Winter Projects: Funny Ending

 

A little insight for those not in the know: I drive an S10 with jump seats.  I keep a five gallon bucket behind the driver's seat, where one of the jump seats folds up, to keep my oils and transmission fluid and such from rolling around all over the place.  

It fell over at some point during the very cold weather and I decided today to pick all that up.  

The books, doll, and Christmas tree sign were all today's Goodwill finds.  

Do you see that thing by the dolls feet? On Bob Ross's face?

It's the toilet I just bought a Sour Flush toilet to replace!  

The ding-dang thing was in my truck this entire time!  

ROTFLMAO

Winter Projects: Part Six

 

Sour Flush candy in a lid bowl, waiting for The Boy to come eat it.

I went with green (sour apple) even thought it doesn't match the bathroom.  Because that's the only flavor they had and I ain't running all over the place looking for blue or pink.

My Zoe/Chelsea hybrids are a bit tall for the Chelsea bed but it's doable.  Bigger kids and adults can fight over the rear seat and roof top.  The tots have a cot!

 Bright green toilet.  I'll be pretending there's retractable walls or privacy screen.

And off Camper Van goes into the parking lot! 

Goodwill today had a plane.  It was nearly the size of the Star Traveler and only sat four dolls, so I passed on it.  My dolls have a helicopter if they need to fly.

Winter Projects: Part Five

 

Peanut butter got the sticker residue off when the rubbing alcohol failed.  During the process (which smelled a lot better) I realized those roof beds are meant to be a pop up tent.  Still leaves Chelsea in danger of falling to her doom, so I removed the little bed.

For play purposes, imaginary tent walls are fine, and I can rig something temporary if I need for a photo story.  Jeremiah and Polly demonstrate the cozy tent. They forgot bedding!

I found a looking-up-at-trees picture in my crafting supplies.  Much better that the black-and-white roses, since it's outdoorsy.  Dumb entertainment center.  Those little windows on either side of the bathroom indentation make me giggle.

The only sticker I replaced was the rear license plate.  It doesn't match the front one, but in both Ohio and Barbieville, it doesn't have to. 

The back seat holds at least two comfortably, including the car seat (formerly a Ferris wheel seat in Chelsea's Carnival Playset.) Luna could squish in the middle if she was so inclined.

Luna demonstrates the other silly window.

Off we go to the toilet store!  As soon as Jeanie installs that, the camper van will be done!

Winter Projects: Part Four

 You didn't think there would be a part four, did you?  I sure didn't! 

I was beginning to wonder if the snow and cold would ever pass.

At least my neighbors had some fun with it.  

But Goodwill came through for me again.  This is a Barbie 3 in 1 Dream Camper.  

Normally, I turn my nose up at the newer Barbie campers because... yeah, lets go camping and fold down all the walls and stick the kindergartener up in the sky.  But I figure this one was like five bucks and it can just be a van if I want.

Like this.  That's meant to be Chelsea's bed.  Someone else is meant to sleep below it, on the roof, presumably to catch the poor kid when she rolls over.

 The headlight and tail light stickers were reasonably intact.  A few drops of Krazy Glue fixed the curled corners on one of them and one of the rear view mirrors.  The rest of the stickers needed to go.

It did come with some of its accessories like this hidden boat.

The cab pops off so Barbie doesn't have to pack up the whole campsite just to hike a trail.  We already saw where the boat is stored.  The wading pool goes in the big window and the kitchenette just was crammed in the back.  All of these are intact and usable.

I also found a couple tubes of something in the rear bathroom.  A blue drinking glass and a orphan boot were rattling around under the driver's seat.  No picture of them since they weren't bravely clinging to their proper spot!

Here's the rear bathroom.  Missing toilet means I gotta buy some Sour Flush candy.  I really like the cute lil shower but I'll have to pretend they have something to protect their privacy in here.  Maybe like a folding room divider... hmmm...  

The cardboard insert between rooms is good.

On that side, anyway.  I've deeply offended at the idea of an entire entertainment center in a camper. The TV and radio in my 1970's camper are smaller and more suited for roughing it.  There is none in the Star Traveler.  Well, maybe a radio on the dashboard.

Out comes the contact paper.

After a liberal use of rubbing alcohol in hope of removing sticker residue, it's drying off.  I used the black-and-white roses to cover the entertainment center side of the cardboard insert.  If I have to cover the sticker areas on the exterior, I'll use the same.  

 

An Evening's Work

 Wandering around an antique mall today.  All the Barbie stuff was priced for collectors (out of my range for play use).  Then we found this: 

Yes, I know it's a bad picture.  I took it in the back seat of The Boy's car while pulling off all the frippery glued on by a previous owner.  This is the 1971 Barbie Country Camper.  For 20 dollars.

Here's a better picture, swiped from the Internet.  

The Country Camper is the second best Barbie camper EVER.  Mainly because, unlike today's Barbie campers, it does not unfold into a mansion with a pool.  It's only second best because the Star Traveler exists.

 This is one area where the Star Traveler is beat - can't easily pop apart a Star Traveler.  The chassis and roof are hard plastic.  The walls are vinyl over a core that's either harder vinyl or tin.  It sure ain't cardboard.  

It still had one of the camp stools and a sleeping bag.  That other stuff is the frippery.  The dark fabric was meant to be seat covers and the other served as curtains on the rear window.  The pompoms were either armrests or pillows on the wheel-well benches.

After a good scrub.  Sticker removal means only the stovetop and sink remain of the kitchen, and the bumper lights are gone.  Neither of those things is a priority for me.

Interior walls before cleaning.

Exterior walls before cleaning.

After cleaning.  The license plate was a sticker.  I'll replace that when I do the bumper lights.

Stickers and residue gone from the inside, as well.  That entertainment center is nicer than the one in my real life apartment.

The cab walls, before cleaning.

The cab walls after cleaning.  At least the headlights and dash console weren't stickers!

The pop-out tent was beyond my help, so I trimmed it off and cleaned up the fold-down wall/floor.  Some of the Country Campers had cute floral designs for the tent and sleeping bags.  This tent was bright orange!  (You can see a bit of it on the edge.)

An overhead of the chassis, including a good angle on the kitchen.

Walls in place.  Funny thing is, all these cabinets and wall art are on the inside of the sliding door! I was already giggling at the false windows on the exterior.

The whole side of the van slides back!  (Excuse me, I'm easily amused.)

Given the hippie aesthetic, Albus seems appropriate to serve as my model in comparison photos.  Here we see the entry ramp that used to be a tent floor.  All those cabinets can stay put now. 

Another vintage photo showing a way prettier tent.  Note the matching sleeping bags.

Albus can fold down the rear table and sit on the camp stool. 

He wishes the pretty girl in the vintage photo was cooking for him.

Time to hit the road, we fold up the table.

Cram our driver through the windshield.

The dash lifts easily so we can get him behind the wheel.

Close the ramp.  Hit the road, Jack.  I mean Albus.

Mine was missing a stool, a sleeping bag, and a windshield.  You can see the notches for the windshield hinges, at the top.  I guess that was for ease of cramming the driver in.

Parked behind the Star Traveler.  It's ready to play.  Unless you're worried about those turn signals.