Camper Project

[~Rowdy~]

Here's my project this summer.

1985 Okanagan Camper - dimensions 8' wide, 13' tip to tail
Some minor water damage around some roof vents that leaked. Roof vents were replaced by previous owner before I purchased it. Fridge doesn't work. I haven't had a chance to look at the fridge yet to see if I can get it going.











1978 Triple E Trailer - dimension of deck 7'7" wide x 16' long

Stripped down and turned into a flat deck. Completely re-structured, new bracing, welds, wood etc. Only issue is the break away battery connection which I will replace with a kit from Princess Auto. Nice and tall for clearance.






The Plan

Mount camper 1ft from back of trailer centering the Center of Gravity of the camper over the center of the tires, or as close as possible. Building a dog run underneath the sleeper section. Half fully enclosed like a dog house with an access panel on the side, the other side slatted with chicken wire to allow air movement and my pup to see with an opening door.

Build locking storage underneath the sides for misc items.

Build a shedding roof for the winter on top so it won't collapse from the weight of snow. Not sure what I'm doing here yet. Waiting to see how the camper sits on the trailer.

Re-paint interior, re-upholster, replace flooring.

Where I'm At:

- Roof re-sealed using MS Detail


- all seams, screws etc sealed with MS Detail
- inside cabinets and hardware torn down for painting
- new fabric selected for re-upholstery. This was horrible to shop for. I hate shopping but this was brutal, way too much to look at and they didn't have solid grey in an outdoor fabric...so I went the polar opposite way. Black for cushions and this funky print for curtains

- This weekend I'll be lifting the camper onto the flat deck and mounting it down. I have several ideas of how to do this but so far these seem like the best two...Option A: Have a friend that's willing to crane it into place. Option B: 4, 3' tall sawhorses with 6, 4x4 10' long posts, place camper on this, drive trailer under, jack it up, pull posts and set it down.

Pretty stoked on this project.

 

[whoDEANie]

If I recall, you converted a holiday trailer into a toy hauler a couple years back. Time for an upgrade or you just like doing these projects?

 

[~Rowdy~]

If I recall, you converted a holiday trailer into a toy hauler a couple years back. Time for an upgrade or you just like doing these projects?

I sold that when I gutted my house 2 years ago. I needed something to live in for 4 months and she wasn't up to par to stay in full time that long. Figured it was time to get a camper again.

 

[Ronaha]

You have a better chance of getting fridge going on 120 volt,you'd probably have to light it on back to try propane

 

[~Rowdy~]

So I'm lucking out and craning the camper on. Thanks to a friend!

 

[Trashy]

Krista, is the Jeep yours too? Or just there, where you bought the camper?

 

[~Rowdy~]

Not mine but the guy who sold me the camper owns it. It's for sale I do know that if you are in the market. But how's your shifting with a bum shoulder? And how is that shoulder doing anyways?

 

[Teth-Air]

I can't wait to see you put that camper on that Jeep!

 

[~Rowdy~]

Productive weekend painting. Need one more coat everywhere and then finish up a few spots then I'll be good to put doors and hardware back in. Picked out flooring and back splash too. Today is the day for craning it onto the flat deck, wish me luck! :/

 

[~Rowdy~]

And she's on! Ratchet straps are just temporary until I can figure out the best way to fasten her down. Huge thanks to Brian, Ty & Calgary Crane!!

 

[arff]

I have seen this done. It will work great.

 

[neilsleder]

And she's on! Ratchet straps are just temporary until I can figure out the best way to fasten her down. Huge thanks to Brian, Ty & Calgary Crane!!

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Inside the cabinets bolt it down to the trailer. That way it's held on good and you will never see the bolts. Just make sure to go through a cross member

 

[TylerG]

Inside the cabinets bolt it down to the trailer. That way it's held on good and you will never see the bolts. Just make sure to go through a cross member

I was going to suggest the same but thru steel plates on both sides, 1 inside the cabinet and one underneath the trailer

 

[Firefly]

Krista here's a couple good videos on RV fridge repairs. Same ideas that I use for repairing customers trailers and campers.

Gas - https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=FCqiVqZx5k4

110 volt - https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=aArA8MBhQ3w

Give me a holler if you ever have any questions. My number is below.

 

[~Rowdy~]

Inside the cabinets bolt it down to the trailer. That way it's held on good and you will never see the bolts. Just make sure to go through a cross member

That is a fantastic idea. I will have to see if I can located the bracing underneath. I am boxing it in on the outside around the base of the camper to prevent shifting of any sort. I like that idea way better than using turn buckles on the exterior, just seems a little more solid.

I was going to suggest the same but thru steel plates on both sides, 1 inside the cabinet and one underneath the trailer

I like the idea of using steel plates as a type of washer. Great suggestion. I'll take a peek at that this weekend.

Krista here's a couple good videos on RV fridge repairs. Same ideas that I use for repairing customers trailers and campers.

Gas - https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=FCqiVqZx5k4

110 volt - https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=aArA8MBhQ3w

Give me a holler if you ever have any questions. My number is below.

Awesome!! Thank you so much, I may take you up on that if all else fails, lol. My skills are fairly limited for that kind of thing and if there's any electrical involved I won't touch it haha. Me and electrical are not friends.


