RV: Where Design and Adventure Meet

The Sunseeker as it looked before we got our hands on it.

and now!!!

(In an imaginary interview, I discuss the meaning, materials, and manpower behind the project)

IF: Have you ever been RV-ing?

JD: No, but ask me again next week and I will answer resoundingly, “YES!”

IF: Do you have any personal connection to RV-ing?

JD: I have a longstanding emotional and intellectual attraction to mobile homes that runs the gamut from luxurious adobe style doublewides to the vintage variety resembling campers, trailers, and today’s RV. It got stronger when I moved to Florida and then two years ago I wrote a feature about the history of mobile homes for BobVila.com, and that made me ever more appreciative.

IF: Go on.

JD: If you think about it, the RV is like a luxurious resort for some and a last resort for shelter for others. This vehicle sits on the crossroads of luxury and necessity and I find that incredibly dramatic and deep. For my story, I interviewed the fascinating resident historian at the RV Museum in Elkhart, Indiana and I also quoted passages from the book “Wheel Estate.” What really begs thought is author Allan D. Wallis’ assertion that, “The mobile home may well be the single most significant and unique housing innovation in twentieth-century America.”  Needless to say, when I was asked to participate in the PR RV project by re-vamping the interior of a 2007 Forest River Sunseeker, I leapt at the opportunity to transform an American icon.

IF: Tell us about the design inspiration.

JD: Absolutely! Durability, functionality, and comfort were as important to me as creating an aesthetically unique RV environment. The foundation of the redesign is comprised of performance products that should look good for years to come. We’ve got wood laminate floors throughout the main cabin with touches of carpet here and there. We’ve resurfaced all of the cabinetry with Benjamin Moore Advance which is a water-based enamel. The hardware from Rocky Mountain has a brushed finish that won’t show fingerprints and we’re using a lot of Crypton and Sunbrella fabrics and also mohair.

IF: Mohair?

JD: Yes, in a beautiful shade of indigo. I wanted to bring in unexpected textures. I asked the manager at my local Calico Corners about the durability of mohair, and he reminded me that it covered most theater seats.

Flavor Paper Meteor Shower, Benjamin Moore's Washington Blue,  and Mohawk's Toasted Chestnut wood laminate: some of the materials making major RV mojo
Photo courtesy: VPC Partners

IF: How did you arrive at the dark blue/hot pink palette?

JD: The initial design vibe came from VP+C, the marketing, p.r., and events company that hired me. They wanted a mix of preppy and boho and enough variety to show off their client’s products off. The actual color inspiration started with a ikat fabric in indigo and off white that I am using for floor to ceiling curtains that divide the main cabin from the bedroom and cockpit. When I fell in love with that Ikat, navy (quintessentially preppy) became the power color for the project. Pink became the pop!

IF: Niiice! Did you ever think dark blue would be too dark?

JD: I had a few moments of trepidation, but then just knew it was the right way to go especially after I had a date with a new guy whose house had a whole dark blue thing going on. I love signs!!! That was the weekend I was making my color selects and so I just went for it. I think dark colors are often misunderstood, but I love the cozy cocoon-like feel they supply. Welcome to our haute hippie lounge!

IF: Any design surprises?

JD: I gave the loft space over the cab a tree house spin, outfitting that hideaway in a loden green Crypton corduroy, hot pink velvet, and a beautiful Ralph Lauren plaid. Flavor Paper’s Meteor Shower is a refreshing jolt of color and pattern as soon as you walk in. The glass tile backsplash adds the right amount of sparkle and chalkboard paint on the fridge makes for impromptu art as well as shopping lists.

IF: What are you looking forward to on this adventure?

JD: Well first off, I cannot wait to see the RV in person! Up till now, I’ve worked on it remotely. The actual physical transformation is in the hands of Jimmy DiResta who can make anything well and in record time and Nanette Zube who is doing all the upholstery and fabrications. As for the actual road trip, I am looking forward to making friends, travelling to parts of the country I have yet to see, staying in an RV camp, decompressing, and of course, sharing a bathroom with 4 people.

