Uh oh

This trailer is one of the cheaper models.  As such, it has a "short frame"...the metal frame that should extend to the rear of the trailer actually stops and the rear spring mount.  As such, once we got the rear bed out of the camper, the rear floor was bouncy like a diving board, giving us a good excuse to figure out how the floor was constructed.  Turns out...not good.

This was one of the only trailers I can find info on that had a corrugated cardboard floor...like a cheap dorm room door.  The reason it was so bouncy is that it was supposed to be supported by the walls, but you can see how 50 years of sitting worked out for that idea

At least I always have lots of help from my stalwart nail/staple pulling expert.

Moving inside

The back rot was a little daunting for a beginner, so we moved inside.  The original flooring was likely asbestos based, so we wanted to get it out.

After fully removing all the tiles, disposing of them in sealed bags, we washed down the floors several times to make sure there were no potential fibers remaining, as the kids still enjoyed playing inside.

Finally, here's a cute photo that was part of the trailer when we bought it.  There was a time when every family had a trailer like ours, and they all explored the country together.  This is what we hope to do with our family some day soon.

Baby Steps

The first thing you learn about a classic "stick and tin" travel trailer is that they were built from the inside out, with every cabinet, seat, closet or bed forming an integral part of the support.  Even the walls, which are only 3/4" thick wood framing with 1/8" plywood panels on the inside form a type of unibody construction, where everything separate is weak, floppy and insubstantial, but taken all together quite rigid.

Considering all that, the first order of business was removing the rear skin.  The back corners had some water damage, so it was important to see what was hidden under the aluminum.  What was hidden was....not great...as large portions of the rear framing and plywood fell apart into dust in our hands.

We also had some additional questions, as our floor structure was quite unique.  Most Shastas and other trailers of this era were built with 3 inch floor joists and 5/8" plywood floors.  From the outside, ours looked like 1 inch joists with 1/4" skins on the top and bottom...weird.

Shelter

The trailer sat in the driveway for nearly a year.  The kids loved playing in it, but we were a bit overwhelmed with all of the potential problems we had impulsively acquired.

Finally, Mama said it was "time", so we bought a Costco carport and started researching how to rebuild our tiny home

Acquisition

I had seen this trailer sitting in a field on my walk to work every day for about 5 years.

Finally, one Sunday night...long after we usually decide to leave the house, it appeared on Craigslist.  We hopped in the car and by the end of the night, totally out of character for us, it was ours.

Luckily, it was less than 2 miles from home, so towing it home that week, with non-working electrical, rotted tires and lots of hidden wood rot was not an issue.