Did Lil' Willy photo bomb Tow-Mater again!? ;) Thank you.
Today - The great reveal. And bunk cushion, floor cushion covering, Garbage can and cleaning center (okay - so outside end table).
DW got ready to go out shopping - for Tow-Mater. I installed the rolled cushion for the bunk. It was a couple of inches too narrow, plenty long. The width worked out with the ladder stowage though. DSIL has some very cushy 1.5" thick black foam he found (that's how my disease started). So he can add to the now installed base of Tow-Mater's bunk being a place of hang out for the boys.
You noticed it's diamond plate right?
For the floor? Same stuff, but interlocking. The diamond plate is for that guy thing (Tow-Mater, the boys, DSIL), and the dark gray color is to mimic the oil stained cement shop floor of Tow-Mater's "natural setting". Hey environment is important for ANY of us. If we had named the trailer "bunny" we would have had a WHOLE different floor, like maybe Easter grass, or children's teeth! :)
I started out thinking in tile terms, making the big pieces fit corners and room widths and lengths, etc. Once I had such an idea in mind, it went pretty easy. I found my first attempts at using a utility knife, straight edge and cutting board were too cumbersome...
So moved pretty quickly to simply cutting the tiles to shape with scissors. Then it went quick!
It's a nice floor and so comfy on the feet. And yet, boys (and men) can be coming in and making a mess, and Mom should be able to either A- clean it back up quick, or B- have boys/men clean it back up quick, without a huge learning curve.
That's why - men, women don't spend a lot of energy getting US to do stuff, because the learning curve is too great. Right? ;)
But how to clean it up? Broom right? Where to put a broom? And does one really need a long handled broom, for such a small floor. Especially when there are so many other surfaces you'd like to sweep off when a... oh I don't know, maybe a shop style hand broom might be handier! That's what Tow-Mater is used to anyway, a shop broom!
Hey here's one I bought at Harbor Freight, 'cause it was cheap, and wood.
But I used it in the camper, and noticed the wood was too large, clunky even. It kind of wanted to hit the wall when I used it.
So I sanded it down on the bench sander and started in shaping it to a better fit. They start out kind of uncomfortable in the hand, you know?
And what about a dust pan? You know DD made one in 8th grade shop class. I use it every day. Because the one I made in 8th grade shop class is now missing the handle, which was a piece of bent flat iron.
DD's on the left, mine on the right.
Now just the reverse.
I found a suitable piece of hardwood and made mine a handle. Now I can use mine, and they can use hers.
But where to stow these? They need to be handy, that's the main thing. Then they have to be put away, can't be just sitting somewhere. Don't want it in the clothes wardrobe. Right? Hmmmm.
Hey, maybe I should finish the garbage can and hang them on it!
I'd had this started a while back, and the jagged metal edge was bothering me. I finally decided on a plan and folded over the metal edges and simply worked with what I had.
DW directed me to these beautiful chrome handles from an old '50's (really bad shape) kitchen metal counter/cabinet she uses (until we take it to the recycle center soon) in the gardens.
And she had bought some theme related metal signs and stuff from Hobby Lobby a while back. And I had more of those coat hook tie-down hooks from the old utility trailer rebuild last Fall.
I used pop rivets for most of it. And used my Dad's old ball-peen hammer to round and smooth the back side of the rivets to minimize torn garbage bags.
One done, the other not. I know; the other handle has the same miss-matched pair of screws. Weird!
I hinged the lid by cutting short a silver piano hinge I had laying around.
And the handle from the old cabinet lower heating drawer.
How sweet is that!?
Yes, I had to further form the broom handle to fit the hook, even a larger hanging hole in the dust pan. DD's handle had a broken spot weld, so I pop-riveted it too. But gotta love wood!
Now the can can (that is to say, the garbage can may - not the can-can girls will...) stay inside and move around where needed.
Like here if people need foot room at the rear sofa.
And it stows nicely here, with or without tie-down bungee.
Note the cool wedging effect of the dustpan when it's bungeed into this spot.
It can also easily be taken outside for that always needed outside garbage location, and becomes an end table between lawn chairs! Ha!
When DW got home, she had all kinds of fun stuff for outfitting the little camper. The following pictures show where we got it to the night before, and now we'll have it ready this morning for the family - coming over early after the hot-air balloon launch takes place this morning.
DW will have hot water in the tea-kettle (that's DD's hot water supply - learning curve) and hot breakfast sandwiches in the oven. If it was later we would have filled the room with the scent of fresh baked cookies! Enjoy!
Here's some of the new gadgets. Note the water pitcher in the rear. One of those colored aluminum types from the 60's or 70's. Was my Mom's and has a set of glasses with it. Aluminum beverages are COLD!
Good way to pass down stuff you know?
This is temporary. We plan to incorporate it into one of the cubby shelves when it is built.
Throw pillows. Passing down GPA's Wolf Cub-Scout manual. DG took an interest in it last trip.
DD in our first canned ham looking through the screen door. :) And the basket changed from brass to silver, with the little rose painted red in memory of our daughter and that whole rose thing at Disney World on our first visit when she was 10. Boy was I in deep that night. But I fixed it. See I had spotted the rose girl (picture that beautiful people scene in the musical Oliver) selling roses at Pleasure Island. We'd had a Margarita or two by this time, on Cinco-De-Mayo. Won sombreros for the family by simply doing the Mexican Hat Dance upon entry! Ha!.
When I saw the rose girl I just had to buy a long-stemmed red rose for DW. $10! Are you shifting me? But I bought it, what the heck, we're in Disney World! When I turned and presented it to DW, DW gave me a really nasty look! Wha...?
She moved her eyes ever so slightly toward 10 year old DD. Oh shoot! So I left and found the rose lady again. She was quick, and gone. It took awhile! But I spent $20 on flowers that day, and we don't usually do that!
The kids family has a similar (first letter of each member's name) on their living room wall. We duplicated it here, sort of.
Yeah, we think they may be happy campers.
