'74 Compact II restoration started

[Dana T]

When I first looked at Francene's and Heath's photos of their respective trailers, I thought Heath had a deeper fridge than Francene, because his stuck out from the cabinetry much further than Francene's. But now I think that Francene's trailer has a narrower aisleway to make room for the pottyroom closet.

Let's measure and find out!

My aisleway between the sink cabinet and the fridge cabinet is 28 3/4" measuring just inside the rear door from one cabinet frame (not door) to the other. What's your aisle width?

[Tom Trostel]

One of the subtle differences between the Jr and the II is the allotment of space inside. The kitchen aisle of my Jr is 28" X 42". The dorm frig (110V only) is 16"W x 29"H x 14"D inside and appears to be mounted in the altered space of the original ice box that is 19" deep at the top.

Tom Trostel

[Donna D.]

Here's a two page refrigerator replacement chart, with model numbers and dimensions. This info is provided by Dometic, so obviously it's for Dometic refrigerators. Hope it helps:

[Pat Goodwin]

HI all, my 73 Compact II has a rectangle table with one center leg. You can slide the tabletop all the way to back wall and turn it sideways as well. To turn into bed, you have to physically pick up the tabletop and lift it off the leg, remove leg from its slot on floor, then place table to fill in opening with its edges overlapping the edges of the side benches. Then you fill in the space with the backrest cushions. Makes a huge bed. WHen out with one dog, I leave table in place and we sleep on the side benches. JUst got back from 8 days away with both dogs and found immediately that I had to make the big bed and it stayed as a bed the entire time. Just made sure I threw on a big sheet for them to rest on and took that off at night for bed.

Actually worked out well - used the space under bed for my shoes and dogs' dishes, groceries, etc.

[Pat Goodwin]

Hi Francene - yes, I'm one of those people enjoying your renovation vicariously. I'm trying to figure out where to put an a/c in my 73 Compact II and whether I can do it or have to wait until I can hire RV place to do it.

Can't remember if you have mentioned a/c or not in your posts - have you? Where will you be putting it?

Also, previous owner must have backed into tree since the frame for the screen part of door is bent and screen starting to pull out. Have you seen one of these for sale any where?

thanks for the help,
Pat

[francene]

Hi Dana,
Just saw your note. The fridge is a 3-way Dometic, 2 1/2 cu. ft. I will get you the model # tomorrow a.m.

Till then,
Francene

[francene]

Hi Dana,
Just went out and measured fridge. A Plate stuck on back says: Made in England, Product #: 9282571, Unit Type: 257A1,

The faceplate, the part that sticks out in front of the cabinet, is 20 1/8"W x 22"H x 1 5/8"D

The case is: 19 1/8"W x 22"H x 19 1/4" D. TOTAL Depth including face that sticks outside of cabinet: 20 7/8"

It sure looks old, but it runs cold~

Hope this helps!
Fran

[francene]

Got a new subfloor in yesterday. Used Liquid Nails Subfloor adhesive at the joints.

I am pretty sure I'll put in Armstrong vinyl sheet flooring, with a 'wood grain pattern'.

For now, I'm finishing up welding a battery box on the front of the trailer, patching some nicks with Bondo, and reconnecting the gas line under the floor.

I'm hoping to have the trailer painted next week at MAACO.

(I've included a photo of the fridge because Dana asked about the model. )

Havin' fun,
Fran

[Heath G.]

Francene, that looks great. looks like you are well on you way to using it soon. looks like the frridge is the same , or was the same in the jr and the II. I am lucky to have the original paperwork on my refrigerator and it was a dometic model rm23. looks to be the same dem. as yours.

To answer dana question, the one that is in my comact jr is now a norcold model 322. the cutout specs for it are 20 5/8H- 17 1/2w- 21 1/4. hope that helps Dana.

Francene, you are going to get me in trouble with all this talk of gutting things and startiong over. My wife Candy, says we havwe to use it for one season B-4 the lets me take mine apart. have fun

[JenPB]

Got a new subfloor in yesterday. Used Liquid Nails Subfloor adhesive at the joints.

I am pretty sure I'll put in Armstrong vinyl sheet flooring, with a 'wood grain pattern'.

WOW! That looks GREAT! I wish MY floor ran wall to wall rather than 6" from teh wall (give or take). The drop is such a pain! (Though not enough so for me to gut the rig to replace it...yet!)

On the Armstrong floor - let me just say we have Armstrong vinyl in our kitchen at home. ANYTHING sharp dropped on it will cause a nick, which soon fills with crude, and can tear. Got a sharp piece of gravel you've stepped on? NICK! Drop a knife? NICK! It's nice LOOKING stuff, though.

Jen

[Dana T]

Hi Francene and Heath, thanks for the model numbers and dimensions of the fridge.

Re Armstrong or other vinyl flooring -- what we often see is "residential" flooring, which has a very thin wear coat. When I had the bathrooms in our house refloored the installer showed me "institutional" flooring, like for hospital hallways, and the wearcoat was very thick and tough. Dropped forks, grit caught in shoes, wheelchair tires or whatever didn't even faze it. You might consider that for the trailer, because all the traffic will be confined to a very small area, subjecting it to much more wear than would be experienced at a house. Of course the trailer wouldn't normally be used every day of the year....

[francene]

Thanks Jen, Heath and Dana for your comments about vinyl flooring. What would you recommend, Jen?

I DO have some leftover laminate flooring; just thought it was heavier than vinyl- I'm trying to consider weight when using materials. I tow with a 4 cyl. Camry, 2000lb tow limit.

