Build Your Own Adventure

Big Red Update- Insulation and Electrical

It’s been a few weeks since my last update on Big Red. Life has been busy. Adam has been busy at work- we’ve had a small hurricane and a lot of rain, which always means busy times for his job. School is starting, albeit in a much different form than normal, and the usual back to school stress is amplified because of all the changes.

But we’ve still managed to get quite a bit of work done on Big Red. The roof has proven to be a formidable opponent- the flat sheet of aluminum is just not as strong or water tight as we were hoping. Adam first caulked and sealed all the edges of the roof, but to no avail. Water droplets were sprinkled all over the walls after the first heavy rain. When he got back on the roof to check it out, he saw that water was pooling in the middle of the roof. So he reinforced the center with plywood, making it a little more sturdy and also giving it a bit of a slope so that the water could drain off the sides instead of pooling in the center. He then put down heavy duty roofing tape along the entire perimeter, sealing off all the edges. Even after all that, we still found drips of water down the walls in a few spots. So we bought some roof paint, which is supposed to help with cooling along with sealing any cracks that remained. That finally seemed to do the trick, and Big Red has been nice and dry since then.

Once we were sure that there were no more leaks, we started working on insulation. It was hotter than Hades inside that big metal box! We used these foam insulation boards from Home Depot and cut them to size to fit between all the metal supports that make up the skeleton of the trailer. My dad was gracious enough to come help us one day and we knocked that out pretty quickly. It was definitely worth the effort, because you could immediately tell the difference in the temperature inside the trailer. You can actually stand inside it now without melting into a puddle!

The next project was the electrical system, which Adam was super excited about, but I was pretty nervous. I know next to nothing about electricity, and basically it just scares me to death! Adam took some time to explain the basics of electricity to me and how most RV electrical systems work. Most RVs have two electrical systems- a 12 volt system that runs off a battery, and a 30 amp system that runs off shore power. Big Red already had overhead lights that ran off the 12 volt system, but they were too dim to really light up the trailer. So we put these new, brighter lights from Amazon where the old ones were and added a few more. This required drilling holes into the ceiling panels and running wires to the new lights. After only one scary moment of burning up a fuse, I think we actually got everything wired correctly. It was quite an educational experience, and I felt pretty accomplished when we were done!

Here we are installing lights and ceiling panels.

Adam also ran wire and added electrical outlets for the 30 amp system, which will run the refrigerator, television, and other appliances we’ll need. We bought a small fridge on a great back to school sale, and Adam built a stand for it and installed it in the trailer. The little fridge and the nice bright ceiling lights are the first things that really make Big Red seem like something we can actually live in. It’s very exciting!

The current situation : insulation installed, fridge in, lights up!

This huge project that we have undertaken has been a great experience so far. Adam and I have been planning and working together, breaking things down into smaller projects that we can get done in a weekend and feel like we have accomplished something. The kids have been running around, playing and sometimes helping, always providing a distraction from the hard work and a reason to keep pressing forward. They cannot wait to take Big Red camping, and for that matter, neither can I!

Our Camping Journey

We sold our camper this week. It was bittersweet. I am so excited to continue working on Big Red, and I just know it’s going to be amazing when we get done. But it’s going to be a long, hard road to see it to completion, and we are only at the beginning of this journey. Also, the camper was cozy and comfortable, and it was the vessel for many great adventures.

Now another family is going to make their own memories in the camper, and I am so excited for them. They are a young family just starting out on their camping adventures. Hearing their story made me reminisce over our years of camping.

We started out tent camping at Jordan Lake when Paige was just a toddler. The days were so much fun, splashing around in the lake and exploring the campground. But the nights were long and sleepless. Have you ever tried to sleep in a tent in the summer with no air conditioning on a cheap air mattress with a toddler? It’s not fun! I’m a little spoiled, and I told Adam if he wanted to keep camping then I would have to have a bed and air conditioning. So my dear husband sold his beloved fishing boat so we could buy a pop-up camper.

