First Year Anniversary (Paper is the traditional gift I believe)…
I wrote the check for my truck on 1/18/09, but I didn’t actually have the pink slip in my hand until 3/6/09. (It’s a long story that you’ve already read.) I didn’t really start work on this project until I got the pink slip, so I think I will call my first year anniversary 3/6/10.
I am now one full year into a 2 1/2 year project. So am I on schedule? Well there’s hope, but I really don’t believe in schedules. Things take as long as they will take and I am working on this as diligently as I want to. I might make my deadline, or it might slip, as these things often do. The truck itself could easily be ready by 6/1/11, but that doesn’t mean I will be. This is more than a Stealth Camper build. It is a move, a change in employment, and sort of a divorce all in one. Any one of those is a big time stresser and I am going to do them all.
Meanwhile, the truck itself. It’s about 60% done. I don’t know how I would measure or prove such a thing, but that is my guess.
The truck is fully roadworthy. That was almost a given when I bought it. The flaky starter motor and its 2 flaky friends are long gone. The leaky fuel line was replaced, and all general maintenance performed.
The outer shell is weather tight. The doors, vents, chimneys, etc. are all in place. Everything outside of the living quarters is complete.
I have a fully functional and tested electrical system, both AC and DC, which implies generator, batteries, inverter, battery charger, and everything else. There are a few outlets and appliances to hook up but that will have to wait until after the walls are closed up.
My propane distribution system has been installed and tested, including all of the appliances, meaning the range, heater, and toilet.
The next item on the agenda is to insulate the walls and ceilings. It shouldn’t be difficult but there are lots of odd shapes to fit the R-Max foam into, and then lots of gaps to fill with the injectable foam.
After that will come the plywood walls, ceiling, and finally the insulated floor. Then it will be time to finish and paint the walls and ceiling, and lay the vinyl flooring. All of that gets me to an empty living space, which is to say about 80% complete.
That just leaves building and finishing cabinets, which in my case is the same as building inner walls, bunk beds, countertops, and essentially all of the inner furnishings except for a couple of chairs.
I don’t know that there will ever be a truly final step, as these things tend to be tweaked and tuned forever, but the last big project to make the truck fully livable is to drop in the appliances, refrigerator, range, toilet and bedding. I already have all the appliances and they should all go in quickly if I have done my prep work correctly.
Finally, I will be able to take the truck to the DMV, or at least pictures of it, and try and get it re-registered as an RV. If the state of California won’t let me then I may try to do it in Texas because my legal residence will be wherever I want it to be.
That just leaves all the really scary stuff, like shutting down my life, getting rid of most all of my stuff, etc. It’s like moving into a tiny little apartment. Did I mention that I really hate moving? It’s ironic that I will be doing nothing but in a year and a half, or two…
To be continued….
|