reports on my TT renovation

[rriverstone]

I'll use this thread to post links to my blog posts on what I'm doing with my trailer.

progress report
http://livinginthehood.blogspot.com/2010/12/progress-update.html

rv radiant floor heater
http://livinginthehood.blogspot.com/2010/12/rv-radiant-floor-heater.html

solar panel for trailer
http://livinginthehood.blogspot.com/2010/12/solar-panel-for-trailer.html

photovoltaic generator options
http://livinginthehood.blogspot.com/2010/12/photovoltaic-generator-options.html

rv internet
http://livinginthehood.blogspot.com/2010/12/rv-internet.html

solar battery chargers, battery lights
http://livinginthehood.blogspot.com/2010/12/solar-battery-chargers-battery-lights.html

Mylar blanket insulation
http://livinginthehood.blogspot.com/2010/12/mylar-blanket-insulation.html

Demolition
http://livinginthehood.blogspot.com/2010/12/demolition.html

this ain't Little House on the Prairie
http://livinginthehood.blogspot.com/2010/12/this-aint-little-house-on-prairie.html

[Forestgal]

Wow, Rogi! I'm at a loss for words after reading what you're doing to make your trailer your own! What a prodigious undertaking, but you make it sound so easy.

Is your plan to become more or less permanently based on the reservation? How did you choose to live there? Aren't there restrictions on who can live there?

One comment about getting a mi-fi from Verizon and using it to watch media on your computer ... be careful. Anything video-related sucks up your data "allowance" like nothing else and if you're not prudent about what you watch you'll easily go over, costing you BIG bucks.

I hope that you'll be able to post pictures some day. I've never seen someone convert a trailer in quite the way you're doing, and would love to see it.

You're on an amazing journey. Thanks for sharing!

Laura -- and Jed

[rriverstone]

I'm planning to "winter over" at my friend's grandma's place. They're retired, Tribal police, so I'll be safe and welcome. Private property on the Rez is just like any place else: as long as the neighbors don't complain, you can have guests and even rent space, if zoned rural, which this is.

i plan to stay on the Rez at least until I make better connections & learn my way around the area. Affordable housing is very scarce in New Mexico. I'll have to be very creative and resourceful, and know people. Add to that a huge uranium mine dam broke, contaminating a large swath of the Rio Puerco, Gallup, and surrounding lands, including parts of the Rez, with toxic yellow cake. Can't have my goats browsing irradiated plants!

I talked with Verizon about my viewing habits. I only watch Netflix, a bit of YouTube, The Daily Show and Hulu. All those are streaming, not downloads.

My main concern was UP loading my radio productions to PRX for hosting. But, Verison says, I could watch "Titanic" without going over my gigs, and a radio production is mono audio only; it's about a fourth of a standard, 2 hr. movie for an hour of radio.

i don't use Outlook for email; I just use Yahoo & gmail online. I use Facebook frequently throughout the day. And I surf, a LOT, to research all kinds of stuff, but have "NoScripts" and a mess of other blockers, so i won't get cooties or have to look at ads and junk.

The main thing is to break my current habit of leaving the computer on most of the time. It's not just an issue of gigs; it's an issue of electricity. I'm trying to train myself into the habit, but right now, I'm playing a game of Civilization III that will take at least three more days to finish, so I'm being a brat and leaving it on. It's hard to delete saved games and I have a LOT of other stuff to do right now, and it saves every time I close the game, so one game can get saved dozens of times! yuck.

Thanks for your positive feedback!

[Bethers]

Great to see all the renovations. Only got to some of the posts - will get to others, eventually.

As to the gigs on Verizon - I have come close twice, and I don't watch much when using it. The good thing about the card is that you can see just how much you've used (up to about 24 hours previously) if you use it plugged in. So do that often enough to keep an eye out. And I don't download anything. So, while they want you to think you can't use it up - you can.

