My "New" Toy

Evidently, I didn't think I had enough to do:)
Mr. LB and I like to go camping.
Actually he likes to fish and would probably sleep on the bank
of the river with his fishing rod in his hand
like a child with a teddy bear.
Me? I like to be "away,"
to gather peace, hike around,
listen to birds and brook,
and maybe stitch a little.
The thing about camping is I am the one
responsible for the food, dishes, bedding and so forth.
Don't get me wrong,
he cooks over the camp fire and does plenty,
but there is plenty to do.
Over the past couple years,
I have been casually searching
for a little old camp trailer.
I like the old ones for several reasons
but a couple in particular being full metal frames and character.
And, I just like old stuff:)
Late last fall,
I found her.
16' (14' box) 1968 Aristocrat Land Commander

Unfortunately, the pictures from the ad that I answered didn't save properly
so now when I go to open the file, it's code and hieroglyphics.
So this picture is actually after we have done a few things
which I will share next time.
She was/is original with only a few little exceptions so be ready 
to get your fill of Bert-and-Ernie-ness.
Part of the reason it took a while to find her was that I had some
very specific qualifications if you will.
First, she had to be under a certain dollar amount.
With vintage trailers being a 'hot' item,
some folks seem to think a rotten shell is worth a mint.
Next, 16 feet was the very largest I wanted - whew, just made that one.
She had to have an oven, not just the stovetop.
When we are camping,
I like to have things made ahead of time and just heat them up.

Mr. LB's only request was that it have the bed separate from the dinette.

He awakes at dark:30 to go play with fish, so 

he didn't want to have to sit on the bed to drink his coffee while I sleep.

This wasn't a requirement, but guess who's fishing poles, waders, fly boxes, 
and boots all fit in here?

I also wanted a closet that was at least large enough to fit a porta-potty into.
I am often either the only female or one of very few women on the rivers 
where fishermen go.  She has an actual potty!  Woohoo!
I can now do a happy dance rather than a peepee dance.
(You know, the one 4-5 year olds do when they need to go.)

  My last requirement was no water damage.
This unfortunately, was where I gave a little.
On each side of the front window and in the corner by the back window
there is evidence.  
It appears to be from condensation rather than leakage.
In the first photo, you can see the side compartment that holds batteries
and jacks, etc.  I can see the inside front just under the window,
and it is clean.
I'm not totally naive - just a little:)
I know before she gets a new paint job (have to save a while for that one,)
there will be some issues to address.
There is no water damage around the roof vent which is a huge one.
(I've pulled the light down so I could see in there.)
Again, next time I will share the "imperfections" list with you,
because she did/does have several of those.

She needed a name as they all do, right?
I had to ponder that one for a while.
Mr. LB and I camp together, and though I could have called her
something like the fairy castle or whatever, I wanted to keep his thoughts
in mind as well.
Since we both like Jimmy Durante, I named her Mrs. Calabash.
That way we can say,
"Good Night Mrs. Calabash, wherever you are."
And since we are apt to take her wherever, it's suiting.
If you aren't familiar with that phrase,
you can do a search for Mrs. Calabash and read the history.
I think it's rather romantic.

This is the 'before' post.
I have a feeling the 'during' might take a while.
I've been tackling things as I have time but will share those soon.

Until next time,
Nimble Fingers and Even Stitches