Projects Completed

When we arrived in Virginia almost 6 weeks ago, Nicolas had settled nicely into his new home, and he had a list of projects for us to help him with.

Wash and Wax the Camper with our DA polisher – Tom and Nick got started on that our first weekend there, and Tom finished up while Nicolas was at work.

Install a water filter inline with his city water hookup (and winter-proof it) – Tom ordered the filter housing online  (along with tire covers, shorter water hoses, and a couple tubes of Dicor sealant for his roof) and picked up the fittings at Lowe’s, and routed it into the trailer where it would be enclosed in the winter.  He also replaced his regular hose with a heated one for the winter.

Winter-proof his sewer line – During our walks around the campground, we noticed that many of the year-round residents used solid PVC in place of flexible RV sewer hoses.  We thought that was a good idea, and would preserve Nick’s Rhino hoses for when he goes camping.  It took a few tries, and several trips to Ace Hardware and Lowe’s. but Tom finally came up with the fittings that would work together, and he and Nicolas installed the new plumbing on one of Nick’s days off.  They also kept it inboard, so that the majority of the pipe would be enclosed under the trailer.

Meanwhile, on the inside . . .

Window Treatments -- the people who had the camper previously had hung some curtains that really didn’t make any sense – they were too short to be curtains,and too long to be valences. 

Nick didn’t like them, and neither did I, so he asked me to make something different.  I turned to Pinterest for inspiration, and decided to make valences out of foam.  It sounded good, but was a little tricky in the execution!  We did it, though, and they look pretty good (just don’t touch them too much!)

I like them, and so does Nick.  He wants to replace that uncomfortable couch, but he’s still looking for something else that will fit there.

I also added a few Mom touches while I was there!

I made little runners for each of his nightstands, that match his Mustang quilt.

I hung a few memories from his 2-1/2 years in Charleston.

Sand dollars and starfish from Folly Beach,

and graduation pictures from the first two phases of Nuke School.

I also made him a wool mat for his table – it looks just like his camper and truck, even with Casey in the truck window --

and a welcome sign for his wall.

 

Skirting the camper for the winter – Our last big project was the skirting.  The campground owner didn’t want it up too soon, but we wanted it done before we left.  We spent quite a bit of time designing and planning, and scoping out materials, so that by the time our last weekend came around, we were ready to go.  One of Nick’s neighbors helped us out, and the four of us spent one full Saturday working on it.  I think it turned out really well.

Nicolas didn’t think he would need a big propane tank, but after talking to some of his neighbors, we convinced him that he should get one.  The 100 gallon tank will probably last the full winter, and he won’t have to worry about running out in the middle of the night or coming home after a duty day to an empty cylinder.  He got an excellent deal on it – they typically charge $90 to deliver it, and another $90 to take it away when you’re done with it, but they waive both of those fees for active military.  So, all he pays for is the gas he uses, and at $2.34/gallon, it was a pretty good price.

New car, too – Nicolas was getting a little tired of having to fill up his truck with gas every week, and was constantly worried about it when he was parked in the parking lot at the shipyard (I seem to remember mentioning both of those concerns when he was shopping for the truck!), so he decided to buy a commuter car that he could use for going to/from work and leave his truck for the weekends.  We actually found one really quickly – it was listed on facebook, and turned out to be another sailor on his same ship – what a small world!  He had to put new tires on it, and fix a few other things, but it’s going to be a good little car for him.

With all of that complete, we had Nicolas pretty well set up for the winter.  He’s got a good little camper, and it will serve him well. I know he enjoys having his own place – one that he owns and is responsible for!

We also got to know the campground staff and several of Nicolas’ neighbors pretty well.  They are all really good people, and we feel comfortable that they will look out for him and help him out when he needs it.

It was a very productive stay!

As we prepared to leave after Thanksgiving, Nicolas was thinking about how he was going to decorate for Christmas.  I added a few more festive touches before we left,

 

and this weekend he’s on the hunt for a Christmas tree! 

He’s my Christmas boy – appropriately named!