In preparation for starting a similar project, I’ve been binge watching vintage trailer rebuild videos for a week, including some with many, many views and subscribers. This video alone beat them all. It was honest, humble, insightful and covered the most important points for someone looking to give it a try. I’m very grateful and looking forward to more.
Thank you so much! That really means a lot! We too have used RU-vid University to try and figure out camper remodels and other projects so we just made what we would want to know going into this. Good luck on your project! Let us know how it goes.
I agree with you by the "order of operation" approach to "disassemble and reassemble" the vintage camper. The "order of operation" applies to the clothing industry, housing industry and many other industries. A person is not likely to make mistakes by the method, and if restoration is a first experience, it is WISE to take many step-wise photos as a backup reference plan! :-)
Ok I probably agree with everything except replace the skin. I love that the old skin has dings. It shows the character. You did an amazing job. Can't wait to see the inside.
Some people do really like the real vintage skin, and in general I do too, so long as those old dings aren't too unattractive. But it does take a lot of time and effort to reuse the old stuff.
I think it’s really cool that you reused the original skin. Keeps some of the authenticity of the original trailer when what you’ve basically done is used the original camper as a template for building a replica body on the frame - considering how much wood work you had to do. Looks amazing, great job. Very inspiring. We’re currently RV owners but restoring a vintage camper is absolutely on our list. Gorgeous Jeep, btw :)
Very cool. Im going to start restoring a 66 trailer that Im converting into a tiny house. This was very helpful. Thanks a bunch! Will continue to follow. :-)
A better way to insulate your floor, and the way it was originally done at the factory (if it was done at all), is to use what Home Depot and other stores sell as "asphalt panels." This is laid down in reasonably continuous 4x8 sheets under your plywood floor, so you'll have fewer seams to be concerned with for water intrusion. Most rebuilders consider this optional to replace, as you trade the structural stability of a thicker plywood floor for a small amount of additional insulation and sound deadening. Reflective radiant barriers aren't especially useful in the thin walls and ceiling of vintage campers as you need a void space for the material to reach its stated R-value, and you just don't really have room for it. Fiberglass batting is easiest to install, and honestly about the most effective given the space you're working with. Thanks for watching and commenting!
You did a good job, they don’t make anything to last anymore. That’s how you learn. By the name of your channel, I thought maybe you did this all the time. I could pull that with my Kia Sportage. I think it’s 2000 pound limit. Not much more though. I love those old trailers. They’ve got a lot of character. I just bought a Toyota dolphin six cylinder. 35 years old they did it in 2006 engine and inside. It’s still dated though, but at least it doesn’t have nasty carpeting. I was lucky to get it and I was really worried about how dirty it might be. But it’s not bad at all. it’s dated, but I’m not going change the upholstery, I will just clean it because It will go good with my bark cloth and bark cloth era collection. Safety inspection next week then cleaning, painting.
Good luck with your inspection! I'm currently on my fifth and sixth rebuild, but right now I'm just swamped with work so new videos have been on hold for a bit.
I agree nothing's built to last. I have a 44 year old GE fridge. Runs better than overpriced Fisher Paykel. However, stick around, you'll see some REALLY messed up stuff in old houses/trailers/cars... Example: drywall goes PERPENDICULAR in a ceiling. It's also offset. Otherwise it moves and cracks if parallel and set on solid grid. Ask me how I know. I have a garage where they used very long nails and just LEFT them to give others tetanus, I guess. 2 words: aluminum siding. Yuck.
That's especially true with modern appliances. I just replaced a $12 part in my 40-ish year old dryer that took me all of 2 hours to do (including going and buying the part), and it's still running just fine. My 90-ish year old stove is a bit more tricky to find parts for, but it's still completely serviceable and works and looks great!
I learned a lot from your many mistakes ( just teasing). Thank you . I have a canned ham and I will only be doing things that an old lady can do to make it nicer. No tearing apart. Good luck.
On the trailers I've built, ive always sealed the bottom of the deck. Although, the first one was just layers of "ooops paint" from HD, but after time the paint would peal and i would have to redo. What I do now is I put a thin coat of Green low VOC FRP glue with a wide putty knife, let it tack up then i paint. I especially cake on the FRP glue on the edges of the decking then paint. This FRP glue sticks on to everything like crazy and won't come off and the paint will not chip off the FRP glue.
