Karin's Campster Renovation

[Dave Fish]

Do you have a serial number on a plate next to the door? That's where mine is and since my frame was replaced, there is not one on it that I have ever found.

Just curios.

[k corbin]

Originally Posted by bobdobqb

Nice jig! I was going to stamp my frame this spring and will borrow your design if I may.

Permission granted that is what it is there for. It is a task that quite a few people have a need to do. And now they don't have to worry about smashing their fingers with the hammer

[k corbin]

Originally Posted by Dave Fish

Do you have a serial number on a plate next to the door? That's where mine is and since my frame was replaced, there is not one on it that I have ever found.

Just curios.

Interestingly enough at some point in time my serial number became the VIN number on the title. When I changed the title over to WA state the licensing agent was perplexed by the odd number. But I brought that metal plate along with me so they just shrugged with that "whatever" look on their face.

I have no idea if the original frame was ever stamped. The sruface metal on the tongue had flaked off in layers of rust attached to the last paint job on it.

I removed that metal plate that was by the door when I painted the trailer exterior and it is in such poor condition with a lot of aluminum corrosion that all the info on can't be read. So I keep it inside instead of putting it back outside. If I get bugged about it by a cop they will understand why it not outside when I show it to them.

I am the stamping the VIN on the frame because if I ever do change my domicile to another state and they insist on seeing the stamped VIN number they will have one to find. Simple enough to stamp it in. It is just there to prevent issues with an officer who feels like making issues of such things. Or even to soothe a nervous future buyer should I ever decide to sell it. Not a big deal, just one of a great many small tasks to get done. That task list will continue to get longer as I think of more things while I am finishing the renovation. It is the hydra list, cut one off and two more show up.

[bobdobqb]

Originally Posted by k corbin

That task list will continue to get longer as I think of more things while I am finishing the renovation. It is the hydra list, cut one off and two more show up.

I knew it wasn't just me The other day as I was working on my side window I started to hum the Fixx classic "One Thing Leads to Another" as I realized I should look at replacing the broken/loose rivets that fasten the closet to the shell while I still had the window out... And so it goes...

[k corbin]

Now that the weather is warming up and my aluminum cabinet framing is complete it was time to get the cabinet door designs finalized.

I am using a mesh product for the panels in the doors. Shown in the photo above but not rendered in the design image below.
fridge side doors.JPG Views: 23 Size: 52.6 KB ID: 133634" style="margin: 2px" />
The design image captured from my 3D CAD model for the doors on the passenger side of my Campster. My wood framing is going to be Poplar, I am making my own pulls that fit flush to the front of the doors out of 1/16 thick aluminum extrusion. My material cost for the pulls was less that 50 cents each, can't be that price for contemporary style, cabinet hardware that is integrated into the design of the cabinet. I am making my own because I never did see any for sale that I liked that were affordable.

I have the tools and the time. ....Lots of time, I am in Seattle on a "STAY AT HOME" state wide command due to the Covid 19 situation. At least the hardware store and lumber yard are open and designated as being "essential services". Essential for my sanity when I can't go much of anywhere, although many would not consider doing a total renovation job as something sane. The weather is becoming a little drier, also important to my sanity after an extremely wet Seattle fall and winter.

[ReneeN]

Looking forward To seeing your door design. I am planning similar on my boler. I have the original fiberglass cabinet, but it is just a skeleton from all the previous mods. I have reframed the front of the cabinet, and have a nice 36x36 piece of SS mesh I found on the discount rack of a little hardware store.
I am all about ventilation in my little camper. It was filled with carpet inside big closed cabinets, on the walls and floor. After two months of scraping and mold mitigation, it will not have any soft surfaces or closed doors when finished.

I have been immensely enjoying your refurb. Well done.

