Met with the trailer manufacturer again today. I was glad to see that they added more gussets and stitch welds to support the flange that will carry the weight of the outer walls. They still didn't quite get the gussets right, but the outcome is acceptable.
I also asked that the supervisor emphasize attention to detail to his crew as the trailer gets painted. I have seen trailers in the field, including a few from the manufacturer that I'm working with, that have a disappointing amount of rust on them. In some cases, the undersides of the trailers seem to be lacking in paint. My manufacturer does not flip the trailer over to paint the underside.
What if I were to take up residence in my tiny house on the coast? Would the puny finishes I've observed cause the trailer to crumble away in a few years? The supervisor sold me on the addition of a hardener in the paint, an additional cost of about $50. He said that they apply this tougher paint to trailers that he sells to a Canadian client because of more caustic road conditions up north. A lot of energy went into creating my trailer at this point. In my mind, a trailer isn't a throw-away product with an expected lifecycle of only a few years. My hope is that $50 is a small price to pay to keep the trailer in good condition for several decades. Why wouldn't more people choose this slightly more expensive route?
The jury is still out as to whether I would recommend this manufacturer to future tiny house builders.
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ReplyDeleteI think you are doing AWESOME and really looking at all aspects as you go. Remember I built a log cabin when I was less knowledgeable that you - and almost 40 years later it is still standing ! Keep up the good work and I think you have a book here in the making. Really.
ReplyDeleteBarbara, thanks for your words of encouragement! Much appreciated indeed.
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