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Post by bigbluefrog on May 31, 2017 17:52:11 GMT -8
We bought a 1971 Nomad camper It came with 4 marine batteries and a solar unit on top. SWEET! Okay I am not handy or talented with building but my hubby is.  I made a video & posted it on u-tube. See Sheryl B nomad 71 renovation. The floor was soft...so I took a pry bar and gutted it. I did that by myself except for heavy lifting. That refrigerator was a beast. Dusty, sweaty, and dead mice!  What did I get myself into...oh boy! Down to the studs, mmm what can i do? I patched and cleaned the roof, hubby started building the back...Might take longer than a month dear...yep! A little at a time. I love it though. It has an original furnace and it works great. I am unsure of the water heater or the plumbing as it is all in pieces in my garage. It had copper tubing. I think we will switch to pex. Original frig and oven works great. I hope to use all the appliances and sinks. I may switch the faucets. Right now we are trying to rebuild the floor with the roof jacked up a bit and the first skirt removed. I plan to replace the tires this week. The water tank is metal and oval shape, can I use that? It looks to be aluminum. Or would you just get the new plastic ones? Also is the furnace safe? I know it works good and I used it. Curious do those vintage water heaters work? How do I test it in my garage. Yes, we are new! But not new to projects...just new to this. Thanks! And I look forward to reading what everyone has done. [/font] |
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ladywendolyn
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1964 Golden Falcon
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Post by ladywendolyn on May 31, 2017 18:10:20 GMT -8
Welcome to the forum.
We trade information for photos of your trailer, ... so please post some soon. We want to see it so we can help you most accurately.
I have been putting a lot of research into vintage heaters of late. The main problem is that they do not have a safety built in, so they have no auto shut off if the gas goes out. If you use it, you need to make sure it is corrosion free, installed and inspected correctly, and have a carbon monoxide detector that runs on batteries, as you need it to work, when you are off grid too. I am in the process of replacing all my tanks with new plastic ones. I can share a link if you are looking for a good price. I don't know about vintage hot water tanks, but a few on here have them.
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Post by bigbluefrog on May 31, 2017 18:14:39 GMT -8
wow your trailer is beautiful, it must be done!
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ladywendolyn
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1964 Golden Falcon
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Post by ladywendolyn on May 31, 2017 18:28:00 GMT -8
No .. unfortunately. It is still stripped down to the studs. It's going through a full rehab. Here is my reverse before and after photos. From when I got it, till now.. This is then...  Then...   And this is now.. Full restoration in progress..   |
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nccamper
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1962 Forester- 1956 Shasta
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Post by nccamper on May 31, 2017 19:25:48 GMT -8
Welcome! "Might take longer than a month..." It always does. You’ll find tutorials showing how to link photos to your post here: vintagetrailertalk.freeforums.net/board/19/forum-rules-support-infoTwo resources from our members you should check out: Some excellent videos at cannedhamtrailers.com And a great book at vintagetrailerrepairmanual.weebly.com/ Have fun. |
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Post by bigbill on May 31, 2017 20:10:48 GMT -8
WATER TANKS take a light and look inside if it is clean and shiny then sanitize it and reuse. If you see a dead rat or worse get a new tank.  some times you would be amazed what is inside an old tank. |
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Post by bigbluefrog on Jun 3, 2017 13:14:12 GMT -8
WATER TANKS take a light and look inside if it is clean and shiny then sanitize it and reuse. If you see a dead rat or worse get a new tank. some times you would be amazed what is inside an old tank. After finding many dead mice in the walls that thought has crossed my mind. Although it would of had to crawl thru the copper tubing. Mmm good input. Might be with having a clear container. |
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Post by bigbluefrog on Jun 3, 2017 13:20:44 GMT -8
On my cell, but I wanted to reply.
First the pictures are amazing! Wow, I am jealous you have a big indoor work area! Neat photos, lots of charm there.
I love the canned hams...but I married a tall man...lol he doesn't even fit on the bed in this one. So we plan to tweak that option.
I ordered new ceiling vents as those seem a bit holey and I think one is actually an old Tupperware container...lol
I got ones with fans.
I plan to run electric to ceiling. And will run another line for a in future
I see lots of window or wall AC units now. Is the weight too much for the roof? Or is it a price thing?
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Post by bigbluefrog on Jun 3, 2017 13:22:41 GMT -8
AC unit, wall or roof?
Weight an issue?
Is it just more wall for true to vintage style or is a roof option okay as long as it is supported?
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Post by vikx on Jun 3, 2017 20:39:37 GMT -8
Most vintage trailers are not constructed to support a roof air conditioner. Yours appears to be a larger travel trailer, so check the specs on the brand and model. It could have been A/C "ready". If so, you will see an electrical cover near one of the roof vents.
When you lift the roof metal, you can probably beef the framing up to support a roof AC. By the way, A/Cs run around $600.
A/Cs are never considered "true to vintage style" in a little vintage trailer. Most of us try to hide the A/C in a vented compartment when traveling. Some pull out for use, others utilize fans to exchange the air.
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1966airstream
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1966 Airstream Overlander
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Post by 1966airstream on Jun 4, 2017 6:52:06 GMT -8
we use a portable air conditioner. I found it on open box sale for pretty cheap. In my trailer it sits in the bathtub and is vented out a bathroom window. Seems to work great, but our big test will be a mid south cruise in July.
I used a window unit as a pop in pop out, for a few years it was pretty decent but in our trailer it blew straight across the couch which was not great.
No roof unit for us.
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Post by bigbill on Jun 4, 2017 9:36:43 GMT -8
WATER TANKS take a light and look inside if it is clean and shiny then sanitize it and reuse. If you see a dead rat or worse get a new tank. some times you would be amazed what is inside an old tank. After finding many dead mice in the walls that thought has crossed my mind. Although it would of had to crawl thru the copper tubing. Mmm good input. Might be with having a clear container. How about if the filler cap was left off sometime? |
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mobiltec
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I make mistakes so you don't have to...
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1954 Jewel In Progress...
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Post by mobiltec on Jun 7, 2017 8:27:52 GMT -8
AC unit, wall or roof? Weight an issue? Is it just more wall for true to vintage style or is a roof option okay as long as it is supported? You not only need to beef up the roof structure but you also need to beef up the wall structure being that the walls hold up the roof. Sway bracing is yet another problem with adding a lot of extra weight to the trailer. This can be handled by adding a bulk head type wall near the AC unit... When you say you gutted the trailer... what did you mean by that? Photos would help a lot. Welcome to the forum and good luck with your project. |
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cowcharge
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Post by cowcharge on Jun 14, 2017 7:18:40 GMT -8
My '76 water heater worked fine, after I cleaned out the tank, got the bug nests out of the burner and replaced the thermocouple.
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What did I get myself into...oh boy! 
some times you would be amazed what is inside an old tank.
