Of course in the life of a farm one thing leading to another is about what is to be expected, and just yesterday we got a little bit of a taste of that. As I have mentioned before, when you buy a bare piece of land there are many positives and negatives. It is a bummer that there are no buildings, fences, or utilities … But, on the other hand it is nice that you can put everything in just how you want it. With that in mind and with our house getting closer to beginning we thought it would be a nice idea to get a cheap camper to use as food prep and bunk house for the kids. The idea being that if we had a nice place for them out there they could take naps while we continued working and then we could also have a fridge and stove/microwave to cook some basic meals.
It was really my wifes idea and I agreed that it was a pretty good idea so camper shopping we went. There are plenty of campers for sale this time of year and the older inexpensive ones seem to be selling just as fast as they are listed no matter what the condition. We found a great one for $600, but it sold within a couple of hours of being listed on Craig’s List, and the same thing happened on a few others. But, then we found the beauty pictured today and we were able to beat the crowd (it is nice to not have a normal 9-5 job) because he had 4 people that wanted to come and look at it.
We checked it over as best as we knew how and in the end decided that a little vacuuming, scrubbing, and replacing the old cushions would fix this old girl right up. Well, once we started tearing into to her one thing just lead to another. Now, I’m making a list of building supplies … plywood, 2×2’s, new flooring, curtains, new fixture for the sink, and a couple plumbing supplies. Of course that is just what I know of now!
In reality, it isn’t that bad, but just not as easy as we thought. With a few more bucks and some elbow grease we should have a nice little 40-year-old camper that can provide a great place for the kids to take a nap or watch a movie. It can also serve as a bunkhouse for those that come to help build and a kitchen as we are working on the farm. Then if we are done with it we can sell it next spring.
I realize it isn’t totally farming related, but with this camper we will be able to spend longer days out on the farm working and it will make our lives just that much easier … if you have (or have had) a 2-year-old and a 4-year-old you know what it is like if they miss too many naps in a row! This is just another step in the process where one thing always leads to another.
That’s exactly the plan my wife and I had when I retired. Live in two campers ( One bedroom, one kitchen) and build our own off grid home. That was before we found this place which had two houses and outbuildings. Like you say funny how things work out. Come to think of it we still have a camper and a trailor at the place. Great for guest overflow..
That was a great idea. Sounds like a party house! 🙂
Been looking for a trailer myself, hope to have one soon.
Of course, this was for Spring trail (moving cattle to the high country). Given fuel prices, I’m seriously considering looking for a wall tent and dispensing with vehicles on the trail entirely. I’d get up there at the same speed, and it would only take me a couple of extra days overall, as I’d have to ride back down.
Hopefully we don’t have to live in this camper, but it will be a great place for the kids to sleep and for people to use as a guest house maybe. Hopefully there won’t be too many parties though!
That Becca — she’s one smart girl!