'74 Compact II restoration started Options

[Billb]

Hey, that camper looks pretty close to my Amerigo! I want to see how you replace a floor in one of these, as mine has gotten soft and needs to be replaced.

Please post lots of photos and info for those of us unsure if we want to take the plunge

[francene]

Welcome, Heath and Candy! Glad you found a Compact and what a good deal you got! Try to post your photos. We'd love to see your trailer.

Best,
Fran

[francene]

Took out the floor yesterday, and cut out the new plywood today. Here's a few photos of the trailer without the floor, one photo of the cleaned out walls, a photo of the grit that was under the floor, and a photo of the old floor resting on our shed.

It's good to finally get the floor out! I washed out the remaining fiberglass 'lip' which had lots of dirt, rusty screws, sand and pebbles, an old nickel and a shilling!

Fran

 floor_out.jpg ( 51.28K ) Number of downloads: 104
 stripped_out_innards.jpg ( 48.91K ) Number of downloads: 86
 grit_and_gravel_under_floor.jpg ( 66.84K ) Number of downloads: 86
 old_floor.jpg ( 60.54K ) Number of downloads: 105

 

[JenPB]

WELCOME, Heath and Candy!
I just got my '72 Compact Jr. last summer! Sure, it's compact. Sure we don't have bathrooms onboard, but it's wonderfully simple and just about everything we need to fix it up can be found at a hardware store (rather than expensive RV parts store). Plus, it's light and, hey, we moved up for a tent so we're not complaining!

Enjoy!

Jen

[Heath G.]

For the warm welcome. And Jen you are right on the money about the no tenting. I took my wife camping for the first time last summer and we got soaked in the tent after a t-storm rolled in. When I found this compact jr 2 months later I jumped on it. I am so mglad I found this web site beacause I had no idea what it was I found for $500. I had someone offer me twice that shortly after I found the site so I was wise enough to turn that down. Anyway I think I can post the pics so lets try

 183res.jpg ( 43.85K ) Number of downloads: 130
 181res.jpg ( 53.22K ) Number of downloads: 107



 180res.jpg ( 42.18K ) Number of downloads: 103
 176_res.jpg ( 52.68K ) Number of downloads: 106


This post has been edited by Heath G.: May 19 2009, 01:15 PM

[francene]

Looks like similar layout and features to my Compact II, Heath. Mine didn't come with the table. How does that work- it pivots down to become the bed supports, right?

Good buy you got there, for sure!

P.S. I think you shrunk the photos down too much. They are small and hard to see, and don't enlarge. Did you use www.shrinkpictures.com?

Fran

[Heath G.]

thanks francene, and first anwer is yes the table folds down to be bed suport. that seems to work well exept a little in the way when trying to put the top up. we have not used it yet. I just got it in the late fall so we will see how it works when we get it out. My wife and I are taking a trip from our home in Canton OH to newlondon WI on the 4th of july. thats is about a 650 one way trip. sure do hope it pulls well. And for the second answer on the pics, that was my first try and my son used photoshop to shrink them. I will try the other and see if that works. I see you post on here often so hope to ttu soon.

[Tom Trostel]

Francene,
My Compact Jr had no table when I bought it, but had 2 cups in the floor for table legs. I made a table from 3/4" birch plywood that was 36" X 22.5". It mounts on two legs that I bought at a RV supply store. It's worked well for us since 2004.

http://s293.photobucket.com/albums/mm41/to...psonphotos2.jpg

Tom Trostel

[Heath G.]

Tom I like the hardwood floor and the material on the walls. was the insulation like that when you got it or did you add that? I also thought about adding a door to the outside so I can get to the under seat storage from outside instead of having to lift up seats to get things. Do you think this would harm the value of the compact?

[Tom Trostel]

The floor is covered in birch laminate from Sams. The walls are original diamond quilted cream-colored vinyl. I've seen outside access doors added to a Compact II and it looked good. I doubt it would hurt the value.

[Tom Trostel]

sorry - double post

This post has been edited by Tom Trostel: May 19 2009, 07:45 PM

[Heath G.]

Hi again Francene, I went to the site you told me about and it worked wonders for the pics now they will enlarge the way everyone elses do. I was wondering how you were all doing that. Thanks again and will keep you posted on mods as I get to them. after we take it out on the maiden trip we will post some new pics of the camper all clean.

[JenPB]

For the warm welcome. SNIP! Anyway I think I can post the pics so lets try

 183res.jpg ( 43.85K ) Number of downloads: 130
 181res.jpg ( 53.22K ) Number of downloads: 107



 180res.jpg ( 42.18K ) Number of downloads: 103
 176_res.jpg ( 52.68K ) Number of downloads: 106

WOW...what a STEAL!

Before you set out on your trip, may I suggest you at least tow it around town a bit? Might help you work out some kinks BEFORE hitting the Big Road!

Jen

[francene]

Your photos look great now, Heath. Nice looking trailer you've got.
Does yours not have any fabric on the walls?

Fran

[Heath G.]

No fabric for the walls on mine when I got it . I think I am leaning towards seeing if scamp dealer will sell what they put in those in bulk and I will do it myself.

And to respond to you sug. Jen, I will do that. When I drove it home I noticed it bounced around allot. I just put new bias ply tires on it and hope that helps. I do know that I had a few problems that did not help the handleing. I found out that the ball is a 2 inch and not the 1 7/8 that I used, the tunge was way to high up and I caught the rear bumper pulling out of the driveway it was in, and the stealbelted radials that were on it were severly dry rooted. Now that I fixed all that I will try agasin and see if it is better