Renee From Port Orchard

[KCan]

I've gutted my '71(?) Compact Jr. It's in pieces all over the yard. Your journey has really informed and inspired me. Please keep the posts coming!
Kris

[k corbin]

Originally Posted by KCan

I've gutted my '71(?) Compact Jr. It's in pieces all over the yard. Your journey has really informed and inspired me. Please keep the posts coming!
Kris

Will do, just wrapping up some exterior work but it is slow going as this is a very rainy spring and I don't have a covered work space.

[k corbin]

The Lady Bug has landed. Meaning it is finally down on the ground off the ramps. The new wheels are installed and torqued to spec. They are a suitable match for the wheels on my tow vehicle.

I am working on the new 7 pin wiring for the lights and the electric brakes but I have not yet purchased all of the components that are needed such as the breakaway battery box or the brake controller. Decisions to make on which controller unit to buy. Seattle just shifted into phase 2 of the Covid 19 rules so that will make it easier to do some in person shopping including getting some in person comparison advice at some of the local places that carry those items. Fortunately there are a lot of suppliers within a half hour's drive.

But in the meantime in between that shopping trip, now that it is lower down to the ground and there will be several days in a row with no rain I am going to get the last coat of paint on the roof of the trailer. But first I have to wash all the sand and seagull poop off of it.

[ReneeN]

The Lady Bug looks great. Over on the other side of Puget Sound I will be putting the last (I hope) coat of paint on the lower half of my boler. Finally having some semi sunny days is a big help.

[shrimpscampi]

Lady Bug looks awesome! You did such a great job. Can you post some pictures of the inside?

[k corbin]

Originally Posted by shrimpscampi

Lady Bug looks awesome! You did such a great job. Can you post some pictures of the inside?

maybe in a couple of months

[k corbin]

I need to move out of the space I am doing my build in. So working like mad to get it at least ready to roll down the road. That means I need the solar panels installed, most of the wiring completed which includes putting in a converter, sink plumbed, under cabinet waste and water tank in place, stove and its dielsel fuel tank installed. I already have the fridge in place. But the biggest time consuming job that will take the most time is getting all the electrical stuff hooked up to switches and 12v sockets and the overhead lights. Of course I can also do some of the accessory plugs and switches later on as well. But I do need the 30 amp power supply, the solar charging and of course the fridge operational before I am on the road.

I will be prepping materials for "kits" such planing all the lumber for making the cabinet doors and cutting drawer parts so I can assemble them while I am out camping, battery drill motors and drivers and a few hand tools will suffice.

Of course having my toilet secured in place was also a priority. So today I have finished 99.9 percent of that job. Made brackets to secure to the cabinet framing and rear wall. Cut some angles that are lined with slipper UHMW for side guides that also hold the toilet down so it won't go bouncing up in the air or sliding sideways when I go over a bumpy road to a campsite. I just have to put a foam bumper on the back of the cabinet wall and two drop in detent pins so it won't shift forward into the cabinet doors while driving around. You can see that aluminum angle guide rail down at the bottom against the rolling base. Hardest part of that job, bending and twisting like a pretzel to get all the pieces fitted. It took way longer than I would have liked because of that.


The hardest part to do on my own will be putting up the vinyl headliner on the ceiling since it is attached with contact cement and is truly a two person job. With Covid 19 going on finding a helper to work in a small space alongside of me won't be all that easy to accomplish. But it will happen sooner or later and I do have EVA foam insulation already up on the ceiling so it is not just bare fiberglass.

[k corbin]

up on the roof top
solar panel install 1.jpg Views: 22 Size: 55.0 KB ID: 136129" style="margin: 2px" />
My workshop mate Don got some work done on mounting the solar panel onto my trailer. He started fabricating the cross bars the other day. The forward towards the tongue edge of the panel has 4 stainless steel hinges on it so that the 150 watt Renogy solar panel can be tilted to an optimal angle. Hinges are riveted in place with 3/16 stainless blind, pull rivets. We will have to get around to building the tilting brackets later as there is not enough time before I hit the road. My friend will do the design in 3D CAD and help with some of the fabrication work. I can install them myself while on the road full time.

