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Going to use this to track the progress on my new 81 FWC pop-up for my 87 K5 with 5.3/4L65E/NP208. Working on rebuilding and swapping in an NP241 with SYE.
We just got back from driving from OKC, OK to Goldbar, WA to pick it up. Unfortunately, it was quite a bit more rough than we had thought / hoped. Ideally we would camp in it for a couple years, but it needs a full tear down.
The front wall was getting damaged from the wind on our trip back. The ceiling took a beating too from the wind. We are hoping the frame is still good and the issue is just cosmetic.
I am currently working on building a frame for the camper so we can pull it off the truck for a rebuild. So far I think my best option for lifting and lowering it on the frame is a manual crank fork lift or duct lift.
We just got back from driving from OKC, OK to Goldbar, WA to pick it up. Unfortunately, it was quite a bit more rough than we had thought / hoped. Ideally we would camp in it for a couple years, but it needs a full tear down.
The front wall was getting damaged from the wind on our trip back. The ceiling took a beating too from the wind. We are hoping the frame is still good and the issue is just cosmetic.
I am currently working on building a frame for the camper so we can pull it off the truck for a rebuild. So far I think my best option for lifting and lowering it on the frame is a manual crank fork lift or duct lift.
Man, that sucks to hear the condition wasn't what it led on in the pics.
As far as the jacks go, look for something like these. LINK
You might be able to rent them from a local tool rental, but look around and you might be able to pick them up used pretty cheap. A guy on wander the west saw I was going after my camper and sold me a pair for $100. Keep one thing in mind though. They have versions for different height requirements. The ones I linked I think go up to 57". Which as I found out was ok for a stock K5 with no lift and stock tire size. Throw 35's on and 4" of lift and the Jacks didn't reach without some Jenga stacking of woodblocks. We ended up cutting the main tube on the jacks, adding in 12" worth of extension and welding them in. After that, you could leave the base on the ground and reach with room to spare.
I'm curious to see the damage. Front wall and cab over floor I assume? That's actually a fairly simple fix once the camper is off. Just takes a little time and accurate measurements to fit the new wood in.
The canvas in the ad didn't look too far off from mine other than some additional pinholes in the front. Short of camping in torrential rain, that isn't a deal-breaker for camping. The roof probably is beat up some and I bet full of loose screws. With it down on the ground, it's at a workable height to fix. I ended up going up a size on the screws because many spun free when they were bottomed out. Cover the roof with the coating of your choice and take it right up to the edge. I used flex seal out of a can and brushed it on and it's held up great for 3 years. I probably need to give it another coat before winter comes since it stays outside.
Trust me I know it might look like a mess now and I don't think it could be any worse than mine was. Mine was really a mess with the cab over section resting on the roof of the Blazer when I picked mine up. But break the camper up into sub-projects and tackle them one at a time. I'd hit the roof first since you really need it to seal up to prevent damage to any other work you get going on after it.
One other tip nobody thinks of, lube the snot out of the blower motor for the furnace before putting the camper back on. You and everybody that camps near you when you fire it up at camp will thank me. You can't access that sucker with the camper on the Blazer. Mine squealed like mad and still does sometimes. But mine ain't coming off for a while.
Congrats on joining the K5 Camper Club.
As far as the jacks go, look for something like these. LINK
You might be able to rent them from a local tool rental, but look around and you might be able to pick them up used pretty cheap. A guy on wander the west saw I was going after my camper and sold me a pair for $100. Keep one thing in mind though. They have versions for different height requirements. The ones I linked I think go up to 57". Which as I found out was ok for a stock K5 with no lift and stock tire size. Throw 35's on and 4" of lift and the Jacks didn't reach without some Jenga stacking of woodblocks. We ended up cutting the main tube on the jacks, adding in 12" worth of extension and welding them in. After that, you could leave the base on the ground and reach with room to spare.
I'm curious to see the damage. Front wall and cab over floor I assume? That's actually a fairly simple fix once the camper is off. Just takes a little time and accurate measurements to fit the new wood in.
The canvas in the ad didn't look too far off from mine other than some additional pinholes in the front. Short of camping in torrential rain, that isn't a deal-breaker for camping. The roof probably is beat up some and I bet full of loose screws. With it down on the ground, it's at a workable height to fix. I ended up going up a size on the screws because many spun free when they were bottomed out. Cover the roof with the coating of your choice and take it right up to the edge. I used flex seal out of a can and brushed it on and it's held up great for 3 years. I probably need to give it another coat before winter comes since it stays outside.
