Yay! Belle's home! And obviously I gave her a name.
Right now Belle is sitting in the driveway, almost exactly were I wanted to park her. I still need a lot more practice backing her up since it took six tries to get her near to where she needs to be.
I picked Belle up late yesterday afternoon and can't wait until I get to work on her some more. I had previously brought home the doors to strip to give myself a jump start. There are so many layers of paint it's scary. There is the baby blue on top of the 70's southwest orange, which is on top of white, which is on top of the original creamy green color. The wood underneath is not fabulous, and the paint is not stripping off very well. I will probably end up painting everything for now and decided about changing out all the wood after the big trip.
I have, not counting today, 18 days to get her ready to go on her shakedown cruise. And then only 3 days after that until we leave for the Midwest. So there are a lot of things that probably won't be done that I wanted to be done, but I think it will be OK.
Wish me luck!
Saturday, May 31, 2008
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Waaaahhhhhh, or, May I have some cheese with my whine?
I am not ever saying when I get my camper back again. Bill called me today. Yes, I know the names of the guys at the shop who are working on my trailer. It's been that long!
Anyway, they tried their best to get the door repaired. If you remember from the first post, the door shut but would not stay shut when in motion, or lock at all. It had to be tied shut. Very classy. That was on our list to fix.
Also on the list for later was the addition of a screen door.
Well, they tried for a very long time to get the door to stay shut and locked when moving but they had no luck. So, I get a new door that will include a screen door. This delays the delivery and adds to the cost. How exciting.
I'm trying hard not to figure out how many fewer days I will have to do stuff to the camper. But at least I don't have to worry about the door anymore!
Anyway, they tried their best to get the door repaired. If you remember from the first post, the door shut but would not stay shut when in motion, or lock at all. It had to be tied shut. Very classy. That was on our list to fix.
Also on the list for later was the addition of a screen door.
Well, they tried for a very long time to get the door to stay shut and locked when moving but they had no luck. So, I get a new door that will include a screen door. This delays the delivery and adds to the cost. How exciting.
I'm trying hard not to figure out how many fewer days I will have to do stuff to the camper. But at least I don't have to worry about the door anymore!
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
May 15th, maybe
That's the new date for when I get the camper back. Maybe. If nothing else goes wrong. You know your camper has been at the shop too long when they give it a nickname before you get to. They call it the "Mushroom". I guess because it's rounded at the top.
That will leave me 35 days to do what I want to do before the shakedown cruise. And not many of those are weekends, since I have committed to 2 camp outs with my friends before June 20th. Actually that leaves just 3 Sundays and 3 Saturdays. The whole job thing (which I will not complain about, since it's financing the camper) takes up a huge chunk of potential "fix up the camper" time.
I picked out a brake controller today, one that's more automatic and "intuitive" than the basic one, got a ceiling vent so I can replace the one that is there now, and some light bulbs (12v, see I'm learning).
They still have to do the wiring for the brake controller and install the charging line for the battery, which is also new. The door has a lock that works, but they still need to adjust the door so that it will stay shut while going down the road.
They have spent a lot of time on my camper that wasn't in the original estimate, but they are honoring the estimate and not gouging me for the rest. I think that's pretty decent of them. There are so many places that would have charged me more.
Here's another creek picture to distract you from the lack of progress.
That will leave me 35 days to do what I want to do before the shakedown cruise. And not many of those are weekends, since I have committed to 2 camp outs with my friends before June 20th. Actually that leaves just 3 Sundays and 3 Saturdays. The whole job thing (which I will not complain about, since it's financing the camper) takes up a huge chunk of potential "fix up the camper" time.
I picked out a brake controller today, one that's more automatic and "intuitive" than the basic one, got a ceiling vent so I can replace the one that is there now, and some light bulbs (12v, see I'm learning).
They still have to do the wiring for the brake controller and install the charging line for the battery, which is also new. The door has a lock that works, but they still need to adjust the door so that it will stay shut while going down the road.
They have spent a lot of time on my camper that wasn't in the original estimate, but they are honoring the estimate and not gouging me for the rest. I think that's pretty decent of them. There are so many places that would have charged me more.
Here's another creek picture to distract you from the lack of progress.