[rvgrammy1953]

We've had our Verizon air card service for over 4 years..and have never gone over our data limits, but will say we don't use it for TV watching or movies as we have DirecTV satellite and a DVD player. We have a router and now run 2 laptops on it.

[rriverstone]

http://livinginthehood.blogspot.com/2010/12/too-sore-to-take-care-of-self.html

[cpatinjones]

Wow! You are staying very busy. Can't wait to see it all completed.

[rriverstone]

http://livinginthehood.blogspot.com/2010/12/woke-at-2am-on-sunday.html
woke at 2am on a Sunday

http://livinginthehood.blogspot.com/2010/12/good-days-work.html
good day's work

I is tired

[rriverstone]

I could have used some atta girls today. I know y'all don't know me and it's a xmas weekend and all.

I've been really scared I wouldn't be able to find something to live in or some place to live. I was planning my suicide: gathering the supplies, writing notes about my stuff & animals, 3 days before the trailer came through. I was planning it for the DAY it happened.

I was robbed, stranded, my ducks, geese and chickens were shot by my old landlord. One of my dogs came here with a bullet in her shoulder. That was the nightmare last year.

So, with the lease here running out, no local connections, impossibly high rental rates, no vehicle, no friends, no family . . . . I was ready to give up.

I am working a lot harder than my body can actually handle. When I stop for the day, I can't walk hardly at all and have come close to soiling myself because it's so hard to get to the bathroom. I'm not eating enough because it's so hard to wash dishes, to cook, etc. without running water.

I spent Thanksgiving and Christmas alone, watching people talk about their plans on Facebook, knowing I couldn't even volunteer at a soup kitchen or a convalescent hospital because I have no car and it's just too damn cold to hitch hike, although I did it last year, and because I need to conserve my strength for the trailer.

I'm trying so hard to be strong, to stay focused on hoping for a future, even though, having had my heart broken by false hopes so badly in the past, I'm afraid to hope for much more than maybe, some day, being able to take a hot shower in my own space.

I think I have the kind of emphysema that has gone on too long to be reversible, so I expect I don't have much time left: probably less than five years. Imagine working on that trailer, with coughing fits so bad I throw up or soil myself, and still working because, frankly, it's too hard to wash up, so I might as well finish working and then go through the hassle of cleaning myself.

I am desperately trying to live out what's left of my life some place safe and peaceful. Maybe I can do that with my friend's grandparents, on the reservation.

[Forestgal]

Rogi, I'm continually impressed with your tenacity and single-minded drive to create a safe space for yourself and your four-legged family.

Please know that while I'm not responding to every post you've made, I have looked at your blog and say a prayer each time that all will continue to move ahead without too many hiccups for you, and that you can begin a new chapter in your life in a better place.

As my mom used to say, "This too shall pass." Hang in there, Rogi. Pat yourself on the back before tumbling into bed tonight.

Laura -- and Jed

[Bethers]

(((((((((((((((((((((((HUgs))))))))))))))))))))))))))))) you need and deserve them!

I can't imagine everything you're going through - and then all the work you're doing. I know I'm impressed with all you're doing. You get a great big attagirl from me

Did you find the bypass valve for the hot water heater, btw? It's not going to be in a location where you'd expect it. Can you tell if there IS water in the heater? Just askin' - cuz I still think the problem might be that simple (although finding the valve might not be that simple). Would love you to have hot water when you want it! One thing at a time - and food in your belly - and another day will pass - I sincerely hope this place works for you.

[rriverstone]

Thanks for the kind words. Here's today's progress report. My legs are killing me.

"The freezer's in, you sissy macho men!"
http://livinginthehood.blogspot.com/2010/12/freesers-in-you-sissy-mach-men.html

[cpatinjones]

Hello dear one,

One day at a time. You are moving in a forward direction. You will see the the hole at the end of the tunnel.

Praying for you.