Lots of great points in your video! I always tell people that are considering these projects, do you have the TIME, TOOLS and COVERED WORK AREA? Most do not have the spare time, and most don't have a covered work area. Even a Harbor Freight cheapie carport can work. People also under-value their time. Reusing the skin saves on material, no doubt. But as you point out, it cost you 100 hours + in labor to save that skin! On the windows, jalousie windows ROCK and the gaskets and parts are all still available on line. The thing about not coating the bottom, it allows you to quickly inspect for any leaks and it allows the wood to dry out if it ever gets wet. If you seal it, then it holds water. And wherever it holds water you WILL get rot!
Thanks, Bill! Sadly I'm still working under a tarp, lol! I'm kinda weighing getting one of those cheapy carports versus just building on to our garage. The garage is in such bad shape though, I'd rather knock it down and start over, but then there's the time and money involved in doing that. One thing just leads into another. But yes, I love these old windows, lots of ventilation, and you've got good points about the undercoating. I've sort of settled on leaving it the way it is; it's less work that way too!
It's always easiest to just copy what is there to begin with. Take pictures, take videos, make sketches and diagrams, whatever it takes. There's no such thing as TOO MUCH documentation! Thanks for watching!
They're worth more original,but i live in my 69 sandrover, and it wouldnt do me to live in it as it was designed. Mine will eventually be original on outside but not inside. From Aus.
We wanted it to be kinda subtle, and it'd be hard to pinstripe it with the design of the skin. I am actually thinking of having a sign painter friend of ours pinstripe the camper I'm working on now though, but I'll have to see if he's interested in it.
Thanks! It wasn't really my first build. I'd sort of rehabbed a couple of other campers into photo booth trailers before this one, so I'd had plenty of opportunities to make mistakes, lol.
I admire all your hard work rebuilding your vintage trailer. The outside looks amazing. I just found your channel today. By the way my dad used to work for the Hemet trailer company. My father used to build his own campers. I was his little helper. I am looking forward to seeing your next video.
Saving this video. About to embark on my first build of an old camper and this video by far helps more than most I've seen on here. Thanks for the info!
If you clean and repack the bearings , they would probably outlast anything you would replace the axle with .. Then just repack according to use and need .
I actually had the bearings and races replaced, they were shot and kind of obscure and difficult to find. I didn't include that in any videos, because I just paid to have it done, but it was a pretty simple task, and I feel confident that they're in good shape now!
Just saw this now .... Pretty cool! I'm glad you used the old skin even though it was troublesome. For me it would be nice to think that it was as original as possible. Also ... I like that you took it apart and actually rebuilt the frame. Trying to sister new wood to old rotten wood (likely moldy as well) wouldn't give you the same strength and over time with moisture, that old rotten wood would begin to migrate through your walls into your nice new rebuild! Really love the look of that old girl! Nice Job!
Thank you! I like to reuse the original skins when possible, ' cause yeah, even if everything else has been replaced, it still looks like a 50 year old camper from the outside. But there are cases where that's just not possible. The skins on the Cal-Craft that we're working on now were just beyond reusable, so it's going to wind up looking brand new when I'm done with it. Thanks for watching!
Love the outside color. Good tips on renovating from outside inward, purchasing new skins and although it might be tarped, water or condensation can be a problem.
Very informative! Helping people avoid the problems you ran into is very kind. The exterior looks fantastic. Can't wait to see what you do on the inside. I hope you enjoy many trips in your trailer.
Thank you! If we can save somebody just a tiny bit of time or money doing it better than we did - we're happy to! Every day there is something new to learn about these old campers and how to build them better. Excited to get to the inside too and GO TRAVELING : )
Great video and information! Thanks for sharing your learning mistakes. Much appreciated! Looking forward to seeing your next video. ❤️ from Australia! Am getting ready to renovate a 1972 Viscount. 🙏🏼
I get to be thumbs up numero thirteeeeen! This is a cutie of a remodel redo re everything. Look forward to the interior and finished product. Thanks so much for sharing your insider hustle.
To me there is no right way or rough way, its what works for the restorer. I have built 6 teardrop trailers and restored two vintage trailers. Just have too look out for the "Gimp" police! Ha Ha! Good video! TCT member.
You did a great job! You are a true craftsman. I'm working on my 3rd rebuild, 1 trailer ( disaster), 1 class c went very good, and one slide in truck camper in progress.
Thank you! This is technically our third vintage camper remodel but this is the first complete frame off. There is definitely a learning curve and I'm still learning everyday.
That's what a lot of people think until they start to work on one, but there are reasons why they're built the way they are, and it's kind of important to understand why and approach repairing one in an intentional manner. But just pop on a little Yakety Sax and you'll be done in no time. Thanks for watching!
