Week 4-5: Let’s talk about color!

Not a lot of actually physical work has been done on the trailer over the past 2 weeks. Now that we have it down to the frame, we have been able to fully assess the welds. A few of the welds are completely sheared off, and others are just cracked. We will be taking the frame to a professional welder for repairs. We will possibly add a bumper and hitch to the rear of the trailer. We will also be replacing the axle of the trailer once the welding work has been done.

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The wheels have been out for powder coating for the past 2 weeks, leaving us at a bit of a standstill. To fill the time we built a work table to help make the cabinet and wall-building a little easier on our backs. Shout out to Larry at MobileTec for the suggestion! We have been learning a lot from Larry’s great how-to videos and online class for trailer restoration. Check out his site at http://www.cannedhamtrailers.com!

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Deciding on the color palate for Dottie was pretty easy for us. We have always been suckers for the traditional sea foam green and white combo. We knew our options would be somewhat limited by what was available for powder coating, so that’s where we started with our color selection. Looking at any type of sample color on line is so difficult, because you know the true color is going to be very different. We highly recommend ordering samples of any material you are planning to use, so that you know it is exactly what you are looking for. We narrowed it down to 2 very similar colors, and in the end we chose the Pearled Turquoise.

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We have also been working out the details for the interior of the trailer. We plan to go with the amber shellac on the birch paneling and cabinets. We were lucky enough to find some vintage new old stock handles and knobs for the cabinets at a local salvage shop. We also found a vintage stove to fit into the kitchenette. We will be sending it off to be re-enameled, along with the sink.

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The original countertop had a neat blue background, with a gold pattern. We would love to keep it, but it is too damaged and brittle. Unfortunately, we have been unable to find the same pattern to replace it. To keep with the era of the trailer, we will likely go with a boomerang pattern. We like the daisy pattern as well, but the flowers are too large for the small space.

It has taken us several weeks, but we have finally found some vinyl that we like for the dinette cushions. It is a marine vinyl, but has soft cloth backing, so it isn’t so stiff. We plan to do a 2 tone pattern, although we are still working out the final color selection.

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The trailer frame will be heading to the welder this week. Also, Jeff’s dad will be visiting to help us build the cabinets and start framing the walls!