Tomorrow's chore is install on the rear cross bar hold down brackets and a lock. There are blocks under the far ends of the cross bars as my roof is not flat. My friend had some 4 inch squares of Paper Stone countertop material that worked just fine for those riser blocks. The cross bar is thru bolted with 3/8 stainless screws going thru backer plates on the interior. He also made custom rectangular nuts that fit inside of the tubing. Very secure for highway travel.

Did some more prep for the electrical work today but this evening I am going to work cutting the pieces for the popup top inside wood trim frame (it secures the top to the trailer). The garage area stays at 72 degrees inside, even on hot days like today, as long as the big garage door stays shut.

[k corbin]

I finished putting in the 3/4 thick Doug Fir trim inside the top and around the opening for my popup top. Then I installed my new stainless steel hold down brackets. They are a marine item, made to secure hatch covers on boats.



A very essential item

[LittleJohn]

Ladybug is looking the part some really nice work bringing her back.
The lengths some people will go to to avoid using the angle grinder, I feel you may have gone a bit too far throwing yourself off like that and breaking a bone

[k corbin]

Originally Posted by LittleJohn

Ladybug is looking the part some really nice work bringing her back.
The lengths some people will go to to avoid using the angle grinder, I feel you may have gone a bit too far throwing yourself off like that and breaking a bone

It was certainly an unfortunate accident that made for a lot of lost time. I did not enjoy spending another winter in cold, rainy Seattle.

[k corbin]

I have been living full time in my Campster since August 3. It is working nicely for me. The Campster with its matching to my tow vehicle red and black color scheme draws in compliments like crazy.
I still have to finish wiring up all the electrical and build cabinet doors and drawers. My solar panel keeps up with the small 12v fridge I put in just fine even on cloudy days. But so far I have been staying in relatively inexpensive camp grounds with shore power as I have needed it for cutting inventory for my Etsy store. Now that I am just about caught up with that and have enough back stock for a couple of months I can begin to finish the electrical wiring hookups. The wires runs are mostly done, I just need to crimp connectors and splices on them, wire up switches and sockets and hook up to the converter. Lots of bending and twisting time. I don't mind doing the connections but the bending gets my back to aching after even a short session of it.
I did get my desktop installed, it was an essential so that I could use my cutting machine to make the kits for my Etsy shop. Too messy right now to show any photos as I still have work stuff spread out all over the counters.

It has been very easy to heat up the trailer on cool evenings and mornings with a 400 watt electric heater. The insulation helps a lot with keeping it cooler on hot days and warmer on cold nights.

My roll out toilet platform has been very easy to use.

I did get the fresh water tank and grey water tank hooked up to my sink as well as the hand operated pump faucet. No hurry on putting in the faucet for a 12v pump as it is doing OK for me so far.

I have the macerator pump set up now so I can use it to empty the toilet or use it to empty the grey water tank. At some point I will plumb in a gravity drain for the grey water but have not bothered with it yet.

Also on the to do list is plumbing in and hooking up the electrical for my diesel cooktop/heater. It has not been a priority yet as the weather has not been that cold and I can cook on my little duel fuel propane/butane burner.

So lots to do to finish up the remodel but it is functioning just fine as a full time living space for life on the road despite not yet being completed.

This last few weeks was not all that pleasant with all the wildfire smoke congestion in Western Washington state but the rain has cleared that out now. More rain to come this week. In a week or two I would like to begin heading south along the Pacific Coast and hopefully some of the smoke in Oregon and California will also be gone by then. Too hot to go to Arizona for the winter camping until November as I don't have AC. It is in the plans for next spring and summer to get a window unit setup.

[EllPea in CA]

So glad to see this update. Your work, as always, is inspiring!

[k corbin]

Rainy day here today and also for the next two days. Good afternoon for a hot cup of tea. I used my little Gas One Mini dual fuel stove on my new desktop to make the tea. My Honda Element is parked just outside the window.


The desk has been getting a lot of use since I installed it the other week. I set my vinyl cutter on it while I make the kits for my Etsy store. It is nice having it right in front of the window.