On of the big things for us at this point is planning this year’s travel adventures now that the trailer repairs are finally in sight. We’re starting early–my office requires me to set plans at the beginning of the year–and we’ve found planning pays off. At many of the better RV parks and rally events–getting a good site really depends on getting early reservations. So, this past month, we devoted us to planning the adventures we hope to take after repairs.

Our first event is going to be a informal rally of the Potomac Valley Aquarium Society–a fish collecting trip at James Island State Park May 18-20. What can I say–water front spot, we’re going to steam fresh Bay crabs (of course with Old Bay Salt), beer, grilled fish (yes, this is an odd requirement with aquarium folk) and friends. What better shakedown trip can there be?

And the following weekend, we venture to the birthplace of our dear Toaster! Yes, we venture on our first long distance trip (post resto) and head off to Jackson Center  for Alumapalooza–a fabulous event in a most memorable locale, at least for ‘Stream fans…(aka THE Airstream factory, where the Toaster was initially fabbed in late 1960. I like to imagine Wally Byam (aka the founder of Airstream) checking out our model’s production (just before he passed away the next year)…

Then we get to late June. Things get interesting then…original plans were to head out to my home town, Duxbury, MA, which is still the objective, even if a mere hometown visit has become complicated.

What can I say? Duxbury, MA, has become the unexpected definition of cool, even if nobody I ever knew ever realized it in my youth. Stunning beaches, awesome seafood and 400+ of history have become attractive (that’s a photo of the beach at the top of this post). These days, Duxbury has been discovered in a way it was never was before. Funny–how can you characterize the essential beauty of 7 miles of undeveloped New England beach? But, it’s always been home, so we are going to park in late June at my next younger sis’ place to get ready for my youngest sister marriage (prospectively) that weekend. This being a second marriage, nothing is really firmly placed, but we are going regardless (and if I must return another weekend, I will). But even if the date gets moved, just going there with the Toaster is going to be a a most moving family trip to the most beautiful place I know…my home town!

After that, it’s a sharp and quick turn South to PA to Coopers Lake Campground. I know, I know–most of ya, think Pennsic (a big gathering of medieval reenactors occurs in mid July at the same location)…but no, this will be in early July!  We’re going to celebrate Wally Byam’s Birthday! I’m working up a session on building homemade sky lanterns (Frank Yensen has my prototype)–between just getting away and all the planned activities, it’s going to be amazing!

In late September, we hope to head North again, to New York City for the World Maker’s Faire in Queens, NY! If you haven’t heard of this, it’s something amazing…a combo of a technology fair, an arts fair with a whole lot of performance cred thrown in as well (USA Today calls it “part science fair, part ‘Burning Man.”" The dates are still up in the air, so I’m waiting on the Faire organizers to finalize the dates (update–which they announced the dates today! We’re heading there September 28-October 1). I’m hoping—if things work out, that we can make a small rally out of this…

Our next weekend trip of the year will be a sentimental journey to the place where Rick and I fell in love–in the climbing community of Seneca Rocks, WV. Each year there is a chile cook off…I’ve been working the recipe and we’re ready to climb and cook!

Then we have a bit of a break…until…

Our final big break will be heading South after Thanksgiving…My mother lives in Naples, FL–and since we live within moderately reasonable driving distance to Florida (in the Washington DC metro area), there’s really no reason not to take our final break there. So, after Thanksgiving at my mother-in-law’s (whom I really hope will join us on this trip), we’ll head south, first camping for three nights in the much praised Jacksonville area beach park, Little Talbot State Park. We were attracted to this campground after reading many favorable reports on it on Air Forums. By booking early, we were able to secure the campground’s only drive-through spot for three nights! Then we’re heading down to Naples, FL and a few days of visiting family while camping in the Everglades. One of the delights of driving back from Florida in the winter is that Central Florida has year-round farm stands! There is nothing better than fresh veggies in the middle of winter! I’m already considering recipes for late November! On the way home we’ll stop in Savannah, then head on back home.

