Sunday, October 07, 2012

1955 Traveleze Trailer

The advert called it Canned Ham!  Or, more specifically, disassembled canned ham.

photo is from the add for the trailer

It looks a bit like a can of SPAM don't you think?  I love it!

This is the photo from the add and what it use to look like!  'Every kind of animal save humans' lived in the trailer as it sat in the farmer's field for 30plus years.

Here's what the add had to say:


THIS IS A GREAT PROJECT FOR ANYONE INTERESTED IN A VINTAGE CANNED HAM. THIS 1955 CALIFORNIA TRAVELEZE TRAILER HAS BEEN DISASSEMBLED AND IS READY TO REBUILD. THE PHOTOS SHOW THE SHAPE AND PROFILE OF THE TRAILER "BEFORE" IT WAS SLOWLY DISMANTLED. DOWN TO THE STEEL CHASSIS. THE CHASSIS HAS BEEN REINFORCED WITH EXTRA GUSSETS, SANDBLASTED AND SEALED WITH A DURABLE EPOXY FINISH . THE SPRINGS HAVE ALSO BEEN PROFESSIONALLY REBUILT. THE ORIGINAL ALUMINUM SKIN HAS BEEN SAVED AS HAVE THE RIMS, TIRES, WINDOWS, MISC ELECTRICAL PARTS. THE INTERIOR WAS TOO FAR GONE SO NEW WALLS WERE FRAMED UP TO IDENTICALLY MATCH THE ORIGINALS. THIS IS A PROJECT BUT NOT ONE I'LL BE FINISHING. I HAVE A HUGE NUMBER OF PHOTOS TO ASSIST YOU IN THE RECONSTRUCTION AS WELL AS ALL THE REMAINING PARTS THAT WERE STILL USEFUL.




It May seem challenging  but it is exactly what I need.  Due to my allergies (both food and environmental) travelling is virtually impossible. I'm allergic to the cleaning chemicals used in hotels and have to cook everything myself.  Finding a place to sleep that has few chemicals, good airflow and a kitchen is impossible with my budget.

Likewise, most RVs and Travel Trailers are either new and full of manufacturing chemicals or used and full of cleaners, mould, &c.  What I really need is a shell that can be stripped down and reassembled.  Thank I can rebuild it and make it mine!

The add said it was in pieces... well, um... 




The chassi has been reinforced, sand blasted and sealed with the sort of stuff you use on chassis.  Everything to build (um rebuild) the trailer shell is there, but non of the innards.  He's even built an entirely new frame from pine.

Believe it or not, that's exactly the condition that I need it to be in.  Especially if one considers some of the changes I would like to make.  I have most of the skills I need to put it back together and furnish it, I've just never put them together in one project before!  How exciting!



Because of the fragile nature of the aluminium siding, I have ordered a large cube van rental for Wednesday when it comes home.  I'm so nervous waiting so long to bring it home, but there is a tone of things that need doing here before we can make room for it.  

So, full of nervous excitement.  Can't barely sleep.  Wonder if one can buy tatami mats in Canada and if so, are they light weight or heavy?





ANYONE out there know of any groups I can pester with questions about my trailer rebuild?  I would really like to find original schematics or floor plan for this trailer.  

3 comments:

Josiane said...

Yet another of your amazing projects! I'm so glad that you've found exactly what you needed to be able to travel, and that you're excited at the idea of rebuilding it and making it yours. :)

Natalie Freed said...

Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeee this is so incredibly awesome. Can I come up and build with you?! :)

TrampledbyGeese said...

Of course Natalie. It's going to be so much fun!