Karin's Campster Renovation

[CindyL]

Could you post more inside pix? Maybe I missed them, but I could not find images of the cupboards after you added the mesh inserts.

Thanks. I have been so impressed with the work you did.

CindyL

[k corbin]

Originally Posted by CindyL

Could you post more inside pix? Maybe I missed them, but I could not find images of the cupboards after you added the mesh inserts.

Thanks. I have been so impressed with the work you did.

CindyL

there are no photos because I have not yet made the cabinet doors. It will be a few months yet before I get around to that. Next up is to get more of the wiring installed. It would be way too hard to get inside the cabinets to hook up wiring if the doors were installed.

[k corbin]

campster x brace.jpg Views: 39 Size: 194.8 KB ID: 138248" style="margin: 2px" />
Heads up alert, Campster popup tops are not all made exactly the same way for every year so my dimension might very well not work at all for your Campster if you want to make cross braces for yours. Also I added a thick bulb seal to the bottom of my top which has a flange on it whereas other years of Campster do not have a flange on the edge. So it is highly unlikely that you can exactly copy what I have done using the dimensions I am stating. But at least my custom modification will give you an idea how to approach this project and put your own spin on it.

It is about time I showed the cross bracing I installed in the narrow ends of the canvas top this summer. My top had taken a decided lean to one side which bugged me a lot plus I plan to be full time on the road and want to leave the top up even on windy days. The new cross braces are a real success, the top is now very stable and does not move side to side even in strong winds. Of course you absolutely do have to take the braces out, lower the top and clamp it down for travel.

Because I removed the thin metal trim and put some 3/4" thick wood trim around the inside edges of my popup top it was a pretty easy job to add cross bracing. I made my upper trim 1-1/2" wide and my lower trim is 2-38" wide. That allows my top to sit down flush but still have a gap between the wood frame for the canvas to come inside the interior when the top is lowered. My hold downs are not the original ones and they too are installed through and into those wood trim pieces. I showed those hold downs previously.

The cross brace pieces are 1/8" thick by 3/4" wide T 6061 aluminum bar stock. Not that difficult to find in hardware store sources. I wanted all four of the bars to be the same length. So first I had to figure out the center point of the upper edge and the lower edge then measure over the same distance to the sides, make a mark that would become the center of a drilled hole in the wood into which I would install an 8-24 threaded insert. Those are also easy to find in a hardware store but a little tricky to get them going into the wood in really straight unless you have a special tool for it which I did not bring along with me.

Next you make sure the top is fully extended and then you have to make sure that the centerline on the top and the bottom are in line with each other and side to side the top must be squared up true. Easier to do with two people or the assistance of some clamps and boards. It has to be squared up at 90 degress so that you can measure the diagonal length for the braces from the center of the hole on the top to the center of the hole on the bottom. That and a little extra length at the ends for edge margin around the holes gives you the overall length to make each of the 4 cross brace bars.

My 4 braces are 27-1/2" in length between the center point of the holes that secure them I don't know if all of the popup openings remained the same over the 3 years of production but that might be possible. I would hope it did but truly don't know that for sure. You need to make your own measurements and not just use mine because of all the variations I have such as having installed that wood trim inside the opening.

My braces are secured into the threaded inserts using 8/24 socket cap machine screws. The hardware stores sell caps with knurled edges that you can push onto the socket cap machine screws. Those caps mean you don't need any tools to remove and reinstall the braces. If you have measured and drilled carefully all four braces will be interchangeable. If the socket cap screws are a little too long you can trim them shorter. I trimmed mine using a fiber reinforced cutoff wheel in my Dremel Motor.

[k corbin]

I will soon have some more renovation photos to post but not for another week or two. Just finished up installing my diesel fueled cooktop/heater that I purchased a long time ago. Made a hot cup of mocha with it to toast getting that task finally check off my list.


In the morning I will begin my migration out of WA state, down highway 101 to California then over to Arizona for the winter. Because of the Covid situation I won't be doing very much sightseeing on this trip other than taking a walk or two to break up the long days of driving.


I don't know if there will be a fiberglass rally in Quartzsite this year but no doubt some of the regulars from this forum will still show up in the area. You will most certainly notice my red and black trailer and Honda Element pair. They stand out like bright red birds among a flock of white gulls. Say hello if you see me outside enjoying the sunshine.

