Several weeks ago I e-mailed a guy in Goleta about his trailer listed on CraigsList. He never responded, so I figured it was sold. Then, out of the blue, I received an e-mail Friday night saying he still had it and it was available. Despite the hour, I called Dad to ask for his expert mechanical advice...and truck (just in case). Saturday morning, Dad, M. and I enjoyed a beautiful drive south while Mr. B enjoyed a morning with our girls.
Well, the trailer, which is fiberglass, had been painted (a no-no where gel coat is concerned), and it hadn't been moved from its spot in his parents' driveway in SO long there was moss growing on the concrete alongside the tires, so there's no telling how the wheel bearings are. The cushions were, in some cases, torn, others ripped. And in an effort to create some insulation, he'd lined nearly the entire interior with a metalized bubble wrap. There were some other issues as well, but they appeared minor.
Then it came to paperwork time; the kid had NONE. In fact, he didn't know whether he'd ever registered it in his name, let alone changed the title over to his name. I wasn't about to shell out for the trailer only to find out it wasn't really his to sell, so we headed down to the Santa Barbara DMV. (It's only open ONE Saturday each month, and THIS was it. Coincidence?) Lo and behold, the trailer was officially his, so we made the sale official at the DMV, then towed that puppy home!
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| From Compact Jr. Upgrades |
The thing that bothered me MOST about it was fixed first: the kid had painted RIGHT over the glass in all the windows. I scraped it off before I stepped inside to take on more important tasks, like checking plumbing, installing a hand pump (hoses to come tomorrow), stripping the cushions (E loved this job), repairing the ice box drainage system, and generally cleaning up (E & V both loved this part).
So far the repair seem relatively minor for a home on wheels. The table leg, for example, had to be remounted today. It shook off on our way down the road between Goleta and our house. No wonder...someone had used tiny nails to affix it the the table. Gravity took its toll in no time. Mr. B and I replaced the old nails with screws, somehow managing NOT to drive them clear through the top of the table! BONUS!
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| From Compact Jr. Upgrades |
Long list of to-dos remains, but at least the weather's returned to normal so we can stand to be outside working again! :)
Junior looks really cute and cozy:)
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