Trust me I know it might look like a mess now and I don't think it could be any worse than mine was. Mine was really a mess with the cab over section resting on the roof of the Blazer when I picked mine up. But break the camper up into sub-projects and tackle them one at a time. I'd hit the roof first since you really need it to seal up to prevent damage to any other work you get going on after it.
One other tip nobody thinks of, lube the snot out of the blower motor for the furnace before putting the camper back on. You and everybody that camps near you when you fire it up at camp will thank me. You can't access that sucker with the camper on the Blazer. Mine squealed like mad and still does sometimes. But mine ain't coming off for a while.
Congrats on joining the K5 Camper Club.
You were only a couple miles from me to pick up the camper...
Oh wow, we were close. Things actually went pretty smooth on camper load up, the guy doing the restoration work for the seller's blazer had it on a wood frame prepped ready to go from the old blazer to mine. We were on a really tight time line to get out there, pick it up and get back.
Appreciate the offer for help. Hope to be out in WA in the future for camping, mountain biking and actually take some time to enjoy the area.
Thanks for the tips, the blower motor sounds like a terrible design lol. Just use some axle grease or lithium grease?
Anything you can spray, WD-40, lithium, as long as it stays.
It's really the only spot to put the furnace or else it takes up space where you don't want it. I just didn't think about it before I put it on the last time.
The whole trip was over 4,000 miles and unfortunately U-haul refused to do a one way rental on their 6x12 trailers (which were the only ones that would fit a standard topper). So I had to drag the 2200 lb trailer the whole way there and back. This was our first big trip with the truck after replacing the transmission with a 4L65E and re-doing the LS swap harness. I had put a couple hundred miles and 2 tank fulls through the truck driving it on shorter trips and giving it a shake down, but this was definitely a whole different thing. Over all I was really impressed with the truck. Our only real issue was the T-case still has a pretty good leak and the radiator cap failed in Limon, CO. Luckily we still had most of the coolant in the system, so topped if off and wasted a bunch of time to make sure there wasn't any air in the system. Then we drove to the nearest auto store which was in Aurora, CO.
I honestly lost track of how long it took us to get there and back. I know our first day was supposed to be ~ 14 hours and it took a little over 17 hours with very quick pit stops for fuel other than the radiator cap incident. I think the whole trip was pretty close to 71 - 75 hours of just drive time. Unfortunately, I didn't have time to hook up and test the cruise prior to leaving. We also don't have AC at the moment.
On the way back, as soon as we left I realized we were really going to have to slow down with the camper. We went through a construction zone and there was a couple of bumps that were like rounded off ramps that sent us into orbit. I am pretty positive both axles left the ground as we bounced over the worst section. Any time there was a double "whoop" section I really had to slow down and keep the front axle loaded to reduce the extreme rebound. I definitely need to move the front and rear bump stops. The truck didn't do too badly if the road was smooth and mostly straight, or if the wind was steady. However, it was straight up scary going through some of the twisty mountain roads, storms, and heavy winds. We actually had to run 40-60 MPH most of the way from WA to CO due to body roll, sway, and the truck getting into a bobble back and forth that just couldn't be corrected. We hit a big storm outside of Ogden, UT that was blowing over the construction signs and I was actually scared at that time, it took every thing I had to keep the truck under control at 40 MPH. I was so stressed out from driving the truck in bad conditions. Luckily the guys at ORD saved us. I posted about it on FB and they shared it and posted some other pics of the truck on IG. The sway bar made all the difference in the world. Driving through the rest of CO, NM, TX and into OK we hit some major wind and dust devils and the truck was easily controlled. It still has some body roll and drives like a lifted truck, but it doesn't feel unstable or unsafe at all now. I also plan to move the upper shock mounts for the front to a better location because I know they are not ideal at the moment.
Day 1 we left Bethany (OKC), OK to head for a buddies house in Saratoga, WY.
Day 2 we drove from Saratoga to Pendelton, OR
Day 3 Pendelton to Goldbar, WA to pick up the camper. Then drove from Goldbar to Ellensburg. We hoped to make it to the top of Stevens Pass Hwy in time to watch the sunset over the mountains, but it was pitch black by the time we got even half way up the mountain.
Day 4 Ellensburg, WA to Ogden, UT.