Sunday, April 27, 2008
The Saga Continues.....and a Decision is made
Well, just when things were looking like they may be moving forward.....
I got a call from the guys doing the work on the camper. All of the parts came in, they took the old axle off ready to put the new one on and discovered that the old leaf springs were not only a different size than the new ones that are the right size for the appropriate axle, but the old leaf springs were welded in place. This is apparently not a good thing.
So they had to spend extra time (and $$$) to remove the old springs and put on the right kind of mountings for the new springs. They are saying I should get it back at the "beginning of the week".
To keep myself busy, I did a little more shopping for the camper. I now have the electric cord and adaptors for various plug-ins. I also got some of the plastic tubs I know we will need to get everything stowed away under the back bed. I was tempted to pick up kitchen stuff like towels and silverware, but resisted the urge since I have a bunch of camping stuff in the garage that I need to go through first.
I did decide, with the help of a good friend (thanks Lisa) about the interior design. While wanting to keep it period appropriate, what I really want from the camper is to be able to love being in it and using it. So I have decided to make it feel like the place in the world that I love most, our creek house in the Northwoods of Wisconsin.
It isn't going to look exactly like it of course, but I want the whole "Up North" vibe. So there will be browns and greens and pine trees (with pine cones, of course) and birch trees and ferns and hummingbirds and dragonflies and bears and all of the stuff that makes me happy and relaxed. But no creek, I know my limitations.
The floor, which was definately going to be a very cool black and white check will now be linoleum that looks like a wood floor, or some kind of stone. I'm leaning toward wood unless I can find linoleum that looks like the creek bottom, small rocks and pebbles. I think that would look kind of interesting.
So now that I know for sure what I'm aiming for, I can make progress when I get the camper back. I will have 9 weekend days before the shakedown trip because of previous plans. It will be fun to see how much I can get done. Today I am going to locate one of the 4 sewing machines in the house so that I can sew the curtains after I find the right fabric. I plan on temporary seat coverings for this year, and better ones with new foam and everything next year.
Here's a picture of the creek:
I got a call from the guys doing the work on the camper. All of the parts came in, they took the old axle off ready to put the new one on and discovered that the old leaf springs were not only a different size than the new ones that are the right size for the appropriate axle, but the old leaf springs were welded in place. This is apparently not a good thing.
So they had to spend extra time (and $$$) to remove the old springs and put on the right kind of mountings for the new springs. They are saying I should get it back at the "beginning of the week".
To keep myself busy, I did a little more shopping for the camper. I now have the electric cord and adaptors for various plug-ins. I also got some of the plastic tubs I know we will need to get everything stowed away under the back bed. I was tempted to pick up kitchen stuff like towels and silverware, but resisted the urge since I have a bunch of camping stuff in the garage that I need to go through first.
I did decide, with the help of a good friend (thanks Lisa) about the interior design. While wanting to keep it period appropriate, what I really want from the camper is to be able to love being in it and using it. So I have decided to make it feel like the place in the world that I love most, our creek house in the Northwoods of Wisconsin.
It isn't going to look exactly like it of course, but I want the whole "Up North" vibe. So there will be browns and greens and pine trees (with pine cones, of course) and birch trees and ferns and hummingbirds and dragonflies and bears and all of the stuff that makes me happy and relaxed. But no creek, I know my limitations.
The floor, which was definately going to be a very cool black and white check will now be linoleum that looks like a wood floor, or some kind of stone. I'm leaning toward wood unless I can find linoleum that looks like the creek bottom, small rocks and pebbles. I think that would look kind of interesting.
So now that I know for sure what I'm aiming for, I can make progress when I get the camper back. I will have 9 weekend days before the shakedown trip because of previous plans. It will be fun to see how much I can get done. Today I am going to locate one of the 4 sewing machines in the house so that I can sew the curtains after I find the right fabric. I plan on temporary seat coverings for this year, and better ones with new foam and everything next year.
Here's a picture of the creek:
Saturday, April 19, 2008
Still Waiting
Well, I am still waiting to pick up my camper. It should be ready "probably" next Friday. I am anxious to get it back so that I can start working on it. I've been gathering helpful information and tips from folks who know more than me about these things, gathering supplies that I'll need, and gathering a lot more comments from people - some funny and some kind of not so funny.
