"It is well to remember that the entire population of the universe, with one trifling exception, is composed of others." A.Holmes

Tuesday, October 14, 2014

Feather ~Our Little Home On Wheels

This is our little home on wheels, a 16 foot Jay Feather Sport by Jayco. She is small , but I love her. This is our home during the 5 nights spent camping at the Puyallup Fairgrounds while we exhibit my sheep during the Western Washington Fair. So much nicer than the years I would drive to and from the fair every day, at least a 45 minute drive each way. Not a forbidding travel time unless you take into account I leave for the fair before 7:00 a.m. to  get there in time for a very long day and return home around 12:00 a.m. to get ready for the next long day. Now we ( grandchildren & I ) simply walk to the camp-site in the parking lot and climb into our cozy little trailer.
I don't know about you, but I am always curious about the set-up of travel trailers , campers, and R.V.s when I am camping. I resist the temptation to knock on some of the trailer doors and ask if I can see their set-up and how it works for them at the fair especially. I thought you might like to see my teeny home away from home.~ When you walk in the door you step right into the only living area of this small trailer. A table, two sofas, and a mini-kitchen. The sofas convert into a bed when you remove the table and tuck it into the storage slots made especially for it under the top bunk. We have only used it as a bed once , for a granddaughter.
I love the stove, oven, & micro-wave. Yes, I do use them all. I usually roast a chicken and bake muffins, brownies, and cakes when we camp. I cook a lot of side dishes too. I have a full set of pots & pans just for this trailer , plus stainless eating utensils, and all the cooking and serving utensils a person would need in preparing and serving an average meal. I usually serve our meals on regular dinnerware. ( yes, I wash it too  in my nice little sink ! ) There is a refrigerator and freezer in Feather's mini-kitchen and they store a surprising amount of food. Enough for at least a week's worth of meals for our family and I usually have left-overs after our trips to transfer to our home fridge or freezer.
The sleeping quarters are minimal for sure. A double bed that is NOT a double, but still, after we added another really nice foam mattress on top of the mattress that came with the trailer, it is very comfortable. When my husband & I are camping I get the short side of the mattress and I fit there very comfortably. The top bunk sleeps only one, usually a grandchild. During the fair our oldest grandson sleeps here and I share the bottom bunk with a granddaughter. When my husband & I are camping with no grandchildren I use the top bunk for storage and have some very attractive large baskets for that purpose. ( I use the bath tub to store grandkids' back packs & suitcases during the fair. )
The bathroom is VERY small and has a bathtub with shower but no sink. That is a drawback, we use the kitchen sink for brushing our teeth and such, but for me, that is no sacrifice for the privilege of owning this little Feather and all she has allowed us to do.
My bathroom storage. A cloth shoe rack attached to the towel bar gives me plenty of storage that can be left attached through-out the year and even during travel. I keep the sunscreen, insect repellant , anti-biotic wipes, lotions , shampoo, soap...  and any other such items you might need when camping in the pockets.
I do love chickens and have quite a few chicken pillows ,throws, & other items that fit right into Feather as if they were made for her. I couldn't convince my husband we should call her our little "Chicken Coop on Wheels " , so Feather it is. ( Chickens have feathers !!!! )
Because Feather is so tiny I am trying to be creative with her for comfort and storage. My husband is a bit taller than I am and he has long legs. Sitting at the table can be uncomfortable if we have a long spell of cold rain while camping and stay indoors. With this small hassock he can sit back and rest his legs, and when he isn't using it I do. I store my crock pot in the hassock too. ( I use my crock pot often when camping where there is an electrical hook-up.) I love sitting at this table late nights when we're camping, reading while I listen to rain outside.
Our little Feather might be small, but she has a lot going for her. She can be easily towed or backed into campsites, does not require a huge vehicle to tow her, is comfortable, easy to maintain, and we own her outright. I think we have many years to come of happy camping with Feather !

17 comments:

Karen said...

A great house or should I say home on wheels.

FlowerLady Lorraine said...

What a little sweetie! I think it is set up really nicely and has all that you need.

