Gonna' build me a trailer...yee-haw!

[mikedemana]

I built a Sarissa Precision trailer (https://sarissa-precision.com/products/residentialtrailer) recently that I want to be useful for both my post-Apocalyptic and modern games. The pristine trailer with the two clear sun, plastic sun roofs is way too fancy for what I want. I am thinking of a dilapidated old trailer trash home that has seen better years. I have some ideas on how to spruce it down, so the building wouldn't be out of place in a poor slum or in a post-nuclear holocaust world. I'm starting this thread just to maybe get some ideas before I get too far into modifying.



I thought I'd start off this thread by posting a few pictures of it in its pristine, just-built state. I opted not to do the fancy cardboard awnings over each window. Number one, I thought they'd be too fragile in game play and get knocked loose or off entirely. The "attachment" for the awning is simply a tiny tooth of cardstock that gets glued into the rectangular slots you can see in the upper right and left corners of the windows. Plus, it seemed a bit hoity toity for a trailer park! My thoughts, so far, was to maybe use the "Granny Grate" needlepoint mesh as a barred window for some of the trailer's windows, and maybe some bass wood as a boarded up one, as well. Any other ideas on hillbilly "window treatments"?



As for the surface of the trailer, I have never been a fan of the incised patterns on MDF buildings. They just aren't deep enough to take a good dry brushing, I've found. Which means I laboriously paint every brick pattern of whatever. For this one, I think I may cover some of it up with corrugated material painted to look like tin. Maybe other parts with some ramshackle wooden posts? I'd definitely like some suggestions here, too.

There's a great thread from 2012 that is inspiring, and I may take some ideas from it. Feel free to chime in, though!
https://leadadventureforum.com/index.php?topic=25927.0

Thanks!

Mike Demana

[Smokeyrone]

Don't forget the Floriduh Gatas flag.  (Adds realism)

[mikedemana]

I've started my first real texturing of the MDF surface. I like the convenience and ease of MDF buildings, but feel they definitely juicing up to shine properly on the tabletop. In this case with the trailer, you'll remember, I want to "dress it down." The original model is too nice and pristine. I want something more derelict, poor, and lived-in.



The first step was to do the baseboards in a corrugated texture. This is plastic that I bought at a craft store. I measured and then trimmed the plastic, scoring and snapping. You'll notice I forgot to cover the where two panels meet with a piece of L-shaped styrene plastic. I took care of that later in the build. I also forgot about the staircase, which also gets covered later.



I purposely did the baseboard corrugated material vertically because I intended to do the main surface horizontally. This black material is corrugated paper from JoAnne Fabrics. I usually prefer black in my materials because if something gets scratched or doesn't get painted, it shows through as a shadow or dirty area. I am taking this material on faith that it will accept dry brushing well. I plan to prime it first with black spray paint, though, so I am not too worried.

Here's a link to the material on Joann's website: https://www.joann.com/black-12-corrugate-paper/12528618.html?gclid=Cj0KCQjwxIOXBhCrARIsAL1QFCZ6mC8-ML01CrQuDxS3TWJgebXYDbYZ53HoKOZiOgcBr3bZiW5gQx8aAvlsEALw_wcB

I also did not think to trace the outline of the piece before I assembled it. Thankfully, I bought TWO of these trailers. So, I opened the package and was able to trace the outline of the piece I wanted to cover with the corrugated paper, saving lots of time and mis-measurements!     I also made a door frame out of wooden craft sticks and just glued it to the paper material.



Here's the back side of the trailer. Notice that I decided to "board up" part of the trailer where it apparently had gotten damaged. In the painting stage, I'll probably "spray paint" some sort of warning to trespassers on the boards. The boards are wooden craft sticks, again. Notice I also used craft sticks to cover up the joins between the cut corrugated paper sections.



Here's a first look at the texturing on the roof. Once again, assembling the roof before deciding on texturing caused extra work!  So, I took more of the plastic styrene corrugated material and had to glue it down in sections in between and around the MDF vent and skylight frames. I covered up the joins with a different width and direction of corrugated plastic. I also cut sections of paper towel and used white glue and water to stiffen them once dry to represent tarps on the roof. Once the tarp has been painted, I'll put bricks or stones or tires or something up to "hold the tarp down."



This last look is a close up of the barred windows. I used the black plastic mesh often called "granny grate" and used for embroidery (I think). I think the barred windows work perfect for a post-Apocalyptic setting, or modern trailer in a dangerous neighborhood.



This last pic shows the front of the trailer, so far. I also threw "patches" of corrugated material on the front and back walls, as you can see here. You can also see the L-shaped styrene on the corrugated base board and along the bottom of the staircase. Speaking of which, I could use some input here. What should I do with the MDF staircase? I could put craft wood planks like I did for the boarded up area. Any other ideas?

Thanks for feedback in advance!

Mike Demana