I'm also putting together a notebook of inspirational pictures and ideas so that I can pull together a more specific idea of what I want the final product to look like. Since I can't do it all at once, I have to make sure what I do now won't be counterproductive for later.
Since I'm pretty sure the flooring will be replaced this year, due to my aversion to walking barefoot on somebody else's dirty, icky carpet, a major decision has to be made about the end decor. If I go with the fifties diner look (heavily favored because who doesn't like black and white flooring and red and chrome booths?) that is one floor choice that is easily made. It would also go great with a black, white and pink theme (think flamingos).
But I am also thinking that wood floors were very much standard issue in 1950's homes and it would be easy to come up with a decorating theme using that as well. Wood would also fit the retro cowgirl look that appeals to me. They do make very nice looking vinyl flooring that looks like wood. I just watched The Long, Long Trailer again and those floors are the black and white tile and the place was decorated like a house and not a diner, so I could do that as well.
Oh the choices! Stay tuned to see what pops up next.
I'm also putting together a notebook of inspirational pictures and ideas so that I can pull together a more specific idea of what I want the final product to look like. Since I can't do it all at once, I have to make sure what I do now won't be counterproductive for later.
Since I'm pretty sure the flooring will be replaced this year, due to my aversion to walking barefoot on somebody else's dirty, icky carpet, a major decision has to be made about the end decor. If I go with the fifties diner look (heavily favored because who doesn't like black and white flooring and red and chrome booths?) that is one floor choice that is easily made. It would also go great with a black, white and pink theme (think flamingos).
But I am also thinking that wood floors were very much standard issue in 1950's homes and it would be easy to come up with a decorating theme using that as well. Wood would also fit the retro cowgirl look that appeals to me. They do make very nice looking vinyl flooring that looks like wood. I just watched The Long, Long Trailer again and those floors are the black and white tile and the place was decorated like a house and not a diner, so I could do that as well.
Oh the choices! Stay tuned to see what pops up next.
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
Waiting, waiting, waiting.....
Well, the trailer is in the shop waiting on parts and I'm waiting at home trying hard not to be impatient. That, for those of you who do not know me, is really hard.
I am spending the time planning for the time it comes home. You know how when you are having a baby and the nine months go really, really fast and really, really slow at the same time? Well this is a lot like that.
I'm putting together a list of things I think I will need for traveling with the camper, a list of things I think I"ll need to make it livable for this summer, a list of what I think I want to do with it next summer, and a final list of what I need to finish it off (the exterior) the summer after that. So by 2010 I want it finished. A conservative estimate. A big Powerball win would speed up the completion date.
The camper does not yet have a name. When people ask about the year and make, I'm saying it's a 1950's Mystery. Because the tow vehicle is referred to as "The Beast" there have been many suggestions along the lines of "The Beauty" or "Belle", which is quite ironic.
I'm also planning it's maiden voyage, a weekend campout about a 45 mintue drive from here. Because I live in Colorado, that puts me in a nice little campground tucked away in the foothills of the Rockies. Not too shabby. That will be a shakedown trip to make sure I have everything I'll need for the long trip at the end of June.
That trip is scheduled for the weekend of June 20th, which is why I'm anxious to get the camper home. There's lots of work to do!
I am spending the time planning for the time it comes home. You know how when you are having a baby and the nine months go really, really fast and really, really slow at the same time? Well this is a lot like that.
I'm putting together a list of things I think I will need for traveling with the camper, a list of things I think I"ll need to make it livable for this summer, a list of what I think I want to do with it next summer, and a final list of what I need to finish it off (the exterior) the summer after that. So by 2010 I want it finished. A conservative estimate. A big Powerball win would speed up the completion date.
The camper does not yet have a name. When people ask about the year and make, I'm saying it's a 1950's Mystery. Because the tow vehicle is referred to as "The Beast" there have been many suggestions along the lines of "The Beauty" or "Belle", which is quite ironic.
I'm also planning it's maiden voyage, a weekend campout about a 45 mintue drive from here. Because I live in Colorado, that puts me in a nice little campground tucked away in the foothills of the Rockies. Not too shabby. That will be a shakedown trip to make sure I have everything I'll need for the long trip at the end of June.