Day 5 Ogden UT, to ORD in Carbondale, CO. We took Independence Pass through Aspen to Twin lakes and stopped for the night in Buena Vista, CO. Stopped off at Eddieline Brewing for some great pizza and beers to go.
Day 6 Buena Vista to Guthrie, OK to pick up the topper I plan to use for a front seal on the FWC. Then home to Bethany, OK.
Not sure why Google wont cooperate, it keeps freaking out about an intermittent road closure on Independence Pass, but its open to vehicles less than 35+ feet. Our truck and trailer measured in at 34 feet so we took the route. Had no issues and drove slow to be safe. It was absolutely beautiful up on the mountain and it was the best day of our trip by far. We knew from UT to OK was going to take 2 days and the stop at ORD was so quick we were able to spend a little time enjoying the drive and stopping off for something other than fast food for the first time all week lol.
I honestly lost track of how long it took us to get there and back. I know our first day was supposed to be ~ 14 hours and it took a little over 17 hours with very quick pit stops for fuel other than the radiator cap incident. I think the whole trip was pretty close to 71 - 75 hours of just drive time. Unfortunately, I didn't have time to hook up and test the cruise prior to leaving. We also don't have AC at the moment.
On the way back, as soon as we left I realized we were really going to have to slow down with the camper. We went through a construction zone and there was a couple of bumps that were like rounded off ramps that sent us into orbit. I am pretty positive both axles left the ground as we bounced over the worst section. Any time there was a double "whoop" section I really had to slow down and keep the front axle loaded to reduce the extreme rebound. I definitely need to move the front and rear bump stops. The truck didn't do too badly if the road was smooth and mostly straight, or if the wind was steady. However, it was straight up scary going through some of the twisty mountain roads, storms, and heavy winds. We actually had to run 40-60 MPH most of the way from WA to CO due to body roll, sway, and the truck getting into a bobble back and forth that just couldn't be corrected. We hit a big storm outside of Ogden, UT that was blowing over the construction signs and I was actually scared at that time, it took every thing I had to keep the truck under control at 40 MPH. I was so stressed out from driving the truck in bad conditions. Luckily the guys at ORD saved us. I posted about it on FB and they shared it and posted some other pics of the truck on IG. The sway bar made all the difference in the world. Driving through the rest of CO, NM, TX and into OK we hit some major wind and dust devils and the truck was easily controlled. It still has some body roll and drives like a lifted truck, but it doesn't feel unstable or unsafe at all now. I also plan to move the upper shock mounts for the front to a better location because I know they are not ideal at the moment.
Day 1 we left Bethany (OKC), OK to head for a buddies house in Saratoga, WY.
Day 2 we drove from Saratoga to Pendelton, OR
Day 3 Pendelton to Goldbar, WA to pick up the camper. Then drove from Goldbar to Ellensburg. We hoped to make it to the top of Stevens Pass Hwy in time to watch the sunset over the mountains, but it was pitch black by the time we got even half way up the mountain.
Day 4 Ellensburg, WA to Ogden, UT.
Day 5 Ogden UT, to ORD in Carbondale, CO. We took Independence Pass through Aspen to Twin lakes and stopped for the night in Buena Vista, CO. Stopped off at Eddieline Brewing for some great pizza and beers to go.
Day 6 Buena Vista to Guthrie, OK to pick up the topper I plan to use for a front seal on the FWC. Then home to Bethany, OK.
Not sure why Google wont cooperate, it keeps freaking out about an intermittent road closure on Independence Pass, but its open to vehicles less than 35+ feet. Our truck and trailer measured in at 34 feet so we took the route. Had no issues and drove slow to be safe. It was absolutely beautiful up on the mountain and it was the best day of our trip by far. We knew from UT to OK was going to take 2 days and the stop at ORD was so quick we were able to spend a little time enjoying the drive and stopping off for something other than fast food for the first time all week lol.
Once we finally got home we unloaded the truck, did a quick assessment of the campers condition and started talking about future floor plan.
The front wall has some damage from the wind lifting and moving the camper around on the drive back. The camper flaps all of the place when behind a semi or if one passes (which happened a lot lol). It also looks to have been painted several times, bondoed over, caulked to fix those issues and its all now separating and de-laminating. Shockingly, the over cab portion of the bed looks to be pretty solid. I plan to cover it with some aluminum sheet because its just painted exposed wood and the seam in the middle being exposed concerns me. I plan to also skin the front wall after I rebuild it too.
