Another Campster Restoration Thread - Fiberglass RV
Journey with Confidence RV GPS App RV Trip Planner RV LIFE Campground Reviews RV Maintenance Take a Speed Test Free 7 Day Trial ×


Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
 
Old 09-14-2021, 09:45 PM   #1
Member
 
JoeCool's Avatar
 
Name: Joseph
Trailer: Scamp 16' Deluxe Plan B
PHOENIX
Posts: 33
Another Campster Restoration Thread

Hi all,
I'm starting my frame-off restoration! I've had a couple weeks off in between jobs and have started it. I've got everything out and the frame off. I'll periodically post. I'm imagining this takes a couple more months as I start the new gig Monday 9/20/21.

Here's what I started with:
}Empty & store stuff =1day (cookware, clothes, etc)

}Ripped out cabinetry =2days (measuring a little, videoing a lot) saving the fronts of the galley and the closet so I can cut new plywood to match; also saving the two 'sides' of the galley & closet so I can replicate the curve of the wall to ceiling.

}Took the door off including wood around the door frame. The top of the wood was "glassed" in which I learned was the term for when fiberglass was laid over the wood helping to keep it in. The aluminum door framing was in bad shape all the sides and tops were mostly separated from each other. **Not sure what I'm going to do about this yet, haven't researched aluminum repair.

}Started on the windows but some schmuck (yours truly) used silicone to stop up some leaks and I need a few hours to scrape that off to release the windows. The aforementioned schmuck has since researched windows and knows the correct tape to use when re-sealing them...

}Separate the body from the frame. =1day This was rough. Even though there were only about 8-10 bolts, half of the heads of them broke off. I wound up needing to use my angle grinder on the bottoms of most of them and had to grind out a couple from inside Maude as well. Side note: To the person who put in a couple of random drywall screws (I think for a ground ironically) may you step on a Lego with your bare feet; To the person that invented ridiculously strong drywall screws that literally held the entire frame to the body and was impossible to see (till by brother and I pushed up on the body and stood on the 'bumper' to break the final bond), may your feet be shoed around said Legos and your fridge full of beer.

The other fun part of this was jacking up the body high enough to set on a couple of 2x4s which spanned my jacks, so that I could pull the frame out from underneath it. It may or may not have involved pavers, an old spare tire, and me taking up religion again in my efforts to have it stay on the jacks 2 feet in the air.

}Today I ground off the tongue and most of the axel =half-day
Tomorrow inspect the frame and then weld two extra cross beams, a handful of gussets, and a new tongue w/ a 2" ball.

Also, I've been following K Corbin's posts for a while.
I'm handy enough to be dangerous but not skilled enough to be helpful.







__________________
1979 VW Bus ~ George
1970 Trails West Campster ~ Maude
2003 Scamp 16' Deluxe ~ Pluto
2019 Subaru Outback ~ Harold
JoeCool is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-15-2021, 08:58 AM   #2
Senior Member
 
Trailer: 13 ft Scamp
Posts: 1,773
Quote:
Originally Posted by JoeCool View Post
Hi all,
I'm starting my frame-off restoration! I've had a couple weeks off in between jobs and have started it. I've got everything out and the frame off. I'll periodically post. I'm imagining this takes a couple more months as I start the new gig Monday 9/20/21.

Here's what I started with:
}Empty & store stuff =1day (cookware, clothes, etc)

}Ripped out cabinetry =2days (measuring a little, videoing a lot) saving the fronts of the galley and the closet so I can cut new plywood to match; also saving the two 'sides' of the galley & closet so I can replicate the curve of the wall to ceiling.

}Took the door off including wood around the door frame. The top of the wood was "glassed" in which I learned was the term for when fiberglass was laid over the wood helping to keep it in. The aluminum door framing was in bad shape all the sides and tops were mostly separated from each other. **Not sure what I'm going to do about this yet, haven't researched aluminum repair.

}Started on the windows but some schmuck (yours truly) used silicone to stop up some leaks and I need a few hours to scrape that off to release the windows. The aforementioned schmuck has since researched windows and knows the correct tape to use when re-sealing them...

}Separate the body from the frame. =1day This was rough. Even though there were only about 8-10 bolts, half of the heads of them broke off. I wound up needing to use my angle grinder on the bottoms of most of them and had to grind out a couple from inside Maude as well. Side note: To the person who put in a couple of random drywall screws (I think for a ground ironically) may you step on a Lego with your bare feet; To the person that invented ridiculously strong drywall screws that literally held the entire frame to the body and was impossible to see (till by brother and I pushed up on the body and stood on the 'bumper' to break the final bond), may your feet be shoed around said Legos and your fridge full of beer.

The other fun part of this was jacking up the body high enough to set on a couple of 2x4s which spanned my jacks, so that I could pull the frame out from underneath it. It may or may not have involved pavers, an old spare tire, and me taking up religion again in my efforts to have it stay on the jacks 2 feet in the air.

}Today I ground off the tongue and most of the axel =half-day
Tomorrow inspect the frame and then weld two extra cross beams, a handful of gussets, and a new tongue w/ a 2" ball.

Also, I've been following K Corbin's posts for a while.
I'm handy enough to be dangerous but not skilled enough to be helpful.









Following your thread
I did laugh at the redneck jack setup ( and your comment “taking up religion “

Should be a fun project

Keep posting pics
alan H is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-15-2021, 04:42 PM   #3
Senior Member
 
Name: Terry
Trailer: 1971 Hunter compact Jr, 1979 Terry 19', 2003 Scamp 16'
California
Posts: 197
In post #67 of Frederick L. Simsons's thread ' My Boomerang 71Compact' you can see the door disassembled. I may not have gotten the thread title exactly right. He actually has a second thread to continue the restoration. They are both worth reading for anyone with a Compact. Frederick was thorough.
Terry in Fowler is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Tags
campster


Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Another Restoration Thread Jenius Modifications, Alterations and Updates 22 10-09-2021 11:16 AM

» Upcoming Events
No events scheduled in
the next 465 days.
» Featured Campgrounds

Reviews provided by


All times are GMT -6. The time now is 10:52 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions Inc.