hairba11
Active Member
Posts: 116 
Likes: 56
Currently Offline
|
Post by hairba11 on Oct 19, 2016 1:29:40 GMT -8
Hi. I purchased the Born Free a couple of weeks ago and have started getting into it. Here it is   |
|
hairba11
Active Member
Posts: 116
Likes: 56
Currently Offline
|
Post by hairba11 on Oct 19, 2016 6:27:55 GMT -8
So this last week, same day as the truck was stolen, (it was found on Friday) I was supposed to pick up the camper. I was able to borrow my friends truck to go get it.  Figured out it was a 1972 from the manufacturing tag on the 31 gallon water tank  The previous owner had started ripping stuff out to modernize it, but fortunately hadn't gotten too far. Living/dining area  Kitchen  Even has an all in one bathroom unit: Shower and sink  And fold down toilet  The bunk floor had been pulled out leaving a fiberglass waffle.  I put down new plywood, a 1/2" foam pad and some outdoor carpet   Doesn't look too bad. I'm doing carpet in the live/dine area tomorrow and filling in the stove hole and adding a shelf and mini-fridge in the fridge hole. Bonus, the AC works! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk |
|
hairba11
Active Member
Posts: 116
Likes: 56
Currently Offline
|
Post by hairba11 on Oct 19, 2016 9:54:50 GMT -8
Made some decent progress this weekend.  Got the carpet in and the table anchored  The fridge was ripped out, and since I don't have propane fired one, I filled the door with insulation in this hole  Then built a 6" tall shelf and anchored it, then put my mini-fridge on it and screwed it down  In the paperwork was a color brochure   I hope nobody minds the multiple posts, I'm working on bringing this thread up to date. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk |
|
|
|
Post by vintagebruce on Oct 19, 2016 10:06:28 GMT -8
 to VTT! That is a cool looking slide-in. Love the rounded corners and curves of the roof and sieds. It certainly has as much room inside as many of the "mid sized" canned hams. I have commented before about how neat I think the 3-in-1 shower, sink and fold down toilet unit is. I hope it "tracks" well on the wheels. Great find. I have not seen many Born Free campers for sale.
|
|
hairba11
Active Member
Posts: 116
Likes: 56
Currently Offline
|
Post by hairba11 on Oct 19, 2016 16:02:53 GMT -8
Thanks vintagebruce I saw it on Craig's list in north St. Louis and thought it was cool. Went and looked at it on a Sunday. Hit the bank Tuesday, bought it Wednesday, sold my old pop up in bed camper Thursday to offset the cost. This morning I knocked out a shelf where the stove used to be.  Then today at work I got cranking on the truck to camper hitch/bumper    The subframe on the camper has two points/pins that center in the rectangular holes  The subframe is 10" back from where the camper widens to 62 inches. Because my liftgate is only 57.5 inches wide I have to extend where the frame hits the truck. There is a bar with a cam lever lock that secures the camper to the Hitch/bumper Trimmed and contact papered the microwave shelf and brought out my period correct percolator.  Also got the hitch finished up today.  Got the liftgate tail gate off   Got the camper axle adjusted    And got the truck under the camper   Intervehicular cable should be in today or tomorrow. Then I can test all the lights etc. And this is where it sits currently. The truck cable came in today so I will splice it to the camper cable and test lights in the morning. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk |
|
nccamper
Administrator 
Posts: 7,821
Likes: 2,931
1962 Forester- 1956 Shasta
Currently Offline
|
Post by nccamper on Oct 19, 2016 19:53:31 GMT -8
Welcome!
We don't see many campers like yours here.
Thanks for sharing the photos.
|
|
|
|
Post by vikx on Oct 19, 2016 20:02:04 GMT -8
Welcome! What cool lines this camper has! Really fun to see.
|
|
hairba11
Active Member
Posts: 116
Likes: 56
Currently Offline
|
Post by hairba11 on Oct 20, 2016 3:47:30 GMT -8
Thanks!
Now this camper had a veritable time capsule of paperwork with it.
Would anyone be interested in scans of manuals?
I have:
Meals for Roving Wheels 1971
Audiovox transistorized 8-track am/fm/fm multiplex stereo
Phillips power converter PC-401-a-1, PC-301-a-1, PC-201-a-1
Sears automobile air conditioner model 470.7750 1973
Alsons 300 director install 1968
Mobil Temp G-600, 602, E/G-601 -- G-800, 801, E/G-801
Generac Alternator model 5990-0
Coleman Automatic Self Priming Pump 2238-630 install
Duo-Therm authorized service center pamphlet
Insta-Matic gas/electric refrigerator model RV-6
Mobil Temp G-602, E/G-602 -- G-802, E/G-802
Duo-Therm roof mount AC Mod. 53206-xxx, 53210-0xx, 53210-1xx
Insta-Matic service and sales point pamphlet
Kelsey electric trailer brake operation and care 1963
Coleman 2238B630 operation and install 1970
Mobil Temp service station list 1972
Monogram Bathroom Module 360, 361 p/n 275268, 275270 install, operating, maintaining 1971
Duo-Therm 61801 & 61802 operating and install
Plus a handful of mimeographed instructions for the BF 20 itself.
