If you don’t know how small a 16.9 travel trailer is, trust me it is small!

I had been talking about doing this for a year or two but life happens and we put things on the back burner. But, after two very scary bouts with Covid (I really thought I was going to die) I decided, “Sister, life is too short, let’s do this!” Of course, I did take some time to pray and get advice from God. He did not say NO, so…

I searched and shopped for six months before I chose this one. Of course the weight was a factor, and buying one fully contained meant giving up some space for the appliances. But as small as the Jay Feather Micro 166FBS is these were my reasons for choosing it:

1. My ex-husband and I had owned two Jayco 5th wheels previously; one at 28.5 feet and one at 33 feet, so I knew I wanted a Jayco and I knew I wanted something small enough that I could go anywhere I wanted, feel comfortable driving it, and fit into spots others could not.
2. This one (166FBS) had all the must haves:
   It was fully contained, with a separate bathroom sink and shower. At this size they usually have a wet bath (nope) so I was thrilled to find this one had a full bath, plus full on kitchen.
   It had a slide which adds soooo much more space! Even though my slide is on 18 inches deep, it makes a world of difference in the floorspace.
   The added interior height. I am tall and if I was going down from 5th wheel to TT I just could not stand to feel closed in! The Jayco Eagles have that extra tall ceilings too – (if I ever go bigger thats the one!)
3. It came with off-road tires, solar panels, and brush bars, once again confirming I could go anywhere (not to mention the brush bars were good protectors at the gas pumps when I first started out) I caught a few poles.
   

Once I got it to my friends yard (I was in an apartment) I started redesigning and deciding how I could make it full-time travel worthy.

The Retrofit

The first things to go:

The bed. I didn’t need a place for two people to sleep, a twin was good enough. The flooring was already there so I just had to cut back the platform, buy a new mattress, do some trim work and paint (with a color match at Home Depot), add a little something homey and voila – a dreamy resting perch for one: bonus several added feet of floor space! By the way, that added floor space has proved perfect for a dressing area behind the curtain when the windows are up. Also (not pictured) left some space for a stack of clothing drawers on one end and a bedside table on the other.

The other problem was not having a closet! I removed the shelving, the top drawers from behind the television (which is on a swivel making a perfect door) installed a curtain pole and there you go – closet! In this picture I am making sure a hanger will fit. It did. They do. I’m amazing ;)

God has blessed me with the ability to travel, work with groups that are helping others, and stay in my own little home wherever I am – it is good to know Him! One month after the retro fit I was off and Me and Jesus and the Jayco was born!