That trip is scheduled for the weekend of June 20th, which is why I'm anxious to get the camper home. There's lots of work to do!
Sunday, March 23, 2008
Lessons Learned
Being new to the whole "let's restore a vintage trailer" thing, I obviously have some things to learn. I have a feeling I"ll be learning a lot over the time it takes to get this baby back to it's original glory. This year it's all about safety and the interior. Next year will be tricking out the inside to be more of what my end vision is. The exterior will just have to wait until after then. Because neither the "pimp my car" or "pimp my truck" people are not likely to show up at my house any time soon.
I thank all of the people who responded about the age/make of the trailer. I did quite a bit of looking online at pictures and sites and discussions, and do agree that the most likely thing is a 1941 trailer base frame, and a kit or some obscure manufacturer for the rest, probably mid to late 50's or very early 60's. I am going to try not knowing exactly what it is bother me.
Here's some things I've learned already. Some of these I've learned from the great MSN group I found - Vintage Vacations. Thanks to all of you! And some I have learned all by myself, painfully in most cases.
1. Just because it looks ugly now, doesn't mean it always will.
2. Just because the guy selling the thing says everything on it is in working condition does not mean it is all in safe working condition.
3. Even if you look under the trailer and everything looks OK doesn't mean it is. Learning what to look for before you buy a trailer would be a good thing.
4. You can't repair everything by yourself if you don't have proper equipment.
5. Some people will laugh at you and some will encourage you. Ignore the laughers and be grateful for the encouragers.
6. Finding people who can repair what you can't and feeling like you can trust them not to mess you up is a very good thing.
Here's how I learned some of this. When I took it into the shop for a safety check, because I do not want to be responsible for any accidents or injuries and I plan on taking this across the country this summer, I had a lot more wrong with the frame and towing system than I thought.
It turns out that not only was one of the leaf springs broken (on the side parked up next to the fence), but believe it or not the axle was on up side down! What the heck....!!!!! The best guess of the repair guys (who, by the way, are all thinking that my trailer is very cool and are excited about helping me get it back together) was that at one time or another somebody decided they needed more ground clearance to get to more remote camping areas. Because I live up next to the Rocky Mountains, this seems quite reasonable, but it messed up the axle and the leaf springs.
So, the estimate for getting a new axle, two new leaf springs, the bearings (which were shot anyway), brakes (which it did not have before at all), fixing the door so that it will stay shut when it is supposed to, adding a tongue jack because it didn't have one, getting the exterior wiring all correct, and oh yeah, replacing the hitch because the one that is on there now is not only too small for the trailer but also only spot welded in 6 places. $1375.00
I have no idea if that is a good price or not, but all of those things have to get done in order to safely tow the trailer where I want to. I know none of that is anything I can do myself. That puts my interior plans back a bit, since my budget isn't extravagant by any means. But I should be able to still strip the inside down to a stable place and at least clean, paint, and make it comfortable and livable for the main trip this summer.
I will most likely leave the interior wiring alone for now, as well as the gas for the stove. We aren't going to be needing the stove for this trip and the electric seems stable enough for the limited time we will be using it. I work for an electrical contractor, so I will have one of the guys double check the electric for me just to make sure the shore power is safe. Eventually I will probably rewire it, since the plug is not a grounded one.
So here is my new plan....
Pay a lot of money to make this thing safe to tow about 3,000 miles this summer - easy to do, hard on the wallet. But since the plan is to restore it and not just use it for a year or two, this seems very necessary.
Strip enough of the interior to get to a solid base to build upon - nerve racking, but probably not too hard
Test for leaks with my garden hose - easy, but hopefully I won't find many
Hope to God it doesn't need a lot of leak repair - pray hard
Fix whatever leaks - I have no idea how hard this will be
Clean it really well - a dirty, but easy job
Decide whether or not to rebuild the dinette seats this year or next - may be a decision that is easy, but doing it may be more difficult than I expect
Make the dinette area capable of being turned into a bed - easy/medium difficulty, the current table will have to be put onto a base that can come apart and then be fixed up to look nicer
Seal the interior with something like Kilz - easy
At that time decide whether to just paint, or to add something to make it smooth enough to paint, or to add a birch veneer and seal that - I hope that decision isn't too hard, but the budget may be the deciding factor for this year
Trim out enough to make it look decent - should be reasonably simple
Get the dinette cushions recovered - this I know will be easy since I can sew very well
Get a mattress for the bed - easy
Get some kind of curtains up - easy, except for the curved walls but I think I have a plan for those.