So–our 2012 travel plans include travel to the Midwest, Northwest, South and of course, our own local Mid-Atlantic. The only thing that strikes me is how much we will be camping in state campgrounds–great locations at economical cost, though there will be black tank dumps, spotty internet (and no direct sewer/water hookups) in most locations…

Overall, it’s a genuine East Coast smorgasbord, which is appropriate, considering that we’ve been precluded from good vacations for many years. But now, we are ready to see more, do  more, just as Wally encouraged!

Work has gone very quickly. As of last Friday, all structural elements of the job are complete. That went very fast! We did get one big surprise. When finalizing the interior, the team removed the black tank to prep for other work and discovered that even though the tank didn’t leak, something else did, making the floor underneath the black tank dry rotted!  It all gives to a pretty graphic visual picture of what might have happened if someone plopped themselves down on it…Fortunately, that kind of epic adventure was averted, thanks to a very pretty patch. With that, structural changes were completed and work stopped on the trailer while we make last decisions and collect any remaining parts needed for finishing.

So, that got me to pulling the remaining interior finishings. I pulled out my collection of fabrics from the basement to send a color sample to Frank (and of course, the cat flopped right down and photo bombed me). It’s mostly remnants from making cushions and curtains for the interior. My original effort was to try to keep the feel of the old interior (which was all turquoise and dark brown) but using new fabrics (since the old stuff was not available). Fortunately, when we got the trailer (in 2004) I found a huge stash of turquoise cotton duck fabric on sale for $2.99 a yard–and I bought all I could of it. While it’s not a perfect fabric by any extent (it has no stain resistance, though I hit it annually with water repellant spray), it is reasonably good looking and durable. I have not found anything better, so when Frank remakes the front into a dinette (one thing Rick really wants), I hope I can make new cushions from the remaining remnants. The color sample, meanwhile, will help Frank sense the actual color everything coordinates with–useful for so many things he will deal with when we finish up.

One other thing pending is my awning. Many years ago, I managed to find a vintage awning for sale (at a flea market shop, of all places). It is wonderful in so many ways–it’s a rope awning with a wonderful fringe edge. It matches the interior color of the trailer. It has zip-on bug netting sides. It’s made of vinyl that is in great shape (though it does needs cleaning). But there’s one really big problem , which is probably why I was able to find it for really cheap–all the seams are dry rotted. Like wood, cotton seams will rot if damp–so this thing is barely holding together. I tried getting at it with my beefiest sewing machine (an old singer using UV rated polyester thread):  the cotton backed vinyl is just too heavy to move through it–it needs an industrial sewing machine. Eventually, we’re hoping to get it redone by someone who knows awnings and has the right kind of equipment. For me, this is better than getting a new one–I like having it vintage, the colors are better than modern fabrics–and both Rick and I love having the option of bug screening.

A great vintage awning, but many seams are simply falling apart

As I mail off this, we’re finalizing our finishing choices. There are flooring and laminate decisions. There are a few last parts remaining to be ordered. We also learned from Frank that our water heater died and are considering options there (we very tempted by the Precision Temp on-demand water heater). But meanwhile, it’s fun to look at the bits of fabric and think of the adventures ahead!

Frank Yensen started work on our trailer this week and invited us up last night after hours to check out progress up at his shop, Frank’s Trailer Works (in Baltimore, MD). We were quite surprised to learn that after welding on the rear bumper, he felt that structurally, things were in good place. He’d blasted and painted the bumper and tongue with POR-15 and the result is impressive–the bumper is smoother I think than it’s ever been. I couldn’t believe it was the rusty, pitted bumper we started with!

Then we got down to business going over what we wanted done. Over all of these years, we’d collected a fairly sizable collection of parts and random do-hickeys. Rick and I were really amazed that he’d gone through and catalogued the whole collection! This gives us a huge step up on our budget–while there are some things we will want to purchase new–many of the things we need for this job are already present. Starting on the outside, we discussed options for configuring the tongue, resetting the water heater, heating, tank upgrades, electric modifications and interior finishes. One thing was cool was that for many things, Frank was able to point to similar work he’d done for other trailers sitting in the lot–like the paint job he’d done on this ’57 Caravaner (honestly, the photos don’t really capture the richness of the color).

