USMC_Warrior_0311
Active member
Hello all,
My name is Marc and I am new to the forum
My wife and I bought our trailer from a friend of mine who had taken pretty good care of it through the years. A few months after we bought it another friend of ours fell onto some hard times beyond his control and he talked me into letting him stay in the camper for "a few months"... Well after more than a year of him living in it he had rigged some things that needed fixing, broke stuff, ruined the carpet and so much more. Unfortunately for all we are no longer on speaking terms and a court date has been assigned...
So, now that we had our "camper" back we decided to book a big trip to Flaming Gorge this summer and actually get some use out of the trailer.
I went in and had the carpets cleaned and other things, but the smell just wouldn't go away...
This week I went in and removed everything from the inside of the camper, including cushions, mattresses, and well, everything. It still smelled after a day plus of having fans going and windows open, so I proceeded to remove the sleeper couch and dining area, plus all the carpet and anything that could seemingly hold a smell. Still there... Then while doing other stuff noticed some water damage in the main sleeper area which resulted in several wall and ceiling panels being removed, plus all the insulation and more being removed as well. The roof will need to have at least 1 piece of plywood replaced, and 2-3 roof joists are likely not salvageable, which has now opened so much more of a large project.
Then I decided ok, since we're doing the floor, (rubber lifeproof click lock) let's see what else we can upgrade, and it has turned into a long term project at this point.
Here's a decent list of what we want to do starting from the outside and then the inside...
So, now the goals/checklist for what we want to do
Outside:
1. The rubber roof is torn/cracked/weathered so that brings on the need for a new roof. Been reading into a lot of different things, and I'm undecided on TPO or the liquid roof. I read that the liquid roof can be applied straight over the wood if an oil based primer is used first. That appeals to me, as well as the price, but not sure it's the way to go...
1a. Will need to replace at least 1 section of plywood on the front of the roof
1b. Will likely need to replace at least 2-3 roof joists
2. Fix the current solar array- The previous owner added two solar panels, and ran them through the roof but not sure how to power it up etc... so that will take research and probably a new charger unit.
3. New vent fans/ all weather covers 1 cover is broken, and both fans are super loud so I am hoping to find something that's a little cheaper but quieter
4. New exterior lights, 4 flood lights at each corner of the camper, 2 spot lights towards the back for night time cooking, 2 more lights towards the front for general lighting, LED strips along the top of the camper (under the awning) for mood, under carriage lighting, pass through storage, 2 lights on the front facing the propane tanks and batteries
5. New battery box/tool storage- Saw a post where someone made a diamond plated box and he had 2 batteries on one side with a separator to be able to load levelers and other items on the other side. Will likely somewhat mimic that idea.
6. New rear bumper
6a. Bike rack for 4 bikes, will likely need to be custom built
6b. Ice chest carrier/wood carrier I have a hitch rack I bought that has a storage bag, or box that should be able to fit what I would need. I may need to customize that too, maybe a double decker design ice chest on top, wood below... Not sure yet
7. Siding repairs/replacement. There was a small section of damaged siding near the main sleeping area that I didn't get to as quickly as I wanted, so that needs to be done. The wheel well flairs need to be replaced along with a few other items
8. Paint outside of trailer. Not sure what type of paint to use, but I want to give it a refresh, the biggest issue I think is the graphics. Need to peel them, clean them and then paint it, but also don't want it to be so blank that it just looks like a utility trailer... Was thinking about a red white and blue theme
9. Pass through storage area organization and build drawers to come out of it on both sides Thinking about 2 drawers/rail sets that would pull out on each side of the pass through. Increase other storage/organization options in the pass through. Fishing poles, etc...
10. Add battery shutoffs
I am sure there's more, but that is what is off the top of my head
Inside:
1. New lights/switches throughout 12v, dimmable recessed (planning on 20 recessed lights with selective switches for each area) LED accent lighting throughout
2. More 120v and 12v plugin locations
3. New insulation/inside panels where we had water damage
The current panels are thin wood veneer materials covered with the wallpaper looking vinyl. Not sure what to replace them with, but we will be painting...
4. Paint all cabinets and inside panels/ceiling. Cabinets will likely be a darker grey, walls and ceilings will be a light grey (same color for walls/ceiling)
5. Replace stereo and speakers, add speakers, new amp, speakers will be on toggle switches to separate zones. 8 channel amp, 2 speakers in main sleeping area, 4 in kitchen/dining area and 2 new speakers on the outside. 2 channel am for subwoofer, I will custom build a subwoofer box to go under the sink in an area that isn't really great for storage.
6. I haven't dug in deep yet, but I am pretty sure there's a water pump at the fresh water tank, and then a pressure regulator pump that was inside a cabinet as you walk in the door. We removed the cabinet, and the wiring for the pressure pump was funky at best, so I will figure that out as well.
7. Re-plumb all plumbing, currently there is a mix of the original pipe and cpvc patched in, so I want it to be fresh, and possibly routed better (not sure there is a better way, but maybe)
7a. I am not sure if this is feasible in a camper but there are water distribution manifolds that you can use in regular house plumbing and I was thinking that could work. Any thoughts or input would be appreciated
8. Custom build in storage in main sleeping area, and living area. We removed one big cabinet that was just bulky and in the way, so we will add one that is not as deep, but is wider. It will have drawers and a cabinet, plus we will put the TV mount there as well.
9. Build custom bunk beds in the slideout for the kids, re-arrage eating area. We have 2 kids, 2 and 7 and want to give them something to sleep in and kind of have their own areas. The camper layout really isn't conducive to bunk beds, but my wife found something that she wants me to build.
And... I want it all done by the 1st week of June haha
I think that is about it for the moment, but I am sure I will have more to add as this gets going.
