Positive Setbacks

Well the interior Designer/perfectionist in me wants only to report on beautiful, creative, fun progress but, sadly, just as is the case in life, sometimes things are just crappy. After spending several days repairing leaks on Louis, the northeast battled a weekend of heavy rains. Sunday morning, after a night of heavy rain, I crept into Louis like an anxious parent checking on a kid. Front area below the rock guard (where we'd leaked before), CHECK, No water!! However, in the rear above my daybed was a blob of wet muck! My pillows, sheets, mattress and fabric wall were all soaking wet. Upon close examination, I realized I had left the window open. Oops. This morning, just a typical Monday, I headed out in the pouring rain with coffee in hand to check on Louis again (obsessive? yes, but I finally have my trailer and I'm thrilled!!!) to find him leaking like crazy in the back. Instead of throwing my coffee at a tree, stomping around like a child and pulling Louis into a ravine, I decided to look at the positive side of my progress. The other areas of the trailer were NOT leaking after several strong storms. So, I grabbed a ladder and headed off in search of the problem spot. One thing I did BEFORE reading advice from others, was to apply roof tar to the seams on the roof. This was, hands down, one of the dirtiest jobs I've ever done. And, aside from my Scotty, I've renovated my own homes, so I know what it's like to get down and dirty. Roof tar was a pain in the rump, took days to dry and (clearly) didn't work in all places. So, that lesson learned. Until the rain stops, I just covered up the back roof with a tarp, went inside Louis and enjoyed my cup of Joe. Sitting at the dinette, I admired my new cabinet. Another positive part of this project.
WHAT I DID: Walking the aisles of Lowe's searching for wood to rebuild the over sink cabinet (the original was rotted beyond repair), I noticed pre-made units for close to the cost of the materials I was using to build the cabinet. AND, the work was already done. So, in this instance, I decided to cheat a bit and used the Lowe's brand. Because I removed a heavy wall unit, I'm not adding anymore weight to my trailer. To be safe, I added extra supports in the wall behind the stove and sink and used metal "L" shaped support brackets on the top and bottom (similar to what is used in joints in homes). Of course, I added my own flare by placing wallpaper inserts in the middle of each door, which I will most likely replace with a metal mesh or stainless steel.
WHAT IT COST ME: $38 for this unfinished piece that fits perfectly above the stove and sink.
HOW DIFFICULT: I just took my time (something I rarely do) and made sure brace supports were in place, supported cabinet with pieces underneath so I could install it alone and it was a breeze!