Getting Started

This past weekend, Steve and I started working on my camper! The deal was that he was going to give me pointers and help me along the way, but as it turned out, he had a bit of trouble relinquishing the power tools and did most of the work. Oh well! He's very good at projects such as this, so I was happy to play construction assistant, and I don't know about Steve, but I had fun working on it with him.

I guess the first thing I need to do is show you what I am working with. Be forewarned - - it isn't exactly pretty. I got a heck of a deal on it, and I think it is going to suit my needs just fine. It is 45 years old, and for the most part, has been gutted on the inside. The man who owned it before me had used it to transport handmade jewelry to flea markets all over Idaho. Unfortunately, he'd cut a hole in the side of the camper and installed a ramp, but again, the price was right and I was willing to overlook the weird ramp.

Here is a picture of the outside of my camper. It is a tiny little thing - - only 10 feet long. On the left, you can see the ramp. Not ideal, but Steve assures me it can be removed, wall framed back in, and a window reinstalled. It doesn't really bother me that much, so it is low on my priority list at the moment.

Here is the back end of the camper. The ramp is on the left wall but not pictured. Pretty rough shape. Originally, there was a small bed that folded up to a bench seat, and a table. That had been removed.



Here is the hitch end. To the left is a good-sized closet, and to the right is the door to the camper. Even though I plan to camp "dry" (no plans to ever use propane), I like the little kitchen. Needs lots of work though.

This is my hired man, getting down to business. The plan was to build a sturdy frame for a full-sized bed. A comfy bed is the most important feature to me in the camper, so even though it will take up most of the floor space, I'll be sleeping like a queen!

Power tools!

The previous owner had slapped a bunch of white paint all over the place, not using tape or anything and kind of slopping it onto the light fixtures, too. So, I'll need to spruce those up as well.

Lots of white paint on all the drawer pulls, too.

Here is the finished project. All bolted into the wall and super sturdy. We have to add some supports to the center of it, and put plywood over the top. I'm going to make a bed skirt for it, and then I'll be able to store plastic totes underneath. I've got a bunch of paint swatches taped to the wall, and I think I've decided on some colors. Steve came up with a great idea for painting all of the cabinets that I can't wait to get started on. Next on my agenda is to apply sealant to all of the seams to protect against leaks, and then I will start painting the interior. More pictures soon!