Now some pictures...
My name is Marc and I am new to the forum
My wife and I bought our trailer from a friend of mine who had taken pretty good care of it through the years. A few months after we bought it another friend of ours fell onto some hard times beyond his control and he talked me into letting him stay in the camper for "a few months"... Well after more than a year of him living in it he had rigged some things that needed fixing, broke stuff, ruined the carpet and so much more. Unfortunately for all we are no longer on speaking terms and a court date has been assigned...
So, now that we had our "camper" back we decided to book a big trip to Flaming Gorge this summer and actually get some use out of the trailer.
I went in and had the carpets cleaned and other things, but the smell just wouldn't go away...
This week I went in and removed everything from the inside of the camper, including cushions, mattresses, and well, everything. It still smelled after a day plus of having fans going and windows open, so I proceeded to remove the sleeper couch and dining area, plus all the carpet and anything that could seemingly hold a smell. Still there... Then while doing other stuff noticed some water damage in the main sleeper area which resulted in several wall and ceiling panels being removed, plus all the insulation and more being removed as well. The roof will need to have at least 1 piece of plywood replaced, and 2-3 roof joists are likely not salvageable, which has now opened so much more of a large project.
Then I decided ok, since we're doing the floor, (rubber lifeproof click lock) let's see what else we can upgrade, and it has turned into a long term project at this point.
Here's a decent list of what we want to do starting from the outside and then the inside...
So, now the goals/checklist for what we want to do
Outside:
1. The rubber roof is torn/cracked/weathered so that brings on the need for a new roof. Been reading into a lot of different things, and I'm undecided on TPO or the liquid roof. I read that the liquid roof can be applied straight over the wood if an oil based primer is used first. That appeals to me, as well as the price, but not sure it's the way to go...
1a. Will need to replace at least 1 section of plywood on the front of the roof
1b. Will likely need to replace at least 2-3 roof joists
2. Fix the current solar array- The previous owner added two solar panels, and ran them through the roof but not sure how to power it up etc... so that will take research and probably a new charger unit.
3. New vent fans/ all weather covers 1 cover is broken, and both fans are super loud so I am hoping to find something that's a little cheaper but quieter
4. New exterior lights, 4 flood lights at each corner of the camper, 2 spot lights towards the back for night time cooking, 2 more lights towards the front for general lighting, LED strips along the top of the camper (under the awning) for mood, under carriage lighting, pass through storage, 2 lights on the front facing the propane tanks and batteries
5. New battery box/tool storage- Saw a post where someone made a diamond plated box and he had 2 batteries on one side with a separator to be able to load levelers and other items on the other side. Will likely somewhat mimic that idea.
6. New rear bumper
6a. Bike rack for 4 bikes, will likely need to be custom built
6b. Ice chest carrier/wood carrier I have a hitch rack I bought that has a storage bag, or box that should be able to fit what I would need. I may need to customize that too, maybe a double decker design ice chest on top, wood below... Not sure yet
7. Siding repairs/replacement. There was a small section of damaged siding near the main sleeping area that I didn't get to as quickly as I wanted, so that needs to be done. The wheel well flairs need to be replaced along with a few other items
8. Paint outside of trailer. Not sure what type of paint to use, but I want to give it a refresh, the biggest issue I think is the graphics. Need to peel them, clean them and then paint it, but also don't want it to be so blank that it just looks like a utility trailer... Was thinking about a red white and blue theme
9. Pass through storage area organization and build drawers to come out of it on both sides Thinking about 2 drawers/rail sets that would pull out on each side of the pass through. Increase other storage/organization options in the pass through. Fishing poles, etc...
10. Add battery shutoffs
I am sure there's more, but that is what is off the top of my head
Inside:
1. New lights/switches throughout 12v, dimmable recessed (planning on 20 recessed lights with selective switches for each area) LED accent lighting throughout
2. More 120v and 12v plugin locations
3. New insulation/inside panels where we had water damage
The current panels are thin wood veneer materials covered with the wallpaper looking vinyl. Not sure what to replace them with, but we will be painting...
4. Paint all cabinets and inside panels/ceiling. Cabinets will likely be a darker grey, walls and ceilings will be a light grey (same color for walls/ceiling)
5. Replace stereo and speakers, add speakers, new amp, speakers will be on toggle switches to separate zones. 8 channel amp, 2 speakers in main sleeping area, 4 in kitchen/dining area and 2 new speakers on the outside. 2 channel am for subwoofer, I will custom build a subwoofer box to go under the sink in an area that isn't really great for storage.
6. I haven't dug in deep yet, but I am pretty sure there's a water pump at the fresh water tank, and then a pressure regulator pump that was inside a cabinet as you walk in the door. We removed the cabinet, and the wiring for the pressure pump was funky at best, so I will figure that out as well.
7. Re-plumb all plumbing, currently there is a mix of the original pipe and cpvc patched in, so I want it to be fresh, and possibly routed better (not sure there is a better way, but maybe)
7a. I am not sure if this is feasible in a camper but there are water distribution manifolds that you can use in regular house plumbing and I was thinking that could work. Any thoughts or input would be appreciated
8. Custom build in storage in main sleeping area, and living area. We removed one big cabinet that was just bulky and in the way, so we will add one that is not as deep, but is wider. It will have drawers and a cabinet, plus we will put the TV mount there as well.
9. Build custom bunk beds in the slideout for the kids, re-arrage eating area. We have 2 kids, 2 and 7 and want to give them something to sleep in and kind of have their own areas. The camper layout really isn't conducive to bunk beds, but my wife found something that she wants me to build.
And... I want it all done by the 1st week of June haha
I think that is about it for the moment, but I am sure I will have more to add as this gets going.
Now some pictures...