Then the cleaned and polished windows will go back in, and we'll reapply all the trim and seal it. She's getting new light covers and reflectors all the way around. She'll need new tires and cosmetic attention to her wheel surfaces as well.

When finally done, she ought to be pretty darn cute. And I'll be able to take what I learned from this trailer, plus all the tools I purchased to do the job, and apply both to the next one.

Of which there are several, waiting their turn!

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.

Vintage Trailers: From Hobby to Industry

Have you noticed it--the surge in products, TV episodes and advertisements that are capitalizing on the growing craze for vintage trailers?

From speciality businesses like La Crema Coffee Company to mass retailers like WalMart, the image of a vintage trailer---tied to the dreams and memories it stirs up--has become a hot-trend way to get products flying out the door.

For proof, do a Google search for 'glamping,' or 'vintage camper,' and click 'shopping' from the menu bar.

Want fabric with little trailers on it? No problem. How about a child's indoor play tent that pops up to look like a vintage trailer? Or maybe a doll-sized playset with camper trailer and accessories? Or pajamas with tiny trailers in the graphics? Birdhouses? Cookie jars and teapots? Salt and pepper shakers? Jewelry? You can find all that and much, much more with a vintage trailer theme, just by going online.

If you run across any interesting links, share them in the Comments section.

Girl Camping Girl Returns (to Blogging, That Is)

Behold, a moment of epiphany.

Not long after the last Girl Camping blog post, in July, I celebrated a milestone birthday by throwing a 4-day party for friends who brought their trailers. There I am, Girl Camping Girl, with just one of many wonderful gifts from the guests. It was the kickoff of a grander-than-grand time had by all.

In fact, there was a point at which I was so swept away and laughing so hard that I simply could not tear myself away to fetch my own camera and record the scene, for sharing later.

That's when it hit me. Camping is about being in the moment. It's a real-time activity, undertaken in large part for creation of R&R--not for doing more of the same that you do every day. I happen to 'create content,' as they put it now in media, for a living. Why was I even thinking of leaving the first-person fun in order to step back behind the wall of professional observer?

So I created my own gift for myself, right then and there, with a decision to stop blogging for a while, and do just go camping instead.

Everything has its seasons, and I've just had a dormant but rewarding one as among the blogging unfaithful. Seasons do change, though, and the Girl Camping porch light is back on. So, thanks for your patience, and see you again real soon.