[ReneeN]

Good luck with your travels. I hope you will continue posting, I look forward to reading them.

[k corbin]

I am getting very close to finishing my custom layout cabinetry. Here is a sneak peak, drivers side looking towards the rear. I had just put on the poplar wood trim around the recharging outlet station. Still waiting on some parts to arrive from Amazon before I can try to find a friend to help me glue up the headliner.



I hope everyone is enjoying their summertime camping. I am having a nice time camping full time. I am in Northern Arizona for the summer with other friends camped nearby.

[Jon in AZ]

Looks wonderful! Can't wait to see the whole thing. Northern Arizona has been nice this year, with reasonably reliable monsoon rains. There's some great camping and boondocking over here in the White Mountains as well (Heber, Show Low, Pinetop, Springerville, Alpine). Enjoy!

[EllPea in CA]

Originally Posted by k corbin

I am getting very close to finishing my custom layout cabinetry. Here is a sneak peak, drivers side looking towards the rear. I had just put on the poplar wood trim around the recharging outlet station. Still waiting on some parts to arrive from Amazon before I can try to find a friend to help me glue up the headliner.
Attachment 146636


I hope everyone is enjoying their summertime camping. I am having a nice time camping full time. I am in Northern Arizona for the summer with other friends camped nearby.

That is a beautiful cabinet! I'm guessing the temperatures are cooler in the northern part of Arizona.

[k corbin]

I was browsing around and found a few more bits of historic Trailswest Campster information out on some websites.Every now and again I do a quick search to see if anything new can be found. This time I did find a couple of things.

First the daughter of one of the original builders posted on the littlevintagetrailer website saying her father was the original builder.

Her name is Jean Jackson Smeath. She does have a Facebook page but I have not yet attempted to contact her that way.

The second bit of information came from the Hunter Jr Trailer website and it has photos of advertising and written information stating there was a "working relationship" connection between the two companies. There are photo images of some of the Campster information related to a tradeshow in California and other captures on the Hunter Jr. website.

I am attaching some images of these two bits of information.

[k corbin]

People who wanted more interior shots it is your lucky day!


I Finished a small project today. I just added a removable work surface to my desk drawer. It has a cutting mat surface adhered to the plywood, The counter with that drawer is removable. However as travel solo and only need a narrow bed so I always leave that counter in place.


I work part time while I travel full time. The vinyl cutter is always left out. I make tiny cardstock buildings sold as ready to assemble kits that I sell on Etsy.

[k corbin]

Here are photos of the pantry cabinet that is against the wall over the lower passenger side cabinets. It is at the door end of the trialer. A four foot long, shallow pantry, about 7" deep at the bottom and of course narrower at the top as the wall of upper half of the trailer slopes inward. The shelves have an aluminum retaining bar. My shelf heights were calculated based on the size of the objects I needed to store. The depth of the cabinet is shallow to preserve useful counter space. All custom fabricated by me including the track the doors slide in. The doors secure in place for travel with a quick release, detent pin down towards the bottom where the two sliding doors overlap.

[EllPea in CA]

Everything is so beautifully done! I recall you were using very lightweight materials to construct your cabinets. How do you think the overall weight has changed from original the build?

And do you leave your bed made all the time? Or do you keep the dining area during the day and change it back?

[k corbin]

I do not have a dining area at the moment so my bed/couch is always the same. It is the length of the width of the trailer which is just under 6' and the width is 29". I would very much dislike having to convert from table to bed mode so that is not part of my design setup. But I hope to soon add a Lagun mounting system swiveling, adjustable height table, but even then I will not have to change my bed over to any other configuration. This week I am dining al fresco and enjoying the view of the mountains and wildflowers at my campsite just north of Lake Havasu City. I do have a chair and table for outdoors.

My trailer was very much in derelict condition when I bought it so it required a total, stripped down to the fiberglass interior surface, renovation. My goal was full time, solo, living in it. So the typical weekender setup for families was never part of the thinking for what I have done for a design. I have designed all kinds of things over the years and have the skills to build what I design.

