The first Sunday of 2021….the official start of the first full week of the New Year. It was also the last day off from an 11-day break from work…so my plans were to be a couch potato and soak up the last bit of freedom. Mr. King Bee {Chris} was not on the same page. He isn’t one to let grass grow under him and this day was no exception. I grumbled at the idea of getting things cleaned up around the yard…breaking down and burning a pile of cardboard boxes we had accumulated from all things Christmas and scooping dog poop was certainly not my vision for the day, but I begrudgingly did so.

Once we completed yard chores, Chris said we should go pick up the trailer. He had already gone to look at it previously and arranged the deal with the owner. Due to holidays, trips, and weather – we had to wait until the time was right to pick it up and bring it to our house. How did the trailer project idea even materialize? A couple of years back, I had the vision of a mobile storefront. Of course, my long term goal is brick and mortar. A mobile storefront seemed like the next, logical step to graduate out of orders picking up from my home but not quite go full bore with brick and mortar. I knew once I had the right tool in place, I could expand my reach and exposure….thus, my business.

The majority of the “search” time, I spent looking for a vintage travel trailer that we could refurbish/repurpose/convert. I was not alone in the hunt for these types of trailers. MANY people were, and still are, restoring these classics. This posed 2 issues: available inventory AND cost. High demand and limited inventory = high cost. Higher costs than I was prepared to put towards this project. At times, it felt discouraging and daunting. As Chris and I brainstormed and discussed options, the horse-trailer conversion idea came about organically. It still took time and hours of research, but in a stroke of good fortune and good timing along with a random Facebook post by me on my little local community Facebook page: A MATCH WAS MADE!!!

And so, after yard chores – we brought her home. I’m excited to share this journey with you all, and I’m thankful for a husband who is not only supportive but is also a Jack Of All Trades.

We drove about a mile across town to go pick the trailer up. We already knew all 4 tires would need airing up and our hope was that they would hold air long enough to make the trek back to our yard. Chris starts airing the tires up and I’m tasked with unloading the contents of the trailer. The owner had advised us that it was used as a welding trailer around their ranch before making its resting place in the back of their property. So, this horse trailer has already gone from moving horses…to moving welding necessities…and soon to be moving sweets!

Contents of the trailer were removed. Tires were aired up – and holding! Time to get ‘er hitched to the truck and see if these old wheels would actually roll! SUCCESS!!! Looking in the rearview on the {slow} drive home was pure joy. The beginning of the culmination for this vision!

Once we got her home and backed in behind the gate to our side yard, we were right to work! First things first: removed the wheels and tires. Once the trailer was up on jack stands, it was time to pressure wash. Dirt, grime, moss, rust, and chips of paint were getting washed away. This took about 3 hours. I did most of the pressure washing while Chris disassembled and removed the interior dividers.

January 5th, our good friend, Tim Rowland, who manages the local Les Schwab stopped by the house to pick up the wheels/tires we removed so that he could take them in to the shop and get them replaced. He dropped them back off today! So, now we can roll a bit more safe. Next step: sandblast, primer and paint.

Buzz along for Operation Transformation: Horse Trailer turned Bee Hive

1. The Start of Something...