Compact Jr. Pop Top canvas question

[CarolP]

Hello All...

I'm looking at buying a Compact Jr from a guy who's been using it for years as his hunting camp. It's ROUGH to say the least, but I'm telling my husband that it's a "diamond in the rough". Can I still get the canvas for the pop top? Are Compact Jr's still considered "rare"? I used to have a Uhaul 16ft VT, recently sold my Apache camper (ABS hardside pop up) and now am eyeing this Compact Jr. I'm a Vintage Freak!! I already have it decorated in my head, and that's before I scrub the mold off of it!

Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated....

[Donna D.]

Hi Carol, to FiberglassRV, we're glad you're here.

Rare? Humm, that's in the eye of the beholder, and REALLY does it make a difference whether you buy it or make it more "valuable"? Not to me (YMMV) Diamond in the rough? If you're up to all the fixin' needed, I think you'd have a neato trailer.

There are several folks right in the midst of rehabing Compacts (and kissin' cousins), they'd probably be your best resource for the canvas.

[Bobbie Mayer]

Not sure what the original canvas was, but VW bus camper sellers usually have some kind of fabric they consider original to those. I don't think it matters, though as they aren't rare enough or well known enough for an authentic restoration to improve value.

[floyd]

It would help if you had the old one for a pattern , but I got an estimate from Shaw's tent and awning to reproduce it for under $200 including the screens with built-in covers.

[CarolP]

Originally Posted by floyd

It would help if you had the old one for a pattern , but I got an estimate from Shaw's tent and awning to reproduce it for under $200 including the screens with built-in covers.

That was going to be my next question!! Thank you Sir!

[Bob Miller]

Last year I restored the boot on my Hunter Compact-II, but even that (new screens and window covers) cost $200.

I got three estimates for all new material from local canvas shops hereabouts (SoCal) and all were between $450 & $600. At that, $200 would be a bargain.

[FTTRV]

From experience I restored a 71 Compact Jr. It is has been sitting for years before you tow it home replace the tires and check the bearings. It could have 4 lug wheels which are hard to find. Look over the interior wood, check the top for straightness. If sway belly in the center you will have problems installing the canvas. I had a friend make the canvas it was difficult to install. Check the wood floor for rot.
Chuck

[Cliff]

Vintage collectible?, in the eye of the beholder! Agree with everything said above. Did I just echo Donna's statement.

If you want the trailer to use for yourself, then great. If the shell is in reasonable condition without cracks, or additional holes. Inspect the tongue as many have rebuilt or strengthened. The interior is easily to replace IMHO, as I have completely rebuilt mine with the original configuration. Not all Compact Jr.'s have insulation, and you should consider this depending on where you live, and the climate you expect to camp in.

Perfect timing for your question, as I am at the stage of finding a seamstress to duplicate a top skirt. I was lucky to have meet a Compact Jr. owner here on the forum, and he gave me his original old skirt to use as a template. I will surely pay it forward by not discarding it when I am finished. What state do you live in?

@Floyd was that a canvas for a Compact Jr. or a Scamp? Are you happy with what was made for you? Would you recommend the same vendor for others here on the forum?

[CarolP]

Alas....I was "out bid" by another interested party that arrived after I did to view the trailer...it needed A LOT of work especially on the rusty frame. The guy told me it was "road worthy" but I was seriously considering having it trailered home on a flat bed. The tires had no tread, well...not that I could see by digging them out of the mud anyway..It was kinda weird...guy pulls up and walks around it the same time I'm talking to the seller and offered him more than he was asking... The seller totally blows me off and starts talking to this other guy like I wasn't even there...We weren't talking thousands of dollars difference, we were talking a couple of hundred...I might be stupid, but I'm not giving someone more than they want for something they're selling... The search continues...

Thanks for all your input..If nothing else, I learned a few things over the past couple of days.

[Bob Miller]

There are 3-4 Hunter/Campster trailers currently listed on fiberglass-rv-4sale.com. Look under For Sale-US and Other Makes.

Sounds like you lucked out though. I have almost never seen worn out tires on a trailer that weren't so far out of date that it wasn't safe to move much less pull down the highway.

Remember, it's almost always cheaper to buy a decent trailer than to put a long-gone fixer back on the road, That is unless one is really into pain, handcuffs and whips etc.

[floyd]

Originally Posted by Bob Miller

Last year I restored the boot on my Hunter Compact-II, but even that (new screens and window covers) cost $200.

I got three estimates for all new material from local canvas shops hereabouts (SoCal) and all were between $450 & $600. At that, $200 would be a bargain.

Don't forget though , you live in California... Here in the U.S. things sometimes cost less.

[Bob Miller]

Considering that standard, 3 sided VW/Westy replacement canvas runs over $300 at the Bus Depot in PA, asking $450 for a custom made product isn't all that much and, with about $100 in materials for a quality build, $200 doesn't leave much room for labor. As I said, that's a bargain.

Beside that, here in the California Republic (aka "California" to others) $450 is only about 2 days pay at our current minimum wage.

[floyd]

Originally Posted by Bob Miller

Considering that standard, 3 sided VW/Westy replacement canvas runs over $300 at the Bus Depot in PA, asking $450 for a custom made product isn't all that much and, with about $100 in materials for a quality build, $200 doesn't leave much room for labor. As I said, that's a bargain.

Beside that, here in the California Republic (aka "California" to others) $450 is only about 2 days pay at our current minimum wage.

I hear ya!

[Loyce]

Sorry you lost out on the trailer.

I'm rehabbing a '74 Hunter I, sewed my own pop-top replacement canvas. Cost about $75 in materials and about 15 hours of my time. I put zippers on the windows instead of velcro even though I hate sewing zippers since they work smoother than the velcro. I had the old vinyl as a pattern. At this point I agree $200 would have been cheap.

I'm still looking for a 4 lug wheel for a spare tire.

[Cory Hilby]

Originally Posted by floyd

It would help if you had the old one for a pattern , but I got an estimate from Shaw's tent and awning to reproduce it for under $200 including the screens with built-in covers.

Wow! Floyd, where is Shaw's Tent and Awning?

My brother has been suggesting half-moon type zippers for a replacement skirt on my 1972 Compact Jr. How do you like them, Loyce?

Someone took some relatively thick vinyl, chopped out window holes (and I mean CHOPPED) and hand-sewed on velcro and clear window flaps on the skirt they'd made on mine. Apparently canvas doesn't last 40 years in the Pacific Northwest! Ha! But really, it would be nice to have a decent-looking and -acting skirt.

[Loyce]

I made my skirt/boot out of Sunbrella fabric and made the windows 2 ways to try out what I liked best. Both of them have fiberglass screen in them. I looked at no-see-um netting and felt the fiberglass screen was a better choice, it was tougher fabric and had better air flow. I made a rectangular flap for a velcroed window and a half circle shape for the zippered window. The zippered one only takes one hand to close and it closes faster and more precisely than the velcro. Even though it was harder to make I like it better.

I still have work to do on it, it only has 2 windows and I want to have 4, one on each side. I made each of the sides as separate panels (easier to handle) then did a single line of stitching holding them together to check the installed fit. I'm going to pull it back out, install the additional windows, maybe replace the velcro window with a zippered one so they all match, then sew all the panels back together with a lapped seam for strength. Plus I need to add a pocket around the entire bottom to run a string through so it can be tied tightly after it is screwed in place,

[Steve Hilby]

On my sister's Compact Jr, there's a long elastic cord that goes all the way around the outside of the top skirt about halfway up. It helps tuck the skirt away when you're lowering the top.

You might consider sewing on a loop at each corner to help keep the elastic in place.