You could get an optional portable toilet in the Compact model, which were 10 footers ( that's what I have ) you'd need to be pretty skinny (and quite immodest ) to use it though.
You can see in this photo how the joints in the framing were not connected, and how we added a brace across them to connect the two . This probably wasn't necessary since the trailer lasted over 50 years without these braces, but they sure did add a lot of strength to the framing. Here's a picture of the door side of the trailer with all the repairs complete. This trailer is such a cool piece of 50's history . It really helps us to remember those wonder years of the 50's when the country was full of new "innovative" ideas and anything seemed possible.
Cool thread. You are doing a great job. I have been restoring these for 6 years now. If you have any interest, look at my page here.... https://www.facebook.com/pages/Tim-Brown-Painting-Vintage-Camper-Restoration/292044310865340 Keep up the good work.
Uhmmmm I like ham, My wife is wanting a canned ham real bad. We now have a truck to pull it so it WILL happen.
Today we started pulling the roof panels. We knew there would be some problems here, because you could see the water damaged paneling around the rear window, and the roof near the vent had obviously gotten wet and the paneling was all deformed and droopy. Much to our surprise the framing in these areas was still quite nice. The paneling was all that had been affected. There were a couple other problems however. The factory just bored a 1/2 inch hole in the 3/4 inch framing to bring wires through. This left only a quarter inch of material on the frame member. We'll replace this. There was also some rot on the front and rear top bends that will have to be replaced. This will require opening up the outside aluminum to do the job correctly... That's next. This pic should be rotated 90 degrees to the left, but I'm a bit of a luddite and cant seem to figure that out. The droop in the ceiling was nothing more than a warped frame member. An easy replace. All in all, not as bad as we expected.
Don't wanna butt in on your build thread but thought I'd show one before and after pic of my Shasta Compact (10 footer) Had to replace a couple of ceiling panels around the roof vent, including the framework and the vent. Also had some soft wood on he rear. I replaced the wood paneling with pebble- grain plastic like you'd use in a bathroom. Also replaced the fiberglass insulation with styrofoam sheeting. After: I've replace a few other pieces of wood but put off stripping the works till this winter. BTW Chaz, thanks again for the package - yer the man!
The plywood rim around the front and the front window frame were completely rotten. The only way to access this is to open up the outside metal. Here's the crew goin' for it. When you're taking things this far apart you worry a bit, but you also want to do the job correctly. Here you can see the rotted front window frame, and to the side of it the rotted plywood rim. The plywood rim came out in a thousand little pieces. The glue in old plywood is not as good as the stuff today for sure!. We replaced it with a wider strip of 3/4 inch marine grade ply that ought to last a helluva long time! Here's the front end all opened up. By the end of the day we had the new plywood rim glued and screwed in place. It was nice to see things coming together instead of further apart!
I have some Shasta parts I salvaged from my wrecked Stratoflyte if anyone's intetested. (I flipped it on it's side. It's now a flat bed utility trailer.) If you need something, I may have it.
spent some time re building the front framing. Having been a cabinetmaker I really learned the value of pocket screws. We've been using them to attach the braces instead of nails. They are so much stronger and less apt to loosen. Here's a close up of a pocket screw attachment. I replaced the rotted window frame as one unit and it really made a solid replacement. Here's a quick shot of all the rebuilt framing across the front. Probably after our next two work sessions all the framing will be done and we can begin paneling the inside of the trailer.. Looking forward to that!
I learned during the repair of my cab-over camper that many of the trailers, campers, and mobile homes are built from the inside out, which explains why removing appliances can be next to impossible. We see many older travel trailers, and campers on the road, many towed by street rods. Happy Travelin' 4TTRUK
A potty? We have a 12 foot 1962 Santa Fe. We stuffed one in the closet. If anyone is interested how I did it, I took photos and have a story ready.
If it's ok with Chaz, yes I would like to see. I've been on a not so serious hunt for a Canned Ham. And a toilet has been something that's becoming more and more a deciding factor. More like, as we get older, the OH OH factor needs tending to know, and not 200 feet down the trail and what not. I've researched the Thetford Curve. http://www.thetford.com/HOME/PRODUCTS/PortableToilets/PortaPottiCurve/tabid/886/Default.aspx I really like this unit for only when necessary needs. So to have it hide away would be great as to not disturb the original architecture of the trailer.