The original vinyl flooring that was removed on the rotted subfloor was in good condition; ugly pattern, but the no gouges. The stuff at Home Depot that I was considering, Armstrong Vinyl sheet Sentinel, has a 10 year warranty against rip, tear or gouge from 'normal' household use. Maybe your floor at home, Jen, is a 5 year or less warranty grade of flooring.

Institutional flooring- hmm. Home Depot has Allure Commercial heavy duty flooring planks, which could even be used in garages.

-Fran

[JenPB]

The original vinyl flooring that was removed on the rotted subfloor was in good condition; ugly pattern, but the no gouges. The stuff at Home Depot that I was considering, Armstrong Vinyl sheet Sentinel, has a 10 year warranty against rip, tear or gouge from 'normal' household use. Maybe your floor at home, Jen, is a 5 year or less warranty grade of flooring.

Fortunately, our flooring WAS 10-year warranty, but the guy had to come back and replace a section of it after the second week because the builder dropped some sort of sharp implement on it during cabinet installation and caused a ding. While at the house, the flooring guy found a few other dings he patched up, and he reglued the joint which was already splitting.

OTHERWISE, the floor HAS held up pretty well over the past 6 years. Where the chairs slide (dining room table), the floor is scuffed, but I only notice it when I'm doing one of those hands-and-knees floor-scrubbing jobs (as opposed to the more frequent mop treatment).

I suspect that, over the past six years, Armstrong has improved their product. I just wanted to share MY experience.

Other options? Hmmm...wood floor (but that's heavy), wood laminate (just as heavy plus scarring issues), commercial-grade tile (Do they make any of that you'd WANT to look at?).

At any rate, I ended up covering my floor with a bit of carpet in the end. It made it MUCH more cozy, much easier on bare feet, and since I didn't glue it down, all I have to do for a good cleaning is roll it like a taco and slide it out.

[Dana T]

Got a new subfloor in yesterday.

Fran, I took a closer look at your pictures of the subfloor and noticed that it is thicker in the aisleway than the four "ears", where by ears I mean the area in front of and behind the wheel wells. My trailer doesn't have any subfloor over the ears. Did you just paint the ears the same color as the subfloor but they are really the fiberglass body, or did you lay some thinner subfloor there?

Thanks!

[francene]

Hello all,
After much Bondo-ing, sanding, nit-picking, I took the Compact II to Maaco for painting.
It is VERY shiny now; their quality of work was pretty good, save for some worn areas that when sanded, left pitted areas that they didn't fill. But hopefully, the paint will hold up. It only took 1 day, and now it's back home but still smelling like auto paint.

Here are some photos. Next step is installing the vinyl flooring I picked up at Lowes yesterday. Then put in some supports for the cabinet framing.

Best,
Fran

[Heath G.]

Wow Francene, That looks great. I was a little scared for you when you said Maco was doing the paint put looks like it turned out mutch better than i thought it would. Maybe I should rethink letting my friend paint it and let the pro's do it. My wife wnat's ours the same color as yours. I know you have seen the pics of my camper and thankfully I don't need a total restore but I would like to do the paint, and the more I see of yours the more I want to do with mine so keep the insperation going.

[francene]

Some more photos of new flooring that went in today, yeah! Armstrong sheet vinyl, 10 year stuff from Lowes.

Also photo of trailer tongue add-ons, battery box holder, storage box holder, and spare tire holder.

Lastly, a photo of newly painted Pop-top.

Next, wall and ceiling fabric have to go in. Hmm... probably vinyl over laminate floor underlayment foam.

Whew,
Fran

[francene]

Thanks, Heath. Maaco did a good job, but there were some areas that they could have applied a bit of Bondo after they sanded, or called me on what to do, but they just went ahead and sprayed over a few pitted areas that showed up after their initial sanding. Anyway, the paint looks even and glossy, and their taping-off was neatly done. Now time will tell how it stands up.

It was expensive; if your friend is somewhat experienced, I think you could save a lot. Just spray lightly so you won't get drips and sags. Take time to prepare the surface, as with all painting. Every little blemish shows more with glossy paint over it.

Best of luck,
Fran

[bbuehler]

Fran,
Everything LOOKS wonderful...what you've done is incredible.
I need to get going on my '73 Compact II...I want to take it to MAACO but was very hesitant...you always hear the GOOD , the BAD and the UGLY!!! They seem to have done a good job. Maybe I'll sand and Bondo mine, before taking it over to MAACO. Any reason you took out the windows before painting it...did it lower the price dramatically by them not having to tape them...or are you getting new windows? Where are you getting your new belly band...Camping world? I want a bright colored one but haven't really shopped around.
AND Last but NOT LEAST, how much did MAACO charge?
Thank you so much for showing your pics, as you go along. It's really PUSHED me to have some SHINE in MY LIFE!
Barbara

[bbuehler]

Fran,
Everything LOOKS wonderful...what you've done is incredible.
I need to get going on my '73 Compact II...I want to take it to MAACO but was very hesitant...you always hear the GOOD , the BAD and the UGLY!!! They seem to have done a good job. Maybe I'll sand and Bondo mine, before taking it over to MAACO. Any reason you took out the windows before painting it...did it lower the price dramatically by them not having to tape them...or are you getting new windows? Where are you getting your new belly band...Camping world? I want a bright colored one but haven't really shopped around.
AND Last but NOT LEAST, how much did MAACO charge?
Thank you so much for showing your pics, as you go along. It's really PUSHED me to have some SHINE in MY LIFE!
Barbara