Farewell, my sweet friend!

Best of luck to the Ensor family, Clyde’s new family. They came and got him today. After seeing the excitement in that sweet boy’s eyes, I could not even feel sad about Clyde leaving us. I’m pretty sure he’s going exactly where he was supposed to go. He’s starting a new chapter and a lot of new adventures await! So, best wishes, sweet Clyde! We will miss you, but are so glad we had so much fun with you!!!

The Time Has Come

When we got Clyde, we were in a totally different part of our lives. With Dad’s death, the move, etc., our lives have changed drastically. We’re home owners again. We have new responsibilities. And, we simply don’t have a lot of free time. And, Clyde has been let slide. It’s not fair to us or him. Yes, I know I talk about him like he’s a person. He kind of is.

But, recently, I’ve had to just face facts… we can’t do this project right now. And, by the time we free up enough time to do it, we may be in a different place in our lives again. So, with a really heavy heart, I’m going to have to tell Clyde goodbye.

So, we’re searching for him a new home. I don’t want all our hard work, and our dreams for him, to get thrown in a recycling heap. So, here’s the deal… if someone will take him and continue his renovation/restoration/rebuild, he’s free to a good home. He’s beyond sturdy and structurally sound. He needs the electric and plumbing run. Insulation and walls put up and the cabinets/beds built in. He’ll also need his trim put back on. We still have it, the windows, etc. We also have his original sink and a lot of other gadgets and gizmos (a cool old circuit box, NOS, the circuit for it and so many other things, even sheets). These come with him.

We can’t deliver, so you have to come to Jonesborough TN to pick him up. He has a title out of Florida that we never even signed. So, we’ll just hand you that and all his bits ‘n’ pieces and you can continue on to a fun-filled camper of your own.

Contact me via reply on here, and I’ll get back to you ASAP.

I’m floored!

So, the first part of this actually happened several weeks ago, and I’m just now getting the time to post. I’m a lousy blogger, but we knew that. So, just move on, and pretend this just happened, if it makes you feel better!

Clyde has under floor and over floor, and some plastic between! He would have had it done a month ago, but… well, I’ll explain later!

Chad, as I have said a multitude of times, deserves a major award. He has done almost all the work on Clyde, and Clyde is really MY dream project, not his. This project REALLY proved it. Putting these floors down had to be the most awkward and irritating thing we’ve done in Clyde so far.

First, we cut and put down the metal portion of the floor, then came the truly irritating part. Putting the plastic vapor-barrier down. It was like trying to nail jello to the floor. Seriously, it slipped, it slid, and Chad would pull one way, I’d pull the other. Then, the metal would slide. We’d get that in place, then start over. Sometimes, we’d have to go under the camper and pull the metal back straight. If we’d been able to screw the metal down and then do the plastic, it’d be different. But, we wanted no screws under the wood, we wanted to sandwich it all together, to minimize the lumps and bumps on the floor. In other words, Chad was being a perfectionist!!!

But, we got the vapor barrier down, and taped it to the wall, so it would stay taut. Then, cut the wood. We did it in 3 sections. We started at the back, then added the front. Then…

As usual, Clyde had to have the last laugh. The last piece of plywood was literally a HALF INCH too small to cover the center gap. And, it was about 8pm on a Sunday. So, we couldn’t get more. Sigh. Oh, well, we got that part done today!!! So, it was a ways coming, but… ladies and gentlemen, I give you

CLYDE’S NEW FLOOR!!!!!!! (toward the front)

(toward the back)

Did you notice all the lines on the floor? The blue is (of course) chalk lines from measuring and cutting the floor. BUT, the white lines are something MUCH more exciting. We’ve done the floor plan, so to speak. We went through with our measurements of things we have (fridge, etc) and measurements we have (beds, cabinets) and taped outlines for where everything needs to be. We had to change plans on a few things (we’ve once again had to change our minds on the size of the bed in the back, and changed the dinette from the front do the back. Again. What does that make 87 times? 90? I have lost count). It felt SO real today. We have a REAL floor. 4 solid walls. It’s easy to see where things will be now. It’s just awesome. I’m getting super excited.

