Travel Trailer Update
This is where we drift away from the plan… ha! We made it a couple weeks, that’s good, right!? The door is not far from being complete but I had dry time to compete with this weekend, I should be able to catch it up by Thursday with any luck so that we are up to speed. 
Where we are:
The main issue will come next weekend. I am nearly positive that there is no way we will be able to finish up the metal next weekend, let alone the windows. We are still waiting on some J-molding to come in. We need that to come in before we can start the sides and it isn’t scheduled to be here until next Tuesday…. so we are set to be off schedule very soon!
What we’re doing:
Given the circumstances we have decided to switch up our operations. Almost everything on the schedule past the metal sort of depends on that metal being done. We can’t really afford just taking a weekend off. Initially we intended to do the sides first and then the front/back/roof curve. Since we can’t do the sides first we have switched up our details to enable us to work on the roof portion first. Once we have that done we can work on things like installing the A/C, rock guard and Solar PV panel… Then, when the j-molding does get here we can finish up the sides. It’s not standard and we need to be extra careful to make sure there isn’t any gaps for water to get in where the sides meet the roof. I think we have a game plan though. SO that’s good.
Given that, I think our game plan will now be to do the roof metal next Saturday. Follow that up, Sunday, with installing the couple vents we need, prepping the windows (they are filthy!) and maybe installing the A/C. Hopefully the J-mold is in for the next weekend. That would let us do the sides and catch back up on the schedule.
Tiny House Things:
We had planned on trying to move the tiny house last Friday but it has been raining like mad. When I tried to jack it up I only succeeded in burying the jack… so we’ll need to wait on that until it dries out. This has be a bit worried now because in this process we found out that our toilet box is being smooshed!
The story:
Right around Valentines day we noticed a smell from our toilet. It’s not usual that there be a smell coming from your toilet, and it’s a bit alarming when there is. So, in checking it out I could find nothing wrong. It was right after the winter, I figured it had to do with the season change… then about a week later I stopped being able to rotate the bin (a necessary function for our composter to work well!). Still I could not find anything wrong.
It was actually pretty decent timing to get the notice from our city that we need to move the tiny house back five feet to get it out of the property easement. I removed the skirting that the plumbing all has around it and see that the trailer is sitting right on top of the compost bin. It’s supposed to sit about 2″ above but it appears to have settled this year as the ground thawed! If you look you can actually see the bin being compressed down a little. In turn it is stressing the seal. So, since I am not able to rotate the bin, the liquids don’t separate as easily (causes a smell). In addition, since unit is smooshed and the seal is not sealed, when the fan tries to vent out the top it just pulls fresh air in from the breaks in the seal instead of pulling air from in the house… then smell lingers.
Moved to the top:
So it’s at the top of our priority list to get the trailer up, hopefully allowing the composter to flex back to seal the seams. Then we have to pull the trailer forward, relocate the potty and back the house up. It all seems easy enough but the house hasn’t been moved in 4 years, we are having to relearn how to do what. And the rain has not been cooperating! With any luck we will get it soon because this non functioning compost toilet is gross! We currently have a fan pointing into the bin so the smells are vented out, which is fine, but weird… ha! Really I need to be able to crank the bin to keep things composting!
The photo progress (camper):
And the family stuff:
Hazel made a horse friend (Miles slept through it). They both met a hedgehog named Cocoa. We played, we visited and we had a great time AND they got their book in the mail! (you can get one here, http://www.shoponceuponatime.com/big-adventures-tiny-house)
Hi Macy — Over the last year or so, I have jumped in and out with comments at various times. I am writing today because while I was driving from Mountain Home to Bruneau, I saw what appears to be a 14′ wide by 60’/70′ long mobile home with “Free You Tow” spray painted on the side. I immediately thought about the frame and axles and wonder if someone in the Tiny House community might be looking for free steel? I don’t think much else about the house is worth salvaging. I can drive out there again to note driving directions for anyone who is interested. Thanks.
Tiny Houses Forever!
Liz
Those tend to be around. Sometimes they are more trouble than they are worth, they are hard to modify and re-title but can be a great way to save on money if you’re looking for a pre-project!
Okay, thanks — It was worth a shot to ask what with the high cost of new materials and growing scarcity of recycled/salvaged materials. I guess I thought if use in its entirety was not possible that maybe there would be some salvage value — even as basic as selling the scrap metal for cash to buy needed materials.
Your trailer is absolutely adorable!! Excellent design and attention to detail. Looking forward to blogs about your travels.
Liz