IF: Is this project exciting?

JD: That’s the understatement of the year.

PREPPING FOR MY FIRST RV TRIP

If and when I take the wheel of the mothership, I will channel her confidence. Image: Adventure Journal

This time next week I will be ensconced in a freshly re-decorated RV with 3 women whom I've never personally met and one guy who I've known casually for years. While some of you are probably thinking "Lucky man" and others "Poor guy," I am thinking "What do I pack?" plus I have a myriad of other concerns. Here's a partial look into my (lightly edited) stream of consciousness.

Is it even worth it to get a manicure.Cooking will be fun. It's a good thing wine bottles have screw caps. I want to make biscotti. Should i take my running shoes? Am I really going to exercise? Hate when i take them and don't use them. Remember to pack a 3-way plug. Is there WiFi? Surprisingly I am not feeling that guilty about missing the first few days of school. It would be fun to get a paint by number kit. I hope there are some cool ones. There is no artwork up in the RV. Bring headscarves. Download "Hair." What other crafty things should i bring? So much work to do before i go. Yikes. I hope there's WiFi. I don't have cool pajamas. Is someone bringing games? Check the weather forecast. Boots? Glue gun? maybe? I want some new sunglasses. Make DVDs. I hope it doesn't rain. Wonder if we'll find any cool thrift shops. Should i take my own pillow? 

And so it goes............

Coming Up: The Design Plan, Execution of the Design Plan, the mission of the PR_RV, The Players, The Playlists, The Adventure

Container Housing to the Rescue...Again

Two-story MODS exhibit at a recent event

Pre-fab container homes are being shipped to Moore, Oklahoma.  Transportable, affordable temporary housing shipped out to the victims of Hurricane Sandy too. Factory-manufactured dwellings have a long history and promising future of coming to the rescue wherever emergency shelter is needed.

Interiors feature

In this particular instance, the spotlight is on MODS. Each 320 square foot, 8' wide by 40' long unit comes furnished. They remind me of railroad flats typical of any urban mecca. MODS are watertight and can withstand winds up to 200 mph. They can be moved several times without risking structural integrity. These babies, built for transport, are solid and strong!

Not just for temporary housing, MODS are multi-functional. Whether placed singly or stacked up to 7 units high, MODS are another expression of small-space streamlined living.

Here is the story I read that inspired this blog.

SEMINOLE ESTATES: THE FINAL CHAPTERS

Sweet souvenirs from Seminole Estates

The mango trees at Seminole Estates are heavy with fruit but there is barely anyone around to eat it. With mandatory evacuation at the end of June, there are just a few residents left at the once thriving mobile home park in Hollywood, FL. No one feels the desolation quite like Yvonne, the mail lady, who has been delivering mail here for 30 years.

Houses are gone and replaced by piles of jackhammered concrete. Houses are destroyed, reusable parts taken. Houses wait to be moved. Windows are shattered; interiors are ransacked. Air conditioners are long gone; many taken without approval. It's been a bit of a free for all. I've seen workers linger from a job site.

One of many abandoned houses: From the outside

...and from the inside

Another open house.

And another.

I walked into several open houses with mixed emotions. It is interesting what people leave behind - shoes, old photos, a neck brace, and on occasion, the smell of cigarettes. Sometimes when the house is open, I am scared that a raccoon or other animal might be inside. I see many stray cats, and I have heard that there are many other critters around. 

There is still good.

Even though the park has resembled a war zone for months, there's something about this place that is inherently special. It's what the people who decided to move here must have felt. Though Seminole Estates borders the turnpike, it is unusually quiet. Though it's in the heart of South Florida, it is rewarded with breezes and the greenery is lush.  In its hey day, Hollywood Estates (as it was known) had a bustling pool scene. The recreation center had an 8 lane bowling alley. People would convene outside on porches and laugh and drink wine into the night. I hear that the Canadians really knew how to party!