Frank Sorts Through Parts

One of the bigger projects we requested is to have Zolatone paint blown inside the trailer. In 1961, this hard, pebbly oil-based paint was the standard interior finish. It’s a durable finish that repels dirt, hides stains and provides protection to the interior aluminum. It’s an odd kind of paint–thousands of minuscule beads of paint come in a suspension that is sprayed under pressure. When the beads hit the surface, they burst and make a spatter effect. Today, Zolatone is frequently used to protect truck beds and in commercial buildings.

A previous owner of our trailer had decided to clean the paint job up and covered everything–including sills and light fixtures–with latex paint. Latex has a hydrostatic charge that attracts dust–and its matte finish made cleanup tough. Moreover, in places it was flaking off–along with the old Zolatone. So, the walls are a peeling, dirty mess. Dealing with this is going to be a major project–but Frank has a background dealing with paints in his prior work as a furniture maker. Fortunately, Zolatone is readily available (though expensive)–and it appears that the color “Apollo Grey” closely matches our trailer’s original trim.

Apollo Grey Zolatone

We went over a multitude of other items over the meeting. Of course, after returning, we couldn’t help but think of what we’d forgotten to discuss. Oh, well, there’s always email!

So, after many months wait, we finally landed a slot in Frank’s Trailer Works. We were thrilled, because we really like Frank’s handiwork, his shop is only an hour away from our house and he’s committed to fulfilling our vision of getting the trailer back in useable condition. When he finally called to let us know to bring the trailer, I did a happy dance!

So, this winter, we’ve been trailer less. Well, sort of. We did set an inflatable Christmas lawn ornament of a canned ham trailer to help us fill up a little of the void we feel about missing our Toaster while she gets rehabbed.

So, here it is New Years Day…and we have resolutions!

• We resolve to go out more and explore with our trailer.
• We resolve to take trips with the Toaster to Alumapalooza, the Birthday Bash (if we get a slot), to visit relatives in New England and our aquarium club’s camping rally.

and

• I resolve to make more regular postings on this blog!

2012 looks like it’s going to be an exciting year! I can’t wait to get the Toaster back! Happy New Year–and let er roll!

Rick felt something hit the wheel and both of us instantly knew it was tire problems. Luckily, we were just passing an on-ramp on I-81, so we managed to pull over towards the end of the merge lane (giving us a lane’s width of space to the freeway. We rolled out the spare, but soon realized that our jack kit had the wrong wrench–but stores were still open, so Rick left me with the trailer. The weather was perfect, so I sat down on the tire, pulled a coke out of the fridge and started reading my book.

Oddly, it really wasn’t unpleasant sitting on the side of I-81. The only perplexing thing was that passing big rig trucks kept on honking at me.  Before too long, Bob and Sue Chatman passed and pulled over. Bob pulled his wrenches out to try, but before we made it to the trailer, Rick had arrived. In short order, the tire was changed, using Bob’s extra long pry bar for extra torque.  We got on the road again as the skies opened up…for yet another shower.

Lots of good fortune–fairly easy switch, nearby hardware suppliers, good weather, deep pullover space, even at a time when we weren’t in a particular hurry!  The worst part–the gash to our belly pan–isn’t really that awful–we plan to replace it when we do the rear end–in the meanwhile, we can patch it. Mostly, it left us feeling that we can handle something that had given us silent dread for a long time.

Oh, and it made getting new tires a large priority!

With all supplies on hand, this is a tedious, but easy job for anyone comfortable with a sewing machine. I made my curtains out of a shirting cotton with lycra mixed in, so sewing it is a little tougher than regular cotton. To protect the fabric from UV deterioration, I lined the fabric with blackout material–a polyester fabric coated with a rubberlike material to block out as much light as possible. That is a little more expensive, but I found it actually a bit easier to sew than muslin. My curse came in matching design to the carrier system…

For a brief time in the early 60s, trailer curtains were held up by a snap system. My initial obstacle when trying to replace the curtain was getting new snaps: trailer snaps are slightly different than standard snaps sold at fabric stores. After lots of searching, I found that you could get webbing with snaps preattached that worked (available from Beacon Fabrics).

My actual curse came from wanting triple pleated curtains, which seemed to be more vintage appropriate. Difficulty was, there was a little variability in pleats and there was no effective way to sew the snaps on by machine. Result–I ended up following the laborious effort of sewing on all the snaps by hand.

