Build Day 1: Frame the subfloor

After a few design changes, we finally got started on the actual construction of the Wandering Turtle! The first hurdle - where to place the water tanks so that they would not be exposed below the axle but still distribute weight evenly. After playing with it, we straddled the axles with the tanks. All that was tricky to figure out since the tanks haven't even been delivered yet. (Should be here tomorrow!) Blake made the first cut and my heart soared. My dream is coming true!

Once we got the framing done, we opted for Tyvek house wrap instead of aluminum flashing. I know it may need repairs in a much shorter time frame than aluminum sheathing would. But...Blake made a good point. Tyvek will make it so much easier to access the plumbing in the subfloor should anything need repairing. Cutting out the aluminum or ... even worse ... tearing out the hardwood flooring to access the subfloor for repairs would be a nightmare. 

What a lovely day for a build! The next build event will be two days. Our goals: 1) install plumbing in the subfloor framing, 2) lay the plywood subfloor, and 3) frame out the walls. Yikes! That means I need to find the rest of my windows PRONTO!

The long, long trailer

The long-awaited phone call arrived! My custom trailer from B&G trailers in DeLand is finished!!

7ft wide, 18ft long ... dual dropped axles (10,500 GVWR) with custom fenders to minimize intrusion into square footage.

I'm so thankful for Austin's help in getting the trailer towed up to Hawthorne (Thanks for letting us borrow the truck Grandpa!). And such a beautiful place for a build! (Sorry, my camera died so no pictures yet...) Blake's workshop is nestled in rural Florida right against the beautiful Poore lake! He didn't tell me we would have such a spectacular backdrop...

I get butterflies thinking that Blake and I will start construction in two days!! Many more pictures to come. And now it is time to re-watch a classic:

Feelin' Rich

Well, I got my tax return AND I got paid. So, feeling rich, I made a few big purchases for the Turtle.

I will be using the Rainwater HOG tanks for potable water storage built into the floorboards.
http://rainwaterhog.com/

I ordered two tanks. I plan to hook up to well water at first and eventually move to rainwater catchment ... where these lovely tanks will be crucial. The sales rep was incredibly friendly with an Aussie accent that made me miss my sister! (Not that she has the accent - but she moved to Melbourne over a year ago!)

The second purchase was a mini-split heat/cool/dehumidify system. I was a bit reluctant to pass on the radiant heat floors. The idea of toasty warm toes. Just makes me smile to think of it. But I'd still need an AC for the dog days of Florida summer. So I decided to splurge on this beauty:
http://www.thermospace.com/ductless_split/ksil009-h119.php





Construction starts in UNDER THREE WEEKS!!!!