Maude Update : Roller Coaster Ride!

Welcome back! This is part two of what happened with our progress on Maude over our winter break! :)

After we got the shell lifted off, we were super excited about the progress we'd made!  This was the biggest barrier to getting her done in terms of scariness ;)  So we were super excited to get the rotten subfloor ripped up so we could continue moving forward with getting her frame sandblasted, repaired and painted!

Some sections were more difficult than others. Areas around the front and back curves were pretty rotten, so popped right off! Sections in the middle that had been a bit more protected from the water damage were MUCH more difficult. What didn't help is that we were fighting the "jungle gym" support structure - it was difficult to get the pry bar in the proper position, let alone get much leverage, because we kept hitting the end of the bar on the structure! But we persevered! Have I mentioned how stubborn we both are? ;)

Unfortunately, as we were working along, we started seeing just what sort of shape her frame was in.  And even though we have little experience, we could see that it was NOT good. TONS of rust!  And not just rust, but rusted out completely in multiple spots on every single piece of metal. Dang it!

So I started calling around to different businesses trying to find someone who could help us.  At one point, we were told that "He'd seen very few frames that were beyond salvaging, send over some pictures and we'll take a look!"  We were excited that maybe it wasn't as bad as we thought! Woohoo!

Then we were told, "Nope, can't repair that, it's too far gone!" Hopes dashed again! ;)

The good news is that we knew she was going to be a huge project and that a ruined frame was a possibility - we were just hopeful that it wouldn't be our reality.

Turns out Maude is a roller coaster, not a trailer ;)

The great new is that we've found someone who can build a new frame for us! The bad news is that they're backed up until June. So we're still on the lookout for someone who can get it done sooner, but at least we've got someone who can eventually!

In the meantime, we adopted this lovely lady to help us heal our emotional wounds ;)

Meet Ann Purrkins! She's a great conversationalist and snuggler and we couldn't have asked for a better fit for our family :)

Thanks again for following along on the roller coaster ride that is renovating Maude the Trailer!
<3 Becca