For months, I blogged faithfully about the gradual undoing of the mobile home park. I had hoped that my words would land on sympathetic ears. I had hoped that some local government agency might swoop in and help the people who were extremely challenged by money, health, and age. I hoped that news agencies would find relevant stories here.  A class action had gotten underway, but not everyone in the community even knew about it. The eviction ended an era.

In January, my real work life got busy, plus my aunt said that my blogs felt a little forced. I stopped writing, but still went down to the park every few weeks. Sometimes I'd just walk around by myself. Sometimes I'd meet up with my friend Jamie and we'd take Rambo for a walk. Once I had a semi-date there...romance among the ruins! I was excited that someone I liked was actually interested in my pursuits. During another visit, I naively got in a car with a resident whom I perceived as an informant. I thought I'd get some good scoop to jumpstart the blog. I didn't really leave with much material except several invitations to dinner at the casino.

Then just before Memorial Day, I got an email from Joe. Joe and Kate moved into Hollywood Estates in April 2012. They invested most of their savings into their new home. Before boxes were unpacked, the eviction notice came. Long story short, Joe and Kate set their sights on a community in Pompano Beach. Relocation was handled through the management company of the new community. Joe and Kate were supposed to move back into their relocated home in mid-March but they are still living in a one room apartment in Tamarac. There have been a series of ignored deadlines and a series of insincere promises gone awry. Long story short, Kate has severe rheumatoid arthritis which is exacerbated by stress. And long story short, Kate says, "We just want to go home."

You can see the Hard Rock in the distance.

The relocation effort does not always go as planned. Joe tells me there are other families that are in the same boat. My friend Jamie has been known to wait a long time for crucial call backs. Perhaps some of the companies that are hired to move these homes are overwhelmed but take the jobs anyway. And what ends up happening is that homeowners are draining their savings on temporary accommodations. And still, many homes at Seminole Estates appear to be on the way out.

This is Rambo.

I will go to the park again before it closes for good. As long as my friend is there, I will make a point to visit her and Rambo, and we will have another go at harvesting mangoes.

What the Holiday Looks Like at Seminole Estates Mobile Home Park

Rather than write an old-fashioned blog about the closing of the Seminole Estates Mobile Home Park, I thought I'd use the technology and make a video about it. Christmas time seems to bring out my creative spirit.   Feels weird to say "Hope you enjoy!" because the subject matter is a mass eviction, with what I view as unfair stipulations, followed by destruction of a once easy-going and serene community. But I do hope you get it and react and comment.

Warning: I am an iMovie novice determined to get better.

 

Thanks for watching.

Lifestylist® Suzanne Felber Visits What's Left of Seminole Estates

That's Suzanne.

This past Saturday when I went down to Seminole Estates Mobile Home Park, I invited a special guest to join me there.  Suzanne Felber, aka The Lifestylist, was in South Florida and she swung by for a quick drive-through of the once-idyllic manufactured housing community.

Though Suzanne's company, Lifestylist Design, is engaged in various areas of home design and living well, Suzanne often works creatively and strategically with factory-built home manufacturers. She and I met when I was researching a story on the history of manufactured housing. Suzanne is passionate about this dynamic and increasingly stylish, energy efficient, and value-driven industry and compassionate about the eviction situation.

The "Fuck You" House as I have come to call it seems to have been abandoned.

We drove and stopped, drove and stopped, and Suzanne and I got in and out of the car, taking a bunch of photos of Saturday's ruins and remains. The landscape changes everyday. I was so glad that I remembered where the "Fuck You" house was and could point it out to Suzanne who agreed that this type of decor makes for good editorial. I can't wait to see what she decides to post and/or tweet.

FRANKIETHALUCKYDOG: FIRST RAP ABOUT THE EVICTION AT SEMINOLE ESTATES

Finally... a rap video about the eviction at Seminole Estates! Written, produced, directed and filmed by FrankieThaLuckyDog, "Tha Estatescalade" shows the recent state of the once calm and immaculately maintained community. The song includes voice overs from his 68-year-old grandma and 91-year-old great-grandma who have lived in the park for 30 years.