The side walls where the bed mounts to the camper are totally rotted. It looked to be un-sealed wood. The bolt holes were pretty terrible too. Luckily the guy who was helping the seller had some scrap steel and new bolts to use to clamp the top down better because the stock bolts and washers were completely folded up and pulled through the wood. The bed side portions of the camper also sag pretty badly. I assume it would be best to skin this part in aluminium for protection from the elements.
The counter is rotted and falling apart, pretty much all the interior wood is failing and very flimsy. Our current plan is to rebuild the kitchenette. we will probably remove the stove top in favor of using a Coleman camping stove since we will probably cook out side of the camper most of the time. This will eliminate carrying the weight of 2 stoves. Also remove the original ice box and switch to a 12vdc cooler.
The top is in serious need of repair. It is just pretty beat and it flapped around the whole way back when the windows were cracked open. Both support systems are missing and its currently held up with 4 pieces of wood. The top holding down clamps are pulling away from the camper. Not sure what caused that other than maybe the top flapping up and down. They looks a little worse than when we first picked it up, but I might just be imagining that.
The door is also pretty trashed. It's bent, cracked, smashed, cut up. I need to figure out how to source some of the door channel so I can replace the bottom portion which is torn and cracked. Not sure what the inside of the door is made of yet. Its pretty squishy so I assume some type of open cell cardboard type thing.
Both of us have pretty bad allergies and I have asthma so I am going to just gut the whole thing and remove all the likely moldy insulation and wood paneling. I was debating using R-MAX foam insulation but I am worried about it squeaking really badly.
The other big issue is the massive gap around the whole back end of the truck. Its like over an 1" of gap between the bed of the truck and the camper. Not sure how they sealed originally or how every one else is fixing this issue. The previous owner had a bunch of expanding foam that had gotten really gross and that was their seal. There has to be a good solution with a weather strip or something.
I ended up ordering the camper jacks because no one local rents camper jacks and I found the material handling crank jacks I showed in the earlier post is half the cost of just buying the proper jacks to just rent them for the removal and re-installation.
I got a sloppy frame mostly built to set the camper onto for the rebuild. I will finish the front support once we have the camper off the truck. Its going to be on casters so we can roll it out of the garage if we want. It looks like we will have to do that most of the time anyways because the camper pops up so tall as it is and if we are going to replace the pop-up portion we want to make it a bit taller so we can sit up in bed and I can stand up straight in the camper. I have to hunch over at the moment to keep from hitting my head when standing.
The front wall has some damage from the wind lifting and moving the camper around on the drive back. The camper flaps all of the place when behind a semi or if one passes (which happened a lot lol). It also looks to have been painted several times, bondoed over, caulked to fix those issues and its all now separating and de-laminating. Shockingly, the over cab portion of the bed looks to be pretty solid. I plan to cover it with some aluminum sheet because its just painted exposed wood and the seam in the middle being exposed concerns me. I plan to also skin the front wall after I rebuild it too.
The side walls where the bed mounts to the camper are totally rotted. It looked to be un-sealed wood. The bolt holes were pretty terrible too. Luckily the guy who was helping the seller had some scrap steel and new bolts to use to clamp the top down better because the stock bolts and washers were completely folded up and pulled through the wood. The bed side portions of the camper also sag pretty badly. I assume it would be best to skin this part in aluminium for protection from the elements.
The counter is rotted and falling apart, pretty much all the interior wood is failing and very flimsy. Our current plan is to rebuild the kitchenette. we will probably remove the stove top in favor of using a Coleman camping stove since we will probably cook out side of the camper most of the time. This will eliminate carrying the weight of 2 stoves. Also remove the original ice box and switch to a 12vdc cooler.
The top is in serious need of repair. It is just pretty beat and it flapped around the whole way back when the windows were cracked open. Both support systems are missing and its currently held up with 4 pieces of wood. The top holding down clamps are pulling away from the camper. Not sure what caused that other than maybe the top flapping up and down. They looks a little worse than when we first picked it up, but I might just be imagining that.
The door is also pretty trashed. It's bent, cracked, smashed, cut up. I need to figure out how to source some of the door channel so I can replace the bottom portion which is torn and cracked. Not sure what the inside of the door is made of yet. Its pretty squishy so I assume some type of open cell cardboard type thing.
Both of us have pretty bad allergies and I have asthma so I am going to just gut the whole thing and remove all the likely moldy insulation and wood paneling. I was debating using R-MAX foam insulation but I am worried about it squeaking really badly.
