Today I told my husband that I had been thinking back to that day last May when I had him pull the “72” Frolic Camper, now known as the Pink Paradise, out of the weeds. You remember that day – right? It was the day that I seriously questioned my sanity. He admits he clearly remembers.
I suppose that what I never confessed to anyone was the pang of guilt that washed over me as I looked at this poor neglected camper and thought (for a minute, or thirty plus) about abandoning it.
The thing is, I couldn’t stop thinking about this little camper’s past. I was certain it had once seen it’s share of fun and adventures. I was also certain it provided a lot of good times and lasting memories to it’s former owner’s. And here I was selling it short, just because it was filthy, rodent infested, and in need of some serious repairs. Guilt is a powerful thing!
From that point forward it was full steam ahead, but don’t get me wrong, it hasn’t been easy. There have definitely been many more hours and dollars spent on the Paradise than what I had originally planned. And there were days that we had to think, and rethink our remodeling options. Now that the inside of the Frolic is nearly finished we are beginning to think ahead to what needs to be done to the outside. I’ve ordered new tires for her (I’ve decided she is a she) but she still needs new fenders, an awning, and a shiny new paint job. More work, yes. More money, yes. Lingering guilt, no. Still questioning my sanity, umm – yes.
The bathroom has proven to be the most time consuming part of the entire project. It needed to be completely torn out out due to rodent and water damage. This meant it needed new studs, insulation, wall and ceiling coverings, a counter and sink base, plumbing (drains, water lines, and faucets) and electric.
I haven’t posted much about the bathroom remodel because progress was slow and tedious. Now, that it’s finally starting to look like a bathroom I thought I’d let you have a peek.
The two pictures above are of the bathroom BEFORE we tore everything out.
The wall and ceiling were soft and spongy. After we removed the paper (above) you can see why.
Here is a picture of the bathroom being (carefully) torn apart so we could reuse the original shower insert, toilet, and stainless steel sink.
This is the shower insert and the holding tank that sat under the toilet that we had to remove to work in there.
Above is a picture of the bathroom floor and walls after the tank and shower insert were taken out.
This picture above shows the new insulation we installed.
We installed Luan plywood on the exterior wall. We will be finishing it off with tongue and groove cedar. The cedar was hubby’s idea. I was sold on it because It will withstand moisture and it looks nice.
The insulation in the ceiling was installed after each cedar board was secured.
Hubby made a new counter using the old one as a template. I landed a remnant of white Formica at Lowes for dirt cheap. There is white (washable) wall board below the counter and behind the toilet. Here the sink and the holding tank have been reinstalled.
I opted for wainscoting (that I painted pink) on the inside wall of the bathroom.
I applied Danish oil to the cedar to provide a water resistant finish. The light fixture was a reuse from our house and it saved us from having to buy one.
Yes, we have water!
The original toilet has been reinstalled. And yes, it works! Notice the nice and neat plumbing job hubby did?
The old shower floor insert was in need of repair just as you walk into the bathroom. Hubby fixed it with fiberglass and Bondo – it looks great now. I spray painted the insert with a sand paint by Rust-Oleum. This covers the old discolored floor and also provides an anti-slip surface. I will put one final coat on the floor once we are completely done installing the cedar, the base cabinet for the sink, the shower faucet, curtain rod, and trim work.
And there you have it, a glimpse at the Pink Paradise’s (almost finished) bathroom.
Stay tuned because I will be sharing more updates as we progress.
THE JOY OF CAKING 