|
|
|
|
Post by vintagebruce on Oct 20, 2016 6:10:16 GMT -8
|
|
hairba11
Active Member
Posts: 116
Likes: 56
Currently Offline
|
Post by hairba11 on Oct 20, 2016 11:03:57 GMT -8
I just wondered if there was a document section on the forum. Might be helpful having some of the trouble shooting and exploded diagrams and electrical diagrams. Most of that stuff stays in the campers and falls victim to water and rodents. I haven't found any evidence of either in this fiberglass body.
|
|
|
|
Post by vikx on Oct 20, 2016 20:19:16 GMT -8
We do have a document section for trailer brands. If you like, I can post a link if you put the pamphlets online. Say in a blog on your camper or similar.
|
|
msgoehring
Full Member
Just call me Margaret the shellac, buff, sand an shine queen.
Posts: 860 
Likes: 303
1957 Westerner Deluxe
Currently Offline
|
Post by msgoehring on Oct 21, 2016 4:33:16 GMT -8
Welcome to VTT and the joy of vintage, well I guess, RV ownership. I can't say vintage trailers, because yours really isn't a trailer. This is a really neat mix of camper and trailer that I had never seen before. It's in really decent shape and will look so cool going down the road. I really like all the windows it has, and it is really roomy looking inside. I'll bet you'll be getting lots of attention whenever you go with it.
|
|
hairba11
Active Member
Posts: 116
Likes: 56
Currently Offline
|
Post by hairba11 on Oct 21, 2016 5:07:42 GMT -8
Ok. No blog here. Couple of forums and Facebooking.
The camper came with a 7 round pin plug and pigtail, so I bought a 7 blade plug and pigtail to hook it too the truck.
I used wire nuts and hooked it up with camper wire colors differing from cargo trailer wire colors.
Reverse lights on right blinker and running lights on left blinker and it turns out the camper was wired like cargo.
Black 12v
White ground
Blue brake (yes. Camper has electric brakes, condition unknown)
Brown running
Red/orange reverse
Green right
Yellow left
Of course there were no reverse lights.
Or turn signals
And only 7/18 running lights.
But the interior lights worked
Popping off the light covers, apparently the PO had robbed bulbs at some point.
I spent about $8 and an hour cleaning contacts and replacing missing/burnt bulbs and have 17/18 running lights now! One side marker wasn't an original and had no voltage. Might be corrosion in the crimp connect.
Also soldered, heat shrunk, and taped my intervehicular cable once the wiring was sorted out.
Got back my propane tank a friend was borrowing and hooked it up.
The furnace works, but the thermostat isn't making contact. I'm going to pick one up today.
Should be on our way to Dad's house tonight, about a two hour drive, for a test tryout.
|
|
hairba11
Active Member
Posts: 116
Likes: 56
Currently Offline
|
Post by hairba11 on Oct 22, 2016 3:20:54 GMT -8
Survived the drive!
Took some back roads for lower speeds/less traffic/fewer cops and the hills and corners and no shoulders made for some slow progress in sports.
Checked the straps about 4 times
At some point in its life bearing buddies were installed, and I gave each about 10 pumps of fresh grease before we took off. The hubs stayed cool the entire drive.
The wheels are so rusty one tire is losing air.
DOT code on the tires is 2007, and they look pretty good.
Hit speeds of about 65 on a stretch of 4 lane, the hitch/bumper I made kept it rock solid. It feels like a class C.
|
|
hairba11
Active Member
Posts: 116
Likes: 56
Currently Offline
|
Post by hairba11 on Oct 22, 2016 18:21:18 GMT -8
So cable showed up. I got all the lights working, almost. Got it ready to take to Dad's. Stole the battery out of my S10, and Pulled out the old Electro battery and found the warranty card filled out for 12/1977  Topped off the tank on the way out of town for a mileage check. Brought the curtain material with us and got help sewing the curtains  They turned out awesome  This thing hauled very well and was stable to at least 65mph. I averaged about 50mph over 211 miles and filled up at the same pump on the way home. Got 15.8mpg! Pretty good for 11,000 lbs of rig! Looks good at night too  |
|
to VTT! That is a cool looking slide-in. Love the rounded corners and curves of the roof and sieds. It certainly has as much room inside as many of the "mid sized" canned hams. I have commented before about how neat I think the 3-in-1 shower, sink and fold down toilet unit is. I hope it "tracks" well on the wheels. Great find. I have not seen many Born Free campers for sale.
