Surfacing at last, in Oakland, CA

[FaveMartian]

Greetings!
I've been lurking here for way too long; 'bout time I came out of the shadows. I'm sure you all know the process: First, the dreaming. Then the half-serious searching the ads, hoping for that dusty but pristine barn-shed-warehouse find. I even left a few notes on roadside teardrops. Then, came the Plans. First the CD collections of badly scanned Mechanix Illustrated, then the basic mail-order plans, complete with suppliers.
Then the websites, of which this is ground zero. And DIY seems not so hard after all.
I'd planned to start with the repurposed utility trailer, but luck blew me a kiss. A partially built teardrop at a great price showed up on craigslist; the poor guy's wife wanted her parking spot back. I bit.
So after a harrowing trip towing an unlicensed trailer over bridges in high winds (ever see Wages of Fear? Like that), I got it home. Now the fun starts; turning what was to be a hard-walled wheeled tent into my mobile Art Deco dream palace. And boy, do I need help.

[parnold]

Welcome!

You'll find lot's of help here. Even though at times it feels daunting, anything is possible, and when you hit a roadblock, you'll get plenty of different ideas here to get you past!

Now where are the pictures?

[FaveMartian]

Here it is, the way it looked upon arrival. De/reconstruction began shortly thereafter.

[hiker chick]

Congrats!

Will look forward to pics of the completed transformation.

[kenskill 47]

your trailer looks cool, i kinda found a similiar trailer like you found yours 47 Kenskill towed it home took it down to the frame only because wood all wrotted. Doing kinda what you are doing write now except your ahead of me. I just picked up my new Brich plywood sheets and my new polished aluminum sheets. Im in Roseville. This weekend bought a 66 chevy 1/2 ton to pull it with. check out my pics will add my truck tonight. Good luck. Alot of people in this forum have many years experience doing this plus many helpfull tips.

[FaveMartian]

It just looks small. But, the possibilities...
Thank you all for your warm welcome and good wishes. Just the ego boost I need to get this thing done.
Because I got this crazy thing with the walls and cabinets already in place, much of the work becomes a sort of retrofit. For example, the last owner just wanted single sheet of ply between himself and the elements. Now, my wife is cold in Palm Springs, so insulation is essential. And now the thicker walls allow for an actual electrical system, so some creativite wire routing is in the cards. I wanted underfloor storage, so I found some sturdy wooden audio cassette cabinets, and painstakingly flush-fitted them. All the while trying to incorporate as many elements of my beloved Art Deco style as I can. Even the switchplates and 12v outlets are Art Deco, the perfect style for these streamlined dwellings. I may never build my Deco house, but this is something I can do!
Hiker chick, I was admiring your trailer and took note of the "half-hatch", something I'll be faced with soon. I'm doing it backwards, since the galley cabinets are already there and come all the way to thetop of the walls. bit of a challenge, although it would seem to be easier than a full.

[FaveMartian]

Art Deco everywhere! I sanded out a larger hole in this old brass escutcheon to accomodate a 12v socket. The silver ring will frame the hole and cover the screw heads, and both will be painted to the same metallic finish.

[MKE_Tear]

Welcome!

Very nice find!!

It sure would be nice to be that far, esp. near the beginning, but I'm looking forward to the journey.

I'm looking forward to seeing your changes/progress.

All the best!