There is a lot to be said for having a blank slate to work with, particularly for those of us who enjoy having projects. This is Dandelion in its “blank slate” state. This was a custom built trailer to order, so we did have a few things installed by the manufacturer, as you can see.
The specs:
- 7×14 V-nose white aluminum Cargo Mate trailer
- Double barn doors on the rear
- Tandem leaf spring axles
- DOT approved lighting
- Payload capacity of 4,725 pounds, GVWR of 7,000 pounds
- Electric brakes
- 6″ of additional height added (rounding out the inside height to just under 7′)
- Insulation in walls and finished vinyl ceiling
- Oak hardwood walls
- RV door
- 30″x30″ window with slider & screen
- 30″x15″ window with slider & screen in the RV door
- 110-volt package with 30-amp breaker panel, and shore power hookup
- Fluorescent lights with wall switch
- 2 standard outlets
- 5 month build-to-delivery time from when we put the order in (quoted 6, arrived in 5!)
While we could have installed many of these things on our own, it seemed prudent to let the professionals take care of some of it in production. For one thing, it allowed the work to be under warranty with the trailer itself. For another, at the time we ordered the trailer, it was cheaper to add on the customizations in the build than to buy the materials ourselves. Gotta love those continuing pandemic market impacts, eh?
“Alright, that’s cool and all, but you said you’d tell us about the name!”
I did, indeed.
This little beauty of a tow vehicle, a 2021 Ford Ranger, is affectionately named Roach after the horse in the book, game, and now Netflix series The Witcher. Geralt, the main character and Witcher in question, always names whatever mount he’s riding Roach. If you’re as geeky as we are, you get the reference.
Well, Dandelion is also a character in the series- a bard that follows Geralt and Roach around to compose and play songs of their adventures, follies, and triumphs throughout the world. As all good bards should be, Dandelion is a bit flamboyant and makes his presence known wherever he goes. He also happens to get unwittingly dragged into many of Geralt & Roach’s adventures.
Hence, Dandelion. It’s a bit flamboyant and over the top, it’s getting pulled into all sorts of adventures by Roach, and it definitely lets you know when it’s arrived.
Next post we’ll answer the “What the hell were y’all thinking? Why would you do it this way rather than just buying a camper?” question, and go into some of what we have planned!
Dandelion On The Whim 