The other big issue is the massive gap around the whole back end of the truck. Its like over an 1" of gap between the bed of the truck and the camper. Not sure how they sealed originally or how every one else is fixing this issue. The previous owner had a bunch of expanding foam that had gotten really gross and that was their seal. There has to be a good solution with a weather strip or something.
I ended up ordering the camper jacks because no one local rents camper jacks and I found the material handling crank jacks I showed in the earlier post is half the cost of just buying the proper jacks to just rent them for the removal and re-installation.
I got a sloppy frame mostly built to set the camper onto for the rebuild. I will finish the front support once we have the camper off the truck. Its going to be on casters so we can roll it out of the garage if we want. It looks like we will have to do that most of the time anyways because the camper pops up so tall as it is and if we are going to replace the pop-up portion we want to make it a bit taller so we can sit up in bed and I can stand up straight in the camper. I have to hunch over at the moment to keep from hitting my head when standing.
We were playing around with the idea of changing from the couch to 2 seats facing each other with a small table. It could still be setup in a way to convert to a bed. This would give us a little more floor space at the cost of some permanent storage. The seats facing each other will give us a spot to get out of the way and not be tripping over each other if we are both doing something in the camper. We plan to travel with our dogs so the extra floor space is helpful for that also.
Here is some pics of a quick shuffle of furniture for the 2 seats and table option.
Either way, I am not really sure how it fit in his truck because the couch foot print is longer than my bed section, at least with the foam we had to stuff between the truck bed and camper body. It also sticks pretty far out into the door way / walking space. So even if we keep the couch layout, we are going to shrink the foot print a bit. We can always have the cushions over hang the base a bit if needed.
Does the top have to rest on the couch base? Does the kitchenette side have to sit on a cabinet base? It seemed sort of setup like that was a structural support, but I wasn't sure.
The canvas is in way rougher condition than the sale pics show and I didn't really try to capture it in any of the pics I have posted either.
Here is some pics of a quick shuffle of furniture for the 2 seats and table option.
Either way, I am not really sure how it fit in his truck because the couch foot print is longer than my bed section, at least with the foam we had to stuff between the truck bed and camper body. It also sticks pretty far out into the door way / walking space. So even if we keep the couch layout, we are going to shrink the foot print a bit. We can always have the cushions over hang the base a bit if needed.
Does the top have to rest on the couch base? Does the kitchenette side have to sit on a cabinet base? It seemed sort of setup like that was a structural support, but I wasn't sure.
The canvas is in way rougher condition than the sale pics show and I didn't really try to capture it in any of the pics I have posted either.
I forgot I was going to upload these, so here they are out of order lol
Truck before leaving after getting new tires.
Pics of the truck leaving Grandview, WA. You can barely see Mt. Adam's and Mt. Rainer in the background. It was pretty foggy / blocked by haze both times we drove through.
Pic of us leaving ORD after the swaybar install.
Also pics of the truck driving over Independence Pass.
Truck before leaving after getting new tires.
Pics of the truck leaving Grandview, WA. You can barely see Mt. Adam's and Mt. Rainer in the background. It was pretty foggy / blocked by haze both times we drove through.
Pic of us leaving ORD after the swaybar install.
Also pics of the truck driving over Independence Pass.
My camper rebuild starts on page 4. There are a few pics that will give you an idea of what's currently hidden.
https://ck5.com/forums/threads/77-k5-just-had-to-do-it.331436/
https://ck5.com/forums/threads/77-k5-just-had-to-do-it.331436/
Here is some pics of "disassembling" the camper and showing some of the damage around the door and exterior. I don't think I can really do much else until the camper jacks arrive. Should hopefully by here by 9/8
Some more pics since post limit is 20 per post.
I forgot the toilet was in the previous batch of pics lol. Turns out it was still brand new in the wrapper. The box looked gross but its still brand new.
Finally, the frame I am going to set it on / strap it to. Will finish the front bed support once the camper is set down on the frame.
Finally, the frame I am going to set it on / strap it to. Will finish the front bed support once the camper is set down on the frame.
I like the side dinette idea but at the same time the huge amount of storage the couch gives me is hard to give up.
Also i'm not sure but I believe most FWC's of this era use the same back door, for as much work as your door needs I would be watching C-list like a hawk for a free or really cheap FWC camper to try and snag a door and the really hard to find screen door.
