Hi, I am John

[J Lam]

Hello Friends.

I am John in Ontario, Canada. I am 61 years old. I recently obtained a 1977 Beachcomber. For now, it is in winter storage but I will start working on it as soon as the weather allows. I plan to use it as my mobile man cave for kayaking, fishing and visiting friends. A previous owner had started rebuilding the interior but the work is pretty heavy and may not be to my liking. I would have used 1 X 2 framing and 1/16 or 1/8 plywood for the cabinets instead of the 2 x 4 and 5/8 used. There are 2 X 10's used as a bit of a privacy wall at the entrance. Nice enough work but it seems to me that weight could be an issue. I prefer a more open concept. I plan to keep and finish the walls, ceiling and floors as they are. The styrofoam insulation looks pretty good.

Other photos are in my album.

Comments welcome.

[Jon in AZ]

Welcome, John!

Your assessment of the materials seems right on. Building RV interiors is not like building a house. 2x10's... really??!!! Your could easily overload the axle or even the frame itself. It'd be interesting to weigh it now as a reference point.

On the other hand, be careful of too "open" a plan. Most single-wall molded fiberglass trailers require some floor-to-ceiling cabinets or bulkheads to support the shell. Structural panels with 1x framing and a thin skin on both sides provide support without weight.

Since it looks like you live in the snow belt, make sure you maintain some support to the roof during your renovations.

Best wishes getting this gem set up the way you want!!

[J Lam]

Thanks Jon,

From what I can see, they did a pretty fair job of insulating and reinforcing the overall structure. I hope to maintain that but eliminate/re-do the cabinets, etc.

[Gilles]

Hi Jon,
You watched this shared renovation on this site?

http://www.fiberglassrv.com/forums/f...ion-57463.html

[Mike_L]

John, I've done a fair amount of this work in the past and I would have to agree with the previous comments regarding weight. Using larger "lumber" can add a lot of weight and you can easily exceed the capacity of your suspension and frame. These units were originally designed to provide proper support without excessive weight. It might be best if you stay with original dimensions. Cabinets and other internal structures are also designed to add structural support so be careful making changes to your layout. More weight may also affect how your unit tows. You may also want to consider going one size up when you replace your tires if these is enough room in the wheel wells. Premium tires are more economical over time as they are less likely to overheat and last a lot longer. Good luck with your project!

[Kai in Seattle]

Your Beachcomber looks a LOT like our 1973 amerigo. We finished ours last July 2. Here's a picture saga of our journey fixing "Peanut" -- really reminds me of yours. Turns out that's actually a link, so you can just click on it. (Didn't know I could do a link--yaay!)

Brown 73 Amerigo Begins a New Life -- Photos!


PS--total weight, completed, filled for camping, is 2150 pounds, according to an automated Oregon highway weigh scale AND a reading from a professional at Machinists, Inc. Totally agree you have to watch out for house and garden shed dimensional lumber! 2 x 10s? Naaaaah!




HAPPY NEW YEAR!
BEST--
Kai in Seattle
1

[J Lam]

Thank you all for your help. I will surely be stripping out the heavy wood and then deciding what to do after that.

I will post photos as I progress - starting in warmer weather.

John