Charlie got repaired today

Dad repaired Charlie today. He needed some new sheet metal were the sides meet the floor. He also welded some loose parts back together. Dad and Ryan checked the brakes and they work great. Good news since we weren't even sure we had any. Lots of sanding to do and we can start painting.

Charlie got in a fight

OK, Charlie didn't get in a fight but it sure does look it. He just got back from the sandblaster and got most of the rust removed. Now we have to start sanding on him to get ready for paint. Dad said he has done about a third of the sanding already. I can't wait to get the new paint on.

Hurray!

I got some stuff for Charlie today! I got the trailer pads, trailer ties and hay bags. I can't wait to put them in Charlie. The are going to look great.

Hurray!

Charlie at the Sandblaster

Charlie got dropped off at the sandblaster today. They guy said he would blast it on Thursday. Dad said he has some acid to put on Charlie that will get whatever rust that the sandblast does not. This weekend will probably be a big sanding weekend. I ordered hay bags, horse ties and trailer pads for Charlie. It will be a little while before we can put them in but I want to be ready.

The horse that goes in the trailer

I thought I would post a picture of the horse that goes in the trailer.

The missing floor

I stopped by and took some pictures of the missing floor. The boys wanted to show off their handy work.

The floor is gone

Charlie has no more floor. My Dad and the boys removed it last night while I was at a meeting. Hence I don't have any pictures. I was told that the front boards were full of ants and spiders. The good news is that Dad said the everything looks in better shape than we originally thought. Dad said he was hoping to get it to the sandblaster today. Then it is sanding time.

Interior Paint Color

I have been reading in my horse trailer book. I am so glad I got the book. It has given me some good ideas that I would not have thought of on my own. It turns out that you should paint the inside of a horse trailer 'pink'. I guess a study was done and pink is the most calming color for horses. Who would have thought. I very much doubt that I am going to be able to paint the inside pink. Dane wants to also use the trailer for a cargo trailer if needed. I don't think he would like pulling up with a pink trailer. We will probably go with another light color like white. They also suggest that you paint the outside a light color. If it is dark the horses can get overheated more easily. If we don't paint the whole thing white they suggest at least the roof. Stay tuned to find out what happens with the paint dilemma.

I talked to Dad today and he wants to get the floor out maybe tonight so that we can get the trailer to the sandblaster. After it gets back we have to get busy sanding the whole thing down. If you feel like sanding let me know and I can hook you up.

Got some Books

I got some trailer books at the library! I am excited to start reading them and finding out all about trailers. Maybe we will get to work on Charlie this weekend. Max is ready to start helping he called my Dad and told him he had some pliers and was ready to get to work.

Charlie Moved

Charlie got moved to my Dad's today. Dane worked on the lights he got the left side to work but now the right side doesn't work. We decided we better just redo the electrical. The next step is to remove the floor to get it ready for the sandblaster.

Charlie's Butt Bars

I think I figured out how to do the Butt bars for the trailer. I think it will work out great and still be able to remove the center divider if needed. For anyone who doesn't know, the butt bars are used to hold the horse in until you can load the next horse. It makes it impossible for a horse to back out of a trailer until you release the butt bar. It also makes sure when you open the door the horses just can't back out.

Charlie is Naked

Charlie is naked. Dad came over today to check out Charlie. He thought he looked like a good sturdy trailer. Dad took off all the aluminum trim to get Charlie ready for sandblasting.

Oh No flat tire

Oh No! Charlie has a flat tire. He has two nails in one of the tires. Brad is going to try to plug the holes. The tires are heavy duty but have some weather cracks.

Charlie got a shower

Charlie got a shower. I power washed Charlie down with Duane's power washer. It looks cleaner yet rustier.

Wish list for Charlie

My wish list for Charlie besides the obvious like new paint:

1. Saddle racks

2. Bridle rack

3. Inside switched light

4. Hay bags

5. Grain bags

6. Change 3 horse area to 2 horse

7. Running horse decals or something cool for the sides

Inside Shots

Here are some inside shots. Just remember this is as bad as it is going to get. Oh Yeah, I can't wait to see it when it's done! I guess the dogs think it might be a dog hauler.

The Start of Charlie the Trailer

I bought a two horse trailer yesterday. It is what you call a fixer-upper. Dane and Dakota call it a rust bucket. To quote Dakota, "It's needs some rusteze." I decided to blog on it's progress so everyone can see the progress.