Slide-in caravan build part 6

Hi guys! Yes I know, it's been ages since the last post but trust me, you haven't missed much. I seem to say this in pretty much every post but progress is actually very slow. The main things that have happened are that it's been put outside and had doors put on it.

I think the reason for the current lack of progress is mainly my Tafe work. It's getting towards the end of the year and I'm trying to hurry to get everything done.

Here's the main door, it's made out of the frame and aluminium panels of an old fly-screen door with a piece of ply on the inside. Sandwiched between the inner and outer skins is a thin piece of woollen batting for a bit of insulation. 

The door splits so that you can climb in and out while the tailgate is still up. There's also a "cargo hatch" which gives access to under the main bed.

Something I wanted right from the start was a sliding front window. I made this one entirely out of second hand parts and it cost nothing, although it did take rather a long time to make. It's going to have a cover or "flap" over it preventing weather getting to it.

If there's one thing that building this caravan has taught me so far, it's that you can't have everything. I started out with the intention of finishing it within about 6 months, spending less than $100 on it and having a quality piece of work. So I wanted it to be fast, cheap and good. I quickly realised that this goal is unrealistic and it lead me to think about this principal in other projects. I came up with a simple model for making anything or doing any project.

Fast, cheap, good: Pick two.

If you want something to be quick and cheap it will probably be rubbish. If you want something to be good and quick then you'll have to fork out a bit for it. If you want what I've now resigned to; cheap and high quality then it's going to take a while.

I did some research and apparently this is already a thing.  Here's a boring Wikipedia article on project management > https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_management_triangle

Or you could just look at this:

Sadly I have blown the budget, it's been almost a year (with still a long way to go) and it's not quite as good as I'd hoped it would be. Oh well. I'm still carrying on regardless.

You can't have the best of all worlds. 

You can't have your cake and eat it AND expect to get it for free.

Slide-in caravan build part 5

Today marks a major milestone in the build, it's white! Yes I finally finished painting it and I've also practically slathered the thing in silicone sealant so it now lives outside. Which my dad was quite pleased about since it's been in his garage for months!

I feel I should apologise for not posting for so long. I had work and then I was sick and then I had school so I didn't get much done on the caravan but rest assured, normal service shall be resumed.

All the cladding in place.

First bit of primer goes on after cleaning up the surface.

First bit of paint to get an idea of how it will look.

Fully painted and almost ready to go outside.

And here's the obligatory 'being towed' shot.

I put the skylight in and now I'm working on the doors and windows.