A free trailer?

Well, free is not really free.  Actually the $ started flowing into the aluminum piggy bank before it even left the barn.  Right now I'm at 8 clicks and some C notes.  Mostly in the tires/rims/hitch/welding/upgrade stuff.
The new mattresses and awning were a click in themselves.  Now, I'm thinking of getting a restored, big engine 1955 Chevy or Ford p.u. to pull the piggy bank with.  Lots for sale.  Red would be nice...("feed the pig" as the ad on the radio encouraging us to SAVE our money says...ha ha.)

Like chickens on a junebug

Well, the Boles has been down at a truck/r.v. business for a few days getting the axle work done, the new steps welded on, and I am replacing the split rims with new ones and running the tires I bought on the new ones,but I will change them out to tubeless.  I will use one of the split rims for a spare.  While the trailer was down there, next to the busy thoroughfare, so many people stopped in to look at it, the poor guy could hardly get any work done.  Thankfully, I had locked it up and had the curtains all down, or it would have been worse.  They were just hanging out looking at the OUTSIDE.  He had to relate the barn find story to all the lookie loos.  Meanwhile, back at the ranch, I'm chomping at the bit waiting to get the trailer back so I can haul it to the body shop and have the hitch painted.  It definitely attracts attention.
Trying to get our "business" cards done with a pix of the Boles on it, but they photo-shopped off the hitch in the pix, so it looks like it will tip forward.  I told them to re-do them.
Found CHEAP insurance thru the Good Sam club's affiliation with GMAC.  Anyone out there had any experience with them?  They couldn't give me a $ value on the trailer (neither could I) or what they would pay me if it got smashed up.  Said they'd check 5 states to see what other ones were worth (yeah, right...good luck with that!).  But, for $55/yr. I guess I'm not out too much.
The wife is still shopping for 50's patio furniture....I can envision getting hauled into every farm sale from here to WA.  Geez, what have I gotten myself into?

My wife is going overboard

Yup, it was only a matter of time.  First it was collecting the 50's stuff from antique stores and thrift stores to "decorate" the trailer with.  Then having me make an "easel" shaped coffee table for our outside patio area when parked at vintage trailer rallies (as in..."all the other trailers have full patios furnished with year-appropriate stuff, so we are going to do it too") That is only the  FIRST item of many needed for the patio "decor" (you can see where this is heading).  Then, I hear her in there sewing up 50's outfits.  I put my foot down though.  I WILL NOT, I repeat WILL NOT be caught dead wearing suit slacks, a white button shirt and skinny tie and 50's hat to these things (remind you of your grand dad?) I guess because the trailer was already complete inside, with the upholstery and curtains all original, she was feeling a little cheated on doing up the inside in a big way.

By the way, the awning we ordered from Vintage Trailer Supply, (my new best friend), fit great, looks great and other than being way more than I had hoped to invest in such a thing (how about one lousy umbrella and call it good?) will look nice and packs up small enough to fit in the hatch under the beds.

So folks, if you see me wandering around the next rally, dressed like your dad or granddad, just offer me a really stiff martini.

a little ingenuity

Well, today started out as a futile attempt to find replacement rims (to get rid of the split rims that I stupidly had powdercoated and put tubed tires on).  After running around to several tires stores and a pick'n pull, no luck.  I can order them from an internet site, which may be the way to go.  I will try one more pick'n pull in the valley.  I'd rather have new ones, then I just have to paint them myself.  If I go used, I will have to have them sandblasted before I can paint them grey.  I want to switch to tubeless tires and use one of the split rims for a spare.
The guy who was going to do the undercarriage work (shackles etc) dislocated his shoulder, so that job was delayed.  I have de-rusted the stabilizer bars and wheel and painted them, along with the new propane tanks.  Came out great.  The hitch is all de-rusted (thank you naval jelly) and ready for the body shop to paint after getting a few more tweeks on the hitch.  I decided to have the trailer raised 1 and 1/2 in. when they do the work underneath.  That will give me more clearance in the back, when backing up on an incline.

My big success today came when the window parts arrived from Vintage Trailer supply.  The Hehr cranks had failed on the front side window, the pot metal gave out.  I had NO luck finding the same part, anywhere.  I searched from N.Y. to Canada.  I ended up taking a chance and ordering Hehr awning cranks that I converted to casement window type cranks.  If any of you reading this need to know how to do this, email me.  Anyway, the windows now operated perfectly, and shut tight.  I had to pat myself on the back over this one.  I was THIS close [...] to putting a screw thru the window to keep them from flopping open during travel.  Whew.  glad I held back.