There are lots of axle shops around, or even shops that specialize in trailers of all sorts. You might have to remove the axle and take it to someone, or you might be able to just take your trailer to them. I would call around in your area and ask if a shop could do it or if they'd recommend someone else. Good luck!
I was able to download it just fine on my computer. Are you maybe trying to download it on a phone or other mobile device? You'll also need to login to Sketchup and upload it back into your account to do anything with it.
Subscribed. I’m going to start a renovation of a vintage rv, so this video gave me something to think about. Have to think about starting by pulling the skin of first! And look up what new sidings will cost. Really good advices! Thank you!
Welcome aboard! We just purchased the skins for our next two renovations and we're excited to share more about that coming up soon so stay tuned! Thanks for watching!
one of the best vintage trailer remodel videos I've seen! Nervous to buy one, more nervous to try and fix it (no experience) but its just time and money right?!
Thank you so much! Hope this helps a little when you take the leap and start your own remodel. And yeah, it's just time and money 😅 no pressure! Kidding! It's already worth it just spending time with each other working on it and we haven't even taken it on a trip yet!
@@TrailerTrashtoTreasure Wonderful that spending time together on the trailer was rewarding in itself. Thank you for sharing your experience so others can do this easier. Blessings.
@@thisorthat7626 It really has been. So much so that I kind of dread the day we have to stop working on it and start using it ha ha! It's been so nice to all just hang out in the backyard during this slow season.
thank you so much! was LMAO just about every segment, and counting my blessings that I stumbled upon your video; about to embark on a total camper re-do, so can relate to, and will benefit from, all your awesome tips and helpful hints. Thank you & Happy Camping!
Thanks for sharing the helpful info about the build. The RU-vid channel Mobiltec also provides very helpful info on how to go about restoration of vintage trailers, in case you haven't seen that channel already.
Perhaps, consider an LED light bar to attach behind the rear bumper for backing up visibility. Id like to know if that travel trailer will fit through a standard garage door opening? Maybe for a future build sugestion
Well it doesn't fit through my 100 year old horse carriage garage, but it might fit in a contemporary garage. It's no wider than your average car, and it's only about 7'5" tall. Good idea on the light bar!
You mention removing the outside components first and then making the repairs and reapplying the outer components again. What if the floor is rotted? Is it then a complete tear down & rebuild?
I've seen people try to patch a floor, and in some cases it's somewhat doable, but for any extensive floor repair it's going to be a complete tear down. These campers are built as lightweight as possible, so every component adds a bit of strength to the overall structure to make it safe and sound. Unfortunately a patched floor compromises some of the strength of the camper, and while you can kind of try and add some extra bracing, if you wind up having to replace more than a small segment of floor, you're really not going to end up with a very sound build. I hope that isn't too discouraging, but sometimes a bigger project is less work in the end.
REPLACE THE AXLE!! I will not go into all the details on how I know this is critical but everything may look just fine, but a axle that is 60 yrs old was not meant to last that long elements etc etc. Your beautiful canned ham could be going down the Allegany mt highway and suddently your axle goes out...
Yeah it's never a good idea to cheap out on basic equipment relating to safety. I did get the bearings and races replaced, and the axle and springs checked by an axel company, so I'm reasonably confident that it'll hold up. I'm still considering an axle replacement in the future though to get a bit of extra ground clearance.
@@TrailerTrashtoTreasure I'm getting caught up on all your restoration videos. I have a vintage 18 ft.1966 Holiday Trav'ler made by Holiday Rambler that I am restoring too. I love watching what others do to their vintage trailers.
You know, one of the few negative comments I've received was from someone that said, "I don't care about your car, just get to it!" lol. But I'd be happy to have the Wagoneer on the channel more!
Back again. I deep in my project (64 mini wini), and I am thinking ahead a little about the electrical system. Stove and heat are gas and two gas lights, I don’t have the frig, but suspect it was just a block of ice. Did you by chance look at solar? There is definitely a cost to it, the cheaper more reliable route would be shore power (30 amp), but where is the fun in that
Solar is always neat, but for how we use this camper it wouldn't have been terribly beneficial for us. If you spend a lot of time off grid you might look into it, but it's still gonna cost a bit.
I sort of think a better investment than solar is lithium batteries, which a lot of people do combine with solar, but the better capacity, discharge, and weight savings are beneficial even without solar charging.
Thanks for making this video! Fantastic job saving this camper. IMO, the video would be 100x better if the dialog was during on the action shots of actual work. Ok to show us what you look like talking now and then but most of this video is watching you talk in front of the finished camper. Thanks!
