Time for an update on the restoration of my camper Irene. When this whole thing started I thought I’d purchased a fairly solid old camper, I had no idea how deep the rotted wood went. That’s pretty much the case with most campers that have wood rot. As of the writing of this post there are only two panels left to replace then I can seal the wood, wrap it in insulation and then reinstall all of the exterior tin.
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So that’s the update on the camper so far! Like I mentioned earlier there’s not much rot repair left to do and hopefully a day or two after this post is up on the site the two panels left will be done. The plan is to seal up all of the new wood with some deck sealant, then silicone all gaps, then use peel & seal to cover all of the roof & floor seams. After that some Tyvek wrap will be applied and then the original tin will go back on.
My buddy Jared that’s helping me with the project is building a new desk to span the entire width of the camper, plus a new kitchenette counter top. Those will go in at the end of the month.
After that the trailer frame will be sanded to knock down the surface rust, then repainted before the trailer wiring is installed. Once the tin is on I can install the new running lights and finish up that part of the restoration.
A 200w Solar panel kit from Renogy will go on the roof, feeding power to a pair of 6v golf cart batteries. Using two 6v batteries instead of a single 12v battery means that I can have more standby power. The 200w kit should recharge the batteries in about 3 hours on a good day, or by sunset on a cloudy one.
For the days that I need extra power to run the AC or a George Foreman grill or whatever I do have a small generator purchased. A custom built box that goes across the front of the camper will house the generator and the batteries to keep them secure and out of the living space.
Funding the trip!
For those that don’t know, on February 1st I launched the Business Sponsorship Packages on the site. Since then we’re up to $4040 of the first goal of $8000 which will cover the cost of the trip. The next goal is at $12,000 and will also cover the printing of the minimum 100 books. I have additional goals that if we hit them, the price of the books will drop from $75 shipped down to $70 or even $65. On February 15th I’ll launch the individual packages which will work like Kickstarter where for a set amount of money you get a set reward. From keychains or stickers up to books and prints, there will be plenty of options for anyone who wants to be a part of this great adventure.
The Book
I’ve gotten word back from my local print shop on the books. They will be 200 full color 8.5 x 11 pages long and hard back. They’ll be printed right here in central KS and will be available for $75 shipped to anywhere in the USA. As I said before the more that are pre-sold, the more I can order and they will drop in price.
If you have any suggestions for what you’d like to see in the rewards packages, let me know, I’d love to hear your input. I’m excited to being going on this adventure and to be able to document this snapshot of the traditional hot rod and kustom car world in 2017.
48 Cars in 48 States : The Great American Road Trip will be an amazing adventure, I hope you all come along for the ride with me.
See you at a show,
Royboy