My mom aptly called Junebug the “money pit” over Christmas. I didn’t really mind since she contributed $50 toward the money pit as part of my Christmas present. 🙂
I’ve started tallying up what I’ve spent so far on Junebug through http://www.mint.com. She has her own expense category.
- Junebug’s purchase price = $3700
- Tow hitch = $500 (would have been $400, but I got the hitch installed on the Jetta first, then had it removed, then had another one put on the Tiguan. Luckily the owner of the shop let me do a trade and only charged me for labor the second time around!)
- Travel expenses to/from New Mexico to pick up Junebug = $497.65 (LOTS of gas on the way back, one downside to towing a trailer. Luckily this didn’t include an additional $40 that was spent when my travel companion locked my keys in the car at the gas station in Fort Stockton)
- New keys for main door and storage cabinet (because there were none) = $92
- Porta potty = $107
- Waterproof cover = $160
- Leveling jacks = $50
- Material for curtains and cushions, plus foam for seat backs = $260 (foam is really expensive!)
- New leaf springs, rewired tail lights and general inspection = $300
- State inspection and registration = $100 (this would be more if I counted the pain and suffering I had to go through during three trips to the tax assessor’s office and three trips to two different inspection places!)
- Other miscellaneous items (Christmas decor, etc) = $300
- WordPress blog about Junebug = $99
Total Cost (so far) = $6165 (yikes)
And.. I’m just getting started! Below is the list of items that I still have yet to buy but think I need. Guess my mom was pretty accurate in her description.
- RV putty tape (for sealing the external seams) = $10
- Stainless steel screws = $20
- New drill = $200
- Jigsaw = $100
- Pliers with front nose nippers = $10
- Multi purpose oscillating tool = $100
- Birch paneling (at least 4-5 pieces) = $20 x 5 = $100
- New insulation = $270
- Amber shellac (for the interior wood) = $20
- Quilted aluminum for backsplash = $40
- New laminate for table and kitchen counter (probably won’t do that project for a while)= $200 – $300
- New tile or laminate for floor = $200?
- Either paint or new doors for cabinets = $40?
- Several kinds of sealant = $30
- Awning = $100 – $300 (depending on if I make it myself or pay someone)
- Air conditioner (before summer) = $200-300 (depending on what kind I go with)
- New siding and paint job (later) = $3000 or more
- Electrician to fix the wiring = $100 – $200 (if I’m lucky)
Potential total left to spend (and I probably left out a bunch of stuff I don’t even know I need yet) = $5240
Total for Junebug = $11,405
Hmm, maybe I should have just spent the money on a fully restored one. I guess that takes all the fun out of it though!
It’s all about the journey, not the destination.
junebugflying 
I’m restoring my 1959 Shasta by myself and am really enjoying reading your blog! When I tackled the project I had a rosy idea of what needed to be done. Of course, it has ballooned into a MUCH bigger project! I. too, wonder if I should have paid for a fully restored one, but I am enjoying all the new things I’m learning and the good excuses I’m finding to justify buying new tools 😀
So far I’ve had to remove all the skin so I could replace ALL the front framing, ripped out the old tiles on the floor, next I will reframe the street side back corner, replace the floor tile, rewire and replumb the lights and appliances, then replace the skin and repaint. Whew!
Keep the faith – we WILL get done (before summer camping weather, I hope)!
Karen in Boulder
Thanks Karen! It makes me happy that you enjoyed reading through my blog. I agree about buying new tools, I had no idea I would enjoy using tools as much as I have. It’s definitely fun to build something using the right tools! You’re lucky you could get all of your old tiles out. I tried and eventually gave up because I was worried about asbestos. I am just covering them with a thin layer of new subfloor and recovering with new tiles. Hopefully it will work fine. Good luck with your project! 🙂