Tuesday, July 9, 2013

Edgar the Itty Bitty Baby June Bug Gem 1964 travel trailer


Edgar the Itty Bitty Baby June Bug Gem 1964 travel trailer



Whew! That's a mouthfull of a title, but hey that's me! This is my story. This blog is dedicated to you, the reader who might not know it yet, but the one who is about to give me a new home and build new memories with me. You are going to be king or queen of the road when we hook up and go! It's also dedicated to everyone else who takes the time to follow along on this wonderful journey I find myself on. It's a love story, so I hope you don't mind some sappy sweetness because you are about to get it!

I am a little gem travel trailer. The last time I was on the road was in 2004. A man rescued me from his brothers house and drove me home in June. Then he called this chick named 99. He left her a message telling her about me and if she wanted me that she should call him back because he was about to put me on craigslist and maybe ebay. Well, 99 called, asked all the pertinent questions like if my floor was solid, did I leak, was my frame okay.... I had a roof vent leak but everything else seemed to be okay, he said. I'll take it 99 said! Sight unseen. The girls got guts. So, 99 called her driver Doug, rode out to his house with a friend who was kind enough to put aside his important business for an hour or so and delivered to Doug money and my address. In turn, he would deliver me. The next day he came and picked me up and brought me to her driveway. Been here ever since.

Before I go on let me tell you a little bit about 99. I could say she is just a girl who is a glutten for punishment with her love of travel trailers, but that's not true. There is a lot more to her. She is a little different. People say she is cute and has a great smile and a big heart. She does. They also say she needs to learn to open her heart, stop being so fiercly independent, accept some help when it is there, but never change that which makes her, her. Some even think she is just a bit on the weird side! With that I agree. Just a tad eccentric is all. She lives in a house in a small town and works on old trailers. Brings them back from certain demise and mends their broken hearts. Makes them beautiful and desirable again. She has her faults, but she is a good egg. And that is what she thinks of me! I mean look at me....not quite the picture of perfection....but a good egg nonetheless.



Wasn't quite sure we were going to get along when she first saw me though. I thought she was going to rip me apart and send me to the boneyard for old cars and trailers. Everyone else had abandoned me. Like I said, I hadn't been down the road since 2004. Not good enough, I guess. But this time is different. I can feel it. This is going to be my big break. This time I will rise from the ashes and once again be the little gem that I was meant to be the day I was born back in 1964. I found someone who could see through all my faults, and believe me there are a ton of them! This girl, 99, was going to make up for the years I spent alone and miserable. She would never give up on me no matter what and she would never abandon me. She made it clear from the beginning that our time together would be short. She would repair me and then send me on to find a new person, the one who could give me all the love I truly deserved. She told me she would love me to pieces while we were together, and boy she wasn't kidding!




The initial inspection was quite revealing. 99 thought I didn't look too bad. Hard to believe with my layers of paint, saggy ceiling, ugly paneling and hole in the roof. It seems that when people look closer is when they find things that either makes them love someone more or decide it's just not meant to be. That's when it happened. 99 had taken out my murphy bed and found my floor was rotted in the back curbside corner. She looked at the other corner. Same thing. Then she looked at the front corners. I held my breath. This could go either way. It was a make or break moment. Turned out to be both....but in a good way!

Have no fear, there is going to be a happy ending here. But let me not get ahead of myself!
Back to my transformation!

99 put on her wonder woman cape and started to take me down. She removed my innards. They all had to be rebuilt. She took down my walls. She was lucky to have a couple of loyal friends show up and lend her a hand to take off my roof and the next thing I knew, I was just a frame and a floor with all the parts of me scattered across her driveway and itty bitty yard like a bomb went off. Yeah, a bomb did go off. Cause 99's the bomb. I love her!!!





















On one of the days of my destruction, 99's loyal friend Gary showed up to see what she had in her driveway this time. It's a little gem she said with more than a hint of sarcasm and they both chuckled. I can do it she said, referring to my rebuild. I know you can, he said. I have confidence in you. I guess he wasn't the only to say that. Apparently, even though 99 is a bit of a loner in life and doesn't give her heart away easily, she has a lot of good friends who believe in her. We are kind of the same in that respect, only right now I only have one true friend. Hoping for lots more fans and that one special person to love me! 99's other nickname is Lucy because she is always finding herself in an "I Love Lucy" kind of situation. Her best friend seems to be Murphy, because his law seems to rule. Thank the lord for me, this girl doesn't give up or I'd be toast! (Which isn't a bad thing, check out Toaster's blog! http://adventuresoftoaster.blogspot.com 99's in love with him too!). She has friends she has never met who give her the umphf to go on. Friends from near and far like Florida, Texas, Ohio and Michigan. Friends who donate to the cause because they believe it's a worthy one. Friends who send her encouraging letters and surprise packages like much needed tools because she is a bit hard on her old ones,  friends who stop in, even if just for a few minutes to check out my progress, friends who take her out to eat because sometimes she forgets and sometimes a quick peanut butter and jelly sandwich or butter noodles just doesn't cut it.  There's one who shows up with dinner and a few beers here and there. One who helps fix things and lends some tools from time to time. A friend who makes her laugh when she calls up crying in one of those I can't take it anymore moments. One who shares crabby sessions over the phone because life is so dang hard. One who really has no idea what this is all about but believed in her anyway....sort of in a sight unseen kind of way. And now she has me. We spend a lot of time alone, the two of us. That's okay. Because for now....she is my bestest friend.

