My She Shed/Vintage Camper Redo Part 2

The real work begins

We are a few weeks into my she shed/vintage camper renovation and it is going surprisingly well considering this is the first time we are tackling a project like this.  Rick has already spent countless hours not only physically working on her, but also researching and ordering parts, running to get supplies, and watching TONS of videos.

Now YOU can share my Beatrice renovation story with the children in your life! Or even for yourself.

Order Beatrice The Little Camper Gets Rescued the first children’s book based on the true story about a little vintage camper’s rescue and renovation.

This colorfully illustrated 32-page picture book is the beginning of my passion project to bring my very own Beatrice the Little Camper to life! find out more!

You can purchase my very own “Beatrice the Little Camper book at Amazon and Barnes and Noble

He has put in the bulk of the work while I’ve been busy being a mail carrier six days a week.  I cannot be more thankful that he has agreed to take on this project. His goal in this first phase was to get the framing replaced and get the roof on before his busy deer hunting season begins at the end of October.

As you all know from my first post, it took a good part of a day for the demo inside so we could see what we were working with. Luckily not all the original framing needed to be replaced. Once the original roof came off, the real work began.  Since the original framing inside was made up of an odd size (width) wood, the new framing had to be cut to the same width before it could be used. That was the first hurdle, but one that was easy to overcome.

The trick was to find a huge sheet of aluminum for the roof. After making some calls and doing some research, Rick located a place in Racine Wisconsin called Accu Trailer and Truck Repair that we could purchase the rolled sheet we needed.  An added bonus was the owner had to be up in our area the following week and agreed to meet Rick with the roll which saved us either a trip to Racine or an astronomical shipping charge. How’s that for service! Another piece of the puzzle accomplished.

Next came finding the bendable plywood stripping that would be needed for supporting the roofline.  To maintain the curved shape of the roof, this was needed to apply to the top of the frame in 2 layers. Our local building supply company was absolutely clueless as to what Rick was even talking about.  He finally found a building supply company in Manitowoc that knew just what he wanted, they called it “wacky wood,” and was able to order it for us.

Other than having one windy day when the walls almost collapsed on us, and a couple of days of rain, we were blessed with a full week of above-normal temps and sunny skies. It was time to finish the framing and get that roof on!

Update 2020– Most seasoned camper rebuild experts will tell you that to actually rebuild the correct way, you need to rebuild from the outside in. We did not do it that way on this rebuild. Because nearly all of the framing needed replacing, we choose to do it this way. Were we wrong? All we know is that I have been on multiple camping trips with Beatrice and I do not have a problem with stability.

We are currently redoing a 1968 Pathfinder and rebuilt the “correct” way by beginning with removing the skin to assess the condition of the framing. That project did not need as much reframing as Beatrice did.

I decided I wanted a bigger window in the front. The front window was removed when the roof came off. The four little windows on the side and the larger (yet small) window on the front were not enough to let lots of light in.  I could have my larger window, but it would not open. A larger window that would open was too expensive.  I decided if we couldn’t find a cheaper larger window that opened, I would keep the original. Rick hit the internet and found a larger window that was a slider and within the budget! Everything seemed to come together.  It seemed like this was meant to be.

The roof is on, the roof is on!!!!

With the framing done and the wacky wood in place, after hours of work, it was time to put the roof on! On Tuesday I was just finishing up work and Rick sent me a text “if you hurry home, you will be able to see your roof go on”.

Well, I don’t need to tell you, I high tailed it right out of the Post Office and drove about 70 mph home (shhh, don’t tell anyone!). Our neighbor Dan had come over to help Rick roll the aluminum roof over the walls and frame. When I drove in the driveway they had it about half rolled out. I parked my CRV,  got out, and started snapping pictures. It went perfectly and after some adjusting, I had a roof!! I was so excited.

Next came securing the roof to the framing with staples and grinding off the overhang so the roof sat flush with the wall edge. This took the whole next day as Rick worked from one side to the other to make sure the roof didn’t wrinkle. Once that was complete putty was applied and edging was screwed into place. This step is crucial to prevent leaks. The final step is to order and attach the rubber insert onto the stripping to cover the screws and add another leak-proof barrier.

And that is where we are currently at.  The goal was to get the roof on and weatherproofed before hunting season. Things will basically be at a standstill until December. This is where my interior planning begins. Actually, who am I kidding! I’ve been thinking about and planning the interior since we decided to do this.

My plan is to have a sleeping area for two people.  One end would be a cozy area for reading, sleeping, and hanging out. This would be a static area.  The other end would be a typical table with seating that can be converted into another sleeping area. The table will double as my desk area when I am writing. I will have a kitchen area with a cupboard where the old sink and stovetop will be.  I’m hoping to have a dorm-sized fridge. We plan on building shelves that will house books and items that I love.  I’m hoping to have storage under the seating areas and shelves above.

Pinterest has been a gold mine of ideas for this project! It’s fun to browse all the vintage camper pins and see what people have done.  I never had a clue that vintage campers were a huge thing! I have found all kinds of groups devoted to vintage trailers. There are even vintage camper rallies!  How fun will it be to be at a campground full of these vintage beauties!

I am so happy I decided to do this!  Stay tuned for more updates and follow me on Instagram, Twitter, and my Facebook page for more…

Thanks for reading and if you like what you see, please share!

Lori

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