48 Cars In 48 States : Pre-Trip #003 Irene The Camper

 Driver
Driver’s side wall removed.

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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 Some of the rot on the driver
Some of the rot on the driver’s side
 Top cabinet removed and roof supports in place.
Top cabinet removed and roof supports in place.

 Well. There
Well. There’s the camper with absolutely no driver’s side wall. We did modify the kitchenette cabinet later in case I decided to do a wheel cut out.
 New Drivers side wall in place, the front tin was hanging loose here
New Drivers side wall in place, the front tin was hanging loose here

 


These folks are making 48 Cars In 48 States possible! Support them, let them know that you appreciate them supporting this adventure

My buddy Ryno is handling getting the Galaxie ready for the trip. If you want your car done right, Ryno is one of the few guys that I trust.
Labor Day Weekend in KC is all about the Greaserama. Held out at the fairgrounds in Tracy, MO, it’s a great time with amazing cars, bands, artists, and people.

One of my favorite shows in the last few years has been Pistons And Paint in Denton, TX each November. Put it on your list!

 


 Lots of rot in the old roof. There
Lots of rot in the old roof. There’s not much wood that was exposed to the outside world that wasn’t destroyed
 Using the Kreg jig to assemble a new front window frame after the old one disintegrated when we removed it.
Using the Kreg jig to assemble a new front window frame after the old one disintegrated when we removed it.
 Using the Kreg jig to assemble a new front window frame after the old one disintegrated when we removed it.
Using the Kreg jig to assemble a new front window frame after the old one disintegrated when we removed it.

 It
It’s looking a bit drafty in here
 The rear of the camper with the roof completely removed
The rear of the camper with the roof completely removed
 One of the original roof rafters was split so it
One of the original roof rafters was split so it’s replaced and we added a frame to support the new roof vent/frame
 The rear panel installed and window opening cut.
The rear panel installed and window opening cut.
 The front window opening
The front window opening
 The front top roof panel nailed in and cut out for the window
The front top roof panel nailed in and cut out for the window
 The new frame and roof opening for the roof vent/fan.
The new frame and roof opening for the roof vent/fan.
 One more roof panel installed! 2 left that I
One more roof panel installed! 2 left that I’ll start on Sunday.

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

 

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