[rriverstone]

Here's yesterday's report:
http://livinginthehood.blogspot.com/2010/12/heavy-rain-snow-next-3-days.html
heavy rain, snow next, 3 day

I'll ccp the following into a new blog post.

It's 12:30pm. All food is back in freezer and I've moved the refrigerator food, too.

I built my bed. It lies over 3 2-drawer filing cabinets and my tool cabinets. It is an aluminum frame from the bed that was in the back room.

I used a piece of aluminum frame , 1x6 feet, to make an overhead shelf, bolted to the overhanging cabinets. It comes from the bed conversion from the living room where the bed is now. It was a fold-out couch contraption in 2 pieces of frame. It is also bolted to the seat frames from the kitchen nook that makes a bed. They're 2 small pieces, 2x3 feet, that I've bolted to the walls on either end of the bed and bolted to the frame that runs the length of the bed, over my head. This reinforcement is necessary, as I'll use that overhead frame to pull myself into a sitting position, so I can get out of bed. it's also a great place for cats and for my hanging baskets, in which I put tv remotes, keyboard, mouse, telephone, facial tissues, lotion, a battery-powered mini-lantern that chirps like a cricket, notebooks, etc. I also hang a reading lamp, alarm clock, computer speakers and electric blanket control over my head, to save space and so I can access them easily while half asleep.

I've slept/lived in a bunk bed for over five years now and really love the overhead space, so I've replicated it in the trailer.

I'll use the original overhead cabinets to store linens. i can access them from the bed. I don't need to get in there very often, so it's out of the way. i expect cats will sneak in there, too, to sleep, so will cover everything with old cloths, to keep out hair and dirt.

The bed frame is covered with thin paneling that made the bed in the back room, topped by the "couch" cushions; one twin size, one 1x6 foot. I'll sleep on the twin part and cats will sleep on the narrow part. There's about a five inch strip of paneling and frame that extends out from the mattress, the length of the bed. that's perfect for my coffee and food.

over the foam, I put fleece blankets, which stick like velcro, to help hold the pads together. Over that, I put my goose down mattress cover, doubled up to twin size. Over that, I put a thick mattress pad, also doubled. On that, I put my linens. So, my bed is about five inches thick and very comfortable.

it's over thirty inches, off the ground. So, i put a little foot stool on the floor to pull out when it's time to sleep. I'll have to lift Weasel, my little dog, into the bed until i invent a dog ramp that won't take up much room. Cats can jump.

The bed is level with the window, so i can see the whole world from there. The old couch/bed was so low, one couldn't see out the window, lying down. The cats will really appreciate a comfortable sitting window.

i washed my electric blanket first thing this morning and hung it outside while we have some sunshine. Rain and snow are predicted for the next three days. This is my only window of opportunity to get the bed together, unless i wait until next weekend.

I've moved in all my coffee supplies and will bring in the microwave this afternoon.

While I've stowed the equivilent of 10 laundry baskets full of kitchen stuff in the trailer already, I have packed so well that I still haven't used half the existing kitchen cabinets yet.

I put a METAL filing cabinet over the furnace housing, that used to be a seat, in the kitchen. All my METAL pots, pans, etc. will go there. I left plenty of room for air intake there, when i put the freezer next to it.

There's plenty of work room in the kitchen. It doesn't feel crowded or cramped and I can reach things without moving stuff, digging, etc. I need a fully functional kitchen; I cook from scratch, all the time, international dishes. Everything must be efficient and accessible.

I have no more large pieces to put in the trailer, just 2 small cabinets and one more steamer trunk. The remainder is kitchen stuff, bathroom, books, records and my pretty stuff.

Solar panel and flat screen computer monitor arrive via UPS today. Will set up computer tomorrow and test out Verison MiFi system.

The other piece of couch frame is now a spice rack over my freezer and a filing cabinet, across the cabin from my propane oven and refrigeberator.

[cpatinjones]

Hi, Do you have any pics to share of all your restorations?