Katherine here (I'm the one that edits the videos)! Thanks for watching and thanks for the constructive criticism - I really do appreciate it 🙂 and you're not wrong. We didn't really plan for this video to be the one that took off. Wish I could go back now that I'm a little more sure of my editing skills and do it again but sadly RU-vid doesn't work that way 😅 hopefully they get better as you keep watching!
You did an amazing job!! We would like to know which model of dometic fan you used in this camper. This is our favorite restoration on RU-vid. Super cute.
Thank you! Our fan is a Fan-Tastic Vent 801250 1250 Series Vent in White. You can see me install it in this video: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-CKb_BvLtKrI.html
Great Video. Don't ever seal the bottom wood, it will just keep in moisture and rot the floor even faster. Having seen quite a few of these rebuilds, redoing it how they originally were made seems a poor choice...newer campers use solid structural foam so almost no wood to rot when those really bad seam seals leak as they always always do sooner or later. The skins are really the only thing you get! So if you buy new skins, why did you buy the trailer to begin with? The frames are nothing, the axle is old and should be replaced.
I definitely know what you mean. I think a large part of restoring/renovating an old camper is the fun of figuring it out and doing it in somewhat of the original method. By the time I was done taking apart our Play-Mor I had detailed enough plans I could build a new one completely from scratch, so I suppose for me, that's a good enough reason to do it. But yeah, if you just want a good reliable camper, I'd just go get a new one and spend the time you would've spent working on it camping in it instead.
Great information! For someone who has NO experience with rebuilding, electrical, etc. would you recommend doing this? I have a friend and a sister who would help me, but I’m considering it, not only for my husband and I to use, but also to rent out in the summer.
For personal use, absolutely you can do it, but for renting out you might want to enlist some professional help, because then you get into issues with liability.
Great rebuild, really appreciate you sharing the good and bad. Do you know where I could find a crank out window for a vintage trailblazer camper? Thanks
You're welcome! Finding old windows that match and fit is tricky. Sometimes you can find something that matches on eBay, but I see a lot of people just swapping for something modern that fits. Someone ought to start a warehouse somewhere that stockpiles and catalogues old windows by type and size for resale! So sharks...
Yes! They really do let in an amazing breeze - haven't had them open in the rain yet (they leak enough when they're closed haha) but someday will have to try it. Thanks for watching!
Great info! Unfortunately we gutted first also...oh well, moving on ...haha. I have a question: what is that piece called on the front of your camper right at the bottom of the window that seems to cover the skin seams right there? I need something like that for my camper and have no clue the name of it.
Would you be willing to send me a close Up pic of that trim? It looks almost like it has a little bit of a c shape. Did you use butyl under it? I can’t find a piece of trim that goes between my skins to hold top and bottom together and I may have to do this approach. I appreciate any help! This can be frustrating !
We also plan on gutting first so hopefully you can share your experience as I have read it can be done both ways and my husband who is a carpenter says no need to remove the skins first. (shrug)
Hey Traci, sorry I didn't see your comment until now. You've probably already started working on your camper, but for the benefit of anyone else reading this I'll go ahead and answer you. The only campers that can be gutted are ones that are built like airstreams, where the skin and the framing supports the shape of the body. All other timber framed campers must be rebuilt with the skins removed, and the cabinetry in these campers are also structural elements so you really shouldn't gut these campers unless you're starting from scratch. Your husband the carpenter is used to working on houses, but campers aren't houses. What you think of as wall studs mostly serve to keep the wall panels from buckling and to serve as anchor points for the cabinets. The panels themselves carry most of the weight of the camper, and the cabinetry acts as gusseting to keep the walls and ceiling square to the floor. Additionally, that ceiling panel needs to overlap the walls and be nailed into it from above for strength, and the only way you can do that is with the skins off, otherwise you won't have anything to track the edge of it to. Thanks for watching and I hope your build went well.
Treated lumber is a very poor choice for anything other than building a deck or a fence for a number of reasons including: it'll corrode the aluminum skin and most types of fasteners in contact with it, it changes size dramatically as it dries out, and it gives off noxious fumes that you don't want to enclose in a box that you intend to live in. Just use regular old douglas fir and you'll be fine. Treated lumber is for situations where it'll be in constant moisture contact. If you've got that big of a moisture problem you've done something drastically wrong.
It depends on what you actually have. J-rail looks like a "J" in profile. Roof rail, roof cap, corner cap are different and have a more "L" shaped profile.