Well on my way home to bringing the camper to a lumber yard I was a victim of hit and run. I was in the far right lane waiting to turn northbound onto Barlow Trail and I could see a woman had squeaked in behind me to make it through the intersection. I could tell she wanted to get in the other turning lane so I moved up a bit for her in hopes she could make it. Well as soon as the oncoming traffic cleared, she went to go into the other turning lane but she did not swing wide enough. She caught the passenger side of her car on the edge of the trailer and scraped it, I think to the back of her car. I figured she'd pull up beside me and we could figure out a spot to pull over to check everything out but nope! She kept going, made the light and I sat there in disbelief. Luckily there is zero damage to my trailer, but her car would be pretty damaged as I had a small hunk of it on my trailer so I decided to report it to the cops so she couldn't come back at me somehow. I'll be keeping my eye out for her as this can't be her first hit and run and it sure would be nice for her to get caught.

On the upside...my trailer is at the lumber yard awaiting the additions. Exciting! I'll work on cabinetry at home and try to get that all ready to go back in in the meantime. yay

 

[Ronaha]

Good placement! Back at n the day I busted my jacks off right before maylong,wasn't going to miss it so I backhoed the thing into the back of my truck......it worked ok....ish lol

 

[Quadzilla700]

That is a fantastic idea. I will have to see if I can located the bracing underneath. I am boxing it in on the outside around the base of the camper to prevent shifting of any sort. I like that idea way better than using turn buckles on the exterior, just seems a little more solid.



I like the idea of using steel plates as a type of washer. Great suggestion. I'll take a peek at that this weekend.



Awesome!! Thank you so much, I may take you up on that if all else fails, lol. My skills are fairly limited for that kind of thing and if there's any electrical involved I won't touch it haha. Me and electrical are not friends.


Well on my way home to bringing the camper to a lumber yard I was a victim of hit and run. I was in the far right lane waiting to turn northbound onto Barlow Trail and I could see a woman had squeaked in behind me to make it through the intersection. I could tell she wanted to get in the other turning lane so I moved up a bit for her in hopes she could make it. Well as soon as the oncoming traffic cleared, she went to go into the other turning lane but she did not swing wide enough. She caught the passenger side of her car on the edge of the trailer and scraped it, I think to the back of her car. I figured she'd pull up beside me and we could figure out a spot to pull over to check everything out but nope! She kept going, made the light and I sat there in disbelief. Luckily there is zero damage to my trailer, but her car would be pretty damaged as I had a small hunk of it on my trailer so I decided to report it to the cops so she couldn't come back at me somehow. I'll be keeping my eye out for her as this can't be her first hit and run and it sure would be nice for her to get caught.

On the upside...my trailer is at the lumber yard awaiting the additions. Exciting! I'll work on cabinetry at home and try to get that all ready to go back in in the meantime. yay

Sorry to hear about the hit and run. I had mounted a truck camper on a trailer before just using the turnbuckles and found camper still moved around. Even started to pull a couple of the eye bolts from the camper frame. Even had 8 tie downs on trailer Finally bolted it through floor to trailer and closed in the sides and put doors so I could use it for storage. Was solid after that and no more damage to camper

 

[~Rowdy~]

Good placement! Back at n the day I busted my jacks off right before maylong,wasn't going to miss it so I backhoed the thing into the back of my truck......it worked ok....ish lol

oh man that is crappy timing! At least it worked enough to get you through May Long haha.

Sorry to hear about the hit and run. I had mounted a truck camper on a trailer before just using the turnbuckles and found camper still moved around. Even started to pull a couple of the eye bolts from the camper frame. Even had 8 tie downs on trailer Finally bolted it through floor to trailer and closed in the sides and put doors so I could use it for storage. Was solid after that and no more damage to camper

Thanks! I'm just glad she didn't do any damage. I thought for sure she at least took out a light. Well you are making my concern about the turn buckles very valid. I'm not sold on that being how I tie it down, but there isn't much cross bracing underneath and they only used 2x2's so I'm not sure how easy it'd be to try to bolt through the floor to that and through the trailer. I am also boxing the base of the camper in on the trailer. Using 2x4's it's bolted through the trailer and attached directly to the camper bracing underneath. That should help drastically with shifting.

I have underneath the sides of the camper boxed in already now for storage, which will help as well with moving. Underneath the sleeper portion I'm actually building a dog run for my pup Bails. I can't remember the exact dimensions but it will look something along these lines. Quite large and perfect for a dog her size. Probably could fit a couple dogs in it if I wanted.

Top View Shows a partition in the middle as half the dog run will be solid plywood for shelter and the other half will have a screened area in the middle for a breeze and allow her to look out.



And yes...my dog is spoiled, lol.

 

[~Rowdy~]

Question: Anyone here have an insurance company that will insure this redneck rig? My broker is telling me they will only insure the trailer, not the camper or anything else.

 

[tex78]

Question: Anyone here have an insurance company that will insure this redneck rig? My broker is telling me they will only insure the trailer, not the camper or anything else.

Camper through house insurance??

As a rider, that's what we used to do in alberta, for trailer mind you