Also i'm not sure but I believe most FWC's of this era use the same back door, for as much work as your door needs I would be watching C-list like a hawk for a free or really cheap FWC camper to try and snag a door and the really hard to find screen door.
Did you guys (Capt Ron, ZooMad75) take off the flashing strip around the top to put butyl tape in as a seal? It seems to be pretty recommended on Wanderthewest. Currently doing research to figure out all the seals, etc. I am thinking I should probably remove all the corner bead trim everywhere and install that. Then remove the screws in the top and use the 4200 and 5200 3m sealants.
I am worried about removing the corner pieces and not finding the black rubber inserts. Not sure what parts on these are common to find and what is super outdated and shouldn't be touched.
I don't think I will go the rubber roof membrane seal route like Capt Ron did because there are sooo many trees and low branches where I live that it would get ruined first time out. At least with the aluminum roof only being painted it would be easy to patch as required.
I have also seen mixed things about having to use zinc coated hardware to stop galvanic corrosion on the aluminum parts. Others say to use stainless. Originally I planned to put all new stainless pan head screws to replace the nasty rusty hex head screws.
I am worried about removing the corner pieces and not finding the black rubber inserts. Not sure what parts on these are common to find and what is super outdated and shouldn't be touched.
I don't think I will go the rubber roof membrane seal route like Capt Ron did because there are sooo many trees and low branches where I live that it would get ruined first time out. At least with the aluminum roof only being painted it would be easy to patch as required.
I have also seen mixed things about having to use zinc coated hardware to stop galvanic corrosion on the aluminum parts. Others say to use stainless. Originally I planned to put all new stainless pan head screws to replace the nasty rusty hex head screws.
After looking at the pics, yours isn't far off from what mine was like when I got it.
The rotten wood is an issue. Mine got the lower panels that bolt to the bed replaced in my rebuild. They only stapled the boards to the aluminum frame so it's not hard to replace. It does force a complete rebuild of the cabinet on the drives side. That's not a bad thing as the rest of the wood they used there was particle board and given the leaks yours had it's probably soggy.
That does give you options for changing the layout. This is a radical idea, but one I'm kicking around when I do the siding and canvas on mine. The major change would be eliminating the right side bench completely and the front part of the cabinet on the left. A forward split dinette would be created with seats behind the front seats but facing the middle. This would be similar to how a chalet floor plan is or the Blazer campers made by Hallmark. You would have one cabinet in each rear corner. Size would be dependent on how wide you made the seats. The seats still could convert into sleeping space, but it would be in the same direction as the upper bunk. This would force a change of windows to two smaller windows, but one on each side and eliminate the one on the back wall. Which would require a reskin of the siding.
If you don't want to go that far, the side dinette you propose is good too. It wouldn't sacrifice as much storage as one might think, just some of it will be between the seats in the middle and not secured inside the larger single seat. Adding a net between the two seats would keep stuff contained in that space while traveling. You'll find with use, anything not tied down or inside a space will move around a lot!
The latches could be tightened up with going to the next size up screw. Remember all that stuff is self tapping so going gonzo with an electric drill or impact to install the screws might have you wipe them out again. The front latches you can actually get to the backside and add a block of wood to the inside surface and run longer bolts with nuts to eliminate the self tappers into the aluminum.
The rear door is one thing I have not tackled in my rebuild yet. On these units they are actually framed out of wood. I'd like to replicate mine out of metal to eliminate the wobbly feel of the door in general.
As far as the canvas goes, it you are going to replace it, I agree in going taller by at least 10-12 inches. I can't sit upright in the upper bunk and that extra space would be nice. That forces a change for the lift panels and I'd definitely make them out of electrical conduit as it works the same if not better and is much cheaper to make than the factory style. Plus with yours being gone you lack the hinges to remake the factory style anyway. The process is simple and outlined in my build. It's a common mod used by other FWC campers over on wander the west too.
Ideally, you fix the roof, canvas and lift panels in one shot. Many take the roof off completely to work at a lower height. I'd plan on adding wiring in the roof for a vent fan and solar, even if you don't plan to put solar in yet. Now is the time to prep for it if it's apart. Adding rigid foam insulation between the framework Is my plan and a common thing to do to these. I will ditch the stock headliner for water resistant shower paneling in a light color to keep the inside bright.
You got a decent base to start with for sure. Needs all the same stuff mine did for sure.