600 isn’t cheap. I bought mine for 50 euros and mine is in mint condition. I had idea to restore mine too but because it’s so well kept, it made me wonder if i should just enjoy 60. And be happy with that vintage interior. The only issue that I’m having is that I don’t know where could I buy shower/ toilet floor and walls coz someone in the past had taken it out from my trailer. Anyways… I love your videos. Great work. Your trailer looks stunning. Though you paid quite a bit for it… maybe prices have risen though coz I bought mine when I was 13. 18 years ago
Well, $600 would be a bargain right now in the US. Campers in this condition are mostly going for $1500-2000 now because RVing has become such a hot thing in the pandemic times. Of course prices will come back down before long once a lot of folks find out how much work goes into these old camper renovations, but now is a bad time to buy one. Still though, every camper I've bought to renovate since 2012 has been right in the $600 ballpark; although, I've come across a couple for under $100 that disappear before you can blink.
@@TrailerTrashtoTreasure I bought mine from the Netherlands about 15 years ago. They were used to have very well kept trailer homes all over the country. I’ve had three different trailer houses and all were very cheap while nice and everything working. I think these trailers are cheap in Europe because the household laws in certain countries prohibit living in camping for more than 90 days. Otherwise I think trailers would be more expensive in Europe too. People love living in trailer houses nowadays. I’m a big fan of trailer life and live-aboard. Very interesting
pop the wheel off th bearings will have the part number stamped into the back face of the bearings and races . sk is most likely SK the manufacturer.. if you are in a metro area there are bearing supply houses you can go to and get new bearings and races .
Treated wood is for continually wet environments like fences and decks, it off gasses toxic vapors, it shrinks as it dries out, it reacts with aluminum siding and uncoated fasteners corroding them, and you just simply don't need treated lumber for any part of a camper. Cedar is expensive. Regular old pine ought to give you another 50 years of service assuming you properly maintain your seals and windows and such. Blown foam is a nightmare to clean up if you don't get it right, and it can expand into places you don't really want it to if you're not very careful applying it. Thanks for watching!
I'm sure there's a specific adhesive and recommended title for that purpose, but I haven't really ever looked into it. I would think there'd probably be some sort of sealant needed to prevent water from seeping in between the tiles, but I know they make vinyl tiles for shower walls, so there must be a way to do it!
I believe it would be easier to just make a new replica of a vintage trailer based upon pics. Add upgrades. Use the initial trailer sale money to buy materials instead. But a nice job never the less
Perhaps, but you run into a few problems when it comes to registering, titling, and insuring a home-built camper-which is what you would have at that point. You have to meet current DOT safety standards, which isn't a huge deal really, but you also have to have pretty clear and concise documentation of the costs of construction for taxation purposes. Some insurance companies won't cover home-built campers aside from the standard coverage that extends from your vehicle. And then maybe the biggest issue is that resale value on a home-built camper is far lower than on a vintage camper, even though they may be a copy of the original. The easiest route really is to rebuild a vintage camper that is already titled in your name. Then you just slap your plates on it and call it a day.
@@TrailerTrashtoTreasure very true. I kinda stated an inquiry 3 years ago into the registration and title process here in Texas. It seemed straight forward. I found the inspection station in both Dallas and in Tyler Texas. In Texas basically, the emphasis in on stolen campers. They do an inspection to insure that you haven't taken a titled trailer and restored it as a home-made trailer. Once the trailer is approved as home-made, they stamp a Vin number on the frame and you receive a new title which can then be registered. I never advanced to the insurance issues. Thanks for the info. Good job. P.S. in Texas, most campers that I find on facebook or Craigslist are for sale without titles. It is nearly impossible to title them for various reasons similar to marine or recreational vehicles for that matter in Texas.
Every state has their own process, and I'm sadly about to enter into it again; although, this time with an additional wrinkle or two that I'm not looking forward to. The lesson to take away is that you should 100% avoid campers without titles unless you're just buying it for scrap.
The thing you need to work out is where the moisture is coming from. Is it condensation or do you have a leak? If it's a leak, just fix it obviously. If it's condensation, why are you having so much condensation forming? If you're in an extremely humid environment and you're blasting that AC all the time you're going to have the potential for condensation in the walls, and the problem is the temperature differential and the humidity, but I'd personally just take my camper somewhere else to camp that's a bit nicer, lol. But most moisture buildup in the walls is because you've got a leak, and most leaks come from a degraded seal and a loose screw. Roof seams don't leak unless they are physically damaged, so start looking at anything that's screwed through the skin.
