The Work begins

I got the camper on 5/13 and didn't get to really start working on it until 5/18. I took a few days off work and here are a few things I did during that time.

5/18/11
Took lots of pictures
5/19/11
Returned defective trailer jacks and got a working set
Went to Harbor Freight to get the trailer dolly, goggles, magnetic drill bit holder
Went to ACE Hardware to buy clutch screwdriver bit
Went to Hobby Lobby and got the pink stain fabric for the upper cabinets
Put together the trailer dolly
Turned camper around in the backyard to be able to work on it easier
took out bench pieces (slide outs and plywood piece)- threw out cushions
took out cots
washed sink fixture
5/20/11
Removed curbside bench
Removed mount for table
Started pulling off wood on back wall
Took off kitchen fixture
5/21/11
Removed drivers side bench
Removed the carpet panels under the benches and from the front side cabinet
Cleaned ceiling vent screen
Scrubbed the light fixture base with brillo pad to try and remove rust
Spray painted the light fixture base white
reinstalled light fixture base and globe
Took down ceiling fixture (doesn't seem to be connected) and back light fixture above the table (not sure if it worked or it was the bulb0still ugly, had to come off)
Remove driver's side back walls rotted wood
5/22/11
Checked back of mirror for date - so cool - found May 10, 1961 so that will be her official birthday !!!!
Got tarp and bungee cords
removed back window drip rail, back window, back reflectors and back tail lights
Removed center license plate light holder
Covered the camper in the tarp and finished scrubbing the tooth brush cup holder
5/23/11
reinstalled the tooth brush cup holder - 1st major completed accomplishment - Yeah
5/27/11
Removed the back two drip rails
Removed the bottom skin piece on the back side
Removed the middle skin pieces on the back side
Lots of rot - the more I take off, the more I find - Yikes

Collecting

So even though I still didn't have my camper yet, that didn't stop me from shopping to outfit it. I had a vision of going with blue and pink, I kinda got the blue from the original blue I saw in the pictures. Since I love estate sales and thrift stores, cause you never know what you will find that where I started. I found some shish kabob holders, some wire trays, some plastic storage, an aluminum ice bucket, some aluminum bowls, enamel bowl, grilling accessories, knives, camping cups. Then I also found some cool cups on EBay and Etsy - I am so loving the thermal Bopp Decker stuff. I got a pitcher, mugs, juice cups and cups. I got both pink and blue. I now decided to go with pink and gray color scheme. So I will resell the blue stuff. I also found some cool plates, bowls and dishes in the Melmac family - So I continue to search for Newport Westinghouse and Branchell Colorfylte. I also have a vision of making little curtains to put in the upper shelving from some material I saw at Hobby Lobby. This so pretty - girly pink satin that also has some tufted sections that kinda look like flowers. I saw this and wanted to build around it.
I was thinking of using my vintage pink bedspreads as cushion covers, but I may go with gray bottoms and a floral backrest and use the bedspread for pillows. I also got a small weber grill, a coleman lantern, an electric griddle (Since I don't have an oven) and I found some really cool pink and gray plastic canisters - SOOOOO CCUUUTTEEEEE

It started with an idea

So for the last two years I was thinking about purchasing a small vintage camper that I can pull easily behind my Jeep Grand Cherokee. I was thinking Airstream without researching and when I started looking - uh, those are not in my price range. I started searching online and came across Shastas, Scotty's, Field and Streams. I was looking on ebay and craig's list. I found a great website that got me even more addicted to Shasta's ( Then I cam across a 1960's Nomad Compact - which is really close to a Shasta Compact. I saw it on Sunday on Craig's list and had to call on it Monday morning. It was located in Kentucky, but from pictures it looked like it was in pretty good shape. He was asking 1,650.00 and I offered 1,500.00 - without seeing it in person - YIKES. I knew I would have to do some work. So on 4/18/11 I became the proud mama of this little gem.....







So the next step is to find out how to get her home. I could drive, one way is 6 1/2 hours. I spoke with the seller (Greg Wood) and he mentioned a company called uShip where you post a job to ship and people bid on it. The first bid had me meeting them in Elkhart, Indiana. We couldn't work out a meeting time, because I needed to borrow Pat or Mike;s truck to go get it. So I got another bid from Ty. We had agreed upon it arriving around 5/2 or 5/3. He had to go down to TN for some family business and got caught in some bad storms down south and had some other family issues, so it finally arrived on 5/13/11. When i got home from work I had some buyers remorse. There was more water damage than I knew about. It is small but really the perfect size for my first one. It rained all weekend so I couldn't do anything but clean a little. Lots to do - It will be so cute when I get done !!!