The roof bracing was a real problem. The framing slats are 3/4 x 1 3/4. spanning about 7 feet. The roof was all saggy because the slats had warped. We decided to strengthen them with a steel rib at every slat . We would put a slight bow in the steel ribs, so that water could never pool on the roof. First we cut some 3/4 x 3/4 steel tube to the correct length. Then with our trusty home made roller we rolled a 1 1/2 inch bow into each of the six ribs.I know this looks like the hokiest tool ever, but it is a VERY valuable shop tool. We use it pretty often, and its helped us out in TONS of situations. Each rib was then drilled every 10 inches so it could be screwed to the wooden slat. Here's the rib with the bow bent into it. Now all we have to do is screw one of these onto each roof brace for a solid lightly arched roof .
I just bought a 1964 Aristocrat Loliner and have it tore down down to the frame. This is my winter project in Anchorage. My chopped 55 Ford F100 will be ideal for towing it. I found a guy who is making 40 sets of the steel garage wheels for $150 in California. Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
We screwed the 3/4 x 3/4 square tube to each of the roof crossmembers. It worked great! Now there are no warped supports below the roof, AND there is a slight crown to the roof braces to assure that water will never pool on the roof. We also took time to epoxy curved wooden braces to the front and rear of the rounded ends of the trailer. All the structural work is now done and we can begin paneling the inside walls and ceilings.... Stay tuned!
After all that work how about a little relaxation? Norman Greenbaum asks the musical question, when you gonna buy me a canned ham? Canned Ham: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uZoVY6oi5yo
I didn't post last week cause things have been so busy around here but we did get work done. We installed a power vent in the ceiling to replace the old manual one. The unit is quite nice, has variable speeds and has been rated very quiet. We also purchased all the 1/8 birch plywood necessary to re-do the interior of the trailer. We stained 6 of the panels that will go on the ceiling to the customers chosen color. This week they will be dry enough to lacquer. The panels were sprayed with a clear lacquer. The first coat always brings out the fuzziness in the wood. the panel is then sanded with 220 grit paper and a second coat of lacquer applied. That's better! The trailer had virtually no insulation, so while everything is apart now is the time. There is only 3/4 of an inch between the walls, so we chose closed cell rigid foam insulation. The R factor is as high as we can get ... R5 The insulation cuts easily with a razor knife and is a nice friction fit between the ribs. This job is really getting to be fun!
I haven't posted on here for a while because the work has been so repetitive. Cut a panel, glue a panel, cut a panel, glue a panel, etc. We still work on this thing twice a week, but I figure I'll only post when something interesting happens. Yesterday we finished paneling the full interior of the old Shasta. here's a few photos... Next week we'll start rebuilding all the interior cabinets...
Happy to see you are still working on the trailer,as repetitive as some things are photographs may help the next guy tackling one of these old campers. HRP
We finished a couple cabinets as well as the magazine rack, and today we installed them. Here's a couple photos of the cabinets on the wall. They are exact copies of the originals, except we made the bottoms of the interior shelves out of melamine for easy cleaning and durability. I didn't go through the construction of a cabinet, but I'll be happy to if anyone is really interested in that process.
oh, the cabinets are lovely! What type wood did you use? It looks like the edges are rounded on the face frames? I likey!
Thought I'd post again, as a reasonable amount of work has happened since the last posting. With many thanks to Hot Rod Roadster here on the hamb, We figured out the front seats and their fitment. Here's a photo of one side of that area. The cushions still need to be re-upholstered, but everything fit just as it should. The sink/stove cabinet set took a lot of figuring. We had to make it in sections small enough to fit through the door, and then assemble them. At the factory the cabinets PRECEDE the walls. Its a goofy framework, built to be light. Once installed though, its really sturdy. Here's a few photos. Finally the area around the stove is covered with a "pleated" polished aluminum. We found some polished and lacquered aluminum at Hemet Metals in Ca. We put the "pleats" in it with our sheetmetal brake. Looks just like the original - we're happy with it.
Great build. You have put a ton of work in it. Speaking of a ton, I would be real curious to know what it weighs when you are finished.
I haven't weighed it, but I'd be surprised if this thing weighs over 1500 pounds. My first reaction was "What a Piece of Crap !!!." But as I work on it I'm falling in love. It had to be concieved by aircraft engineers. Its really quite cleverly designed, and the fact that it has existed for almost 60 years speaks to its durability.
The Jalopy Journal
