Destroying a Scotty

We recently bought another 'parts trailer.'

This one was no Layton. It was so far gone already, it had no where to go but down. It was challenging to even think of buying it. The interior was completely gutted. But a lot of good parts were there, and the skin looked to be in fair shape for the most part.  Our HiLander needs some TLC, so we decided to go ahead and get it. It's what we call a Donor Trailer. 

Towing it home was an experience. The door had been taken off and was not in any shape to be put back on. And of course the dang trailer lights didn't work when hooked up to the F250. We used bungee cords to hold this thing together and crawled down back roads for almost two hours trying to keep it on the down low that we were pulling what was, no doubt, an unsafe conveyance. 

We were breathing a sigh of relief as we approached the farm. Wouldn't you know there was a cop parked right across from our driveway. We had no choice but to pull in right next to him and back it around. I'm sure he saw the gaping hole in the side of the trailer, but once we were in the driveway, we were home free.

When we got home Clayton discovered that the tread on both tires was separating, so who knows how much farther we could've gotten before a blowout. All the more of a relief to never have to tow that thing again.

So we determined that we'd start ripping this HiLander apart as soon as possible. If we didn't do it soon it may have caved in on itself. Or even worse, we could've developed insane ideas about trying to save it. After all, it is our sixth trailer. Five is okay but six is just crazy, right?! 

 

 

 

 

It's hard to destroy one of these, but it gets easier as you get into it. The sheer frustration of dealing with a zillion rusty screws and staples, plus all of the rotten wood and nastiness pretty much killed any thoughts that taking it down could be a mistake. That and the motherload of stuff we DID get out of it.

We still have a bit more work to do to get it totally off the frame, but we're off to a good start. I guess we are learning a valuable lesson, that not every one is worth saving. And this trailer will live on as part of our little Scotty that IS worth saving.

                                              

The Doorknob on Wheels aka the C-Layton

Introducing our 1966 Layton!

So we were back on the parts search, and found a little toaster shaped trailer for sale a bit more than an hour away. From the photo in the ad, we could make out a cool Bargman doorknob. After all, the Hanson needs something to keep the door closed better than a carbiner! The price was right, so we figured we should at least check it out. 

I have to say the first impression wasn't good. This was no canned ham. Once inside, we found that the interior was unappealing. Dark brown paint and really ugly paneling, no fridge, no table. It was pretty beat up and filthy too. 

the stove

 BUT, it did have that door latch, as well as a turquoise two burner stove with hood and matching sink. And incredibly, a bathroom with fully enclosed shower and toilet. All of this in a 14' trailer, that seemed much larger on the inside. It was growing on me ever so slightly, but my eye was still on the parts.

Should we buy it? Even though it was only $100, the verdict was sharply divided. Yes I thought it was ugly, but I saw it as a good parts acquisition that just happened to be enclosed in a trailer. Clayton pretty much hated it.

I reasoned with him that we could use the appliances and the door knob for the Hanson and then sell the trailer if we wanted to. After all, a reproduction of that latch was more than the price for the entire trailer! And admittedly, at least one of us is a sucker for a blue stove. I mean come on, it definitely had its good points. Begrudgingly, Clayton agreed we could take it on the condition that it was ONLY for the parts. We were definitely NOT keeping it. 

We had to come back the following day with tires so we could haul it home. Another trip in the dark of course, with hazards on since the tail lights didn't work. We weren't filled with excitement on the drive home, yet somehow the trailer did seem a little nicer, once it was on tires and it was ours.

The next morning, we saw that it was actually a pretty cool trailer. Very toaster like and built like a tank. It started growing on both of us within a matter of minutes. By the time the 'before' photos were taken, we had discovered we didn't hate it after all! 

So on Day One, Clayton started working on it immediately. Ironically, it has become HIS project. So I have officially changed its name from 'Doorknob-on-Wheels' to the 'C-Layton.'

street side

curb side

back end

the door knob and nameplate

Clayton has started to remove a lot of the nastiness already, tearing out the old cabinets and preparing it for the rebuild. Already it looks so much better! We're excited about the possibilites for how we're going to redesign it. The C-Layton is NOT going to be a restoration project. It's going to be our whatever-we-want-it-to be trailer.

the kitchen

progress!

the blue stripes

One thing we do know is that we are going to strip it down to bare aluminum. We will repaint the original stripes in blue, and keep the rest of it shiny. It's going to look awesome!