It's ok to hire a professional. It's even better if they listen. Oh well. Moving on in the name of progress.

So, we decided to turn to a professional when we realized the sweet little vintage camper had a brake system that had been "jimmy rigged" and looked a little dangerous. We thought we'd take our camper to a local company that has many years under their belts to get an inspection. Hubby was pleased when they said it seemed to be in "pretty good shape" for its age and that we should be relatively happy with the little amount of work that needed to be done.

Bonus.

They gave us an estimate that seemed "reasonable" (in terms of vintage camper restoration, we're not really sure what to expect) but we were able to pay outright for the work estimate (pushing the likelihood of granite countertops further and further way) and decided to go for it.

Hubby was pretty excited that they were "open" to the idea of refurbing the gaping hole in the roof of the camper. As we met for lunch the day he got the call with the estimate he excitedly told me that the 25 year veteran of camper restoration that would be working on the hole would come up with solutions and would give him a call to address some ideas. His clear directive, "that sounds great, I'd like to explore some options because I really don't like the look of a square patch on the roof." No problem. Until the next day. When they invited sweet hubby in to look at the progress. And, they had replaced the gaping hole in the roof with this. Without checking with him first. Yep, they replaced the square patch that he really didn't like with a larger more rectangle-like shaped patch. Huh. Not what we were expecting.

My husband is pretty chill about most things. Like, typically tends to let things go. Doesn't really ruffle many feathers or get his feathers ruffled on a regular basis. But, he did call the company out. Asked why they did exactly what he asked them not to. I was proud of him. It was a big step. It didn't really matter too much. But, I can guarantee that we won't be back there.

So, in the end. We do have a top of the line new brake system. Check. We have the gaping hole fixed recovered and sealed. We are done with that local business. So, I guess we've made progress.

We called another place in town that will take a look at rewiring the inside (something the last place didn't pay much attention to) to upgrade the system and make things a little more safe/attach the lights and refrigerator to the battery pack that was installed last week.  We've officially doubled the investment but if the price that these canned hams are selling for on ebay/craigslist are any indication of resale value, with a little more TLC I'm sure I think that we could still get our $ back if we ever tire of this project and want to sell it.

But, how could I consider selling this thing? It's going to be awesome, right?

Over the past few weeks, we've continued to make some additional changes to the interior and exterior. Probably the most significant change in the last few days occurred when I removed the metal hood from the back window.

I scraped away at the disgustingly dirty, silicone (?) grime and sealant. 

Tried a little Goo Be Gone but I think there is just too much goo that needs to be gone.

So, I tried another power tool to take away some of the grime and residue and remaining stickiness from a previous owners' name decal. A little more sanding and it should cover up just fine with a new coat of paint.

It's a little blurry because that thing was shaking me like a leaf. But, I felt like a rock star. If a rock star actually used power tools. On vintage campers. Ok, you get the point. It was a big step for me.

And, I think it looks a little better already. Can't wait to start painting it!

Until next time!

There's a metaphor here.

This weekend, we found ourselves in the middle of the Lowe's having a conversation about the remodel of our vintage camper. Sweet husband has been consumed spending a lot of time thinking about the gaping hole in the top of the camper that made it's debut in our last blog update. As a result, any time he is within a 3 mile radius of a home improvement store, he gets lost in his thoughts. This doesn't bode well for our conversations in which I demand prefer his undivided attention. Had you been a fly on the wall you might have heard something like, "it seems like you aren't listening to my ideas." That was me. Or, him saying something like, "it seems like you just want to focus on the fun things and I'm trying to figure out the bigger issues/doing all of the work." Back and forth. On and on. Little man interrupts and reminds us to be nice to each other which was frankly shocking since it wasn't his best attitude type of day either. We apologize with a little bit of a smile.  And, pick up some wainscoting that we plan to add to the inside of the vintage camper in places where the water damaged the paneling and we've removed the moldy areas, as shown in here just under the window.

As you can see we've also covered most of the space with primer to help cover the smell from years of moisture and neglect. Our parents tell us it just smells like paint now after hubby has shocked it with bleach, primer and a few thousand ounces of Febreeze. We think they are just being nice. 
Today we added a cup of coffee beans. So, we'll either be making progress or perhaps it will just add another level of complexity to the distinct smell that is our vintage camper.

Hubby spent most of his afternoon adding the coat of primer to the rest of the inside yesterday. With a little help from his sidekick. Little man spent enough time in the camper yesterday to get paint on his nose and use the platform of the bed for a quick dramatic photoshoot. Yep, he's got a dose of sassy and a whole lot of drama from both sides of his lineage. Moving on.

Anyway, back to the camper. Saturday ended with the removal of our formica countertop. We thought about adding granite but hubby is worried that it will shift and break as it travels. So, we'll save the $ to add that to our house someday. Remember this vintage camper project pulled from our savings fund to add granite countertops to our kitchen in the house. No regrets. We'll get there eventually.

So, hubby spent considerable time in the trailer last night removing the countertop. He's adding a coat of paint now. We purchased some vinyl peel and stick flooring that matches the maple floors of our first house. We compromised about the backsplash and plans for the countertop. I'm excited what a few more hours will bring to this project. And, more importantly, the fun our family will eventually have in this tiny little vintage camper, when we're actually relaxing and not just pausing for a quick picture in the midst of a remodel of our 1960s camper.

Hubby and I are celebrating our  13th wedding anniversary this week. For a gift, we purchased those maple hard wood looking floors (like our first house together) and if Little man takes a nap I'll probably sneak out into the garage and see if I can help make a little more progress on the camper. 

And, despite a little flare up in Lowe's this weekend (which we laugh about now) we're in a really good place. In terms of our process towards restoration and our marriage. 

You know, I'm struck by the remarkable similarities one can learn from a little project like this when you compare it to marriage. There aren't a lot of instructions. Sometimes things aren't what you expected. You have to be creative problem solvers. To make things better for everyone, you have to be willing to invest a lot of hard work, time and attention. Sometimes you have to change your attitude. Sometimes you have learn something new. Sometimes, despite what is going on around you, you need to stop what you are doing and enjoy the beauty of what is around you. Things aren't always perfect. Sometimes you have to be patient and keep working on the little things that will make a big difference eventually. But, this journey is best when you experience it with those that you love most. And, for that, I am truly thankful.