1 year and $28,000
Today is one year since I bought the truck and I have spent about $28,000. I can't belive how fast the year has gone, I can belive how fast the money goes. I feel good about the project and look forward to working on it every day. When I look back at what I have learned and done to the truck, I feel like I am just about on time and budget. I knew it was a big and expensive job. I spent several years thinking and planning and so far, so good. I knew my shop was small and I could not built anything bigger. The box length ended up being 230.5" (it will be 1" longer with the FRP siding). I am building the lower part of the floor framing and the compartments below. The shop feels like it is shrinking as I add more steel to the truck. After I finish the lower part I will lift it off the truck and move the truck outside and I will gain about 10' of room (length) in the shop. Right now it is about a 70' walk to get from the left tail light to the right tail light and I knew that would be the case. When I remove the lower frame I will finish welding it and then mount the compartment doors (roll up) then remove the doors and paint the finished lower halve. It is hard to get any good pictures in the shop but I will post what I have. I look forward to seeing it outside and taking better pictures. I have had a lot of people tell me that I should buy and not build, and I know if I got a job flipping burgers and spent the same amount of time, I would earn enough money to pay for a nice motor home, but I am a stubborn old guy that would rather weld than flip burgers. I have not for a moment wished I had taken a diffrent rout.
|