This past Cherry Blossom Rally, I got the chance to see the inside of Colin Hyde’s personal trailer from that same era. This unit is remarkable because it was kept in covered storage and was virtually unaltered from its original condition. Checking out the original curtains, I noted that they were a turquoise and brown plaid-with single pleats! That had the effect of reducing the fabric requirement–and made it possible to machine sew in the snap tape (due to the lower fuss factor).

Now that I only have one set of curtain (for my smallest window) left to make, I will stick to the three pleats. Anyhow, they do look better–but if I decide to make new ones, I’ll probably go with single pleats!

A nice interior can hide many problems. Secret problems. Bad ones. Our attitude amazes many friends when we show with pride how we’ve transformed that lovely picture into this:

Getting to this part took a whole lot of hard work. Results of that accomplishment, however, is fairly subtle. It’s not showy, but it is significant.

The difference is substantive. What we have now is solid…and eventually we’ll reinstall all that pretty stuff once again! Nobody will call it a polished turd!

Rick is a portrait photographer, a musician and a dad with a deep love for the traditions and heritage that makes New Orleans such a special place. His photographs of the local celebrities are magic. You can feel the music coming right off the paper. Tania is a free spirit, too. She works here as a teacher–and has a true passion for exploration. She can’t wait until Rick finishes their Safari and they hit the road. I hope their path comes North. I’d love to show Marsalla around Richmond and Washington DC.

Three years on and Hurricane Katrina still is a deep presence in this city. Coming down, I wondered if it would be treated as somewhat taboo. It isn’t: the people here are legitimately proud of their resilience and eager to share their stories, which are truly inspiring. However, this is an area that has transformed. Certainly, the leading industry is tourism, which is hardly surprising. The other major industry is higher education–and that has given the neighborhood we’re staying in a dominant college town feel. Small funky restaurants. A vibrant arts scene. I don’t know if this was as deeply characteristic before the flooding, but it makes the environment truly enjoyable, even as the area rebuilds.

Much waits to be done, though. The city is filled with empty houses waiting for reconstruction and occupancy. In this mid city area, almost all the historic homes have survived, but so many are in need of attention. There is concern about owners who have procrastinated rebuilding for so long, choosing to remain in trailers. However, the vibe here is distinctly upbeat: the optimism is infectious here.

Yesterday local Rick Olivier hosted a little Airstreaming get-together. To our surprise, Airstream Life editor Rich Luhr and his family happened to be in the area. They brought their companions, Adam and Susan from Maine. It was great catching up with Rick and Eleanor, whom I hadn’t seen for three years, since our whole restoration effort started. Rick invited over neighbors and Jim and Donna Clark.

Earlier this winter Rick shot photos of Jim and Donna’s 2005 Airstream at a local marina which will appear in the summer’s issue of Airstream Life. What I learned from Donna was that the article won’t tell the truly epic back story: after the shoot, it took an hour to extricate their trailer from the tricky parking spot. Then on the way home, Jim took a turn a little tight and their son heard a noise. A few yards later they realized they had a flat tire. Jim changed the tire, looked up and realized something more: the axle had bent! Somehow they limped home…and ordered a new axle.

Drinking ice cold sprites out on the porch, snacking on veggies, talking with the girls and watching the palms move in the gentle southern winds was just about heaven. Later, Rick gave us tours of his Airstream: again, we got to view an amazing bathroom renovation. We are postponing that part of our own effort because it is the least critical repair ahead. However, seeing what Rick…and Frank and Rob have done is downright inspiring. I can’t wait to get there now either!

The rally was like going home. Most old friends were there, others were missed, new friends felt like old. We ate, we talked, we dreamed, we celebrated. Kids played, dancing with kites and remote control aircraft. It rained, as it always does at every CBR–and amazingly, our trailer did not leak, though we know there are holes that can seep. Funny stories were shared and challenges levied.

After a day of beautiful sunsets and warm breezes, we headed home, excited for our next rally.

Then we got to work. Many mundane responsibilities were left to hang for us to work on the trailer–and we had to get things in relative order before heading off for vacation.

Now we are in New Orleans, enjoying a few days of indulgent laziness before getting to work on rebuilding. But more on that later…it’s vacation now and we are enjoying it!