Well, we've been quarantined for the past month due to this COVID-19 outbreak, although Kentucky seems to be doing well in comparison to some other states. I've been stuck in the house with the two girls, and we've had to learn the ropes of homeschooling--both elementary school and nursing school.
Although through the chaos, I am particularly thankful for this 'pause' on life because of the extra time I have on my hands. We've caught up on much needed rest, Netflix time, and time outdoors. We've taken hikes, done yoga, cooked new meals, and gone on walks almost every day.
One afternoon while we were walking and exploring on some family land, we came across this old, beaten down camper. It hadn't been used in years, but I saw the potential.
So my new project for COVID-19 quarantine (and probably throughout the summer), is fixing up this old camper, trying out some DIY's. I doubt it will amount to anything spectacular, but it'll give me an opportunity to craft and DIY.
As any other proper Pinterest addict would do, I immediately started my research and figured out what I wanted the end product to be. (Just a hint... it's far away.) The structure quality of the camper is unknown, and most likely very poor. Even cosmetically, it had a long ways to go.
The camper belongs to a family friend (or family? Grant's genealogy is extensive) and I was given permission to try out my DIY's on it.
Day 1:
The first task of this flip is figuring out what is even in the camper. We walked a few laps through it, but it was pretty gross. So we kept the time short.
There's two entry doors, a double bed that lifts up into a kitchen table and chairs, loft storage, cabinet and closet storage, living room sofa that converts into a bed, full kitchen, and bathroom.
Visible areas of the ceiling were falling through, and you can see through to the outside from large cracks/separation on one wall. It smelled musty and old, however didn't smell of mold. So that's a plus. (We don't find very many other plus's).
The plan at this point is to keep the cabinets and bench. Everything else will be repaired or gutted.
Day 2:
The second day of work was very beneficial, as we kinda figured out what's going on. I took the girls with me, and we cleaned the camper out.
I took out the old mattress and cushions and threw out the trash. But as we started moving things around, I realized how much dirt was everywhere.
Except it wasn't dirt. It was mouse poop, everywhere. In the cabinets, drawers, closet, beds, couches, walls, even in the oven. Mouse poop. Everywhere.
When I opened the oven door, I found a mouse nest and explained what it was to the girls. I doubted anything lived in it (Don't they make new ones pretty frequently?). I was too scared to just grab the nest with my gloved hands, so I moved it over with the broom. AND OUT CAME A MOUSE!
I screamed at first, but then started to watch the little mouse. He was actually really cute. It's sad that he has to die.
That was the only live mouse we actually saw, but I know from the amount of poop in the camper that they are everywhere.
Halfway through the clean out, I contemplated whether it would be easier to just burn the camper down. Silly me.
Once we got the camper cleaned out, it was so much easier to see what we were working with.
Although now that everything was moved out of the way, it was evident that everything is going to have to go. The walls fall upon touch and the ceiling doesn't seem far from it. Something has eaten through one of the kitchen walls, and the wooden framework is loose and falling apart.
Even though all we did today was clean and sweep, we've gotten a ton accomplished and it looks way better. We can see what we are working with.
I knew this project would be a lot of work, and most likely wouldn't even turn out to anything. But after day 2, I realized this is going to be a much bigger project than a DIY. We will be completely rebuilding.
Upcoming To Do List:
~ Day 3: Demo Day
~ Remove all walls. Remove 2 benches, 1 couch/bench. Remove all cabinets.
~ Possibly save any cabinets or wood that can be repurposed. Most likely, minimal.
~ All electric, gotta go.
~ Figure out the siding. Possibly remove.
~ Check roof.
The plan as of now, is to keep the structure of the camper the same. Keep the layout the same. I plan to get down to the bare bones of the camper and see from there. Hopefully we can see the skeleton and repair the basics.
As for now, I'm back to nursing school. Stay tuned for COVID Camper updates!
Stay safe and wash your hands!
Much love,
M