FlowerLady

Unknown said...

Beautiful, love it <3.
Tonka

April D said...

Feather is just adorable. I love your idea about the chicken coop! :)
She looks cozy and comfortable. Thanks for showing us the inside; I'm one of those who always wonders about the layout too!
Have a happy day!
~april

A.K.W. said...

My parents and I just got a new truck camper in Colorado in August 2014.Its a pop-up camper on a flat bed truck (we turned our pick-up truck into a flat bed truck before going to Colorado) then we camped in it in my brother's driveway. My parents and I just recently camped in it while my Dad had a CE course to attend. We had the propane and stove taking out of it since we like to do simple cooking and outdoor cooking over a fire.

We're hoping to go camping again at a local campground soon.

Amy

Debbie said...

Kathy I share your love for homes on wheels. When our kids were small we purchased a wonderful used 19' Shasta to vacation in. We lived in Texas at that time, but we pulled that trailer thru six other states in the matter of a few years. Some of our best vacation memories were made on those trailer trips. I too furnished our little trailer with its own accoutrements; so much easier that loading it evertime we went. We eventually sold that to buy a nice ski/bass boat, but missed our trailer as far as comfort and cleanliness which you don't always find in rental cabins! Our kids are in their 30's now and still talk about our trailer trips. I love yours and the way you've equipped and decorated it. I imagine you're storing up a lot of memories in there. :D

Anonymous said...

That's a cute little home on wheels. So glad you didn't have to go back and forth to the fair!

Anonymous said...

Looks cozy and fun...a great place to make memories with your loved ones.

I miss our camping days. We had used a pop-up for about 10 years, but then about 5 years ago, we sold it. Our kids had become teens, and we had gotten another dog (making 2). The quarters were just too cramped for 2 adults, 2 teens, and 2 dogs. Now, hubby and son tent camp, but I'm hoping to get a travel trailer (like yours) one of these days. Nothing big, just cute and fun, like Feather.

Blessings,
Patti

Deborah Montgomery said...

I loved seeing the inside of your little trailer. My husband and I have talked about getting one, and I really want a small one. Thanks for showing us that it is do-able. You look very organized and cozy there.

Connie said...

Kathy, I loved seeing inside your little home away from home. Everything is so cute and cozy and well organized. You have got it set up very well so that it is both practical and pretty.

Karen @ Beatrice Euphemie said...

Oh, I love your little 'Feather'! It is the perfect size and looks so cozy! I love all your storage ideas, too. So cute with the chicken decor. :) - Karen

Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy said...

Oh, Kathy, it is darling! Thanks so much for sharing it with us. I am like you, that I always want to see the inside of everybody's too.

You are right, your little fort is easy to pull and set up. We love ours and could easily live in it full time, but at 35' and being a 5th wheel, we can't fit into some of our old favorite campsites in real campgrounds.

I love all of the homey touches!

Hope that all is going well, I've been missing you.

Hugs,

Kathy M.

Magali@TheLittleWhiteHouse said...

What a perfect cosy little home on wheels.

Buttons Thoughts said...

Oh I LOVE LOVE your feather it is the perfect size and so cute. I can imagine all the fun that did and will continue to come with it:) Hug B

My Cottage Diary said...

Feather looks like she makes for some very sweet accommodations! And Goth is awesome looking. What a great experience your grandchildren will treasure for the rest of their lives, Kathy. Have a beautiful weekend, Bess

Texastracking said...

Interesting post for me - we just brought home a travel trailer we bought - found a very good condition used 21 ft. Komfort trailer - we'll use it at my husband's family Farm which is really just land with dilapidated old house and maybe take some short trips with it. Amazing how much storage is built into one - I need to get some decorative accents - it is terminally beige!

Thistle Cove Farm said...

Kathy, this is a fabulous home on wheels camper. Love the way you've utilized various storage as well as the fabrics. My little camper is still in the barn; never used and Dave never saw it. We bought it, through my sister, while we were at the beach and I never saw it until the day I went to my sister's in prep for burying Dave the next day. Mine is a 1963 Scotty but I do like that Feather!