As I go along I hope the group doesn't get too tired of questions! I'm counting on y'all for some sound advice and tips to avoid some of the pitfalls.
Here are some more pictures. Matt (in the picture) is 6'2" or so, and he can stand up straight in the middle, which gives the trailer an uncrowded feeling to me.
The back side of the beauty The dining area
Just how many layers of contact/wallpaper are needed behind the stove? Answer: Three, adhered to a poster board thickness of black tar paper.
Matt, stripping the paint and contact paper off of the two layers of veneer.
Down to the green paint on the original (I think) wood by the dining area.
I thank all of the people who responded about the age/make of the trailer. I did quite a bit of looking online at pictures and sites and discussions, and do agree that the most likely thing is a 1941 trailer base frame, and a kit or some obscure manufacturer for the rest, probably mid to late 50's or very early 60's. I am going to try not knowing exactly what it is bother me.
Here's some things I've learned already. Some of these I've learned from the great MSN group I found - Vintage Vacations. Thanks to all of you! And some I have learned all by myself, painfully in most cases.
1. Just because it looks ugly now, doesn't mean it always will.
2. Just because the guy selling the thing says everything on it is in working condition does not mean it is all in safe working condition.
3. Even if you look under the trailer and everything looks OK doesn't mean it is. Learning what to look for before you buy a trailer would be a good thing.
4. You can't repair everything by yourself if you don't have proper equipment.
5. Some people will laugh at you and some will encourage you. Ignore the laughers and be grateful for the encouragers.
6. Finding people who can repair what you can't and feeling like you can trust them not to mess you up is a very good thing.
Here's how I learned some of this. When I took it into the shop for a safety check, because I do not want to be responsible for any accidents or injuries and I plan on taking this across the country this summer, I had a lot more wrong with the frame and towing system than I thought.
It turns out that not only was one of the leaf springs broken (on the side parked up next to the fence), but believe it or not the axle was on up side down! What the heck....!!!!! The best guess of the repair guys (who, by the way, are all thinking that my trailer is very cool and are excited about helping me get it back together) was that at one time or another somebody decided they needed more ground clearance to get to more remote camping areas. Because I live up next to the Rocky Mountains, this seems quite reasonable, but it messed up the axle and the leaf springs.
So, the estimate for getting a new axle, two new leaf springs, the bearings (which were shot anyway), brakes (which it did not have before at all), fixing the door so that it will stay shut when it is supposed to, adding a tongue jack because it didn't have one, getting the exterior wiring all correct, and oh yeah, replacing the hitch because the one that is on there now is not only too small for the trailer but also only spot welded in 6 places. $1375.00
I have no idea if that is a good price or not, but all of those things have to get done in order to safely tow the trailer where I want to. I know none of that is anything I can do myself. That puts my interior plans back a bit, since my budget isn't extravagant by any means. But I should be able to still strip the inside down to a stable place and at least clean, paint, and make it comfortable and livable for the main trip this summer.
I will most likely leave the interior wiring alone for now, as well as the gas for the stove. We aren't going to be needing the stove for this trip and the electric seems stable enough for the limited time we will be using it. I work for an electrical contractor, so I will have one of the guys double check the electric for me just to make sure the shore power is safe. Eventually I will probably rewire it, since the plug is not a grounded one.
So here is my new plan....
Pay a lot of money to make this thing safe to tow about 3,000 miles this summer - easy to do, hard on the wallet. But since the plan is to restore it and not just use it for a year or two, this seems very necessary.
