July 2020 - Build Your Own Adventure

And So It Begins…

Do you see a common theme here at our house???

Our new trailer’s name immediately became Big Red, for obvious reasons. It’s been a few weeks now since we brought Big Red home. We have all kinds of ideas for him. We’ve got floorplans drawn and tape on the floors of the trailer laying out our ideas. We’ve got all kinds of stuff we can’t afford in our online shopping carts, and we’re constantly scouring online marketplaces looking for deals. We’ve been watching YouTube videos and hitting Facebook for more ideas and inspiration. It’s been really fun and exciting.

The actual work going on in Big Red right now, maybe not so exciting. But they are essential, important things that must be done before all the exciting stuff can happen. And, if you ask Adam, he’d probably say that this stuff is pretty darn exciting, too!

Adam washed and buffed the entire trailer right away, because that’s just what he likes to do. The transformation was pretty amazing, though, if I do say so myself. Big Red’s coat shines like a Thoroughbred in the sun now.

We (well, when I say “we”, I really mean “he”) took all the plywood walls and ceiling out of the trailer, so it’s down to just bare aluminum and steel. It was pretty tough work getting all that down, especially in the miserable heat and humidity of July in eastern North Carolina. But we powered through, excited to see what was underneath. We found a lot of rust, but Adam say’s it’s not too bad, mainly surface rust. The bones of the trailer are still in good shape.

We painted rust converter on all the steel inside the trailer to seal and protect it. It was so hot the day we were painting that the sun would dry the converter before it even had a chance to react with the metal. We had to come back out that evening after it cooled off to get it done.

We had a nice summer thunderstorm one evening, which we were grateful for. We desperately needed the rain, and it cooled things off for a little while. However, it did lead to a very disappointing surprise. We went inside the trailer to make sure it hadn’t leaked anywhere and we found little drops of water all over the walls. The roof was leaking! Adam got on top of the trailer the next morning to see what was going on, and it seems that the water puddles on top of the roof and then seeps in any cracks it can find. Mainly the cracks are in the seams where the roof meets the walls. So Adam’s working on a plan to get those cracks sealed up and find a way for the water to drain off the roof instead of puddling up there. I guess we’ve got another project to add to the list.

We’re still very early on in this big adventure that we’ve taken on, and we’ve got so much work to do. But it’s been so exciting to just imagine all the possibilities and to come up with ideas on how to make everything work together. It’s like putting together a giant jigsaw puzzle with thousands of tiny pieces. I can’t wait to show you guys what we have in store!

Country Roads Take Me Home

West Virginia has always held a special place in my heart. I never lived there, but it’s where both of my parents were born and raised, and most of my family still lives there. Growing up, we visited frequently, and some of my most vivid childhood memories are from there- catching tadpoles in the creek that ran by my cousin’s house, riding four wheelers with my grandpa and uncle, big Thanksgiving dinners at my grandma’s table.

As I have gotten older and busier raising my own family here in North Carolina, my visits to West Virginia have gotten fewer and farther between. But this week, my darling husband grudgingly dragged the giant camper over 400 miles through the mountains to my dad’s hometown of Point Pleasant, which is in the western part of the state, right on the Ohio River.

Just getting there was an adventure in itself! We started off the trip with a flat tire- luckily, Adam found it before we even left home. We had never really pulled the camper through the mountains, and we were nervous about how the truck would do. No worries there, though- the truck pulled like a champ and made it up those mountains with no problem at all! Thank goodness, because once we got over the fear and worry of towing through the mountains we were able to really enjoy the sheer beauty of the drive. Just looking up at the tall mountain peaks and down into the lush green valleys leaves me in awe every time. I haven’t had the chance to travel much past the southeastern United States, but looking out over those mountains, I feel like it has to be one of the most beautiful sites in the world.

The first few days we spent some long overdue time with family. It was so good to see my uncle, aunt and cousins. My children barely remembered them, which broke my heart a little. But after a few days of some serious fishing, ice cream dates, and water balloon fights, we were all best friends again! We stayed at Krodel Park, which is a city park there in Point Pleasant. The campground was older, with mostly permanent and seasonal residents, but they welcomed us with open arms, and the kids had a blast in the park’s splash pad and on the zipline!

