Welcome, Readers!
My name is Sam and I created this blog, “We Build It Our Way,” because I’m the kind of person that knows what she wants and is determined (stubborn) in her pursuit of it. I blame my mother.
I was raised in a rural part of Rhode Island, in a constantly-under-construction house on 7 acres of woods, with 3 siblings and many, many rescued pets. We heated the house with a wood-burning stove, raised chickens, shoveled our own driveway, and played outside (barefoot, no matter how much our mom yelled) all summer.
My dad is a self-taught DIYer and an artist, who sells his beautiful wooden bowls here: http://www.woodenbowlshop.com/
My mother is a career-long high school science teacher and has dedicated her life to working with teenagers in under-served, inner-city areas.
I pursued a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Studies and then spent 4 seasons working with the US Forest Service as a Biological Sciences Technician (Botany) in California and Idaho. I met my husband, Cole, while working in Idaho and our mutual love of the outdoors, rural life, and sustainable living set us on the path to where we are now.
After 2 years together in beautiful Sandpoint, Idaho (Cole’s home turf), we moved to help my family start a dairy farm in rural southern Virginia.
Southern Virginia was a completely new experience for all of us, and it was certainly a huge change. It was during these 2 years on the farm that my DIY abilities started to form. Living on a farm, having to rebuild everything after 50 years of neglect, was a fantastic opportunity to learn new skills. When everything is already broken and falling down, there isn’t much risk in letting a novice dive in. I also completed my Master’s Degree in Environmental Policy and Management while working part-time at the public library and rebuilding a travel trailer to make it a full-time tiny home.
Currently, we’re living in our 30ft travel trailer in Tillamook, OR, part of the beautiful Pacific Northwest. Coastal Oregon is everything we both dreamed of. Cole is a career Forester and wildland firefighter who is now working with the Oregon Department of Forestry, and I am a Conservation Intern with the Northwest Youth Corps and the US Forest Service working on GIS/Recreation for Tillamook County. I spend my days hiking around gathering recreation data to build a comprehensive trail and recreation map for the entire county.
We live in a 30ft travel trailer, a 1997 Fleetwood Mallard, that I completely demolished and rebuilt while living on the farm in VA. Why? Because we wanted something simpler, to find what was really essential, and to live outdoors as much as possible. We wanted our own home, to live on the coast, and to save money, without compromising on any of those things. Like I said… I can be determined. I found a way to make it happen, and all I had to do was reject the expectations of society and the “normal” way of doing things. I’m so glad I did.
The process of buying, demolishing, and then rebuilding our travel trailer provides the main content in this blog. I wanted to write about it because when I was trying to find plans, advice, and directions for completely rebuilding a trailer, I was disappointed to find that there wasn’t much to go on. Most blogs were either surface improvements, such as paint or decorating, or they were apparently written by somehow who doesn’t like words (a man?). I wanted detailed pictures of step-by-step construction as well as explanations for why they did it! I wanted tutorials on basic construction and advice on how to decide between the million different options.
I also didn’t want to build something that looked like a Pinterest post on “vintage trailers” or “modern trailers.” I wanted to build something that was 100% right for me and my husband and Our lifestyle. I knew what I wanted, and when I didn’t see anyone else out there doing it, I decided to go ahead and make it up myself. I had never done any carpentry, plumbing, electrical work, or even painting before this! I was a complete novice when I started, and I learned everything on the job. I borrowed books on electricity and plumbing from the library. I read a million blogs, How-To articles, and DIY Instructables. I watched YouTube videos. I taught myself everything I needed to know and when I made mistakes, I either lived with them or tried again.
While my handsome husband helped on some of the grunt-work projects (installing insulation, ug), he was working 60 hours a week and was much too busy to be involved in the project. This was truly a Girl Power Project, although I was lucky to have my dad, a very experienced builder, help me when I was really stuck. I knew it would be important to pass on what I learned so that the next girl could make her dreams come true.
If you find yourself in a similar position, and you want to build it your way, then I hope this blog can help, encourage, and inspire you.
2020 in Review
Below I’ve shared a sentimental video of memories from 2020, probably only of value to friends and family. Enjoy!
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