Strip enough of the interior to get to a solid base to build upon - nerve racking, but probably not too hard
Test for leaks with my garden hose - easy, but hopefully I won't find many
Hope to God it doesn't need a lot of leak repair - pray hard
Fix whatever leaks - I have no idea how hard this will be
Clean it really well - a dirty, but easy job
Decide whether or not to rebuild the dinette seats this year or next - may be a decision that is easy, but doing it may be more difficult than I expect
Make the dinette area capable of being turned into a bed - easy/medium difficulty, the current table will have to be put onto a base that can come apart and then be fixed up to look nicer
Seal the interior with something like Kilz - easy
At that time decide whether to just paint, or to add something to make it smooth enough to paint, or to add a birch veneer and seal that - I hope that decision isn't too hard, but the budget may be the deciding factor for this year
Trim out enough to make it look decent - should be reasonably simple
Get the dinette cushions recovered - this I know will be easy since I can sew very well
Get a mattress for the bed - easy
Get some kind of curtains up - easy, except for the curved walls but I think I have a plan for those.
As I go along I hope the group doesn't get too tired of questions! I'm counting on y'all for some sound advice and tips to avoid some of the pitfalls.
Here are some more pictures. Matt (in the picture) is 6'2" or so, and he can stand up straight in the middle, which gives the trailer an uncrowded feeling to me.
The back side of the beauty The dining area
Just how many layers of contact/wallpaper are needed behind the stove? Answer: Three, adhered to a poster board thickness of black tar paper.Matt, stripping the paint and contact paper off of the two layers of veneer.
Down to the green paint on the original (I think) wood by the dining area.
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
What was I thinking !?!?!?!?!????
OK, It's confession time. I was going to rent a camper for a trip we are taking in June/July. There are two family reunions to go to in the Midwest. We were planning on camping for the first one, and needed extra sleeping spaces at the second one at the cabin, but our tent needed replacement. The rental was going to cost somewhere between $1,000 and $1,500. Ick.
But, what if I bought a cheap camper, one that maybe wasn't really gorgeous but a least didn't leak. That would beat a tent, and if it had electricity we could hook it up and hubby's sleep apnea machine would work. Then not only would we have a camper for the trip, but we would be able to take off for a weekend here and there to "get away from it all" whatever "all" is. Or we could sell it and be ahead of the game. Sounds reasonable, right?
So on to Craig's list I went and searched around for a camper. Not, please notice, a perfect camper, but one that would be adequate for our needs. Craig's list had tons of campers and I narrowed it down: no pop-ups because the price range I was looking at would most likely only include ones with leaky canvas, no campers that you drive in because then you have to deal with all sorts of mechanical issues, they were all out of the price range, ditto any new-ish ones. This left very few to choose from.
There was one that caught my eye. A vintage camper, one that had lots and lots of personality. One that had seen a few campfires in her years. One that didn't look too bad. One that was guaranteed not to leak, that the electricity and LP gas worked, and that was "solid".
So off I went on Sunday to see it. I was to take "a voice of reason" with me according to my friend Lisa. Great idea, but both of my voices of reason had other plans. The weather was not good: dense fog, snow and rain. I had to go to Thornton, about 80 miles away over Monument Hill. The guy said my trailer hitch and ball were compatible, as was the tail light hook up in case I decided to buy it.
It looked "interesting". There were definitely things wrong with it. However, this was a camper that could be used once it was freshened up with a coat of paint. There was some water damage inside, but the guy said he had repaired all of the leaks. It had some really hideous hot pink curtains, horrible fabric on the dinette benches and a really rank looking futon for a bed. Nothing that wasn't an easy fix. The electric worked, and the stove was used last season with no problems. There is no bathroom, so nothing there to fix. No refrigerator, just an icebox so nothing there to fix either. There is a sink, but no water tank, but that should be easy to add later.
Can you tell yet that I bought it? Yes, indeed I did. It was cheap, and it looks like it will be a fun project. (Feel free to remind me I said that later.) The hitch turned out not to be compatible, I had to get another one at the Wal-Mart. And I had to have the guy include the adapter that makes the tail lights work. I brought it home and Bob didn't laugh in my face, but I'm sure he's really hoping I can pull this off. Matt is psyched to have such a neat project to work on. He can't wait to make the inside "bad ass". (I will remind him of that later.) It only took me 10 minutes to back it into the proper space in the driveway, which I think is pretty good since I haven't backed up a trailer in over 30 years.