We’ve also ordered a few things. We’ve got the trim for the outside ordered from Ohio. Chad has a call in to get the metal (angle iron, which is actually steel, I think) for the roof. I’ve ordered the gizmos that you run the wiring and plumbing from the outside to the inside. So, things are moving much faster. Which is mind boggling considering how painfully slow this process has been. But, it’s been something we’ve cobbled together as our crazy schedules allow. And, we’ve had a lot of fun doing it. Today, we just sat in the floor, where our dinette will be, facing each other and smiling. Holy cow, it was a GREAT day!

 

Hibernation

Yawn…. stretch… Yawn some more. Clyde here! Holy cow.. I’ve been hibernating all winter! Usually Mom (Emily) writes the blog, but I’ve been sitting out in the snow and rain all winter, and Mom’s busy. So, I thought I’d take over for a bit.

It’s been kinda lonely, down here in my corner of the yard. I’ve had some pretty birds to watch, and sometimes the neighbor’s cat comes by and hangs out inside for a bit. He likes to walk across my axles and try to jump at the couple of bits of wiring I have dangling. We talk, but you know… cats aren’t really all that into campers, and he wasn’t even alive in the 1970’s, so we don’t have much in common.

BUT… I have a feeling it’s going to warm up soon. Dad (Chad) was down here a couple of days ago, and he had the measuring tape out. That always means exciting times are coming! He has some pretty metal all ready to lay down as my brand new floor. He’s going to top that off with some wood, and I’ll be solid and ready for my interior!

What’s my interior going to look like? SPIFFY! That’s what! For my guts, I get Pex plumbing to a single faucet. I get romex wiring, like houses get. I’m not going to be battery capable, simply because Mom says the devil will ice skate before she camps off the grid. She’s kinda girly and a little spoiled. Don’t tell her I said that. She’ll retaliate by putting pink cushions on my couch!

The guts stuff won’t take very long at all, ’cause Dad was an electrician guy for a long time. So, once that’s ran, and the brake lights/marker lights and such are ran (he’s a car guy, too, so this stuff’s gonna be fast), then it’s gonna get super exciting. Why? ‘Cause I get…

PANELING!!! Do you even know how awesome paneling is? I mean, I know some people like that wallboard stuff, but honestly… paneling is where it’s at! I am a 1970’s camper. I am all about the paneling! Oh, that and Disco Balls!!! But, Dad said No the the disco ball. He says he has to keep an eye on Mom or I’m gonna be tacky. We’re not telling him about the boxes of 1970’s decor Mom has. Mom says that’s our little secret. Apparently, I am going to have owls. Lots of them. She’s a little obsessed.

Anyway, back to the wonderful word of paneling. There are so many kinds.

You can have some that has pictures of deer.

Oh, Deer!

Some that looks like wood.

Distressed, even!

Some that looks like dry-erase board.

(I was going to put in a picture, but um… it’s just white. Use your imagination!)

Some that you can hang tools on (it’s called Peg Board. Mom said no).

pegboard aka manly paneling

It’s AWESOME STUFF! And, being true to my 1974 self, it’s what I’m very excited about. We’re still deciding if we want all white bead board (big on bottom, little on top) or White on bottom with honey colored wood on top. Dad says if it’s all white, I’ll look like the inside of a refrigerator. I think Mom is starting to agree. I don’t care. I just want PANELING!

Now, I just have to talk them into shag carpet. That is NOT going to be easy.

Note from Clyde’s Mom: While helping Clyde find paneling pictures I discovered that paneling has a high end world. I had no idea. If you want to have your mind blown by what some places consider paneling, check this out:

feel free to click here and have your mind completely blown by a lot more examples:  http://www.trendir.com/archives/004176.html

Would you like a little Clyde(ette) of your own??

Currently up for auction on eBay is the only other Bendix Trailer I’ve ever seen!

It’s Clyde’s Little Sister!!!

Same fantastic upholstery as Clyde!

Looks like Clydette is in much better shape than Clyde was. She has the same groovy interior, and great ’70’s colors. She also has a functional bathroom!
She lives in Michigan, and bidding is currently at $3000. She’s a 1976 Bendix Aristocrat. SO cute!!!!

 

Go bid now, and we can camp together!!!

