groomporter
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Post by groomporter on Nov 14, 2020 20:11:50 GMT -8
Hullo, This summer I acquired the pop-up tent trailer that my grand father built and started doing some updates. The date on the title is 1965, and this was the third or fourth camper he built since the 1920s, or maybe '30s. The family story is that he took his first one out that summer to see how it worked and then attempted to patent it, but someone else had beaten him to the punch with a similar design -or so the family story goes...  I was happy to discover when I opened it that the canvas could pass for 5 years old rather than 55. I took it out for a couple nights Labor Day weekend even though I haven't gotten it repainted yet. No built-in stove, heat, or toilet, just two beds and some storage space. Hoping to check out some vintage trailer rallies next season. 
A little video tour
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WhitneyK
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'67 Shasta Compact
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Post by WhitneyK on Nov 15, 2020 5:50:53 GMT -8
Wow, what an heirloom to inherit. Just Great!
Ah, the smell of 50 yr old canvas, but it sounds like you're getting it aired out just fine. lol
Your grandpa had some interesting and inventive ideas I noticed just watching the video that I will try to log into my memory bank (I'm such a pack rat).
Enjoy!
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Post by Teachndad on Nov 15, 2020 7:06:26 GMT -8
Hello and Welcome!
Thank you for taking the time to share your family treasure! So, cool anyone looking at this is going to appreciate the work and engineering that went into building the trailer. I tip my hat to your grandfather.
This is very cool.
The condition of the canvas is amazing considering how old it is. It's a testament to your grandfathers engineering and design. The roof didn't leak after all these years, yet the plywood on the tongue is hugely weathered. That's designing.
Cheers,
Rod
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groomporter
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Post by groomporter on Nov 15, 2020 8:27:44 GMT -8
I'm trying to decide about painting it. I'd like to paint it a green to match the van that we'll tow it with. Also, Grandpa preferred that his campers blend in with the woods (his "cathedral") even though it was usually used in a campground, not boondocking.
I'd prefer to give it to someone who knows what they are doing, especially since it's two different metals. But I checked with a local Maaco and based on photos they quoted me $700 (maybe a little cheaper they said once they see it in person). A local independent body shop quoted me $1300. Once the snow removal season is over I may just rope in the friend who claims to know what they are doing and volunteered to help.
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groomporter
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Post by groomporter on Nov 17, 2020 7:47:03 GMT -8
Comedy Moment… The mechanism that keeps the aluminum roof up had been having problems. I was in the the trailer and it shifted a little from my weight causing the roof to start slowly closing on me while I was standing there… Which was funny at the time, because I was able to hold it up, and lower it slowly from the inside while I began to duck down, and eventually had to crawl out feet first. Too bad I wasn’t video blogging…  The roof cranks up with a kind of a ratchet system with cables and pulleys on telescoping poles. With every half revolution of the crank there’s a notch, or cam that engages to keep it up. Once it’s up, and the door is in place, the door helps keep the roof up as well. But I was just taking some measurements inside, so I didn’t bother installing the door. But it would be good way to break a hand, or fingers if the roof fell while tucking in the canvas before dropping the roof down the last the last 3,or 4 inches. Normally, a certain young boy used to tuck in canvas while his dad held on to the crank. The problem seemed to be one of the 55 year old springs. There's a pipe that runs the length of the trailer that connects to the cables for raising the roof and is turned by a crank in the rear. There's a spring-loaded collar around the pipe that is part of the ratchet/restraining mechanism (see below). I replaced the main spring that seems to hold things against the cam or ratchet and now the roof stays up on its own. There's a release lever that looks like it has never quite worked right so the chain in the picture is the release for the ratchet. Pulling on the chain pulls the collar back about a half inch to release the collar from the ratchet when you want to lower the roof. The other four springs seem to let the collar spin slightly around the pipe while the crank is turned. I'm guessing they somehow give the mechanism some "play" but help hold it firmly. I'll replace them once I don't have to lay in the snow to get to them. For now, the most important one has been replaced so it should be a lot safer now to operate alone. Although I will continue brace the crank against something to hold it steady if I'm tucking in the canvas by myself -just in case. Although if I'm solo camping it probably wouldn't hurt to have a T-shaped push stick for tucking in the canvas. 