I have an appointment tomorrow to take it in to have some of the safety issues like brakes and safety chains looked at. I know there are some things I can't do and will wisely be leaving those things to the experts. I'm leaving the rewiring and gas leak detection and stove check until later on this season. I've had to prioritize what needs doing. This is not going to be a short term project. The immediate priorities are: towing safety, getting the door fixed so it stays shut while driving down the road and locked when at the campsite, leak repair if any is needed, screen repair because there are mosquitoes in Wisconsin, a new roof vent for better circulation, deciding whether or not we need the electricity re-done this year or not, having the gas system (which is really just the stove) checked, deciding on if we want to get the water tank hooked up this year, and then making the interior comfortable, livable, cozy and nice looking. After that, if we decide to keep it for a while, exterior repairs and a spiffy new paint job. The exterior will not happen this year, that I know for sure. So I am prepared for lots of people laughing and pointing. Also for later consideration is a furnace if it turns out that we use the camper enough for the expense to make sense.
Matt and I started investigating it a little closer today after I got back from the DMV to get plates for the thing. The people we bought it from had painted the entire inside baby blue, and they did a really bad job of it. They had painted over the previous owners contact paper, which was white with gold and silver sparkles. The contact paper was adhered to cheap veneer, which came off as well. Under that layer of veneer was more veneer, which also was coming off. Under that, there was a creamy green paint color that I believe was the original paint. It is definitely a 40's color. Oh, I didn't mention the year of the camper? The title says 1941. Yep, the same year as Pearl Harbor. 67 years old. Stop laughing!
We are by no means done ripping back to a good solid starting point for repainting or re-veneering the ceiling and walls. We have decided that part of the walls are covered with 70's cheap panelling, and we think we will probably remove that as well. None of the trim is original as far as we can tell, but the above sink cabinets and the closet probably are. The dinette benches were installed after the panelling, and we may by rebuilding those as well to make them a size that we might like better. We haven't decided whether to keep the icebox or make that space into general storage. If we make it into storage, we will build a place for a cooler under the bed in the back.
Right now we are thinking of a linoleum floor (sticky tile squares really) for ease of cleaning, maybe white and black checkerboard, and having throw rugs to keep our toes toasty warm when needed. The stove and sink are white porcelain over steel, so we are thinking of keeping the walls and ceiling creamy green color with white accents for the rest. I know of a couple places to find vintage inspired fabric for the cushions and curtains, if we decide to go that way. I still have to figure out how to get the window coverings right. Four of the windows will not cause any problems, they are on straight walls, but two windows are on walls that curve. That means the curtains, if just attached at the top, will hang straight down, which means they will hang away from the walls.
There are no identifying marks on the camper. The title just says RQ under make and CMP under model. It does have a VIN number which I have memorized. It wasn't hard since the VIN is "243". I've done a little research on the web and am thinking that it was a kit trailer, or a really obscure manufacturer. There aren't any online that I have seen that are a close match, but I'm going to do more research. There might be a clue on the icebox. They painted over a raised piece that looks like it could be the manufacturers logo. We'll find out after we strip the paint off.
Wish us luck!
But, what if I bought a cheap camper, one that maybe wasn't really gorgeous but a least didn't leak. That would beat a tent, and if it had electricity we could hook it up and hubby's sleep apnea machine would work. Then not only would we have a camper for the trip, but we would be able to take off for a weekend here and there to "get away from it all" whatever "all" is. Or we could sell it and be ahead of the game. Sounds reasonable, right?
So on to Craig's list I went and searched around for a camper. Not, please notice, a perfect camper, but one that would be adequate for our needs. Craig's list had tons of campers and I narrowed it down: no pop-ups because the price range I was looking at would most likely only include ones with leaky canvas, no campers that you drive in because then you have to deal with all sorts of mechanical issues, they were all out of the price range, ditto any new-ish ones. This left very few to choose from.
There was one that caught my eye. A vintage camper, one that had lots and lots of personality. One that had seen a few campfires in her years. One that didn't look too bad. One that was guaranteed not to leak, that the electricity and LP gas worked, and that was "solid".
So off I went on Sunday to see it. I was to take "a voice of reason" with me according to my friend Lisa. Great idea, but both of my voices of reason had other plans. The weather was not good: dense fog, snow and rain. I had to go to Thornton, about 80 miles away over Monument Hill. The guy said my trailer hitch and ball were compatible, as was the tail light hook up in case I decided to buy it.
