After discussing my decision with my wife and kids we decided that, despite it's large size, we would be silly to sell off the
Bigfoot 5th wheel and look around for a
Boler or
Scamp. So...yes, the adventure continues!
I've finished the pull vehicle after only 15 hours of pressure washing, scrubbing,
painting wheels, paste waxing and buffing and frankly I'm amazed at how great the old Ford looks now. Of course my eldest son immediately borrowed it and has driven off laughing at my parting words of.. "I want it back with the tanks as full as you got it!"
Wishful thinking on my part...
Over the weekend I pulled the carpets to check out some soft spots and panicked when I found some rotted plywood and the belly of the trailer flexing when walked on. However a few small test holes drilled into the floor framing cured my panic. It is solid as is most of the floor. Further investigation revealed that the rubber shims between the frame and belly are missing in a large area allowing the floor to flex. I'll pick those up soon.
So...I've put about 16 hours into the interior and it looks like a bomb went off in there. The carpet is gone except on the stairs where 2 hours of steam cleaning returned it to very nice condition. The curtains have all been hand washed and are drying on the line. The cushions have all been taken out and steam cleaned and the mattress hauled to the dump along with 3 loads of branches, logs and old fence boards from when we built the pad for the trailer.
Purchased so far is a new mattress, new plywood, thin plywood subflooring to bring the lino up to the same height as the carpet was, some nifty lino tiles, copious amounts of silicone caulking in various colours, cleaners, screws,
paint, tape etc. etc etc....
I'll have to hit one of the Edmonton RV places for a new seal for the freezer, two new caps for the water vents (the old ones blew apart when the pressure washer hit them today), some exterior
lights to replace cracked ones and of course the shims for the frame. Go ahead...I dare you...ask me if I'm having fun yet...
Amazingly, I am! Even more surprizing, my wife hasn't thrown anything at me for spending so much on all these bits and pieces. Actually, she has been a tremendous help with this including hand washing all the curtains.
The musty smell is now gone, except of course when I'm inside but hey! It's hot inside those things on a sunny day.
The neighbours are putting up with my occasional bit of colourful language as I work on it and seem to feel the entertainment value makes up for it. Certainly I got some odd looks at dusk last night....
I was out on the gravel driveway with my $800.00 metal detector (my hobby) swinging it and muttering to myself while my neighbour peered at me like I'd gone mad. (Gone? Heck been there, got the t-shirt and a lifetime membership) When I pounced on the ground and laughed and did a happy dance he of course had to ask.."what'd you find?"
To which I replied.. " A 1 cent screw!". He's an odd duck and wandered off muttering under his breath. I had been fixing the forward hitch
light and dropped it into the gravel and I just KNEW I didn't have another like it. Talk about treasure! I wonder what he thought I'd have found in a driveway anyhow...
Ah well...the work continues and soon will be complete enough to let me head out on the road for further adventures. You'll note I didn't say the work would be done, I'm beginning to wonder if the word done will ever apply to owning one of these and oddly enough enjoying the thought!
Take care all.
"The Eggstacy"
Boomerang
Charlie was extremely jealous of my being allowed to use the car almost any time I asked for it, while he was often told, "No."
1999 Casita Liberty
2015 Escape 21
Linear Mode