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Travel-Trailer-Bendix-Aristocrat-16-Camper-Girls-Night-Out-Super-Clean/321229223510?_trksid=p2045573.m2042&_trkparms=aid%3D111000%26algo%3DREC.CURRENT%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D27%26meid%3D2074786537065316379%26pid%3D100033%26prg%3D1011%26rk%3D3%26rkt%3D4%26sd%3D360686470447%26

A very good, absolutely productive day!!

We had planned to work on Clyde on Saturday, but (naturally) it rained. So, we went to the Bulk Food store, bought enough beef jerky to last us a life time, and spent the rest of the day goofing off. So… Sunday came in beautiful and we got to work!!!

First day of Fall, and the temps were in the low 70’s and a perfect breeze blew all day.

We had a last item of demolition to do. I didn’t count it as a part of the camper, because it was the floor. But, Chad says it counts. So, this is really the last demo of the camper itself. We knew the wood floors had to go. They were all lumpy and bumpy from remnants of linoleum past. They had a lot of water damage at the corners, wheel wells and door. So, that was a given. Using the weirdest of floor removal tools…

a mattock (or mattox, depending on where you live), we removed the wood. It came out in chunks. We had to laugh, because we hit one section that did NOT want to come up. Chad was slamming crowbars and the mattock under it and just started dying laughing. He yelled, “We finally found one piece of Clyde that was built well!!!!”  We’ve been hunting it for almost 3 years. Finally it revealed itself! LOL!!!!

Let me tell you, the fluffy, pink insulation stuff was NASTY!!! Water-logged piles of pink slime. Oh, just YUCK!!!

What we could see of the metal under the wood and insulation looked okay, but we could only see a couple of square feet, so we weren’t holding our breath.

Good thing!!! Not only did they have holes in them from the dissimilar metals touching (galvanic reaction/action, see below), they had actually been made of… irregular siding. Yes, it was made of the stuff the sides were made of. I was counting on whisper-thin aluminum to hold my chubby self up off the ground. Oh, my.

So, armed with tin snips, crowbars, a screwdriver and the patience of a saint, Chad went to work!

As he worked and revealed more and more of the frame, we found out a brace on the frame had missed being welded to the center frame. It was hanging by a thread. So, we’ll have to weld that back on. But, luckily, the remainder of the frame is in excellent shape. It’s got a very small amount of surface rust. So, in the coming days, we’ll be using a metal brush to get the rust and dirt off. Then, we’ll take Rustoleum Rusty Metal Primer and cover the frame with that, then paint it with Rustoleum gloss black. We could use the spray stuff, but don’t want to risk getting any of it on the good siding, windows, whatever. So, we’ll use brushes for that.

Right now, we have a couple of extra 2x4s just bracing the walls to keep them from slumping. They weren’t, but we figured we wouldn’t leave it for long without something. We know our luck!!

Our find of the day is something that just cracked me up.

4 small, beehive clear lights. Mounted UNDER the camper, but too far back/in to be of any use for signaling. The only thing we can figure out is that they were there to help you see where to put the stabilizing jacks if you were setting up in the dark. They are SO cool! I absolutely love this fantastic, retro look. 3 of them are in really good shape, one has a cracked lens. We’re thinking that maybe they could be used as reverse lights, since they are white. Whatever the case, we are SO finding a place for these. They’re the coolest find we’ve had on this project and I am just in love with them!!

Our final work of the day was to get the back window in. We took out the temporary plastic sheeting, butyl taped the edges of the window frame and popped it in. We had to wedge some wood around the edges to hold it in place, as we don’t have the insulation or paneling up yet. Even temporarily in place, they look fantastic!

Rear window (not the movie)

Front window, as seen earlier

We’ll cut the holes for the 4 small windows when we get the floors put in. I’m working on cleaning them up, and finding a place to replace the screening, as it’s picked to pieces on several of the windows. I know that’s supposed to be a very simple DIY, but I’m kind of cursed when it comes to screens. So, I’ll be hiring that one out, Thank you!

