My trailer is back from the welders. He did an excellent job considering the trailer was a bent rusty POS.

I just watched a tiny house movie on Netflix and another full length movie on another build that gave me some the little bit of energy I needed to get going again. I have been rained out for the last week no problem except the next job is painting all the bare metal on the trailer.

On one of the movies I saw what happens when you don’t paint the frame. One of the builders bought a used trailer that was completely rusted out. My trailer was rusted out around the wheels from a previous shitty welding job. There were a couple of rust outs near the front of the frame as well.
My now friend, and welder repaired all the areas and welded the frame.

Last night I went out and measured the supports and looked over the frame and noticed an ominous downward arc at the rear of the trailer. It had been way overloaded at one time. Next time I build definitely buying or having a new trailer built.

I found a work around that will help. I will lay a layer of two by fours over the frame. I will try to level the arc the best I can using shims.  I heard a quote once that applies:

” The difference between a good carpenter and a bad one is the good one is better at hiding sins”

Well this trailer has a lot of sins.One side is longer than the other by a half an inch.  so that means its not square. Something I will have to hide or compensate for.

I will bolt the two by fours down using countersunk self threading metal screws. I used some of those to screw down a new plywood floor in an old rv I was going to restore. I just priced them out $24 a bag of 100. 24 cents a screw. Yikes.

Earlier today I started to paint the trailer using some old rustoleum paint the welder donated. The first coat the paint ended up looking like white wash it will need further coats. Much better than the rust I started with. You wont see the paint job later, it was just to cover the bare metal with something to protect it through the rain storms. Later that metal will be covered in osb or plywood.

Then by the weekend I should be bolting two by fours over the frame. Later on when I can find more money I will lay down the subfloor on the two by fours.

Next comes framing. I have a few choices I can rip the two by fours from two by tens which I have in stock. On generator power that may not be economical. Without help, ripping 16′ boards can be a daunting task, but do-able. Or I can buy them at $4 a piece. I saw and ad on Kijiji for cheap two by fours about an hour and a half away. Only a buck a piece. Not evenly planed. That worries me a little , I could end up with drunk walls, weaving in an out.

It is now almost the middle of June I have doubts that I can finish the home by winter. So I may have to spend another winter in my current house. That means more work as I need to close off more of the big house and move the plumbing into a smaller area to save on firewood. It can be done.
Without family or friends the work takes a lot longer. Back to the search for a mate that might want to live in a tiny house.

Take care enjoy the links below.

Living Small from Documented World on Vimeo.

If you have Netflix for US  you can watch Tiny: A Story About Living Small 

If you don’t learn about Hola at Hola.org. Free access for Netflix (not including Netflix subscription)  and more world wide.

And finally the song of the day dedicated to friend.