Our Traveling Workshop

Let me officially introduce our next new project! …because we apparently can’t stop… 😀

This is our ‘What If’ Workshop

We’ve been searching for a name but we keep defaulting back to ‘Big Red’. The kids call him Clifford.  it’s our new (to us) 16×8′ utility trailer.  Hopefully by the time we are done neither Big Red, nor Clifford will make sense (I don’t like the color red…).  This trailer once belonged to a fire station though and was used to demonstrate fire suppression systems.  That basically just means this is super unique.  It has three separate rooms inside, steel floors and two awesome, HUGE windows on either side.  They used to set it up at fairs and whatnot, light a big fire inside the center room and show people how fast their suppression system could put the fire out.

Weird, right?

Well, the best part about that is not the fact it was a city vehicle (and so meticulously maintained). Or even that it’s so sturdy.  No, the best part is that it was an amazing deal!  Because it’s so ‘different’, it sat for sale for a long time.  I come along with an always flexible design and scoop it up at least $1,500 under value!  Makes me happy, the seller was happy to get it gone and we all win.

So This is the Plan

James and I would love to buy some remote properties with no limitations and build some unique ‘dwellings’ on them.  Think, treehouse, underground house, etc. Something fun we can stay at every so often and let our friends and family explore. We’re into unique.  We have all these tools that just don’t fit in our tiny and nomadic lifestyle unless they adapt too!  So, this is our traveling workshop!  Well, not just yet, but soon.

While we’re around town this winter, we’ll be designing and building a normal house to sell/rent and also building out our traveling shop so that we can do more fun things than ‘just a house’.

The Inside

Form follows function for sure but this will also be pretty, because that matters too!  Since we have kids and this will probably be a little bit of a traveling home base at times we need some sort of a ‘hang out/play space for them in case weather is bad. The front room (about and 6’x8’ space) will be my ‘sewing/craft’ room.  I plan on making it much more ‘house-like’ than you may think of for a shop space. (I will probably have some sketchup models coming soon) but it will basically be the tools that would normally go indoors (sewing machine, computer, painting stuff, etc.). There will also be seating and a table.

The Actual Shop Part

Will be the coolest of all, it’s the back ten-ish feet.  It is where the two giant windows are, and their swinging steel covers.  I’ll peg board the walls, take out one of the windows and install a fold down (and out) shop table, accessed from outside where our tools can be placed/used.   I’ll have a full 8′ long, 2′ deep shop counter inside with a pull out work bench the same size out the back doors so there is elbow room to work with long lumber. The other side will be storage for all the big tools we’ve collected (planer, table saw, chop saws, air compressor, etc.) and plenty of storage for various fasteners and smaller hand tools.  I think I can even fit in James’s CNC machine, laser engraver and his 3D printer… I’ve got ideas!

The original plan was to basically wire this so we can plug in the trailer (to a generator while off-grid) and be off and working in no time.  Because of how this trailer was used in the past it is already wired that way!  There is plenty of space over the tongue to place a generator for it all.

The Outside

I’ve never had a thing for red so I plan to make-over the outside as well (and we learned via our camper project that the outside is just as useful as anything inside!).  My particular brand of tools is Ridgid, I know they have mixed reviews but my Ridgid tools have outlasted what I thought they could take so I have my loyalties :).  My go to cheap brand to buy (if you rarely use the tool and don’t want to spend a bunch) is Ryobi.  That makes orange and chartreuse my color scheme! (Yes, I totally have a color scheme for my shop! and I am a sucker for chartreuse!)  I plan to keep an eye out for good RV canopies (one for either side), and a roof-top A/C unit.

These are my first little ‘renderings’ to try to work out a look I like.  I would love to hear your thoughts!

Pretty Pictures

I like the dandelion as a decal, it’s an easy picture of a ‘wish’.  I choose two dandelions, one representing James and one for me.  We spread our wishes about as we go.  WAY, way back on our first date we thought up a business plan (were weird dates… perfect for each other though! :D) and called it ‘What If Workshop…’  So this will be our first physical representation of our What If Workshop…