I never bothered to weigh my trailer as it was missing a lot of the cabinetry when I bought it. I know it came out of the factory just under 900 lbs but my cabinets weigh less than the originals which were made with lots of 3/4" plywood. It would not be possible for me to empty my personal possessions out of it to weigh it as I have no where to leave those things. I am not going to obsess over those numbers. My car has no issues towing it and I have no plans to sell it so it is irrelevant to me exactly what it weighs. I doubt any other person is going to do the same custom interior I have done and I have a new custom frame as well. So my numbers would not be meaningful or useful information to anyone else unless they are weight obsessive

[k corbin]

Hot weather has now arrived in the Arizona spring time. One of the additions I made to my Campster was to attach some Keder awing rail along the front and two long sidewalls just below the roof line. Eventually I will add some to the rear wall as well. If you look closely about the front window you can see a thin line of black, that is the Keder rail. It just looks like a bit of a colored pin stripe detail rather than being clunky looking. On the far end of the shade cloth you can see I have hung and additional side drop down piece suspended from the edge of the overhead piece. I have another piece that size as well as one that goes length wise should I want more shade or a bit of privacy. I actually have enough shade cloth for the two long sides of the trailer as well as the front. As I do not have air conditioning and there is no shade in some camping sites I am prepared to create my own as needed.


The keder awning rail is not there to attach a standard solid cloth awning, I am not sure it could handle the weight of that heavy cloth under rain and higher winds. I only use it to hang out shade cloth. 90% shade cloth weave works best for the overhead if you need some real shade. I use 70% for the side drops. I make my own hangers to fit into the awning rail. The support poles are paint roller extension poles and the pole tensioners are 6' long bungees. The bungees can handle intermittent wind gust without tearing out the grommets on the shade cloth. But I do not leave it up in wind gust much over 25 mph or in heavy rain as the 90% shade cloth does not let the rain drain through it quickly enough and it starts to sag and deform the shade cloth.

[EllPea in CA]

Originally Posted by k corbin

(snip)

When I get started building cabinet frames I will create a photo tutorial with more photos of making the joins. But really it is very simple to do even for a beginner as long as you have the tools for it. (snip)

Karin, did you ever do this tutorial? I'm looking around for it!

[k corbin]

There is not all that much to constructing the cabinet framing. I took some measurements and made measured drawings. purchased T6061 aluminum angle in the sizes I decided on. Cut te pieces to lenght. Put two 3/16' rivets pull rivets in each intersection. Two rivets means the framing pieces stay square to each other instead of pivoting on a single rivet.

I built the face frame on the floor so it was easy to square up. I used cleco clamps, a spring loaded clamp to put into the drilled hole to keep it all perfectly aligned before I began installing rives. You can buy cleco clamps and the pliers needed to compress them on Amazon. It really speeds up the assembly when working with metal pieces.

I stood the face frame up in thr right location inside the trailer so I could take measurement for the aluminum angle oieces that went bach to the wall. A 50 year olf fiberglass trailer has pretty wonky walls so each of those pieces has to be individually measured for length.

This is not a dead simple quick, cheap and easy way to build cabinets. Stick to using plywood and making cardboard templates if you struggle with creating your own designs and making accurate measurements. The advantage to aluminum angle construction is in its strength, longevity and light weight. My trailer's interior cabinetry was far beyond being able to restore or repair. I wanted a different layout. I had many years of experience from working at Boeing Aircraft Company building with aluminum angle, drilling and riveting as well as working inside a structure that was made with curved walls. So for me this was a very familiar way to frame up cabinets for my trailer.



fridge cab.jpg Views: 13 Size: 69.3 KB ID: 150219" style="margin: 2px" />

[EllPea in CA]

Karin, this is fascinating! Do you have insights about adding the exterior skin to the frames?

[k corbin]

Originally Posted by EllPea in CA

Karin, this is fascinating! Do you have insights about adding the exterior skin to the frames?

If you look back at this thread near the start you will see that I put in wood blocking attached to the interior bare fiberglass surface of the trailer using thickened, structural epoxy. That allowed me to insulate the walls and then put up 1/8" plywood as an interior wall covering. I made sure to place the blocking so that I could fasten my cabinet framing into it with stainless steel screws.

All of this starts with a totally thought out design plan before you build any new cabinets. Having an idea and actually making it work are two entirely different things. I can't tell you what will work in your trailer as it is not the same make or model as mine. But I can tell you that what I did with my trailer was not a quick, easy or cheap job. I had the skills to do it and the time and it has worked very well for my needs for full time occupancy of it for the last 3 years, now starting into my 4th year with no plans to change my lifestyle. I built for longevity for full time use, not just for part time weekend and vacation use. A very different goal and use than the typical person in this forum.