The pop-up camper had two huge glorious beds that folded out and an air conditioner that was cold enough to make your teeth chatter. It was heaven! We started venturing out to new places, and I fell in love with camping. I had never really enjoyed traveling much before, but something about being able to take my family and our little home on wheels and set off anywhere our hearts desired just made my soul happy.

We had caught the camping fever, and it wasn’t long before our hearts desired something bigger and better for our traveling pleasure. We bought a brand new Keystone Springdale travel trailer, and we may as well have won the lottery! The pop-up camper was more like a glorified tent, but the Springdale was like a tiny house. It had all the comforts of home, and we loved it. We traveled more in that camper than anything before or since. Any weekend we could possibly get away, we would hook that thing up and off we’d go.

Our Springdale on the way to Disney World

We traveled so much in it, though, that we began to make a wish list of features we’d love to have in a new camper. As that list grew, we decided to list ours for sale, just to see if there would be any interest. We sold it almost immediately, and quickly picked out a newer camper with all the bells and whistles that checked off most of the items on our wish list. The Grand Design Transcend was in many ways nicer than our house. It had all the finest finishes and the perfect layout for our family. I thought that it would be perfect, and that we would never want anything else. But I was wrong.

The Grand Design Transcend at home base.

I think that we just enjoy changing things up, trying something different. It’s just part of the adventure for us. We also began to realize that camping is less about having the finest things and more about enjoying the journey and making memories together. So here we are, with our biggest adventure yet sitting in our backyard, getting the makeover of a lifetime as we make a whole new kind of memories.

If you have ever thought about giving camping a try, I hope this is encouragement for you to start, at whatever point you are in life. You don’t have to have a big, fancy camper or the latest and greatest things to get started. We had just as much fun and made just as many memories in our first tent as we did in our big, beautiful camper. Start wherever you are with whatever you can afford. You can build your own adventure!

What Does Travel Mean To You?

What does travel mean to you? For some it’s an escape, a chance to get away from the stress and pressures of everyday life. For others it’s an adventure, a chance to try something different or see something new. Others enjoy the social connections of traveling, meeting new people or catching up with friends or family.

For me, it’s a little of all of it; and my reasons for traveling have changed over time. Traveling, and camping specifically, has always been an escape from reality for me. I have a busy job at a school and our family has seemingly unending social obligations on the evenings and weekends. I am by nature a solitary, introverted person, and setting off with the truck and trailer has always been a way for me to escape all these demands and enjoy some quiet time with my husband and children.

For the last ten years, I have had a baby or small child on my hip. This stage of life has been the most challenging and rewarding years of my life thus far, but it is all too quickly drawing to a close. My youngest baby is almost four, and I am not needed in the ways that I have been in the past. I don’t have to stand constant watch over my children, they have a little more independence and free reign now. This has changed our travel style, too. In the past, it took all of our focus and energy just to make sure everyone stayed alive, didn’t jump into the campfire or wander away from our site. Now that everyone is a little older, we can do some adventuring together. We go on bike rides and short hikes, do a lot of swimming and exploring. It’s quite a different experience, but one I am finding that I really enjoy.

The social aspect of traveling is one that I never really cared for. After a stressful week of working and caring for my babies, spending the weekend entertaining friends and family just felt overwhelming to me. But then 2020 arrived in all its glory and sent us all for a tailspin! I hate to even say it, because I know it has caused many people much grief and heartache, but quarantine and staying at home has been good for our family in many ways. We’ve been able to spend more time together and focus on what’s important to us as a family. Our social obligations have become virtually non-existent, and I don’t feel so overwhelmed and stressed by life. Once we were able to start camping again, we found ourselves actually seeking out the company of friends and family, which was a first for us. I’ve been enjoying this time with others in a way I haven’t been able to before.

Traveling and exploring new places is such an important part of our life that I can’t imagine life without it. It brings us together and helps us to grow and learn as a family. It keeps us active and engaged in the world around us. It leaves me with a sense of good in the world, even during these difficult times. What about you? Why do you travel, and how have those reasons changed over time?

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!