I do more than repair trailers

I wear many hats and also provide more services than just trailer restoration and repair. I also do a bit of transport and inspection work. I have a very good client that asks me to do both services for him just about every month. Today he sent me to the Eastern Shore. To clarify, we, living West of the Chesapeake Bay, call it all the Eastern Shore. It is also known as DelMarVa for Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia combined. Some call it SlowMarva (a derogatory or compliment depending on your perspective) for it is still rather agrarian and under developed.

DelMarVa is good trailer hunting ground.

Many places have their bridges that they take great pride in. The Brooklyn Bridge, the Golden Gate, the Verrenzano, the list goes on and on. A cool fact is all these major bridges use so many gallons of paint that they actually all have their own colors. In Maryland we have the Chesapeake Bay Bridge and yes, Chesapeake Bay Bridge gray is an actual color. I am always impressed with this bridge and have crossed it hundreds of time. Every single time, The Bridge gives me a wonderful photo.

I was sent to pick up this trailer my client had bought and to transport it back to Baltimore. A 1966 Globetrotter with very nice straight skin. The interior has seen much better times and three windows were gone, but it still towed like a champ. I was also sent to inspect and figure a course of restoration for the other two trailers my client purchased.

This is Chris. Chris is a trailer hunter. He finds em and gets them out of the woods. Chris has been hunting trailers for many years now and has a fairly large collection of trailers in his yard. He was real friendly and knowledgeable about what he had. I had intended to hook on and roll, but instead spent close to three hours talking shop. Now these next few photos are of one that I was to evaluate. This one is going to get more than a few of you VERY excited. I am beyond excited that this trailer is coming into FTW for work.

What has an edge beaded like that? A flat end cap panel does. Flat? Yes, a segment on a thirteen panel trailer is flat when all the rivets are removed.

But wait, a thirteen panel has narrower panels. Confused yet? Look at that sexy eyebrow over the window. That window, that is not a Herh Standard, it is an earlier one...

Oh my, a glass bee hive indicator lens. What year was that used?

And that wonderful patina on a brass plate. Brass? #1447? 1950 Liner. How cool is that?

Oh, my, I made it 2/3rds of the way around without finding anything wrong until that missing window. I know it is a complicated repair, but common Chris, cover that hole with some plastic.

Now those are some wicked cool Herh windows. They sit flush with the frame. On a scale of 1-10 I call this old girl an ELEVEN. The interior is almost perfect too.

These two ladies are my clients trailer. They are spoken for, but the rest of what you are about to see is looking for a new home.

Not that one...

Usually when I go over to the Eastern Shore I go the most direct route to get there. Coming back I take all back roads. I take it slow for this is SlowMarva. I do not take the back roads to avoid the law, I am on the hunt.

and usually, I find something interesting. A 68 Scotty Gaucho anyone? Too far gone and not early enough to be worth the cost of restoration. Pass..

Not sure what this is. The briars are leafing out and their canes are very stiff right now being swollen with water. I just could not get in close enough to identify it. The man who owns this is a hoarder. There was junk all over the place. I spent a good while visiting but anything he had was never going to leave his property.

I got to go over the Francis Scott Key bridge also on my way to the Port. This is another beautiful bridge. Unfortunately, this bridge does not have it's own color. It is just bridge green.

In and out of the Port with no issues today. I was kind of disappointed. I have come to expect huge hassles from the Longshoremen and got nothing but friendly attitude. No requests to search my truck or waiting on Union breaks to come to an end. I was even told to have a nice day as I left through the main gate.