So, are you getting the picture on where this is all going? Yep, we are in love! A match made in heaven, that's us. Well, at least for now.

So, 99 got to work tearing me down. Boy did she bring me down! All the way to here and then some...



This brings us to the present time. Been a long stretch of long days into the night. 99 gets up, gives me some loving care and then does it again the next day, and the next and the next. I think we are coming down the home stretch now! I have two walls ready to be erected. The frames were built over this past weekend. Gary helped to force warp the wood for my curves using blocks of wood screwed to a piece of plywood and clamps. These were left overnight. The next day, Gary came back for more punishment. Sure, he could have been out riding, off on a weekend trip or any number of things. Guess he knows how bad 99 wants this to work and so he gave up a weekend to lend a hand and some expertise. If you ever get lucky enough to have awesome friends, hold on tightly. They are getting as hard to find as vintage travel trailers! People give up too easily when the going gets tough it seems. Like they did on me. Not 99's peeps. She finally learned how to pick them! Let me warn you, though....if you get lucky enough to be 99's friend.....it ain't easy. She's a piece of work! Maybe someone should restore her. Nah, she's perfect just the way she is. Scatterbrained, goofy, high expectations, passionate and demanding. Works out of her driveway rain or shine. Sometimes she is a dirty girl and I mean that literally, but for now....she's all mine!  She says I am the one that will change everything. She has restored, rebuilt, repaired a slew of trailers, but I am special. Jeepers, all anyone wants is to feel special, right? Well, I am feeling it baby!! That's why I love her!!

So, today is another day. At the end of it I will be one step closer to being a trailer again. 99 and I aren't exactly sure how that will happen, but we are keeping the faith and we always believe something wonderful is about to happen. When she quits for the night before she leaves me alone, she always tells me not to worry too much about what's going to happen in my future, that I have a bunch of wonderful tomorrows to look forward to. She reminds me there is a person out there for me who will love me to pieces....only different than taking me down to pieces. Never give up on yourself, she says. No matter how broken down you are. There is always a light at the end of the tunnel and it doesn't mean it is a train coming straight at you. She tells me to hold on, keep on believing, and NEVER, EVER, give up on your dreams. ( I am thinking a few people have given her this speech before.) Then she looks around, points out the bright spots of the day, turns off the garage light and says...Goodnight, Edgar my little itty bitty baby june bug gem. It's hard sometimes, but I love you. Always will. No matter what.....

I am going to close here. Don't worry. I will be back to tell you more with tons of pictures and details about the work being done. I just wanted to introduce me and my new friend to all of you. 99 and I need to get to work now. Today she is going to grind my tongue down to a smooth finish and then paint it. Don't tell anyone, but the grinder is one power tool she is afraid of. Especially that wire brush attachment. Sometimes, the wires shoot off and stick you like you just crossed paths with the porcupine from H.E. double hockey sticks. Then there's the metal to metal sparks that go flying like it's the fourth of July. So, she might find an excuse to do something else and hope some unsuspecting victim will drop out of the sky into her driveway and offer to do the grinding for her. Probably not going to happen, but one can always hope. Either way, I am looking forward to the grinding. Gonna feel like a massage to me!

See you soon, especially you, reader. The one who is going to give me a home someday very soon. I know you are out there and I can't wait to meet you! Get ready to fall in love at first sight cause I am going to sweep you right off your feet! Ahhhhh.....the power of love. 99 still believes in it...and now, so do I!

Tune in next time for lots of progress pictures and details on each phase!

XOXO,
Edgar the Itty Bitty Baby June Bug Gem


P.S. Please leave me a comment! I would really like that!








6 comments:

  1. Edgar, you are one very talented writer, and I can tell that you are going to be one very handsome little trailer. I've seen 99's work in the past, and she does incredible things with trailers that others wouldn't even look twice at. You are lucky to have been found by such a loving, caring, and knowledgeable person. I envy the time she spends with you, because she is such a positive person to be around. I have a human in my life that loves me, and I know what that feels like. There's always hope, even when you think you just can't go on anymore. I will look forward to your future stories and pictures. It's been an amazing journey so far. Thank you for mentioning my blog. I REALLY appreciate it.

    All The Best,
    Toaster
    St. Augustine, FL.

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  2. FANTASTIC work ,,,omgosh its beautiful ,,,cant wait to get mine done ,,,,

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  3. Just saw the finished trailer on eBay and it is BEAUTIFUL! I'm building my own teardrop from the ground up (www.myteardropbuild.com) or I'd be bidding on yours...

    The Murphy bed is especially interesting and I'd love to see more detailed photos. Unsure if it would work for my design, though I'd like to consider it.

    Wonderful work--congratulations!

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  4. Incredible, saw it on on of the fb vintage sites and on ebay. Would buy if I wasn't redoing 2 Shastas myself.

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