I've spent the last couple of days working on little miss Aloha...

I removed the cushions in preparation for sanding the wood paneling inside.  I removed the drawers, cupboard doors and closet doors and started sanding the wood.  The old flaky varnish came off in big flakes... I had piles of it everywhere.

  I removed the cupboards hardware as it looks like it was also varithaned along with the wood.  I sanded the drawers & doors as well.   Some of the varithane did not want to come off that easily so I picked up some paint/varnish stripper to use on the wood that has tough varithane still stuck to it.

  I removed the curtain harware as well... and any little stray nails, hooks or tacks that will impead my sanding. 

   I have 5 wooden shelf units that are also screwed to the walls... on is going to be my library :).   I don't think I will remove them... I'll just finish the wood of them along with the wood around them.

 I am planning on removing the varnish on the hardware and restore them to their black finish. 

Here are some more inside pics...

This is some wood below the dinette table/window.  I need to do some repair on it... I'm planning on painting this section of the trailer.  But I will need to figure out how to prep it first.
   I found out that the left back light does not work... I replaced the bulb, but it still doesn't work.  I'm going to have to check the wiring I suppose.
   Went to Spokane and found some mirror extensions, some caulking and door foam weatherstripping. 

2nd week...
   I hitched up the trailer to the  Blazer all by myself on Monday, took me 20 minutes, which isn't bad since I had no help.  I decided I need to learn/figure out how to hitch up solo since I will probably being doing alot of that in the future, might as well get going.  
  First time towing... I towed it to my work (6miles away) to get the dry weight... 2,020 lbs.  I also took the opportunity to show it off to fellow workers who appreciate Vintage Travel Trailers.  I have a co-worker who also has one, a 1959 Shasta he is refinishing.  They all ooh'd and aw'd over her.
  I then drove her back to my home town and to the Tire Factory to check the tires and bearings.  She had to stay the night at the tire factory because they had only one seal and would get the second one the next morning.
  I picked her up on Tuesday morning.  $300sum later, New Bearings packed, New seals, New spare tire and wheel.  I feel much better in towing.   She is an easy tow, my only concern is that I can't see around her when I pull, so I am needing to get mirror extensions. 

   I towed her to a friends house and we pressure washed her to get rid of some of the house paint off the outsides.  Tiny flakes of white paint flew off her.  The scratched paint is now smoother, but not completely removed.  It will need a few more pressure wash sessions.   I also towed her to the local carwash and used their pressure hose on the front end and removed a LOT of the housepaint off the pink.  She is now more Salmon Pink than whitewashed pink.
:) Suzy

This is the little plaque next to the door.  You can also see how someone sratched the housepaint...it's like that all over the shell of the trailer..

  I wanted an Aloha, because I read that it was made here in the Pacific Northwest, Aloha, Oregon which moved to Beaverton, Oregon and it was made for Pacific Northwest weather in mind.  Mine has some evidence of water leakage, and I'm told it was due to it being in Idaho sitting with several inches of snow on it's roof.   It has since been sealed and should be dry.

  I looked at my electrical reciever on my tow vehicle and things don't look right.  It should have a male connection that hooks into the female adapter for the trailer.  But it looks like it has been "Bobbetized"...   :).   I'm missing parts.  I will have to check with an RV store tomorrow.  I had plans to take the trailer to the tire factory tomorrow and have the tires & underside checked.   It will have to wait now.  Gotta go shopping.

My stove/oven is a Princess.  I haven't checked the gas yet.  I've had a busy weekend with company.  I've got the week off and digging into the Aloha is heavy on my agenda.  The stove needs cleaning as all ovens do.

 
The Icebox.....


:) Suzy

  Day 1: 5-12-12

   I pulled up the brown carpet and found great linoleum.   It is gray with gold flex and pink/turquoise/gray/green & white 50's starbursts.   Very Retro.

Removed the drawers & benches, hooked her up to electric and tested the electric lights and vacuumed up all the little mice turds, dead bugs and dirt under the dinette benches.

Day 2: 5-13-12 

   First Mopping... mopped the storage spaces uner the dinette benches, the cupboards and crawlspaces.   Whiped down louvered window sills.

Here are some more pics...

Removed the dixie cup holder, toothbrush holder and tupperware spice rack.

My dinette benches.  Vinyl in excellent shape, framework with springs and stuffed in cotton and excellsior.  It even has the maker's tag still attached. 

The back goucho bed bench... upholstery in excellent shape... no tears, rips or holes.  Buttons are metal green.  It's very soft... I think it will be a very comfy bed to sleep on.

The whitewash house paint over the original pink & turquoise paint.  The upper part of the trailer shows alluminum under the whitewash.

Pink counter top and table top formica, the hubcaps, a couple of tow lights, a couple of shelf supports and an unknown tube of miscellaneous bits and pieces with a cap that has EverReady on it.  I'm thinking it may be a fire starting kit.  Tin Kleenex box mounted on the wall.

All For Now.

:)   Suzy Q

This Past Weekend, I bought my first Vintage Travel Trailer.... Whoo Hoo.
   I've been looking for one for quite some time.... I have ALWAYS love the old Airstreams and was glued to the Travel channel whenever they showed the Tin Can Tourists shows.
  My chance to buy a Vintage Trailer came on Wednesday, May 9th, 2012.  I have been surfing Craigslist... (5 different locals), for over a year now.  I Facebook TCT as well.   One member of TCT posted that there was a 1959 Aloha for sale just 60 miles from me.  After checking out the post I called and made an apointment to see it.  I gave it a good thorough inspection, the seller answered my questions and best of all... he was willing to deliver it to my house.  I bought It.  She arrived bright and early Saturday morning.

  So meet my little 1959 Aloha, 15 footer.  She is small but very sweet and I have all kinds of plans for her.  She has a coating of white wash paint over her original aluminum/pink with turquoise-pink stripe paint.  She is solid and sound, very little work will need to be done to make her glampable.   She has water stains - evidence of leakage at one time, which is acceptable.  The seller said he resealed her 2 years ago.  Her wood has been re-varnished and it is dry and peeling and will need to be sanded/stripped and refinished.  Minor.  Here woodword has rounded edges... very mid-century.
   Her goucho bed is in great shape... the cushion is whole, undamaged and not faded.  Very comfortable too.  The dinette benches are also in great shape, they are vinyl over spring, excellcior & cotton and still have the tag on the back.   6 louvered windows, 1 in the door and 1 above the sink... perfect shape and in working order.  A large solid one piece front and back window with a front window shade that works. 
  I checked the underside and found dirt and surface rust.  I took pictures of it for record.  Suspension looks good too, but I plan to have my Tire Factory check out the tires, bearings and underside.  I don't have a spare tire (as far as I know), so I'm thinking I need a new one.  I have "moons" hubcaps that were inside in a cupboard.
   This blogsite will be centered on Little Miss Aloha and her revamp/facelift and our adventures together.
:) Suzy Q
Member of "Sisters on the Fly" - a "Mary Jane Farm" Sister and a member of Tin Can Tourist.