How did the 5.3 do with the added aero drag and weight of the camper and trailer do on the trip? What gears and tire size are you running too?
The rotten wood is an issue. Mine got the lower panels that bolt to the bed replaced in my rebuild. They only stapled the boards to the aluminum frame so it's not hard to replace. It does force a complete rebuild of the cabinet on the drives side. That's not a bad thing as the rest of the wood they used there was particle board and given the leaks yours had it's probably soggy.
That does give you options for changing the layout. This is a radical idea, but one I'm kicking around when I do the siding and canvas on mine. The major change would be eliminating the right side bench completely and the front part of the cabinet on the left. A forward split dinette would be created with seats behind the front seats but facing the middle. This would be similar to how a chalet floor plan is or the Blazer campers made by Hallmark. You would have one cabinet in each rear corner. Size would be dependent on how wide you made the seats. The seats still could convert into sleeping space, but it would be in the same direction as the upper bunk. This would force a change of windows to two smaller windows, but one on each side and eliminate the one on the back wall. Which would require a reskin of the siding.
If you don't want to go that far, the side dinette you propose is good too. It wouldn't sacrifice as much storage as one might think, just some of it will be between the seats in the middle and not secured inside the larger single seat. Adding a net between the two seats would keep stuff contained in that space while traveling. You'll find with use, anything not tied down or inside a space will move around a lot!
The latches could be tightened up with going to the next size up screw. Remember all that stuff is self tapping so going gonzo with an electric drill or impact to install the screws might have you wipe them out again. The front latches you can actually get to the backside and add a block of wood to the inside surface and run longer bolts with nuts to eliminate the self tappers into the aluminum.
The rear door is one thing I have not tackled in my rebuild yet. On these units they are actually framed out of wood. I'd like to replicate mine out of metal to eliminate the wobbly feel of the door in general.
As far as the canvas goes, it you are going to replace it, I agree in going taller by at least 10-12 inches. I can't sit upright in the upper bunk and that extra space would be nice. That forces a change for the lift panels and I'd definitely make them out of electrical conduit as it works the same if not better and is much cheaper to make than the factory style. Plus with yours being gone you lack the hinges to remake the factory style anyway. The process is simple and outlined in my build. It's a common mod used by other FWC campers over on wander the west too.
Ideally, you fix the roof, canvas and lift panels in one shot. Many take the roof off completely to work at a lower height. I'd plan on adding wiring in the roof for a vent fan and solar, even if you don't plan to put solar in yet. Now is the time to prep for it if it's apart. Adding rigid foam insulation between the framework Is my plan and a common thing to do to these. I will ditch the stock headliner for water resistant shower paneling in a light color to keep the inside bright.
You got a decent base to start with for sure. Needs all the same stuff mine did for sure.
How did the 5.3 do with the added aero drag and weight of the camper and trailer do on the trip? What gears and tire size are you running too?
I removed my flashing strip just enough to tuck my rubber roof in behind it. A very small bead of clear silicone seems to have kept it water tight.
The black rubber inserts should be available from your local rv dealer. I bought mine from a local rv supplier called The Metal Company in Arvada Co. After install all of my pieces shrunk about 10% but I just glued mine in as opposed to screws like the factory used.
The black rubber inserts should be available from your local rv dealer. I bought mine from a local rv supplier called The Metal Company in Arvada Co. After install all of my pieces shrunk about 10% but I just glued mine in as opposed to screws like the factory used.
Forgot to mention about sealing the rear of the camper off to the body. Using the Blazer top and bolting the camper to the body will pull it in slightly, but it still does not rest against the tailgate opening at all. I've used pipe insulation split in half with decent results. I've had to shove it into the gap underneath after install. Next time it's off I'll work up a better solution. It needs all the help it can get there. Moisture does not come in so much as it sucks in dust and dirt like a hoover. That big back wall at any decent speed creates a hell of a low pressure zone which is what causes it to suck in dirt like it does.
I was brainstorming with a buddy just yesterday to reconfigure the rear of the camper to eliminate the rear wall and use a pickup tailgate and make a lift up window or dutch doors that open sideways to allow better access and have a tailgate again. That's major surgery though and haven't really looked at the possibility of making it happen.
I was brainstorming with a buddy just yesterday to reconfigure the rear of the camper to eliminate the rear wall and use a pickup tailgate and make a lift up window or dutch doors that open sideways to allow better access and have a tailgate again. That's major surgery though and haven't really looked at the possibility of making it happen.