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Post by Teachndad on Nov 21, 2020 7:21:41 GMT -8
Wow! I cringed when I saw those springs with all that rust. I am glad you will be replacing them. Seems like they could snap at any moment. On my 87 pop up tent trailer, I use cut 2 x 2's to prop open the roof when the roof is fully extended. There is one to "back up" each of the four telescoping vertical supports just in case the cable system snaps and someone is inside. So, I am suggesting maybe a crude but effective back up system of just a pole to be used in addition to tieing back the crank. Maybe like a telescoping awning pole and you can cut the top off of it and place a tennis ball over the end and then decrease the height of the awning pole as you lower the roof. Prop it up just under the roof as you lower it. Just an idea.  Rod |
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Hamlet
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Post by Hamlet on Nov 21, 2020 14:21:25 GMT -8
Anything that’s 55 years old deserves to have a little rust!
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groomporter
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Post by groomporter on Dec 6, 2020 8:57:21 GMT -8
Wow! I cringed when I saw those springs with all that rust. I am glad you will be replacing them. Seems like they could snap at any moment. On my 87 pop up tent trailer, I use cut 2 x 2's to prop open the roof when the roof is fully extended. There is one to "back up" each of the four telescoping vertical supports just in case the cable system snaps and someone is inside. So, I am suggesting maybe a crude but effective back up system of just a pole to be used in addition to tieing back the crank. Maybe like a telescoping awning pole and you can cut the top off of it and place a tennis ball over the end and then decrease the height of the awning pole as you lower the roof. Prop it up just under the roof as you lower it. Just an idea. Rod Yeah, I've been mulling over something to do as back-up as well. A simple pole 3 or 4 inches longer than the height of the rear hatch would be easy to edge in place while tucking in the last of the canvas. Once it's warm(ish) I really should put the trailer up on something so I can really crawl under it to see if I can figure out how the system works in case one of the cables break. Dad never quite figured it out, but I don't think he had anyone open it while he watched from underneath. |
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groomporter
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Post by groomporter on Apr 8, 2021 9:25:10 GMT -8
It was nice enough outside to finally set up the new custom rain/shade fly. The patio is just wide enough to set up the trailer, but a bit narrow for the guy ropes of the fly. As a result, the geometry was a little off, but the fly is going to work as planned. Our friends who are tent makers for historical reenactors had Sunbrella canvas in a color close enough to the original canvas on the trailer.  |
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Post by Teachndad on Apr 17, 2021 15:00:52 GMT -8
Hey that's cool! No pun intended.
Re-enactors for friends. Wonderful!
So, did you ever get underneath to see if anything needed to be replaced with the springs and raising mechanism(s)?
Cheers,
Rod
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groomporter
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Post by groomporter on Oct 13, 2021 16:23:24 GMT -8
Hey that's cool! No pun intended. Re-enactors for friends. Wonderful! So, did you ever get underneath to see if anything needed to be replaced with the springs and raising mechanism(s)? Cheers, Rod Got distracted with other things, so haven't been back here. I did eventually get back underneath and replaced the rusty springs. That seems to have tightened things up again. Finally got it repainted too. |
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groomporter
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Post by groomporter on Feb 14, 2022 15:25:23 GMT -8
Through together a quick slide show of painting it. |
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Post by Teachndad on Feb 15, 2022 12:33:56 GMT -8
Excellent!! I am very happy for you. What a unique experience and to keep grandpa's dream going. Nicely done. Enjoy! Thanks for sharing the video with us. Cheers, Rod |
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PT
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1964 Aloha & 1962 Holiday House
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Post by PT on Feb 15, 2022 19:25:50 GMT -8
Beautiful camper and story. Thanks for taking the time to pass it on to us :-)
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