It looked "interesting". There were definitely things wrong with it. However, this was a camper that could be used once it was freshened up with a coat of paint. There was some water damage inside, but the guy said he had repaired all of the leaks. It had some really hideous hot pink curtains, horrible fabric on the dinette benches and a really rank looking futon for a bed. Nothing that wasn't an easy fix. The electric worked, and the stove was used last season with no problems. There is no bathroom, so nothing there to fix. No refrigerator, just an icebox so nothing there to fix either. There is a sink, but no water tank, but that should be easy to add later.
Can you tell yet that I bought it? Yes, indeed I did. It was cheap, and it looks like it will be a fun project. (Feel free to remind me I said that later.) The hitch turned out not to be compatible, I had to get another one at the Wal-Mart. And I had to have the guy include the adapter that makes the tail lights work. I brought it home and Bob didn't laugh in my face, but I'm sure he's really hoping I can pull this off. Matt is psyched to have such a neat project to work on. He can't wait to make the inside "bad ass". (I will remind him of that later.) It only took me 10 minutes to back it into the proper space in the driveway, which I think is pretty good since I haven't backed up a trailer in over 30 years.
I have an appointment tomorrow to take it in to have some of the safety issues like brakes and safety chains looked at. I know there are some things I can't do and will wisely be leaving those things to the experts. I'm leaving the rewiring and gas leak detection and stove check until later on this season. I've had to prioritize what needs doing. This is not going to be a short term project. The immediate priorities are: towing safety, getting the door fixed so it stays shut while driving down the road and locked when at the campsite, leak repair if any is needed, screen repair because there are mosquitoes in Wisconsin, a new roof vent for better circulation, deciding whether or not we need the electricity re-done this year or not, having the gas system (which is really just the stove) checked, deciding on if we want to get the water tank hooked up this year, and then making the interior comfortable, livable, cozy and nice looking. After that, if we decide to keep it for a while, exterior repairs and a spiffy new paint job. The exterior will not happen this year, that I know for sure. So I am prepared for lots of people laughing and pointing. Also for later consideration is a furnace if it turns out that we use the camper enough for the expense to make sense.
Matt and I started investigating it a little closer today after I got back from the DMV to get plates for the thing. The people we bought it from had painted the entire inside baby blue, and they did a really bad job of it. They had painted over the previous owners contact paper, which was white with gold and silver sparkles. The contact paper was adhered to cheap veneer, which came off as well. Under that layer of veneer was more veneer, which also was coming off. Under that, there was a creamy green paint color that I believe was the original paint. It is definitely a 40's color. Oh, I didn't mention the year of the camper? The title says 1941. Yep, the same year as Pearl Harbor. 67 years old. Stop laughing!
We are by no means done ripping back to a good solid starting point for repainting or re-veneering the ceiling and walls. We have decided that part of the walls are covered with 70's cheap panelling, and we think we will probably remove that as well. None of the trim is original as far as we can tell, but the above sink cabinets and the closet probably are. The dinette benches were installed after the panelling, and we may by rebuilding those as well to make them a size that we might like better. We haven't decided whether to keep the icebox or make that space into general storage. If we make it into storage, we will build a place for a cooler under the bed in the back.
Right now we are thinking of a linoleum floor (sticky tile squares really) for ease of cleaning, maybe white and black checkerboard, and having throw rugs to keep our toes toasty warm when needed. The stove and sink are white porcelain over steel, so we are thinking of keeping the walls and ceiling creamy green color with white accents for the rest. I know of a couple places to find vintage inspired fabric for the cushions and curtains, if we decide to go that way. I still have to figure out how to get the window coverings right. Four of the windows will not cause any problems, they are on straight walls, but two windows are on walls that curve. That means the curtains, if just attached at the top, will hang straight down, which means they will hang away from the walls.
There are no identifying marks on the camper. The title just says RQ under make and CMP under model. It does have a VIN number which I have memorized. It wasn't hard since the VIN is "243". I've done a little research on the web and am thinking that it was a kit trailer, or a really obscure manufacturer. There aren't any online that I have seen that are a close match, but I'm going to do more research. There might be a clue on the icebox. They painted over a raised piece that looks like it could be the manufacturers logo. We'll find out after we strip the paint off.
Wish us luck!
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