In short, we now have a hand full of actual structural stuff to do: repair the weld on the frame, clean up and paint the frame, new metal floors (luckily, we have left over steel from the camper sides, so we’ll utilize that), new subfloor, new roof bracing. Then, we’ll be ready to figure out where to run the electrical and plumbing. Run that, then put up styrofoam-style insulation and the paneling. Then, we’ll have our little box on wheels ready to for its pretty innards! Sounds like a lot, but these are mostly quick things, as Chad has restored tons of old cars, so he’s very used to frame work. He’s a blacksmith/metal artist, so he can weld like crazy. I’m the daughter of an electrician, and helped restore/repair old houses my whole life. We’ve finally hit the point that we actually KNOW WHAT WE’RE DOING!!! So, hopefully it will go quicker now!!!

We’re coming up on Clyde’s 3rd year with us (November 2010, he came home to live with us). I’m hoping 2014 (which will be his 40th birthday) will see him on the road! With productive days like this, I can actually see it coming! It’s about time!!!

*** boring information on galvanic corrosion, courtesy of wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galvanic_corrosion ****

Why, what big eyes you have!

Look! Look!!!!! Just look!!!!! CLYDE GOTS EYES!!!! Well, one eye, anyway! After a small snafu (yeah, like that’s so abnormal here) with the order, we got some butyl putty tape. Chad actually hid this roll when it came in, so I didn’t even know it was here.
I yelled down to our part of the house to come for supper when I got home. He came bounding up the stairs and said, “Hey, you might wanna look at Clyde!” I looked out, and there it was!! A windowed Clyde!
He said he bit off a bit more than he meant to. Apparently, to get it to STAY in, he had to also put on the inside trim ring! Which, since we have no insulation or paneling up, was a bit of a pain. He rigged it for now, got it in nice and snug and there it is!!!
It was getting dark, so I only managed to get one sort of half-decent picture. But, it’s so wonderful to see a beautiful, clean, fully installed window!

This is a baby step, but we’ve lost SO much time on Clyde this summer, that seeing something done is just heart-warming!!!
And, to know that Chad came in from a long day at inservice and did this for me… how cool is that?!
Love that man!!!!!

Blood, sweat, exploding light bulbs and clean windows

Well, it’s been ages. This has seriously been the wettest, hottest summer EVER in East Tennessee. And, between that, once again having a home to maintain and craziness at work, poor Clyde has suffered a terrible lack of attention. But, he got some love this weekend!

His windows were a nasty mess.

 

Sticker goo residue and chunks of packing tape had baked onto the actual glass. The sections behind the glass, where the metal push/pull things are cannot be reached and the windows don’t come all the way apart.

So, I did my best by shoving a toothbrush loaded up with Dawn dishwashing liquid up under there and scraping out the piles of dirt. Ick, ick, ick.

Lather!

Rinse!

Repeat!

 

 

 

What we had assumed was some sort of mold/mildew on the trim, was just that. But it was ON TOP OF and somehow completely joined with some sort of nasty silicone or caulk.

Nasty, it’s time for your close up!

It was a BEAST to clean off. Goo-Gone, a Cell-o scrubby sponge, some Dawn Dishwashing liquid and almost FOUR hours of my time, and it was as clean as it was going to get. The aluminum is anodized (basically no longer shiny, just down to a dull, white-ish color. When we get them put in (hopefully this week), we’ll see how they fit and once in, we’ll take some Mother’s Aluminum Polish to it and hope for the best!

As Chad says, they’re not perfect, but God knows they’re much better than they were!!

After!

 

Now, on to the blood part. We were just finishing up the window when a storm came in really fast. We moved everything into the garage and were going back out for a final sweep when suddenly something sounded like an explosion and there was glass EVERYWHERE. Including a handy-sized chunk sticking out of my foot.

Blood was pouring out, and Chad was freaking out. He does NOT handle my injuries well. I was barefoot, so I didn’t dare move. While Mom ran to grab my shoes, we figured out the source of the glass. The front lens of an outdoor flood light bulb had broken free from the rest of the light bulb. It was thick, thick glass. And, it went every stinkin’ where!

Got inside, got the chunk of glass out, got the bleeding stopped and realized it was a puncture wound. Nice ‘n’ deep and not the kinda wound you can stitch. So, I slapped some neosporin a lot of gauze and a bandaid on it. And, proceeded to bleed all over the place periodically.

