Video

Almost Final Exterior Shots

We do intend to repaint the exterior, but it may be something we save for either the fall or next spring.  I don't know.  We *might* get inspired and still do it this spring or summer, but I'd rather leave us that out so we can start enjoying it.

So for now, here's where we are on the outside...

The street side and rear on day 1...

And today!

The curb side and front on day 1...

And today!

Both Decals On! Lovin' it!!

Put the recreated front decal in place this morning.  I just love these things!  They make a HUGE difference on the Aloha.

What was left of the front decal...

The recreated decal

Closeup

Recreated Decal in Place

We had a graphics company recreate the sticker/decal that was in place on the rear and the front of the Aloha.

Here's what we started with (on the rear)...

Closeup of the recreated decal in place...

View from a distance...

Cushions and Curtains

It's starting to look inhabitable!

We still have to add the appliances and a few wall decorations, but the inside is just about done.

Here's a shot of the dinette/loft area when we first brought her home.

And here it is today.

The view from the door on day one...

And today

Removal of Stove/Oven; Renovation

Neither Amy nor I are all that interested in using propane in the trailer.  And while it was difficult to decide against using the very cool, original stove/oven, we're pleased with the changed space.

Here's the original state of that space.

Stripped down.

After our modifications.  We will use a toaster/convection oven in the new space and place a large cutting board over the opening to prepare food and to serve as additional counter space.

Cushion Covers

We hired a seamstress to cover the original dinette cushions and to make curtains for us.  (Yes, we cleaned the cushions *thoroughly*.)

Original cushions...

Newly covered cushions and a peek at the curtains...

Bumper B and A

Cleaned up the ol' rusty bumper, removed the Auto Zone taillights, and added reflectors...

Original Flooring

The original flooring was in really great shape, so we decided to keep it in place.  After some old-fashioned scrubbing and a couple coats of Armstrong Shine Keeper, we were pleasantly surprised.

Before...

After...

Original License Plate

The lady from whom we purchased the Aloha bought it from the original owner.  As a result, she received the original license plate from Washington state.  She was kind enough to pass it on to us.  I cleaned it up and re-painted it and will display it inside once we're done with the dirty work.

Recreated Decal

Aloha travel trailers haven't been manufactured in many decades, so getting our hands on replacement decals is impossible.  After checking around with a number of companies, I lucked into a group in upstate New York who helped me out.

I don't have the new decals on the trailer yet, but I will update when I do.  For now, I can show you what is left on the trailer and the packaged recreation.

Existing front decal...

Existing rear decal...

Recreated decal...  I'll post an update once I actually get these in place.

Polishing Aluminum

The mid-section of the skin had been painted....who-knows-how-long-ago....and was speckled, chipped, and oxidized.

For this section, we followed these steps:

1. First pass with 0000 steel wool soaked in WD-40.
2. Two passes with Nuvite Nu-Shine II grade G6 (very coarse; breaks down oxidation)
3. One pass with Nuvite Nu-Shine grade S (very fine)

This close-up of a front piece shows the aluminum polished (only one pass at this point) and also shows the speckled condition that we started with.

Here's the curb-side on Day 1.

Curb-side after a little elbow grease.

Street-side on Day 1.

Street-side after polishing.

A Toilet is Born!

First things first, right???

Well, it wasn't exactly first; but installing a toilet in that convenient closet space was at the top of our list.  We have had only good experiences showering at campgrounds (hope that streak continues), but it sure is nice to have a toilet in your trailer.

So here's how that progression looked...

Here's the space on day 1.

Cleaned out and ready for a new sub-floor.

New sub-floor and flange.

And there she is! FRP panel on the floor, and pex plumbing for the water supply.  We also covered the wheel well.  Not sure what to do about the exposed electrical yet, but it's safe for now.

Closet dowel above...and...

...another closet dowel across from the toilet.  We also added a medicine cabinet, an overhead light, and a couple of small shelves.  And the toilet paper dispenser, of course!  The cord for the light has since been covered and looks a little neater.

Park Model

We decided to make our Aloha a "park model".  We plan to only camp at campgrounds and run everything using full hookups at the site.  As a result, we do not have any holding tanks; and we opted out of running anything off of propane.

Obviously, this prevents us from going just any-ol'-where; but, for now, we're okay with that.  We are new to this and wanted to keep it simple.

1964 Aloha, 13-footer

We picked up a 1964 Aloha travel trailer, 13-footer, from a lady in Reno who was, ironically enough, selling her belongings to move to Hawaii.  I know she hated to give up this trailer, and it was definitely a score for us!  We are the third owners.

Here are some photos of the Aloha on the day we brought her home, October 22, 2010.

The body was in pretty decent shape.  The middle section had been painted.  The paint now looked more like a "speckled egg" and was, of course, heavily oxidized.

The rear window was missing, and all of the lights needed to be replaced.  The bumper needed a little love too.

This original decal is seen (sort of) on the front and rear of the trailer.

Not a lot going on in the tongue area.  Just kind of a mess.

The Aloha has a tiny little closet that had, among other things, a not-new-at-all porta-potty.  The silver tank you see is one of the original propane tanks.  Very cool!!

There's a little loft space up top and a dinette below.  The dinette area is used for a bed, as well.  Cushions and table are all original.

This is the view from the entry door.  Light fixture and oven are original.  The closet I mentioned is behind the door next to the oven.

To the immediate right of the door is an original dresser/mirror.  Nice.

Here's an original advertisement.  We have the one on the left.