Dig In

9/20/14

Today my dad and I dug in to the restoration process.  Below are pictures of that process:

Torn and Moldy Canvas

More torn and moldy canvas.  Also an excited kid!

Here is the water damage.  It came from an improperly installed canoe rack on the roof.

More water damage.  The water damage was on all four corners.

Canvas Removed

Roof Removed

The roof.

An example of the water damage.

Now just a pile of junk.

Roof stripped.

Both bunks plywood is in great shape.  Just the slides are bent making it difficult to slide them out.

Upside down, but looking in to the area under the dinette seat.  Bees had made a hive in this area.  The got in through the power cord access hole.

 Here are some videos:

So, today we removed all of the old canvas and we removed the roof from the lift.  We stripped the roof of all rotten material.  Went to the lumber yard and bought a sheet of 1/2" x 4' x 8' Marine Grade Plywood, a 1" x 10" x10' Pine Board, 3 sheets of foil backed foam, and some 1 x 1 1/2 furring strips.

We used the side aluminum sheets from the roof sides as templates to cut the plywood to size as-well-as the end boards as templates.

We got about halfway to finishing the new framework when a line of storms moved in and we had to scramble to cover the open camper and upside down roof with a tarp.  I am glad my dad had a gigantic tarp.

The level of water damage was impressive.  It is sad that this old girl was neglected.  The two other options for this, before I decided to buy it, was a utility trailer or the junk yard.  Most of these old campers need someone to dedicate the time and energy in to restoration.  Most think it is too much of a hassle.  I think it is a labor of love.