Mom said it was almost like having Dad around, since he bled every time we did a home improvement project. LOL!

But, all is well, the windows are safely stored, and awaiting another nice day to install.

Welcome to the Neighborhood!

I think I may have either mentioned this, or hinted at it, in an earlier blog. But, I came across the picture of the actual note today, so I thought I’d share.
This was back a few weeks after we moved into the new house. Now, let me say, we live in a basic subdivision. This is not a gated community of million dollar homes. It’s a subdivision in a rural area with little to no restrictions. There are above ground pools, storage sheds, etc. It’s not fancy, let alone schmancy.
So, imagine my surprise finding THIS little gem in the mailbox one day.

Welcome to our Neighborhood

Naturally, it was anonymous. At this point, we’d met a whopping ONE neighbor. After a good crying jag, and talking Chad out of going out and beating the crap out of everyone in the neighborhood, we went to our neighbors to the left, Bill & Ann (the only ones we knew at this point). They were shocked, and appalled and pretty much called out the sour-faced old lady next door (to the right) as the perpetrator. They said she thinks she owns the neighborhood and looks down at everyone. Thus, we made sure to leave Clyde right where he is. And, to occasionally leave other detrius out in the yard just to bug her.
We’d heard nothing from her (literally, she will not look at us, and we’ve walked right past her house without her saying a single word… guilt much?) until this week. She waited until Chad and I were gone to work, and, at 9pm, showed up on Mom’s doorstep. Mom was polite to her, and listened to her whine and gripe about the man that mows our yard hitting her fence. Mom told her we’d have the fence fixed and she went on her merry way.
The lawn guy showed up, and before I could even get out to him, the battle-axe was out on her side of the fence (and she should be SO glad for that) berating our lawn guy. Well, I think you can guess who’d had enough.
I quickly informed her that we would repair the fence, as Mom had told her. She proceeds to start yanking up another section of fence and says that it needs to be replaced, and stares at me. I just said, “Not my problem.” She started in about how she’s putting the house on the market blah, blah, blah. I think I actually said, “Not on my dime. If you want it fixed, fix it yourself. We didn’t do it, we have nothing to do with it and we’re not fixing it.” She must have noticed the absolute RAGE in my eyes, as she could not get away fast enough.
The more I stewed on it, the madder I got. She has been the ONLY bad part of living here. So, I grabbed my friend (and attorney) Eric’s card and marched right over to her house. Rang her doorbell. She stood there with this smarmy grin on her face, with her cell phone turned partly out so the person on the other end could hear me. I can only assume she thought she’d be getting an apology. This goes to prove she doesn’t know me very well.
I said, “As I told you earlier, we will repair the fence on my husband’s day off. We will NOT be repairing anything else, and if you need to communicate with us in the future, please do so through our attorney. Here’s his card.”
You should have seen her face. Fury does not touch it. I just turned and walked off, like Clint Eastwood into the sunset. Well, if Clint Eastwood was a plump, gray-haired middle aged woman in Hello Kitty scrubs. Anyway, I felt GREAT! The 2 men across from her house mowing their yards had stopped to watch the exchange, and they gave me thumbs up. Apparently, everyone has had their fill of her.
On my way back, the sweet couple across the street asked me what was up, and after filling them in, they offered to come over and help us deck Clyde out in Christmas lights (they’d missed the note debacle) and pink flamingos.
So,this may not have much to do with Clyde, but I just wanted y’all to know that I stood up for him, for decent people and lawn mower guys the world over. You can mess with me, but you better never mess with my camper!!!

Pinning Away

Still not much of an update on Clyde. He’s hanging out in the backyard, and has weathered a LOT of rain and snow with no leaking! So, good progress, but not any REAL progress. So, to keep you from dying of boredom while you wait for a new post (LOL), here’s a couple of boards that are Clyde-inspired on Pinterest.
The first is a board I pin just about everything vintage trailer related on. Cute exteriors, ideas for interiors, a chandelier or two. Just the usual.

Next is the “cut and dried” board of pieces, parts, etc. Everything from water heaters to wiring diagrams with some tail lights and awning rails thrown in.

Hope these give you some day dreaming to do, and some neat ideas to follow up on!