After one last evening of Mothman pizza, adults hanging out on the tailgate of the truck, children running through the park, we said our sad goodbyes, promising it wouldn’t be so long before our next trip. We left Point Pleasant and headed to Princeton, in the southern part of West Virginia, a good halfway point on our journey back to North Carolina. Princeton is an awesome little town, with picturesque mountain views, friendly people, and all kinds of outdoor activities. The area is well known for its ATV trails, and we were wishing hard that we had our own ATV so that we could go riding! But the children are still a little young for that, so we decided to go to a local state park instead.

The gorgeous waterfall at Brush Creek Falls State Park.

Brush Creek Falls State Park was just down the road from our campground. We read online that it was just a short hike to the waterfall, so we decided to give it a shot. A few miles down a winding mountain road, we almost missed the turnoff and the small parking area for the trail. Thank goodness we didn’t though, because it was one of the highlights of our trip! The trail was wide and easy to navigate, nestled between the creek and a mountain ledge in the woods. It was cool and refreshing on that hot summer day. We all enjoyed stretching our legs, and even the kids were amazed by the beauty around us. The waterfall was breathtaking, the kind of view you see on a postcard, and the sounds of the water falling into the rocks just brings peace to your soul. We trekked down a steep ledge because we just had to put our feet in that water! A kind local hiker advised us that the trail continues several miles to where the creek empties out into the Bluestone River. We followed it for a while, but of course the kids got tired, so we reluctantly turned around. Still, it was a perfect escape and a wonderful glimpse of the beauty of the world around us.

Chilling out at the pool at Brushcreek Falls RV Resort.

While in Princeton, we stayed at Brushcreek Falls RV Resort, a privately owned campground just a few miles from the state park. It was a little slice of heaven tucked away on a hillside right by the interstate. They had a fabulous pool, playground, putt-putt, gem mining, and all sorts of fun stuff for the kids. There was a go-cart track on the property, and we were told that they hold races and events there, although nothing was going on that weekend. After all the traveling and visiting of the prior few days, we adults were pretty exhausted, and this was the perfect place for us to rest and relax while the kids blew off some steam.

We left Princeton and headed home, feeling refreshed. It had been a perfect week, a good mix of spending time with family, adventuring, and relaxing. It’s always nice to get home, but the heat and humidity of eastern North Carolina had me wishing for those mountain breezes. I guess it’s time to plan our next adventure!

What Have We Done?

So, we did a thing. Kind of a crazy thing. Not super crazy, but definitely kind of crazy. We talk about doing crazy things all the time. But they are mostly just pipe dreams, escapes from reality. Then we go back to our normal life and mostly forget about those dreams.

But not this time! Maybe it’s an early mid-life crisis. Maybe the residual effects of quarantine. Whatever the reason, we went for it this time. We bought a giant red cargo trailer and we’re going to turn it into a camper!

We love camping. We started camping several years ago in a tent. That quickly morphed into a pop-up camper, then a travel trailer. We bought our current camper about a year and a half ago, brand new. It is big and beautiful, has a great layout and all the comforts of home.

So why in the world would we want to get rid of our big, beautiful camper? Why would we want to start from scratch with a cargo trailer that has no windows, no plumbing, no bathroom, no kitchen? I told you we did something crazy.

We have a really nice camper with a not-so-nice monthly payment and a lot of debt. We’ve been wanting a toy hauler, an RV with a garage and ramp so we can take our toys- golf cart, bikes, kayaks- with us on our great adventures. But they come with an even steeper price tag, and some of them are not built as well as you would think. Also, we wanted something we could tow with the truck we already have, and many of the RVs we like are just too heavy.

So we decided to start from scratch and make what we want. We paid cash for a cargo trailer that in its previous life was used to haul race cars. It is the perfect size for our family of five, and not too heavy that our truck can’t tow it. It’s basically empty inside, which is both exciting and terrifying. It’s like a blank canvas, just waiting for us to use our creativity and elbow grease to turn it into a masterpiece. Or we just make a giant, expensive mess!

I have faith in us, though. My husband, Adam, is very handy and loves a project. He just got done building his dream barn and is ready to move on to something new. My in-laws are like the handy man dream team and they are always willing to lend a helping hand. The kids and I don’t have much knowledge or experience, but we are excited to do our part.

We plan on filming and blogging this entire project. I’m sure it will have its ups and downs, so follow along with us! It should be an interesting experience, if nothing else!